Devil worship Quote by Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater One
““No place in Haiti was easy to get to and to drive to their lodge would take a couple of hours, so they sent a van to pick us up. It was already evening and the sun had just set, as we made our way up into the mountains behind Port-au-Prince. As we bounced along the dirt road winding through the hills, I could distinctly hear the rhythm of drums and see fires on the distant mountains. Mrs. Allen, who was with us, explained that in the 1940’s devout members of the Catholic faith considered the Voodoo rites an abomination of their faith. They armed themselves and started to eradicate from Haiti what they considered a cult. The entire thing turned into a war! They burned voodoo temples and shrines, and killed some of the practitioners as well as voodoo priests. In the end, the Catholic hierarchy gave up and after a time reached a tacit understanding with them. They now allowed Voodoo drums and songs to be sung in Catholic Church services and ignored what they once called devil worship.””
About This Quote
Source Memoir: Seawater One, 2023
Cultural conflict between Catholicism and Voodoo in Haiti led to violence, but eventual compromise allowed Voodoo practices in churches.
In simple terms: Religious tensions caused conflict, later softened by mutual tolerance.
Key Takeaway
Respect diverse traditions to avoid conflict.
Themes
culture
religion
conflict
tolerance
history
Haiti
Mood
reflective
hopeful
Type
historical
anthropological
When to use this quote
- travel
- anthropology
- religious studies
- community outreach
Key Concepts
syncretism
colonial legacy
social cohesion
Questions to Reflect On
- What steps foster genuine reconciliation?
- How can traditions coexist peacefully?
A Different Perspective
Compromise may not fully heal past wounds or address power imbalances.
