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Originally Posted by C Elegans  Of course, that's what I was trying to say in my first post in this thread. I am quite well read into West African religion in general, and personally, if I have to choose, I prefer voodoo beliefs over the major monotheistic religions simply because most voodoo beliefs are not at all related to missionary activities and converting others, and it is usually not exclusive and hierachical in its structure. In other words - it is generally less harmful to other people. |
That seems to be a common distinction, not so much between Voodoun and monotheistic religions, as between polytheistic and monotheistic ones. Polytheistic religions are by nature inclusive, heterodox. Monotheistic religions are exclusive, orthodox. Polytheistic religions certainly aren't adverse to labeling specific theological beings as "evil," however they define this. But with a plethora of gods to choose from, there is simply less opportunity to find somebody else's worship as going to something inherently demonic. The universe ceases to be seen as a war waged between one's own personal deity, and all others who are inherently evil. Whether one views polytheistic religions as spontaneously ariisng forms of commuincation with the unseen or cultural artifacts, they at least result in far less harm to others, than monotheistic religious belief systems. I think that much is demonstrable.
The monotheistic answer is usually based on compassion. It is compassionate to save others from everlasting torment after death due to having worshipped the wrong deity, per Islam and Christianity. And as it is closed, circular argument that depends upon a perexisting view of the universe, there is no means of demonstrating otherwise. But from the outside, it certainly seems as though the conflicts brought into a culture by monotheistic religion are much higher than would be the case if no attempts at conversion were tried, at all. It is arguably wrong to buy a Voudoun curse to put on one's neighbor, but it pales before an army gathering in the center of your town to tell you all people in it will henceforth worship the One True God, or be forced to leave at once without anything you own.