What is Voodoo?
We often seen the religion as Voodoo, but a more accurate spelling is Vodou. Voodoo spelling is more the pop-culture spelling of the religion. Voodoo is a religion that originated in Africa, it is a combinations of different Catholic, African and Native American traditions and rituals. A person who practices Voodoo is a Voodooist. Unlike many traditional religions, Voodoo has no scripture and is a community based religion with individual experiences.
Is Voodoo Bad?
Voodoo is a religion. It is a religion that has wrongly been singled out and associated with evil. Voodoo is different and many times people are afraid of the things they don't understand. What makes it worse is that it has become a pop culture phenomenon when it comes to being a "scary" religion. Hollywood has constantly used the religion as a scapegoat for wicked activity or black magic. The bias against voodoo also has a strong tie to racism.
If it is not Evil, What do those Practicing Believe?
There are variations of the religion, mostly depending on geography. Here are some of the basics. A Voodooists believes there are two worlds, one that is visible and one that is invisible. There is a supreme being known as Bondye, which translates into good god. The worlds are connected and our death leads us into the invisible world. So everyone who has died is around, only in the invisible world. Voodoo is also strongly associated spirits. Someone practicing Voodoo would pray to a spirit for help and guidance.