What religion uses voodoo?

Answer 1

Contrary to popular belief, Voodoo is not a made up of elements of Christian belief mixed with that of Yoruba beliefs. Voodoo actually originated in Benin, & when Benin people & other Africans were taken into slavery in the Caribbean, they used the Christian God & Saints to act as covers for the various Voodoo & Yoruba deities, whom they never gave up worshipping.

Answer 2

1. Voodoo is based on African religions.
   • Voodoo is a spiritual expression that blends together indigenous African religions with animism and spiritism. There are also elements of shamanism and witchcraft in the religion. This witchcraft is the basis for many of the stories you hear about voodoo.
2. Voodoo is a monotheistic religion.
   • Some people might think that voodoo practitioners worship many gods, but this isn't the case. The deity is known as Bondye, which is derived from the French Bon Dieu (Good God). But voodooists believe that Bondye doesn't intervene in human affairs, so they direct their prayers toward subservient spirits.
3. These subservient spirits are known as "loa."
   • The loa are each responsible for a particular aspect of life. They are distinct beings with their own personal likes and dislikes. The loa are not deities in and of themselves; they are intermediaries for, and dependent on, a distant Bondye.
4. Voodoo today is practiced by a relatively small number of people.
   • Compared to other religions, the number of practitioners of voodoo is pretty small. About 4 million people in Benin and 5 million in Haiti adhere to Voodoo today. There are other people scattered around the world who practice, but in relatively small numbers.
5. Central to voodoo is the idea of two worlds.
   • People who practice voodoo believe in two worlds: the seen and the unseen. Death is what separates these two worlds, and in the unseen world our ancestors watch over us. This is why many practitioners offer sacrifices and offerings to ancestors.
6. Voodoo is a very decentralized religion.
   • Unlike many other religions, there is no clergy or hierarchy within the practice. There is no holy book or scripture associated with the religion. Practitioners basically learn it from someone who had it passed down to them.
7. Voodoo dolls aren't actually associated with voodoo.
   • Perhaps the most iconic image of voodoo is the voodoo doll, but that really has nothing to do with voodoo. The dolls, often made to transfer a curse onto somebody, are made from corn shafts, potatoes, plant matter, clay, or clothes. They actually come from an African folk magic named Hoodoo.
8. Communication with the loa can take many forms.
   • Voodoo practitioners look to communicate with the loa using many different means. Often, this includes prayer, animal sacrifice, possessions, and drum/dance ceremonies. How they choose to communicate with the loa depends on the particular loa they are trying to reach.
9. While it is decentralized, voodoo has male and female clergy members.
   • Men and women who are clergy in this religion are called Hougan and Mambo, respectively. While they offer advice to followers, every individual is capable of their own insight and enlightenment. Even still, strong community bonds are central in voodoo.
10. Voodoo is practiced in several parts of the world.
    • Most commonly, the practice is associated with West Africa, Haiti, and Louisiana. But it actually is practiced any place that had a concentration of slaves. This means that there are some people who practice it in Cuba, Brazil, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.
11. Zombies are a very real thing in voodoo.
    • If a soul dies unnaturally (murder, suicide, etc.), they are susceptible to becoming zombies. This is because they can't join their ancestors until the loa approve. Souls are vulnerable at this time: Their will may be snatched up by a powerful sorcerer (boko) and locked in a bottle which the boko uses to control their un-dead but un-living body.
12. Voodoo was persecuted in Haiti.
    • In the 1940s and 1950s, Catholics attempted to end the practice of voodoo. Catholics burned voodoo shrines and attacked the clergy. Today, voodoo is protected under the Haitian constitution.
13. A voodoo priest actually started the Haitian revolution.
    • Boukman Dutty—a Voodoo priest—is widely recognized as starting the Haitian Revolution after making prophesies and declaring leaders at a religious ceremony in August 1791. It was the first successful slave uprising in the Western Hemisphere and was the largest slave insurrection since Spartacus in Roman times. It was certainly a major event in world history.

Answer 3

Voodoo/Voudo is the religion that studies Voodoo.

Answer 4

Voodoo is a Religion