The Arará religion is related to Lucumí (Santeria) and Vodou, with some overlap in songs, deities, and practices. All three use percussive music and dance to induce spiritual possession. In Cuba, Arará has been overshadowed by Lucumí, and its distinctive cultural identity is now in danger of assimilation, which is not really the case in Puerto Rico.
Sunday, 4 December 2011
Santería
Santeria is the popular name for a set of religious beliefs which are a blend of Catholic and African religious traditions. It developed in the Spanish-speaking islands of the Caribbean during the first centuries of Spanish colonization. Spanish missionaries attempted to teach the Catholic religion to black Africans brought as slaves, mainly from the Yoruba tribe in what is now Nigeria.
It is believed that the African slaves accepted reluctantly the teachings of Spanish missionaries. They were threatened against practising their own religious rites. Fear of punishment may have had much influence in the resulting blend of beliefs. From the beginning, Santeria had a lot of similarities with the Catholic Church, like worshiping of saints, mass, lighting of candles, and celebrations of the saintís holidays. Throughout time, many Catholic Puerto Ricans became followers of Santeria. The same thing happened throughout other Spanish-speaking nations in the Caribbean and Latin America. Each country developed its own set of beliefs, always in the bipolarity of Catholic and African cultural traditions.
To this day, many people practice Santeria in secret because they do not want to be criticized by the Catholic church that is against this practice. Secrecy has been a key feature of Santeria since it began to be practiced in the Caribbean. Slaves were forbidden to practice their rituals by Catholic missionaries, and severely punished if caught in Santeria rituals.
It is believed that the African slaves accepted reluctantly the teachings of Spanish missionaries. They were threatened against practising their own religious rites. Fear of punishment may have had much influence in the resulting blend of beliefs. From the beginning, Santeria had a lot of similarities with the Catholic Church, like worshiping of saints, mass, lighting of candles, and celebrations of the saintís holidays. Throughout time, many Catholic Puerto Ricans became followers of Santeria. The same thing happened throughout other Spanish-speaking nations in the Caribbean and Latin America. Each country developed its own set of beliefs, always in the bipolarity of Catholic and African cultural traditions.
To this day, many people practice Santeria in secret because they do not want to be criticized by the Catholic church that is against this practice. Secrecy has been a key feature of Santeria since it began to be practiced in the Caribbean. Slaves were forbidden to practice their rituals by Catholic missionaries, and severely punished if caught in Santeria rituals.
Quimbanda
Quimbanda is an Afro-Brazilian religion practiced primarily in the urban city centers of Brazil. Quimbanda practices are typically associated with magic, rituals involving animal sacrifice and marginal locations, orishas, exus, and pomba gira spirits. Quimbanda was originally contained under the religious tradition of Macumba. In the mid-20th century, Macumba split into two religions: Quimbanda and Umbanda. Umbanda represented the more acceptable traits of Macumba, while Quimbanda retained the distinctively African traits, which detractors hailed as black magic. Quimbanda has continued to distinguish itself as a religion, while resisting Catholic and French Spiritist influences that have penetrated Umbanda and other Afro-Brazilian religions.
Umbanda
Umbanda is a relatively new religion that originated in Brazil in the early 20th century. It blends the best of Candomble and Spiritism creating its own unique identity. David St. Clair, in his book Drum and Candle, wrote, “…more sophisticated than African ritual and more understandable than French-implanted Spiritism.”
Zelio de Moraes, under the guidance of a spirit guide, is believed to be responsible for the creation of Umbanda. According to Davis St. Clair, Caboclo, a spirit guide who was an Indian half-breed native Brazilian in his last incarnation, revealed to Zelio that neither Candomble nor Spiritism, “was right and proceeded to dictate a brand new set of rules, regulations, rituals, chants, drumbeats, herbal cures, curses, dance steps, etc.”
Although to an outsider Umbanda looks similar to Candomble in style, it is very different. In Umbanda religion, “both men and women participate in the dancing and receive the spirits into their bodies, unlike the Bahian Candomble, where women rule completely” (Drum and Candle).
Umbanda’s belief system consists of a Supreme Creator, deities called Orixas, Catholic saints, spirits of the deceased, spirit guides, reincarnation, spiritual evolution and the practices of charity and social fraternity.
Zelio de Moraes, under the guidance of a spirit guide, is believed to be responsible for the creation of Umbanda. According to Davis St. Clair, Caboclo, a spirit guide who was an Indian half-breed native Brazilian in his last incarnation, revealed to Zelio that neither Candomble nor Spiritism, “was right and proceeded to dictate a brand new set of rules, regulations, rituals, chants, drumbeats, herbal cures, curses, dance steps, etc.”
Although to an outsider Umbanda looks similar to Candomble in style, it is very different. In Umbanda religion, “both men and women participate in the dancing and receive the spirits into their bodies, unlike the Bahian Candomble, where women rule completely” (Drum and Candle).
