Santeria began several hundred years ago when slave traders sold members of the African Yoruba tribe to Spanish settlers in Cuba. After a Catholic priest baptized the enslaved Africans, they were expected to practice Catholicism. Instead of being obedient to the Gospel message, many of these slaves refused to give up their ancestral traditions, and only pretended to follow the religion of their captors.

Since these slaves were not allowed to openly worship foreign deities, they incorporated many pagan practices into their worship of the Catholic saints. By developing special devotions to various saints, their captors would think the slaves were practicing Catholicism, when in fact, they were worshiping African gods and goddesses. When a slave owner noticed that a slave had developed an excessive devotion to one of the saints, rather than to Christ, they called the practice Santeria—a word that means "the way of the saints."

To some degree, the practice of Santeria has continued to spread throughout many aspects of Catholicism. For example, in the Yoruba tradition there was a supreme God called Olodumara, but this god was too busy to get involved with the everyday affairs of mankind, so the worshipers were forced to pay tribute to lesser entities called Orishas. These entities were easily converted into Catholic saints because anytime a worshiper needed a special favor, that person would turn to the Orishas for help.

The Orisha named Elegua was easily converted into Saint Anthony because he was the owner of all open doors. In the same way that Saint Anthony can help people find lost articles, so too can Elegua open up all matters of hidden knowledge. The entity named Oggun was converted into Saint Peter because he held the right to control life and death. In the same way that Saint Peter holds the keys to the kingdom, Oggun holds similar rights in the netherworld. Another entity called Orunmila was converted into Saint Francis of Assisi because he was the only Orisha who witnessed the creation of the universe; and since Saint Francis is oftentimes depicted in nature, it seemed like a good match.¹

Other forms of Santeria include animal sacrifice and the offering of blood for the forgiveness of sins. Santeria practitioners also cast spells, consult oracles and worship with a rhythmic sound and feverish dancing. During special ceremonies, demonic entities are allowed to take possession of the participants. This practice is called "mounting" and is similar to the demonic possession that occurs in Voodoo ceremonies.²

 

Scripture Passages to Set the Captives Free

 

"Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools; and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles." — Romans 1:20–23

"They rejected all the commandments of the Lord their God and made for themselves cast images of two calves; they made a sacred pole, worshiped all the hosts of heaven, and served Baal. They made their sons and their daughters pass through fire; they used divination and augury; and they sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger." — 2 Kings 17:16–17

"Thus says the Lord God: Repent and turn away from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations. For any of those of the house of Israel, or of the aliens who reside in Israel, who separate themselves from me, taking their idols into their hearts and placing their iniquity as a stumbling block before them, and yet come to a prophet to inquire of me by him, I the Lord will answer them myself. I will set my face against them; I will make them a sign and a byword and cut them off from the midst of my people; and you shall know that I am the Lord." — Ezekiel 14:6–8

 

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