State of Protest

When West African slaves were forcibly transported to the Caribbean and Central and South America to work the sugar plantations beginning in the 16^th century, they brought with them many religious traditions.  Despite being forced to convert to Christianity by their Roman Catholic masters, they were able to preserve many of their ancestral and traditional beliefs by fusing them with elements of Christian culture.  This religious tradition, specifically those beliefs and practices derived from the Lukumi religion of the Yoruba people of Nigeria, has evolved into what is now known as Santería (or, “the Way of the Saints”).¹  Santería was originally a derisive term the Spanish used to mock the African slaves’ apparent over-devotion to the Catholic saints.  Yet, what they perceived as devotion to the saints was actually a devotion to their own sacred orishas, spiritual beings who represent the forces of nature and are considered to be manifestations of the creator.  The Lukumi people disguised their orishas as Catholic saints in order to avoid persecution.²

One has to be initiated into Santería before information about it is freely released.  However, we do know some things about their beliefs, rituals, and practices.  They believe in a supreme deity and creator of the universe, whom they refer to as Olofi, Olorun, or Olódùmarè (owner of heaven).³  They hold no specific belief in a devil.  Rather than viewing the universe in terms of good and evil, they see all things as having positive aspects (Iré) and negative aspects (Ibi).  Good character (Iwapele) is defined as doing what is right simply because it is right, rather than out of fear of retribution or hope of reward.

All ceremonies and rituals of the Lukumi tradition begin by paying homage to one’s ancestors, called Ara Orun (People of Heaven).  The Ara Orun are held in high esteem and are referred to for moral guidance.  Animal sacrifice is a common practice during rituals, and this has caused some controversy among animal rights activists.  Chickens are the most common sacrifice, and followers of Santería claim their priests and priestesses are trained to perform these ritual sacrifices in safe and humane ways.  Only the blood of the chickens is offered to the orishas, while the meat is cooked and consumed by the community.  These sacrifices are believed to bring good luck, purification and forgiveness of sins.  Trees are also offered to the orishas.  Another controversial ritual involves sprinkling elemental mercury around the home, which vaporizes and can expose those who reside in the household.⁴

The hierarchical structure of Santería is arranged according to priesthood level and authority.  The priests and priestesses who govern the Orisha temples are known as Babalorishas (fathers of Orisha) and Iyalorishas (mothers of Orisha).  They are also referred to as Santeros(as) and represent the second level in the hierarchical structure.  The top level is reserved for priests of Ifa, who are considered to be Orishas of prophecy, wisdom, and all knowledge.  Ifa priests are given titles such as Babalawo (father who knows the secrets) and Iyanifa (mother of destiny).  Initiates must train for several years in the oral traditions of the faith and undergo a period of solitude in order to become Santeros(as). They are taught the traditional drum music, songs and dances of their ancestors, which are considered forms of prayer to the orishas.  This music is said to induce trance-like states in the initiated Santeros(as), allowing them to channel the orishas, heal the sick, and transmit information to the community.

The practice of Santería in Cuba was actively suppressed in the 1960s during the communist revolution, but its popularity exploded in the 1990s.  Most of today’s Cuban followers of Santería also consider themselves to be Catholics.  They often hold separate rituals to honor the saints and the orishas, even though the disguise of Catholicism is no longer needed.  Adherents are currently concentrated in Cuba and other Caribbean islands, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, France, the Netherlands, and the Hispanic populations of Florida, Puerto Rico, New Jersey, New York City and Los Angeles.  There are now Santerían stores in many of these areas, called Botanicas, which sell charms, herbs, potions, musical instruments, and other supplies used in the practice of Santería.  Estimates as to the number of adherents varies widely.⁵

1. http://www.santeriareligion101.com/ [↩]
2. Ernesto Pichardo, Santería in Contemporary Cuba: The individual life and condition of the priesthood [↩]
3. http://www.religioustolerance.org/santeri3.htm [↩]
4. Technical Report: Mercury in the Environment: Implications for Pediatricians [↩]
5. http://www.religioustolerance.org/santeri2.htm [↩]

If all the professional football teams in the US were to be challenged to a tournament by a tiny group of out of shape, drunk guys pushing 60, and the drunk guys wanted the event to be taken seriously, you’d have an idea about what the so-called “Controversy” of Evolution vs. Young-Earth Creationism looks like to rational people. Even better is that the drunk guys are always thinking that a legendary, invisible, all-powerful giant is on their team, and declare themselves the winners no matter what actually happens during the game.

