A Letter to a Friend

Hi.

I hope this letter greets you in good spirits and health. I'm writing you this letter because I need to get this off my chest and I don't think a face to face conversation is going to cut it. I enjoyed my time at your place yesterday. It's not everyday I watch hours of non-educational TV and do absolutely no work. So I'm appreciative of the chance to waste time for a change. But, that's not what this letter is about.

One of the shows we watched was Chucky. I've caught pieces of the numerous iterations of that movie but I've never actually watched it from end to end. I'm sure the movie was quite the scare back in 1989 with the cussing homicidal maniac doll and all but let's be honest, It was really a comedy. Chucky want's to watch the news. Chucky throws aunty out the window. Great laughs. Chucky enters a house of a supposed Haitian with voodun symbols on the walls and whips out "voodoo doll" and proceeds to break the legs and arms of the poor "voodoo man" and ends it all with the "necessary" knife to the doll which of course caused the human victim to have blood spurting everywhere.

I was not amused. I said so. But you thought it was funny. Now it's not a secret that I follow Ifa and even though Haitian Voodun is not Ifa it is the product of African religions and you know where I stand on it. Yet you insisted on discussing how "devilish" the activities were.
We had the discussion where I told you that "we" do not believe in the devil or a devil of any kind. So why, after knowing and talking to me for as long as we have known each other would such disrespect for my religion be coming out of your mouth?

That's actually a dumb question really. Thing is, the reason you felt comfortable with it was because I accommodated you and your religious beliefs. See I forgot that the reason I could be so accommodating and understanding about your religious struggles is because firstly I do not proselytize so I don't use clear opportunities to "convert" to "win you over". Secondly, as you know already, I'm extremely well versed in your religion (among others) so I don't feel lost or uncomfortable relating to you in that way. Lastly though, and this is most important, I respect your choice of belief. Not that I agreed with it, but I respect the fact that it is what you draw strength from to live your life. I had hoped that as you grew and matured you'd gain that same respect for me. I guess not.

I guess I should have been clued in when you asked me if I saw myself "returning" to Christianity. I guess you, like apparently most people who think they "know" me have not been listening to me when I have been speaking. Simply because I enjoy Take Six does not mean I have some secret desire to be "saved." I simply enjoy good singing. period. Besides I didn't leave "the church" because of some life crisis or because I wanted to go out into the world to drink and lay up with women. Nor did I leave because I suddenly had some religious crisis where I suddenly needed to be a part of a "real" religion where people were "serious". No. as you know, I left after I studied the origins of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. I shared the information with you. You rejected it like my momma did. I was pretty irate about that back then and we've since had a good laugh about it, but where I've apparently grown up on the subject, you're still back there.

In any event Just so you know Damballah is the Voodun loa most associated with Obatala in the Ifa tradition. Haitian Voodun is a mixture of the Kongo religion on Ngola (Angola) and the Fon peoples found in Benin which is also related to the Yoruba. the Kongo portion generally represents the "hotter" portions of the religion. But in any case, both Damballah and Obatala are symbolized by white which is symbolic of their purity. Some people try to racialize colors due to the racism in America but be sure that the white symbolism in African traditions has nothing to do with race and everything to do with how easily white is stained. Anyway, in our religion there is no devil who is responsible for evil. We believe, and I've said this a number of times to you, that people are free to make good or evil decisions and actions on their own. In other words the devil is the one doing the evil so any person can be a devil. In retrospect I could have taken a different view of the particular scene of ire. The fact that the "Haitian' was so unnerved by the presence of "chucky" could be seen as a repudiation of the evil that "chucky" was doing that was out of line of the intent of the religion. But perhaps I was too annoyed by your constant references to the 'devilish" religion.

So, if I'm kinda distant in the next few days, or weeks, I hope you understand. I guess it was my fault to assume that you had grown some newfound respect for African religions. That would be my fault. I take responsibility for that, I'll just make sure in the future to not make that mistake again.