By: Casey Zachary
This is a series of posts that will cover the next several weeks examining the concept of sin and moral responsibility in the mind of a Haitian. Let me preface this by saying there are many Haitian Chrisitans who truly have felt the full force of the Gospel and are strong, faithful believers, and their example is a constant companion of mine, challenging me along the way. This survey of soteriology/ hamartiology is by no means exhaustive. My intention is not to project that I have the ultimate insight on such things. Many have lived in Haiti longer than I. In many ways, I am a weak and short sighted man. However, growing up as an MK in Haiti several things perplexed me, one of which was the perpetual disconnect in evangelistic efforts in regards to how the missionary and the host culture understood the Gospel. To this end, I invested a good deal of time studying. The following is a result of the research I did. Again, I do not intend to come across as presumptuous. There are as likely as many views on sin in Haiti as there are Haitian people. I simply believe it is good to think on these things. The content of the posts will be
1) an Introduction
2) A Brief History in the Development of Religion in Haiti
3) Poor Assumptions by Missionaries
4) Understanding the General Worldview of a Haitian
5) Haitian’s Understanding of Sin and Moral Responsibility
6) Towards a Biblical View of Sin and Moral Responsibility
7) Essential Shifts in the Haitian Worldview
Such a background in the religious history of Haiti is offered last week, not simply because it is fascinating, but also because it is a very real possibility that voodoo will hollow out Christian truths in the Protestant church like it has to some extent in the Catholic Church. It is a common saying to describe the religious landscape in Haiti as 90% Catholic and 100% Voodoo. It is evident that scores of individuals are identifying themselves as protestant Christians; however, it is to no avail if all this work only changes the previous common saying to describe Haiti as 90% Protestant and 100% voodoo. When Roman Catholicism was introduced to the displaced African slaves (in the French colony that is now Haiti), the missionaries made little effort to seek to understand how the Africans viewed life and thus did not attempt to modify their methods of transmission of the faith, sadly resulting in folk Catholicism and rampant syncretism, which the Roman Catholic Church has been unable to correct.
Certainly, it is difficult for a Protestant missionary to consider the prospect of such a stance. However, if Protestants do not realize that it is essential to challenge and critique the Haitian’s theological presuppositions that help formulate their worldview, then Protestantism in Haiti is destined for the same end as much of Catholicism in Haiti, a folk religion that is devoid of Biblical truth. Missionaries today must make the precepts of the Christian worldview clear to the receiving culture, in ways that are relevant and identifiable with them, if they are to avoid misunderstanding and misappropriating the message.[14]
There is troubling evidence that this is already a reality in Haiti today. Some have gravely misinterpreted conversions of many Haitians as a conviction of personal sins and the realization of the superiority of the Christian faith. While this is absolutely true with scores of Haitian believers[15], there is a percentage of Haitians who convert for misguided reasons, such as a rebellion against ritual exploitation or domination by the lwa, the perception that Protestantism is a superior magical power and the pastor is a more authoritative sorcerer, or as a means by which one can get the lwa and ancestors to cease meddling in the lives of the new converts.[16] Oftentimes, conversion is related less to a genuine crisis of conscience and more to a pragmatic desire for self betterment.[17] This is not the essence of the Biblical account of salvation.
Such flawed beliefs perpetuate in rural Haiti because the missionary entrusts the responsibility of the discipleship of these new concerts to indigenous pastors who hold similarly mistaken beliefs, fail to receive proper discipleship, and are typically illiterate and unable to study Scripture themselves. Missionaries must be more proactive in the local church in rural Haiti, or at the very least invest heavily into suitably training the rural pastors, to combat heretical beliefs and crystallize differences between Christianity and Voodoo. Although Protestantism has impacted Haiti for generations, missionaries cannot make the mistake of passing the baton of responsibility to the indigenous pastors in rural Haiti too quickly. While many are eager to rise to the task, they are ill equipped and unprepared to teach sound Christian doctrine with clarity. We cannot afford to take short cuts and must invest in local church leadership in hopes they increase in their knowledge of Christ. Because missionaries have failed in this arena, despite the separatist stance of Protestant missions towards voodoo, many parishioners, and even church leaders, still engage in syncretic practices such as spiritual healing, sorcery, and magic.[18]
One cannot effectively communicate about sin and the need for salvation when the two sides communicating use these same words in different categories. All cultures have their own definitions of sin, which is often in a constant state of change.[19] The voodoo that governs rural life in Haiti is an animistic religion, thus the concept of sin is associated with shame and involves the collective group.[20] This differs from cultural assumptions missionaries have in viewing sin as an individual issue and producing guilt. When missionaries do attempt to engage the receiving culture and contextualize the Gospel, they often think in terms of salvation. However, unless they understand the receiving culture’s view of sin, their attempts to educate the unsaved about Christ’s salvific work will not have the desired effect.
[14] Hiebert, Paul G., Anthropological Insights for Missionaries, 213.
[15] One of my great privileges in life has been to witness the devout faith of so many of my Haitian brothers and sisters in Christ. While suffering from abject poverty and having little hope for anything better in this world, I have been deeply moved as they have lived as though God is their strength and portion in this life.
[16] Richman, Karen, “The Protestant Ethic and the Dis-Spirit of Voodoo,” 179.
[17] Dash, Michael J., Culture and Customs of Haiti (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2001), 64.
[18] Richman , “The Protestant Ethic and the Dis Spirit of Voodoo,” 174.
[19] Hiebert, Paul Anthropological Insights for Missionaries , 54.
[20] Ibid, 212.