Do Christian service members hold the same vitriol for practicing African Traditionalists as their civilian counterparts?

2018-09-03T13:49:38-04:00

African Traditional Religions (ATR) include Vodou, Abosome, Ifa and many others. African Diaspora Religions (ADR) are not usually considered separate outside of the community but within it the distinctions are stark. ADRs include Santaria, Voodoo, Hoodoo, Camdomble, Palo, and many others.
Commonly these are characterized by Christians as devil worship and come with a fair amount of discrimination. Would it be fair to expect the same treatment in the military?

Response by PVT Leighton Bader made Sep 3 at 2018 1:51 PM

2018-09-03T13:51:38-04:00

It all depends on the individual, with me, practice what you want, it's your right. Others might not think the same.

Response by 1SG Timothy Trewin made Sep 3 at 2018 1:52 PM

2018-09-03T13:52:37-04:00

As with anything it depends on the individual. I do however find servicemembers to be as a whole more accepting.

Response by PVT Leighton Bader made Sep 3 at 2018 1:52 PM

2018-09-03T13:52:46-04:00

I might not like it or agree with it, but I dont have the right to tell you not to, and god says not to judge.

Response by PO3 Phyllis Maynard made Sep 3 at 2018 3:53 PM

2018-09-03T15:53:37-04:00

Well, SSG Nana Togonmessie Abloklu Danfira Adedufira my experience in and out of the Navy with those who practice this form of religion has been negative and frightening. In the Navy, I met Trinidadians who wholly expressed their act of voodoo was to destroy any who opposed them, to protect their drugs (and they smoked much hash and mj and reeked of it in their clothing) nothing ever happened to them, and they cause terror to rise up in Christians who spoke out about their beliefs. Outside of the military has been my same experience. Drug dealers, anti-traditional society proponents, those who feel they are the have-nots and want what the haves have, those who wish to harm any who simply pissed them off, and the list goes on. There are even those who mingle Christian prayer with Africian Traditionalist practices and call it "of God" whatever the deed that is done. Because of these experiences I respectfully avoid this community and anything remotely or sutlely that makes me feel on edge, I don't stick around to sort it out. But this dispensation of the military may have the community of believers as does the athesist community. So as times are changing quickly, I and those like me may be the minority.

Response by MSG Danny Mathers made Sep 3 at 2018 4:14 PM

2018-09-03T16:14:02-04:00

Never heard of these nor I care. I do not believe in discrimination, however, I never met a person that didn't believe in God in a foxhole with things exploding or on the ground when rounds were popping the ground around them. I am not sure what a ATF or ADR worships.

Response by LTC Stephen C. made Sep 3 at 2018 5:12 PM

2018-09-03T17:12:30-04:00

SSG Nana Togonmessie Abloklu Danfira Adedufira, your profile indicates that you are a retired Army staff sergeant. Were you not in the Army long enough (retired status would generally indicate yes) to reach these conclusions based on your own experiences in the Army?

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 3 at 2018 10:41 PM

2018-09-03T22:41:26-04:00

I can be pretty tolerant of minority religions as long as their practice doesn't lead to rioting etc Even though I am a priest, I would definitely seek guidance from the command chaplain. I do have problems with blood sacrifices in spite of our distant history.

Response by SPC Steve ChenRobbins made Sep 3 at 2018 10:42 PM

2018-09-03T22:42:14-04:00

I have never actually asked anyone else what their religion is, though some folks volunteer it. I can't say that anyone has gone into detail about any of the above religions, so there wouldn't really be anything negative to react to, would there?

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 4 at 2018 1:04 PM

2018-09-04T13:04:26-04:00

I'm not 100% sure what you mean by this question. As a Christian (and according to the Bible) one either worships God or Satan. Whether or not Satan is called by that name is irrelevant because all the other religions lead a person to the same place and that is the place Satan is heading himself. Religions like the ones you mention, that have a supernatural interaction (talking to the dead and whatnot) is closer to devil worship than some other religions in my opinion. However, when it comes to how the members of this religion are treated in the military, I don't see why they'd be treated any different than any other religion. Now, how they are treated by individuals in the military is of course up to each individual, as with everything.

Response by Maj John Bell made Nov 28 at 2021 1:09 AM

2021-11-28T01:09:01-05:00

The military is to some degree a product of the society from which it draws its recruits. You will find a spectrum.