Much fun at Wonkette after a Townhall blogger named Kristen Atkinson posted a story claiming that a friend of Michelle Obama had revealed that Michelle’s mother was practising Santeria, a form of religion involving magical practices, in the White House. Atkinson’s whole blog has been removed (anyone can start a Townhall blog, by the way), but the story has been reposted elsewhere (e.g. here) and the author has rebuked Wonkette for making mocking comments:
Do you really, truly, seriously think it is OK for a president to use a forged birth certificate? Do you actually believe it is appropriate for a man who was raised a Muslim to pretend he is a Christian and go to a church for 20 years with an anti-American preacher? Do you really want a president who was brainwashed by communists since he was a child, up through university, to hate America to be our president? Do you think that it is fine if a family member of the president defiles the White House with voodoo? Don’t you know what fate could befall our nation as a result of allowing Satanic forces to gather over the White House?
Where will such things end? Before long, we’ll be reading about the President’s wife holding séances in the White House. Or maybe presidential appointments being approved by the First Lady’s astrologer.
In the lead up to the 2008 election, a neo-Pentecostal email rumour warned that Obama’s Kenyan grandmother was killing chickens in occult rituals “to make [John McCain] look confused and like an idiot”.
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The second this fake “witchcraft in the White House” story started making its rounds, I was reminded of images in early Hollywood movies such as “The Birth of a Nation” and “Imitation of Life” (the 1930s version). Nonsense like “Obama’s mother-in-law practicing Santeria” is founded on racism of that sort, namely the idea that now that we Americans have actually allowed a BLACK MAN into the office of the President, the White House is going to be overrun with witchcraft, voodoo and Santeria, drinking, gambling, and all those awful Negro things that stereotypical black performers did in the movies. (And which, sadly, continues to occur in most entertainment today, reinforcing those stereotypes.)
as far as I can remember, the religious right never really complained about Nancy Reagan consulting astrologers 25 years ago?
You act like speaking ones mind is ridiculous when that is exactly what you do yourselves. In fact, if she was liberal and her blog was removed would you go to court and demand it be back on the web?
She never mentioned this man’s race Modemac… just you.
She has every right to state her opinions- just like you do.
A couple of observations.
First, “obamanation,” Ms Atkinson is, indeed, entitled to her own opinions. She is not, however, entitled to her own facts.
Second, if it were true that a member of the President’s family is practicing Santeria, SO WHAT? Did someone sneak a provision into the Constitution that says that all members of the President’s family have to be Christians? If so, I haven’t heard about it.
This is just like the meme that was going around during the election, to the fact that Obama was a secret Moooooooslim. Again, even if he were, so what? And, again, this was simply code language for the “N-word.”
First,
Santeria is not a Satanic cult. It is a syncretic, Afro-Hispanic (mostly Cuba, but spread out of Cuba to other nearby island and to the U.S.) religion that itself derives much of its beliefs from Ifa, a Yoruban religion practiced mostly in Nigeria and Benin. It is a cultural/religious legacy of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.
As with many other religions (Judaims, Islam, Buddhism, etc) it has a corpus of ethical stories/verses/parables/chapters etc. In Ifa’s case, it’s the Odu Ifa (256 in all), many with almost indistinguishable ethical teachings as those found in Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, etc. It does not teach evil, hate, or Satanism. It does teach love of each other, community, and oneness with nature.
As for animal sacrifce, judaism and other religions include animal sacrifice as part of their traditions and no one calls them Satanic. Please do not get your ideas about other cultures and other religions from the immature and ignorant minds of Hollywood producers, fearful Christian ministers, or the general public. If you wish to learn about Ifa, go here – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If%C3%A1
For specific information about Santeria (a BRANCH of Ifa-derived Afro-Hispanic beliefs), go here – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santer%C3%ADa