I was not going to post these, but then they are photographs. On Friday I took the day off as I always do on Good Friday. I decided to pull Daniel out of school and go for a hike in the angeles national Forrest since we had not been on a good hike in while. I grabbed by ME SUPER and took off...I wish I had taken my digital with Long lens, but who knew...While Hiking a creek we came across some voodoo dolls hanging on the trees and as we looked up ahead, we found a group of people practicing true Santeria...They where doing animal sacrifice and putting the blood on these peoples head to ''cleanse'' them...It was creepy to me and horrible. All I could do is pray for these people. Anyway here are some images. Wrong lens and these are heavily cropped as they are quick scans. I will not post the slaughtering of the animals though. So ugly...They ended up scaring us away as they did not like their pictures taken....but I kept shooting.
Here we have the black witch and the white witch. Notice the snake..




Here is a little tighter look at the witch


The ritual begins




One of the voodoo dolls (or what ever it is)on the trees. This form of hard core Santaria is normally not seen.. Here we have two religions inter twined.


Here we are walking towards them.

[jgredline]

Wow that must have been frightening - I don't understand what some people believe in or why they believe in it. Some are just truly disturbing.

I don't get either. Most folks need and have a desire for something to believe in...I agree that this is very disturbing.

[jgredline]

Interesting and fascinating, although I'm not quite sure how OK it was to photograph the ritual. I don't know what you beliefs are but I wonder how you'd react to someone passer-by photographing you worship. Just a thought.

...Hmm, they where the ones out in a public place..Granted they where trying to hide, but if we managed to find them, then others would to...Secondly, I see nothing in the world wrong with shooting them. I would have no problem for someone going to my church and shooting a service or one of the many gatherings we have. In fact we tape our services and make them available online.

For me personally the religions are more or less the same:

I can accept and respect that.

Santeria, Christianity of any flavour, Islam, Buddhism, you name it.

These are vastly all different to one another, but that is a discussion for another day..If you wish to discuss differences, send me a PM.

They're not my cup of tea, but as long as people aren't hurt physically or mentally and nasty things like animal torture doesn't happen, it's OK. Whatever works for a person.

in this case, animals where being killed for their blood and the people where opening themselves up to be possessed by evil spirits. ''Demons'' so yes, both animals and people where hurt.

[jgredline]

I know a little about Santeria and there is much about the practice that is disturbing from a Christian perspective. The worship of elemental spirits and the desire to be possessed by such spirits are things the Bible warns against and forbids.

Agreed!

If I had stumbled upon this group, I would have felt inadequate to have stayed, much less taken any pictures!

..Many would have done the same as you. Nothing wrong with that...As for me, I love street shooting and this case, woods shooting, so i do what I do.

On the other hand, I have very mixed feelings about the matter. These people are addressing their gods in the manner that they feel is appropriate. They have made a choice about who and how they will worship. How can I judge them for their choice?

Steve

You are right...While we can agree that it is not for us and even hate it, we do not have the right to judge them for the choice they made of their own free will...Let God sort that out.

(BTW...The above photos truly give me the creeps...)

Cool, then I have done my job.

[jgredline]

A very good point. I can only imagine what any of us would think if we were transported to the courtyard of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem or the earlier wilderness tabernacle during Bible times. The daily temple ritual revolved around multiple animal sacrifices and the burning of the carcasses on open-air alters. With some study we might be able to understand what was happening there. Without study, with our modern sensitivities, the whole thing would have appeared senseless and barbaric!

Steve

Oh yes...I have spent years studying church history and am well familiar with all of this...But this is a discussion for another day.

[madmikess]

OK...I am a ''bible'' believing Christian and I am bothered by it..These peoples eternal souls are stake.



Yes, but in what Context where the animal sacrifices made? In OT times, the blood of animals could only cover sin, but not atone for sin. Only the blood of Lamb (Jesus) can atone for sin. With the RESURRECTION, the LAW no longer had dominion over those who where born again...

Thanks for the comments though.. While we are in disagreement, I respect your position.

Well, by no means was I meaning to flame in my post. And I too respect your beliefs, which was more my point I guess. More to the point that while I don't agree with the way they practice their beliefs, they are their own beliefs and they have a right to them and who am I to judge them as I would hope that they wouldn't be judgemental about my own choice of beliefs. Alas that's not the way the world works and is the reason for so much conflict worldwide. It's sad really. But as you said, this is a debate for another day. Happy Easter.

[jgredline]

Well, by no means was I meaning to flame in my post. And I too respect your beliefs, which was more my point I guess. More to the point that while I don't agree with the way they practice their beliefs, they are their own beliefs and they have a right to them and who am I to judge them as I would hope that they wouldn't be judgemental about my own choice of beliefs. Alas that's not the way the world works and is the reason for so much conflict worldwide. It's sad really. But as you said, this is a debate for another day. Happy Easter.

I did not take it as offensive or as flaming in any way. In fact I agree with what you wrote here.

[jgredline]

This reminded me that Last year I also captured a fellow performing some Satanic rituals at the beach.

[Jimbo]

Thank is just darn right spooky! JIM

[Jimbo]

Thank is just darn right spooky! JIM

Oops, Think this is darn right spooky! JIM

[sharko]

Meh...a couple of old hags in robes. I think whats more disturbing is people who actually fall for that magic wizard tripe in the year 2009...

[pardes]

I'll tell ya. it was creepy. I have seen and been witness to much worse, though. The hardest part was explaining all that was happening to my Son.

What a disturbing experience for both of you. I don't think I would have been brave enough to stop for photos!

[jgredline]

Oops, Think this is darn right spooky! JIM

It is, but sadly it is reality. This and much, much worse go on.

[jgredline]

What a disturbing experience for both of you. I don't think I would have been brave enough to stop for photos!

While it was a disturbing experience, it was also a good teaching opportunity.. My Sons (he is 9) first reaction was ...Dad, lets pray that God will send lightning from the sky and destroy them...My answer was..Daniel, if we did that and God honored our request, then there would be no hope of Salvation for those folks...He got it pretty quickly...

On the way home, he was really, really troubled by what he had seen, especially with all the chanting and drums beating and dancing in circles. They where lighting off incense, and of course they had a snake handler and the killing of Chickens and doves...So yes he was troubled...So it was also a great teaching opportunity to explain to him, that the bible teaches (1 john 4:4) that ''he''(the holy spirit) that is in him is greater than he (the evil spirits, the devil) who is in the world. It was a great time of fellowship with him and since then we have had many opportunity to discuss it even further. He is doing really well...

[WerTicus]

I find that anyone could find these disturbing, disturbing. What's the big deal? That they are religious or that their religion is different to yours? Some of the comments here sums up everything wrong with religion.

[jgredline]

I find that anyone could find these disturbing, disturbing. What's the big deal? That they are religious or that their religion is different to yours? Some of the comments here sums up everything wrong with religion.

I agree that ''all'' religion is wrong..even the religion of ''Christianity''