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Tracian · Site Admin Joined: 05 May 2006 Posts: 109

Santeria is one of the many syncretic religions created in the New World. It is based on the West African religions brought to the new world by slaves imported to the Caribbean to work the sugar plantations. These slaves carried with them their own religious traditions, including a tradition of possession trance for communicating with the ancestors and deities, the use of animal sacrifice and the practice of sacred drumming and dance. Those slaves who landed in the Carribean, central and south America were nominally converted to Catholicism. However, they were able to preserve some of their traditions by fusing together various Dahomean, baKonga and Yoruban beliefs and rituals and by syncretizing these with elements from the surrounding Catholic culture. In Cuba this religious tradition has evolved into what we know today as Santería, the Way of the Saints. Today hundreds of thousands of Americans participate in this ancient religion. Some are fully committed priests and priestesses, others are "godchildren" or members of a particular house-tradition, many are clients seeking help with their everyday problems. Many are of Hispanic and Caribbean descent but as the religion moves out of the inner cities an into the suburbs a growing number are of African-American and European-American heritage. As the Ifa religion of Africa was recreated in the Americas it was transformed, today as it moves moves into mainstream America we can expect further tranformation.

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Tracian

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AvengingAngel · Guest

doesn't this religion involve animal sacrifice?

Tracian · Site Admin Joined: 05 May 2006 Posts: 109

DurhamDawg · Sliver STAR Joined: 08 May 2006 Posts: 225

Yes, animal rights groups have opposed Santeria practices....

quiscalus · Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:26 am Post subject:

I posted my feelings about animal sacrifice somewhere else on this site, so I won't bore you all again. Let's just say I'm against it.

But as regards Santeria, I will say that it gets an incredibly bad rap from people who care not a whit about whether they kill goats and chickens. It gets compared to Satanism. People assume it's evil and violent.

It's really an unfair characterization. I've met quite a few Santeros -- Santeria priests -- over the years, and they were all kind and gentle people. And as the religion evolves, as most religions do (now, I didn't say "all," as some are quite obviously DEvolving before our very eyes), there are some Santeros who are doing away with the animal sacrifice part of it.

At least some of the priests I've met. I can't say with any certainty that they are in the mainstream. (Sounds sort of funny: "mainstream Santeria!")
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Tracian · Site Admin Joined: 05 May 2006 Posts: 109