Herald of Holiness Volume 83 Number 08 (1994) Wesley D
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Olivet Nazarene University Digital Commons @ Olivet Herald of Holiness/Holiness Today Church of the Nazarene 8-1-1994 Herald of Holiness Volume 83 Number 08 (1994) Wesley D. Tracy (Editor) Nazarene Publishing House Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/cotn_hoh Part of the Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, Christianity Commons, History of Christianity Commons, Missions and World Christianity Commons, and the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation Tracy, Wesley D. (Editor), "Herald of Holiness Volume 83 Number 08 (1994)" (1994). Herald of Holiness/Holiness Today. 56. https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/cotn_hoh/56 This Journal Issue is brought to you for free and open access by the Church of the Nazarene at Digital Commons @ Olivet. It has been accepted for inclusion in Herald of Holiness/Holiness Today by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Olivet. For more information, please contact [email protected]. BUILDING A WORLD-CLASS SUNDAY SCHOOL FOR AGES BIRTH TO ADULT True to the Word, True to Life For More Information on WordAction Curriculum Call: 1- 800- 877-0700 C ontents AUGUST 1994 VOLUME 83, NO. 8 SPECIAL REPORT 17 PRIMITIVE RELIGION COMES TO AMERICA WESLEY TRACY AND TERRY READ 18 Traditional African Religion 24 Santeria Moves North 26 After the Dance the Drums Are Heavy: Voodoo in America FEATURES 12 The Last Temptation of Brother Ray BILL SNEAD 14 Snakes, Faith, and the Word of God DANIEL B. SPROSS 30 Come to the Water ROBERT EDGE 34 Playing in the Park MARK LINGLE CONTINUING COLUMNS 4 General Superintendent’s Viewpoint, w i l l i a m ./. p r i n c e 5 Into the Word, r o g e r l h a h n 11 In a Woman’s Voice, r e b e c c a l a i r d 37 Over 60, c. e l l e n w a t t s 39 When You Pray, e . d e e f r e e b o r n 42 Close to Home, b r y a n m e r r i l l 46 Observer at Large, j o h n c . b o w l i n g DEPARTMENTS 2 Editor’s Choice, w e s l e y d . t r a c y 6-10,43-45 News, MARK GRAHAM, BRYAN MERRILL 30 47 Marked Copy, m a r k g r a h a m _______ 48 Late News, m a r k g r a h a m , b r y a n m e r r i l l COVER PHOTO Paula Burch Editor’ s C hoice New Neighbors, New Opportimitie£ WESLEY D. TRACY day, non-Christian religions are grow ligion (TAR). Primitive African Reli ing rapidly, while many Christian de gion was first brought to the Ameri nominations are in rapid decline. cas several hundred years ago when Terry Muck, in Those Other Reli diabolical Muslim and European gions in Your Neighborhood (Zonder- slave traders brought 10 million van, 1992), points out that of the slaves to the Americas from Central 1,500 religious groups in America, and West Africa. (See “Primitive Re 600 are non-Christian groups. Muck ligion Comes to America,” page 17). suggests a Yellow Pages exercise for These people brought their ancient those who seem to think that non- religion with them and, over time, it Christian religion is not a significant became thoroughly mixed with the issue. He challenges Christians to Catholicism that the Caribbean and open the Yellow Pages to the Latin American slave owners re By the time you read this, it may “Church” section and list the number quired them to practice. Several re already be a crim e— right here in of temples, mosques, and meeting ligious groups sprang from trans Christian America—to witness for halls where non-Christian worship is planted TAR, including Umbanda, Christ where you work. Just today, I carried on. Dr. Muck writes, “The list Candomble, Rastafari, Abaqua, Voo heard on the radio about legislation has never been short, and the impact doo, and Santeria. The latter two now pending before Congress that would has never failed to be convincing” flourish in North America, primarily provide a “religion-free” workplace. (16). brought here by Cuban and Haitian If the legislation passes, it becomes a The problems and opportunities re immigrants. crime punishable by fine or imprison garding non-Christian religions are TAR, among slaves in the United ment (or both) for a supervisor or em not abstractions to be debated in uni States, all but disappeared. Protestant ployer to even speak of his or her versity ivory towers. Rather, they are religion, primarily of the Baptist and faith in the presence of a subordinate. issues that make daily impact on life Methodist varieties, led the Africans Such activity is, in the terms of the in our neighborhoods. proposed law, religious harassment. School