As I have said before, I have mixed feelings when certain "natural
disasters" -- such as hurricanes, typhoons, floods and earthquakes -- occur
in different parts of the world.

On one hand, our Christian compassion should motivate us to feel sorry that
so many people have to suffer as a result of these events. Yet at the same
time, as Bible-believing Christians, we must also recognize that these
catastrophes are a literal fulfillment of Endtime prophecy, as per Jesus'
own words, as well as prophecies that are found in other parts of the Bible,
such as the Book of Revelation.

Furthermore, as I point out in the four-part series "Hurricane Katrina And
Other Natural Disasters", when these things happen, we need to recognize
God's Hand is such matters, and realize that He is obviously very upset
about something. The Bible clearly tells us that God does not do anything
without good reason. Neither does He afflict us willingly. While some people
don't like to hear this, and while it may be politically-incorrect to say
such things, the simple truth of the matter is that we bring His Judgments
upon ourselves through our own sinful actions, rebellion and disobedience.
As the Prophet Jeremiah wrote in the Book of Lamentations:

"For the Lord will not cast off for ever: But though he cause grief, yet
will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he
doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men . . . Let us
search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD. Let us lift up our
heart with our hands unto God in the heavens. We have transgressed and have
rebelled: thou hast not pardoned. Thou hast covered with anger, and
persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied. Thou hast covered
thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through . . . O LORD,
thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause."
Lamentations 3:31-33, 40-44, 59, KJV

The Apostle Paul also wrote:

"Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous:
nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto
them which are exercised thereby."
Hebrews 12:11, KJV

And finally, the Apostle Peter wrote:

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness;
but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but
that all should come to repentance."
2 Peter 3:9, KJV

With those thoughts in mind, I just came across a very interesting news
article in "The Haitian Times" regarding current attitudes in Haiti,
following the deadly earthquake that struck there recently. What is
obviously interesting about the article, is that it clearly exposes the sin
of blatant Voodoo worship which has thrived in that island nation for over
two hundred years. Does it remind you of an American city which likewise
experienced God's Wrath in recent years as a result of similar sins?


Haitian earthquake unleashes animosity against Voodoo

By Garry Pierre-Pierre - The Haitian Times

March 3, 2010


PORT-AU-PRINCE - When Pat Robertson made his now infamous comments about
Haiti, it ignited a controversy in the United States and immediately
triggered a Facebook page denouncing him.

Robertson, a televangelist and host of the show The 700 Club, took to the
airwaves on his show and said that Haiti has been "cursed by one thing after
another" since they "swore a pact to the devil."

"Something happened a long time ago in Haiti and people might not want to
talk about," Robertson added. "They were under the heel of the French, you
know Napoleon the third and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact
to the devil. They said 'We will serve you if you will get us free from the
prince.' True story. And so the devil said, 'Ok it's a deal.' And they
kicked the French out. The Haitians revolted and got something themselves
free. But ever since they have been cursed by one thing after another."

Unbeknownst to many, people in Haiti have been espousing such sentiments and
in the last few months, the issue has surfaced in the open as Haitians began
discussing whether indeed, their independence from France was not born out
of pact with the devil.

In the month or so since the earthquake destroyed most of this capital city
with a death toll of more than 230,000 people reported by Haitian
authorities, Haitians from all walks of life have been saying that they need
to have a new way of thinking and acting.

Chief among new consciousness is the country's faith in Voodoo, a mixture of
African and Roman Catholicism worshipped by slaves in Haiti and has become
the defacto belief of all Haitians. It is commonly said that Haiti is 80
percent Catholic country and 100 percent Voodoo.

During the Jan. 12 earthquake, there were few cries of ayibobo, the Voodoo
calling of the gods. Instead, everyone yelled for Jesus, according to many
people interviewed.

"You know one thing that was funny, as much as we like to say ayibobo, we
didn't we all cried for God," remarked Luke Rimpel, a businessman in
Port-au-Prince whose home and business were destroyed. "We have to really
think about where we want to go as a nation."

Animosities aim at Voodoo worshippers took a violent tone last week as a
ceremony in Cite Soleil was disrupted. According to Max Beauvoir, a
prominent Voodoo priest, or hougan, a group of about 50 worshippers had
gathered at a temple in the infamous slum, ostensibly to honor the dead from
the earthquake. He said about 100 protestors armed with rocks began cursing
at them and hurling the rocks at the Voodoo practitioners.

Beauvoir said that all of the artifacts were destroyed under the watchful
eyes of the area's mayor and chief of police.

"This is stupid, Beauvoir said. "If there is a moment for it, this not the
moment to start a religious war."

Despite the attack, Beauvoir vowed to remain undeterred and called the
attacks, "a violence of conscience and human rights violations."

In addition, there have been reports that food aid has been denied to
prominent Voodoo worshippers in various neighborhoods.

Haiti began its successful war of independence from France in 1791, when an
escaped slave named Boukman gathered thousands of followers in the forests
of northern Haiti. Known as the ceremony of Bwa Kayiman, the throngs
sacrificed a wild boar and pledged that with the spirits' help, he would
liberate his people and free Haiti.

After 10 years of fighting, slavery ended and Haiti became the world's first
black republic, making Boukman a hero and giving special prominence to
Voodoo.

Still, Voodoo worshippers have been persecuted. A church-led campaign in the
1940s led to the destruction of temples and sacred objects. Hollywood films
sensationalizing the religion and legends of the undead pushed the practice
further underground. Voodoo was recognized as a formal religion in Haiti
only in 1987, under a new constitution that recognizes the rights of all
religions.

Many missionaries who have flocked to the country since the earthquake say
their goals in Haiti are strictly humanitarian.

"We're not here to practice our religion," said Chris Hermensen, a Mormon
nurse who came after the quake to help treat patients in several hospitals
told the Associated Press. "We tell people what are beliefs are but we treat
everyone the same. We're here to help right now."

In the past, few would have been bold enough to disrupt a Voodoo ceremony
because of fear of retaliation of the Voodoo Gods. The fact that people felt
empowered to do so signal a significant change in thinking as Haitians
decide how they interact with each other since the calamities of the
earthquake.

Voodoo has been an integral part of Haitian psyche. But some claim that
Voodoo is as misunderstood in Haiti as it is outside with many people
confusing it with witchcraft. Voodoo practitioners say that such attitude is
born out of ignorance and people who are miseducated and influenced by
detrimental colonial mentality.

"It all has to do with the brainwashing from the colonialists making you
doubting of your ancestors' belief and faith," said Yoleine Gateau-Esposito,
a Brooklyn educator who described herself as a Voodoo/Catholic believer. "Of
course when in doubt you choose the less popular one to blame although deep
inside it is the unconscious mind that is at play."

Gateau-Esposito, who is from Leogane, the epicenter of the earthquake,
returned recently there to organize a prayer to pay homage to the dead.
During the entire time, she took pains to let those gathering on her large
property that this was not a Voodoo ceremony and that anyone wishing to
leave could do so.

"I specify that I was not doing a ceremony because I didn't want people to
feel obligated to attend the memorial just because they are living on my
land," Gateau-Esposito said. "I wanted them to understand that my faith had
nothing to do with the gathering. I was simply coming as a person leaving my
belief aside."



Jeff Snyder, SysOp - Armageddon BBS  Visit us at endtimeprophecy.org port 23
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