It has been brought to my attention that a multitude of people have such a negative, and “demonic” misconception about my religion, which in vulgar terms we call Santeria. Although its real name is “Regla de Ocha.”

It is unfortunate that many people have been sworn into it in order to make it quite a lucrative business, or to impose harm on others. This also happens in other religions, and should not be a surprise.

I never expected anybody to understand my motives about being initiated and follow this path. I’ve heard many times people calling me a fanatic, or even call me a fool by abiding to the religion rules.

Although this liturgy is a big part of who I am, it does not encompass my entire life. I am a college graduate with a bachelors in Nursing. Soon to be a CRNA (God willing), I also have a social life, and I enjoy things such as traveling, and immersing in new cultures.

I don’t expect you to understand it, I don’t expect you to educate yourself either. But no one has the right to belittle my beliefs, nor to try to nullify my faith, nor to impose your beliefs on mine.

If I respect you as a person, I chose to do so with the condition that I will also respect and accept tour belief system. It is not my job to judge nor to criticize anybody’s religious beliefs.

La Regla de Ocha was born though a syncretic process that was brought to the Caribbean with the first slave trades. They were persecuted and even killed. Their last resource was to disguise their Orishas into Catholic Saints, for example Chango being St. Barbara, and so forth.

I am not going to lie, people have used it to manipulate others, to do harm, and to increase their finances. This does not mean that all of us who practice it have the same end goals.
I want to help people, I already do so by being a nurse...

But I can also do so from a spiritual position. So once again, I respect you for who you are. But don’t come at my door and try to take my faith away. Because my “fed” is immense.
Thanks for coming to my ted talk.
Stay blessed, and mind your god damn business https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😚" title="Kussgesicht mit geschlossenen Augen" aria-label="Emoji: Kussgesicht mit geschlossenen Augen">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😚" title="Kussgesicht mit geschlossenen Augen" aria-label="Emoji: Kussgesicht mit geschlossenen Augen">