By Earl Bousquet

I was particularly interested in some of my non-believing friends’ responses, one ‘reminding’ me of A.C. Grayling’s “The Delusional Philosophy of Religion” and another, that “God Was Invented By Men In Power”. Another alluded to “the relationship between Religion and Superstition”.

But, in all cases, I responded that my series was meant to incite discussion and debate, above the usual din, between and among believers and non-believers -and for those in the business of measuring public responses to issues of national interest to draw the many conclusions that will always vary.

In this related Last Post, I close with some personal observations conditioned by my upbringing and Life’s journey in a land consumed by fear of spirits in the midst of gross materialism.

My Little Oxford Dictionary defines Superstition as: ‘Irrational fear of the unknown or mysterious; a religion, practice or opinion based on such tendencies’; and Superstitious as: a ‘widely held, but wrong idea’. Occultism, it says, involves “the supernatural, mystical and magical…”

The earlier articles traced the arrival and outlawing of African religious practices of Yoruba and other continental origins (starting with the Kele, brought to Saint Lucia by free Africans after Emancipation in 1867) and how entertainment is used today to quietly induce and enforce, on and by People of African Descent everywhere, acceptance of other faraway versions of superstition.

Outlawing of indigenous religions by European settlers in Caribbean and The Americas followed Columbus’ arrival in 1492 and opened the way the Native Genocide that effaced First People’s indigenous religions and destroyed their civilizations -with Church blessings- to forcibly impose Christianity, European ‘civilization’, Slavery and multi-ethnic Indentureship.

The peaceful people the invaders met on arrival were considered less-than-human and deemed ‘Un-Godly’ by those seeking new worlds to conquer. The Vatican’s ‘Doctrine of Necessity’ blessed the missions to forcibly impose Christianity in the new lands conquered, by Messengers of God arriving on ships with large red crosses on their sails, transporting men with cross-shaped swords and rosaries around their necks.

The First People had to either ‘Parise God’ or ‘Die as Lost Souls’. Likewise, the enslaved and indentured servants were largely forbidden from openly practicing their religious beliefs, which included Islam, Hindi and others.

But many believers in outlawed African and Asian religions held-on strongly to their inherited spiritual roots and beliefs that followed them everywhere on Planet Earth -whether legalized with equality (like Santeria in Cuba), or still under colonial lockdown (like Voodoo in most Caribbean and Latin American countries).

Today, in Century 21, fears of and belief in superstition are still both very strong everywhere, even though largely silently.

In Saint Lucia, one political party is particularly remembered for a public display of what organizers described as a ‘spiritual initiation’ of their Party Leader, that featured veils and incenses; and on another occasion deploying a bunch of ‘spiritual soldiers’ with brooms to sweep Castries streets clean of ‘demons’ supposedly associated with another party.

The current campaign for the next Saint Lucia General Elections (yet to be set), the major opposition party’s platform spokespersons are talking about “Boloms” -midgets with spiritual powers at the beck-and-call of their masters or mistresses, to perform acts of ‘Good’ or ‘evil’.

Of course, it’s all the usual traditional so-called ‘Pork Barrel’ Caribbean political theatre, but it helps remind just how-far some politicians and parties will go to play and prey on superstition to exploit people’s genuine fears -for politics.

But that’s menial by measurement of the level of national fear of the unknown that’s also driven many to superstition and beliefs in illusions associated with extreme public and secret religious sects and cults everywhere.

These vary from Heaven’s Gate (which combines Christianity with Extra-territorialism) and Aum Shinrikyo (known for its apocalyptic ideology) to Rod of Iron Ministries -and the Cult of the AR-15 (which holds ceremonies where arms are blessed and the leader wears a crown of bullets).

Other sects and cults also include Church of Scientology, which own a ship that virtually dwells in Caribbean waters, often berthed in Saint Lucia.

Superstition across the region is largely a societal inheritance bred by fear from various social insecurities, but so associated with sustained familial beliefs in everything from longer life and punishment of ‘enemies’ to consultations with and protection from ‘evil spirits’.

This widespread belief in the unbelievable was again laid bare here by the continuing but finally waning public debate on a recent repeatedly-shared viral recording of a Saint Lucian woman allegedly voluntarily confessing to have been ‘used by evil spirits’ to cause harm to and take lives of named persons, including some allegedly having died under mysterious circumstances that baffled even family doctors.

Families who believe the aired ‘confessions’ are hoping they’ll be able to legally pursue and prosecute, even persecute the alleged perpetrator.

But that will prove difficult under laws requiring provision of evidence, thanks to the inability of medical doctors to fish scientific proof out what it’s believers always believe is a ‘higher science’. Legal implications loom, but the human implications are even-more serious, because, while this may seem to be about an isolated community incident, belief in superstition and occultism is more widespread than most would believe.

The hated lady, in hiding, obviously needs police protection, as she’s supposed to be treated as innocent until arrested, charged and proven guilty -by law. But the whole affair is also being dismissed by non-believers, who confidently believe that “Religion is the opium of the masses.”