It’s overstating matters to say that there is a great debate between Evolutionist Scientists and Creation Scientists. On the contrary, nearly all working scientists operate with the understanding that the earth is billions of years old and that life follows the patterns that are best explained with the Theory of Evolution. There is no real theory (in the scientific sense of the word) in creation science. While the supposedly scientific Discovery Institute purports to defend Creation Science/ Intelligent Design/ Judeo-Christian fundamentalism, there’s not much science there. There are a few deeply misunderstood and miscalculated notions of how Nature works, and most Scientists are frankly too busy curing diseases, developing new technologies and making fascinating discoveries in the tangible world to give these notions any attention at all. This isn’t even a debate between people who believe in a metaphysical higher power and rational atheists. It’s certainly possible to believe that religion answers the why of the universe while science answers the how. For the many people who do, there’s no problem, and what’s the big fuss about anyway? Unfortunately, the people who tend to toss around the words “bacterial flagellum”, “Second Law of Thermodynamics”, and “Irreducible Complexity” are out there, and they’re working very hard to convince non-scientists that ID is anything more than tarted up fundamentalism. They are quick to confuse the Theory of Evolution with Abiogenesis (they have nothing to do with each other), and insist on attempting to debunk a theory of Evolution that has in fact evolved since Darwin took it out of the cradle and taught it to walk. Now the theory is running, jumping, and making flu vaccines (you know, for those pesky evolving viruses). For those of us who are rationalists, but are not scientists, and would like some quick and dirty ways to debate the misguided individuals who would like to cripple scientific education with superstitious censorship, help is on the way.

There are a few relatively patient rationalists on Youtube who have taken the time to carefully debunk and explain precisely how the “Creation Scientists” get it wrong. Among these members is one of my favorite, a man going by the handle “Thunderf00t”, who has a series of such videos called “Why People Laugh at Creationists”. Yes, the title is a bit hostile, but the snark is snappy and the criticism well-deserved. Thunderf00t’s videos are informative and entertaining. Here, for example, is the latest in the series. In it he deals with the an oft-repeated assertion that if the earth were really billions of years old, then the moon should be doing something insane, like crashing into us, or have crashed into us, or be shot out into outerspace or something. It’s hard to keep up with the fallacious arguments. You’ll see what I mean:

You can find this and the rest of Thunderf00t’s excellent series here

Kabbalah is a set of esoteric teachings intended to reveal the mystical aspects of Judaism.  Followers of Kabbalah consider its teachings to be the true meaning of Judaism, whereas other Jews consider the doctrines of Kabbalah to be heretical.  Kabbalists believe Jewish mysticism originated in Eden, although historians have noted that virtually all Kabbalistic works falsely claim, or are ascribed, ancient authorship.  Kabbalists believe that over time, Jewish patriarchs, prophets, and sages interwove their knowledge into Jewish writings and culture through oral transmission, resulting in the current teachings and practices.

Kabbalists believe that in ancient Israel in the 10^th century BCE, the teachings of Kabbalah were common knowledge and practiced by over one million people.  However, there is very little historical evidence to support this.¹  They believe that the Jewish spiritual leaders at that time (the Sanhedrin) were forced to hide these teachings, because foreign conquests posed a risk that the information might fall into the wrong hands.  The Sanhedrin also feared that Jews who were deported on conquest to other countries would be led to practice in incorrect and forbidden ways without proper supervision and guidance by the masters.  As a result, they believe the Kabbalah became secretive and forbidden for two and a half millennia.

