CONCLUSION

As bizarre as some of the rituals and beliefs of Voodoo seem to us, there is little doubt that the followers of Voodoo believe as strongly in their faith as any Christian, Buddhist or Muslim believes in their own. The Voodoo believer will contend that his religion is not a primitive lesser religion but is based on a belief in one supreme God and honors the souls of his ancestors and his loved ones. He will also contend that Voodoo is not an evil religion but was tainted as such by several books written earlier in this century and by Hollywood through horror movies that depict Voodoo as evil. He will admit that while there is a dark side to evil it is no more representative of Voodoo than Satanic worship is representative of Christianity.

Just as the Christian believes in miracles so do Voodoo followers believe in the magic of their Gods, and as scientist Davis has shown, there may be a scientific basis for some of the "magic" of Voodoo. As nonsensical as it seems to believe in charms and spells, we must remember that Christianity, which is the cornerstone of western society, teaches its believers that Noah lived to be 700 years old, That Moses parted the Red Sea and that Jesus walked on water and arose from the dead. Faith is a very powerful emotion, and doubtless Voodoo will continue exist and flourish as a religion and lifestyle for millions of people.