Umbanda’s belief system consists of a Supreme Creator, deities called Orixas, Catholic saints, spirits of the deceased, spirit guides, reincarnation, spiritual evolution and the practices of charity and social fraternity.
Candomblé
Candomblé is an African-inspired religion that is practiced primarily in Brazil, but also in other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. African slaves from the Yoruba, Ewe, Fon, and Bantu nations, among others, whom the Portuguese brought to Brazil during the years of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, brought their religious beliefs and practices with them. These beliefs and practices gradually evolved into the many variations of religious practice now commonly referred to as Candomblé. Although Candomblé adherents were persecuted for centuries, Candomblé is now recognized as an established religion in Brazil.
Candomblé religious practice focuses on the worship of orixás—deities derived from the African deities. Each orixá has a distinct personality, and one or more patron orixás, identified by a priest, choose each Candomblé adherent at birth. Some of the major orixás include Exu, Ibeji, Omolu, Oxóssi, Oxum, Xangô, and Yemanjá.
Some variations of Candomblé incorporate elements from Christianity, and some orixás are identified with analogous Catholic saints. This process of cultural mixing is known as syncretism. In recent years, the diminishment of religious prejudices in Brazil has given rise to a tendency within Candomblé to reject the Christian elements of the religion and to strive for a system of beliefs and practices based exclusively on African elements. For example, Mãe Stella de Oxossi, the iyalorishá or high priestess of Ilê Axé Opo Afonjá, one of the oldest Candomblé terreiros (places of worship) in Bahia, has devoted herself to putting an end to syncretism.
Candomblé rituals are led by a pãe de santo (high priest) or mãe de santo (high priestess) and often take place in terreiros. Some terreiros take the form of park-like grounds with houses in which members of the community live. In the first and private part of the ritual, initiates and aides prepare the clothes to be worn during the ritual and adorn the place of worship with the colors favored by the orixás to be honored. In addition, they prepare the food to be served. In the second and public part, each participant invokes an orixá, entering into a trance-like state. After recovering from the trance, the participant performs a dance symbolic of the orixá's attributes, while the leading male priest sings about the spirit's deeds. The ritual ends with a banquet.
Candomblé religious practice focuses on the worship of orixás—deities derived from the African deities. Each orixá has a distinct personality, and one or more patron orixás, identified by a priest, choose each Candomblé adherent at birth. Some of the major orixás include Exu, Ibeji, Omolu, Oxóssi, Oxum, Xangô, and Yemanjá.
Some variations of Candomblé incorporate elements from Christianity, and some orixás are identified with analogous Catholic saints. This process of cultural mixing is known as syncretism. In recent years, the diminishment of religious prejudices in Brazil has given rise to a tendency within Candomblé to reject the Christian elements of the religion and to strive for a system of beliefs and practices based exclusively on African elements. For example, Mãe Stella de Oxossi, the iyalorishá or high priestess of Ilê Axé Opo Afonjá, one of the oldest Candomblé terreiros (places of worship) in Bahia, has devoted herself to putting an end to syncretism.
Candomblé rituals are led by a pãe de santo (high priest) or mãe de santo (high priestess) and often take place in terreiros. Some terreiros take the form of park-like grounds with houses in which members of the community live. In the first and private part of the ritual, initiates and aides prepare the clothes to be worn during the ritual and adorn the place of worship with the colors favored by the orixás to be honored. In addition, they prepare the food to be served. In the second and public part, each participant invokes an orixá, entering into a trance-like state. After recovering from the trance, the participant performs a dance symbolic of the orixá's attributes, while the leading male priest sings about the spirit's deeds. The ritual ends with a banquet.
Spiritism
Spiritism is a loose corpus of religious faiths having in common the general belief in the survival of a spirit after death. In a stricter sense, it is the religion, beliefs and practices of the people affiliated to the International Spiritist Union, based on the works of Allan Kardec and others. Formed in France in the 19th century, it soon spread to other countries, but today the only country where it has a significant number of adherents is Brazil.Spiritism is based on the five books of the Spiritist Codification written by French educator Hypolite Léon Denizard Rivail under the pseudonym Allan Kardec reporting séances in which he observed a series of phenomena that he attributed to incorporeal intelligence (spirits). His work was later extended by writers like Leon Denis, Arthur Conan Doyle, Camille Flammarion, Gabriel Delanne, Ernesto Bozzano, Chico Xavier, Divaldo Pereira Franco, Waldo Vieira, Johannes Greber[1][unreliable source?] and others. Ithas adherents in many countries throughout the world, including Spain, United States, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, England, Argentina, Portugal and especially in American countries such as Cuba, Jamaica, and Brazil, which has among the largest proportion and greatest number of followers.