The Zohar, a mystical commentary on the Torah written in medieval Aramaic, is widely considered the most important work of Kabbalah.  Torah study is considered an inherent duty of observant Jews,² and the Zohar divides this study into four levels.  Peshat is the simple meaning of the text.  Remez refers to biblical allusion and allegory.  Derash is Rabbinic scriptural exegesis.  And finally, Sod is the secret inner meaning of the Torah, i.e. the kabbalah.³  Kabbalah teaches that there are hidden meanings contained in every Hebrew letter, word, number, and even the accent on words in the Hebrew Bible.  Kabbalists practice methods such as Gematria to attempt to ascertain these hidden meanings.

Another famous work, and possibly the earliest extant book on Jewish esotericism, is the Sefer Yetzirah, which kabbalists claim dates back to the patriarch Abraham.  Also revered is astro-magical text the Sefer Raziel HaMalach which, according to kabbalists, was revealed to Adam by the angel Raziel.  Yet, the Sefer Raziel HaMalach draws heavily from the Sefer Yetzirah, and it cannot be shown to predate the 13^th century.  Skeptical scholars find attempts to date these works to the pre-Israelite Ancient Near East to be implausible.  Much of the central doctrine did not begin to develop seriously until the 12^th century CE, and it seems far-fetched to believe that this doctrine existed undocumented within Judaism from the time of the Assyrian empire (which, ironically, some scholars believe is the source of Jewish mysticism) until it “resurfaced” approximately 17 to 18 centuries later.⁴

Kabbalists can be defined as monistic panentheists.  They envision two aspects of God, (a) God Himself, whom they consider to be impersonal and unknowable, and (b) the revealed aspect of God that created the universe and interacts with mankind.  They believe God’s existence is beyond anything that can be expressed in the material world, yet they believe all things are linked to God in perfect unity.  Rather than viewing these two aspects as a paradox, Kabbalists believe that through divine emanations they can come to see how they complement one another. ⁵

Kabbalah teaches that there are ten attributes with which God created the universe and reveals Himself, called the Ten Sefirot (literally, the Ten Emanations).  Kabbalists believe that the differences between these levels are not changes in God but in mankind’s ability to perceive God.  The ten levels are: Keter (will), Chochmah (wisdom), Binah (understanding), Chesed (loving kindness), Din (judgment), Tiferet (harmony), Netzach (victory), Hod (glory), Yesod (foundation), and Malchut (sovereignty).⁶

The Zohar teaches that there are three elements to the human soul: the nefesh, which is the lower “animal” part of the soul linked to instincts and bodily cravings, the ruach, the middle “spirit” soul containing moral virtues, and the neshamah, the higher “intellect” soul, which allows one to have awareness of God and to benefit from the afterlife.  The nefesh is said to enter the body at birth, whereas the ruach and neshamah are said to develop over time depending on the actions and beliefs of the individual.  Most Kabbalistic works assume a fundamental difference between Jewish and non-Jewish souls.  The Zohar posits that Gentile souls have an evil, demonic aspect to them that is not present in Jews.  Two additional parts of the soul, the chayyah (awareness of the divine life force) and yehidah (fullest union with God possible), are mentioned in the Raaya Meheimna, a section of teachings spread throughout the Zohar, but these higher levels of cognition are considered to be within the grasp of only a few chosen individuals.

1. Aryeh Kaplan “Jewish Meditation: A Practical Guide” [↩]
2. The Written Law (The Torah) [↩]
3. Imbued with Holiness [↩]
4. Parpola S. (1993) “The Assyrian Tree of Life: Tracing the Origins of Jewish Monotheism and Greek Philosophy” Journal of Near Eastern Studies [↩]
5. JewishEncyclopedia.com - Bible Exegesis [↩]
6. http://www.newkabbalah.com/sefirot.html [↩]