Cultural Differences between Haiti and Chile - Religion
Religion is one of the cultural elements that show cultural differences between Haiti and Chile. In Haiti, the primary focus of religion is on the well-being of people and the welfare of the community. Michel (2012) found that Haitian people believe in ancestors and spirits for better lives, both for themselves and their communities. People respect and honor spirits and ancestors for the survival of selves and their communities in their lifetime. Unlike the religion in Chile, the Haitian harmonious fusions of West African beliefs do not have concepts of heaven or Eden. The main aim of the people’s existence in Haiti is to survive in the current lifetime and enjoy the immediate wellbeing; this has become the ongoing process that has been involving Vodou adepts throughout.
Source:https://www.britannica.com/topic/Vodou
The photo above shows the Haitian fusion of West African values and customs. Vodou has become the religion of the better part of the urban working class and farmers of the Republic of Haiti. However, like Chile, some Haitians have been assenting to Roman Catholic and others to Protestantism, but more than half of the Haitian populace practice Vodou. Therefore, as Michel (2012) noted, Haitian religion is a true faith that focuses on tying the unfamiliar to the known and bringing directive where otherwise might be chaos. Every person in Haiti who believes in Vodou is required to observe the hyped African humanism, where the unborn, the dead, and the living play equally considerable roles, which have been unbroken historical chains. That means all actions, speeches, and behaviors achieve paramount significance for individuals and the communities of which people are part.
Source:https://www.catholicsandcultures.org/chile
The photo above indicates that religious-cultural aspect of Chilean people is different from Haiti. The church catholic has had considerable power and influence over the country for much of Chile’s history. Chilean people have the concept of heaven or life after death. Throughout, Chilean people have been paying great attributes to loved ones who have died. Though most Chileans prefer graves, a large number have been choosing to be cremated. Pew Research Center (2017) found that Christianity has been a dominant force in Chilean society. Catholicism continues to flourish today since Spanish colonists introduce it in Chile in the 16th century. Chilean followers of Catholicism believe in the existence of God as the Holy Trinity, comprising the Holy Spirit, the Son, and the Father.
Unlike Haitian religion where its primary concern is the welfare of people and wellbeing of the community, Chilean religion has been focusing on the political and social wellbeing of people throughout (Pew Research Centre, 2017). Also, unlike the Haitian religious way of life that has been guided by the African-derived principles such as the centrality of the community, Michel (2012), the Chilean religious way of life has been guided by Protestantism and Catholicism. Protestantism and Catholicism do not mainly concentrate on the holistic conceptions of lives and the centralities of communities (Castilla-Feliu, 2016). Individuals who believe in Protestantism are often popular among the marginalized in communities that feel disconnected from Catholicism.