Free Masonry
Freemasonry, Eastern Star, and other similar "secret" organizations appear to be harmless fellowship gatherings. Many of them appear to promote belief in God. However, upon closer examination, we find that the only belief requirement is not that one must believe in the True and Living God, but rather, that one must believe in the existence of a “Supreme Being”, which includes the “gods” of Islam, Hinduism, or any other world religion. The unbiblical and anti-Christian beliefs and practices of this organization are partially hidden beneath an outward appearance of a supposed compatibility with the Christian faith. Mason’s View: The Bible is only one of several “Volume(s) of Sacred Law,” all of which are deemed to be equally important in Freemasonry. The Bible is an important book, only as far as those members who claim to be Christians are concerned, just as the Koran is important to Muslims. The Bible is not considered to be the exclusive Word of God, nor is it considered to be God’s sole revelation of himself to humankind; but only one of many religious sourcebooks. It is a good guide for morality. The Bible is used primarily as a symbol of God’s will, which can also be captured in other sacred texts, like the Koran or Rig Vedas.
Unitarian Universalism
Unitarian Universalism is a fairly small, yet widely influential, cult. Having some 300,000 registered members, mostly in the United States, they are becoming more and more popular. Relativism, tolerance, and alternative lifestyles are all buzz words used by Unitarian Universalism.
The Unitarian Universalist name comes from their denial of the doctrine of the Trinity and their belief that all human beings gain salvation. According to Universalists, the mere idea someone might go to hell is not compatible with the character of a loving God. Its roots go all the way back to the sixteenth century when Unitarian beliefs became popular during the Reformation. Unitarian thought and Universal thought were merged together during the late eighteenth-century in America during the Age of Reason. The intellectual elite of that time refused to believe in such biblical teachings as total depravity and eternal damnation, but rather embraced the idea of a loving God who would never cause someone to suffer.
Adherents of Unitarian Universalism base their beliefs primarily upon their own experiences and are not committed to any one religious system. They believe that individuals have the right to decide for themselves what to believe in and that others should not infringe upon this right. As a result, one such believer might lean toward liberal Christianity, while another might lean toward New Age spirituality. There is no real dogma beyond tolerance—for everything except biblical Christianity. They reject the Bible as a book of myths—denying it is the Word of God—equating it with barbaric writing that has little to do with modern man. They reject the Bible's portrayal of a Triune God, leaving the concept of God up to each individual's imagination.
The Unitarian Universalist name comes from their denial of the doctrine of the Trinity and their belief that all human beings gain salvation. According to Universalists, the mere idea someone might go to hell is not compatible with the character of a loving God. Its roots go all the way back to the sixteenth century when Unitarian beliefs became popular during the Reformation. Unitarian thought and Universal thought were merged together during the late eighteenth-century in America during the Age of Reason. The intellectual elite of that time refused to believe in such biblical teachings as total depravity and eternal damnation, but rather embraced the idea of a loving God who would never cause someone to suffer.
Adherents of Unitarian Universalism base their beliefs primarily upon their own experiences and are not committed to any one religious system. They believe that individuals have the right to decide for themselves what to believe in and that others should not infringe upon this right. As a result, one such believer might lean toward liberal Christianity, while another might lean toward New Age spirituality. There is no real dogma beyond tolerance—for everything except biblical Christianity. They reject the Bible as a book of myths—denying it is the Word of God—equating it with barbaric writing that has little to do with modern man. They reject the Bible's portrayal of a Triune God, leaving the concept of God up to each individual's imagination.
Syncretism
Syncretism is the reconciliation or fusion of differing systems of belief. This is most evident in the areas of philosophy and religion, and usually results in a new teaching or belief system. Obviously, this cannot be reconciled to biblical Christianity.
Religious syncretism often takes place when foreign beliefs are introduced to an indigenous belief system and the teachings are blended. The new, heterogeneous religion then takes a shape of its own. This has been seen most clearly in Roman Catholic missionary history. Take, for example, the Roman Catholic Church's proselytizing of animistic South America. Threatened with the fear of death, natives were baptized into the church by the tens of thousands without any preaching of the Gospel whatsoever. Former temples were razed, with Catholic shrines and chapels built on the same spot. Natives were allowed to substitute praying to saints instead of gods of water, earth and air, and replaced their former idols with new images of the Roman Catholic Church. Yet, the animistic religion the natives had formerly practiced was never fully replaced—it was adapted into Catholic teachings, and this new belief system was allowed to flourish.
Religious syncretism often takes place when foreign beliefs are introduced to an indigenous belief system and the teachings are blended. The new, heterogeneous religion then takes a shape of its own. This has been seen most clearly in Roman Catholic missionary history. Take, for example, the Roman Catholic Church's proselytizing of animistic South America. Threatened with the fear of death, natives were baptized into the church by the tens of thousands without any preaching of the Gospel whatsoever. Former temples were razed, with Catholic shrines and chapels built on the same spot. Natives were allowed to substitute praying to saints instead of gods of water, earth and air, and replaced their former idols with new images of the Roman Catholic Church. Yet, the animistic religion the natives had formerly practiced was never fully replaced—it was adapted into Catholic teachings, and this new belief system was allowed to flourish.
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