Papillon Noir |
03-21-2007 08:56 AM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mictlantechutli
(Post 575491)
Don't forget willful possession. Some people invite demons (or spirits) into their bodies. Vodou Mambos and Bokors use this practice as the cornerstone of their religion.
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They do do that in Voodoo/Vodou/Vodun, but the spirits are not good or evil, they are hot or cool. The cool spirits are familial and congenial, while the hot spirits are combative and restless. All of them can become dangerous if angered.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mictlantechutli
(Post 575491)
I don't believe in a "Devil" that is the embodiment of all evil, but I do believe in other gods/spirits/forces, that were painted as "Demons" by the Catholic Church when they co-opted and subverted pagan religious festivals.
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The our conception of the Devil has evolved over the years from many view painted during the Medieval Ages. While the Devil is in the Bible, a lot of our views about him have stemmed from art and literature from the Medieval Ages. Milton's Paradise Lost and Dante's Inferno are big ones.
All of the Catholic feasts parallel the previous pagan ones. A lot of this has to do with the Catholics (then just known as Christians) trying to pull people away from the Pagan festivals. If the Christians were to have their own festivals at different times than the Pagans, people would probably just go to all of them, but if they're at the same time, people have to choose.
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