boards, public Billy Graham was right when he re service programs, cently noted that Christians now have business policies, and more religious freedom in Russia church polity have al “We do these things in Haiti, than in America. ready been tempered Welcome, Nazarenes, to the Amer by non-Christian reli Africa, Brazil, and New York ican culture of the 21st century, the gions. because we don’t know what post-Christian age. One of the factors The H e r a ld has in the dwindling freedom of Chris brought to the atten else to do.” tians in this country is the swelling tion of our readers the tide of religious pluralism. By plural influence of Eastern ism, 1 do not mean the Episcopalians religions via the New and the Presbyterians fussing about Age Movement. Fur how to conduct worship. I mean the ther, we have had a feature article on to an inward conversion experience. millions of Americans who pursue the growing Islamic movement in On the other hand, in Catholic coun non-Christian religion and the fervor America. But, until this issue, we tries, their Christianization was of political liberals to make sure that have not treated the accelerated achieved by mass baptism in cere Christianity doesn’t step on the toes growth of primitive religion in North monies conducted in a language they of those who follow Judaism, Islam, America. did not understand. Predictably, these Buddhism, Hinduism, or New Age In this issue, we deal primarily people just added the Catholic saints doctrines. Some 20 million Ameri with the primitive religions that have to the many other gods they already cans now follow those religions. To derived from Traditional African Re- worshiped. 2 H e r a l d o f H o lin e ss — _________________________ A BEACON'- BIOGRAPHY CHARLES WESLEY MAN WITH THE DANCING Yo.OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, YOUR SCHOOLS, HEART YOUR CHURCH, HAVE ALREADY FELT THE T. CRICHTON MITCHELL IMPACT OF NON-CHRISTIAN RELIGION, WHICH IS GROWING FASTER THAN CHARLES CHRISTIANITY IN AMERICA. WESLEY Most of the people who have ever world immigrants. Some of it is en Man with the come to America have come here tirely indigenous to the U.S. See “The since the 1965 Immigration Act. Last Temptation of Brother Ray,” Dancing Heart Many of the new immigrants have page 12. come from primitive Asian and We do not bring you this informa African cultures. Millions more, legal tion to shock you, but to inform you. By T. CrichtonMitcheU and illegal, have poured into the U.S. This is our world. It is changing fast. from Caribbean and Latin American If we are to be the salt and light that A gifted musician, poet, and countries. Many of these have been Jesus called us to be, we must under preacher, Charles Wesley poor and poorly educated refugees. stand the culture to which we are to gave to Christendom some of And, from all over the world, these witness in Jesus’ name. Ready or not, our most famous hymns of peoples have brought with them their the mission field has come to us. faith. Mitchell unfolds the various religions. Could it be that Jesus is purposely background of Wesley’s poet As millions of refugees continue to bringing all these needy people to ry and hymns as he takes us flow into this country, these primitive us— for their salvation and ours? religions will become more of a fac There is no doubt that their hearts are on a journey with Charles and tor in American life and culture. Al hungry. Katharine Dunham, a life his brother John, who search ready, the Santeros in Hialeah, Fla., long devotee of West African and to find peace with God— and have won their Supreme Court case Haitian voodoo, “married” to proclaim their faith and hope regarding the sacrificing of chickens, Damballa, the serpent god, wrote in in Jesus Christ to the world goats, sheep, and pigs as part of wor her book about Haiti, Island Pos HH083-411-4496 $16.95 ship. By the end of this decade, we sessed, “Blood sacrifice isn’t just the are told that 7 of our 10 largest cities slitting of a cock’s throat or winding will be predominantly Spanish-speak warm entrails of a beef around one’s TO ORDER CALL ing. If Caribbean and Latin American loins before going to sea. We do these economies and governments continue things in Haiti and Africa and Brazil 1- 800 - 877-0700 to fail, the march north will continue and . New York because we don’t to grow. know what else to do” (72). We need not suppose, however, These are our new neighbors whom that all the primitive religion in Jesus, in our time, commands us to America was brought here by third love as we love ourselves.