I think Voodooo would be first and most are considered bad, but it is just perspective of people. In the Caribbean Santeria would be considered practiced along with Christianity. Some people do not see it as so bad in those countries. - But that is just from what I have seen there.
It's all about Pagans. They were around from the very beginning of the time of the humans, and even during that time, it wasn't religion; it was healing. Voodoo would be considered Pagan,k so Voodoo was first in your list.
Good to whom? Obviously they are considered "good" to the people who believe in them.
Santeria was founded in 1517.
The roots of the Voodoo religion go back 6,000 years.
Hoodoo goes back to the 1800's I believe.
I have included links to information about all three religions if you are interested in learning more.
I am not a member of any of these religions. However, I am so happy and at peace with the path I have chosen to follow, that I do not feel the need to judge the people who follow these paths.
Higher or more powerful? I tend to think it's all on the same level. Voodoos do believe in one god, and tend to also go to church (believe it or not). Good or bad is up to the practitioner. You make your own choices.
I think a lot of people condemn it without knowing anything about it.
Just as there are good and bad of any faith (even Christians)!
Okay Vodou is a religion that is common in Haiti. It is not evil or bad. It is a community/family based religion. It is also a monotheistic religion. It is a mixture of various African tribal beliefs, the native Taino Indians beliefs, and the catholic iconography.
Hoodoo is simply African American folk magic. It is used in conjunction with a religion, usually Protestant. The use of psalm is very common practice.
Santeria is the combination of African and native beliefs in Cuba and other Hispanic countries. The spirits are Orisha. Again not bad or evil.
Ifa is a practice that is common in Africa...i believe Nigeria but that I am not sure of. It is mostly a divination practice. I know a babbleWHOnd his man focus is divination. But he does do services such as clean sings and such.
None of these practices are evil or bad. They are similar to each other and none is better than the other. They are simply different ways to approach spirit and God.
All of these traditions can be considered good when practiced well. The goal of all of the ATRs (African Traditional Religions) ultimately is to promote spiritual growth and balance for the practitioner which, in turn, should translate to positive force in the lives of others and the community as a whole. While one could argue that one or Th other of these traditions is "first" or "more powerful," I have come to believe that all of the traditions have their strengths and weaknesses and that no one spiritual tradition holds all of the knowledge of the universe. Rather, although the larger spiritual understandings themselves may be universal, the knowledge, as we in the West are accustomed to e.g. facts, figures, dates, etc., is fragmented among all the peoples of the world and all the various religious traditions. It is this fragmentation and the feebleness of the human mind that causes us to fight over the sanctity of our beliefs leading to war and destruction...all in the name of God.
IMO, if there is any higher belief than any of these it is the belief in love and the power of the human spirit to overcome all obstacles. These two gifts come directly from God (Olodumare, Bondje, Jehovah,...) and cannot be taken away by any man, government, religious leader, etc. without ones consent. Belief in God and ones ability to tap into those great gifts from God lie above all else.
Voodoo, Hoodoo, Santeria, Ifa,?
