Voodoo Shop Question

[clarkpm2]

Friends,

I was walking down the street with a friend of mine recently when we passed a shop called “African Goods.” It is a rather silly looking establishment, lots of badly spelled advertisements for knockoff Pepto and old newspapers blocking up the windows. On an impulse I decided to go inside and my friend went with me.

The shop was like something out of a nightmare David lynch would have while on hallucinogenic drugs. It reeked of bad incense, perfume, and other stenches. It was full of commercial Rastafarian clothes and other junk.

Then looking at one shelf, I noticed it was full of candles, the tall ones in glass jars that looked like votive candles. Upon closer look they were labeled for protection against evil spirits and devils, sometimes with strange drawings on them. There was a whole shelf of idols, other images of false gods, maybe even some animal parts used in ceremonies.

But I didn’t leave once I realized they sold idols. I kept moving through the store, looking but not touching. I think the woman at the counter was watching a pornographic film on a portable television. I didn’t look at it, turned, and left the shop.

Was this sinful at all? Going in, not leaving once I saw the idols, or perhaps catching an accidental glimpse of pornography? I’m not going in there ever again, it’s like something out of a nightmare and I felt an immense amount of spiritual dread in the shop.

 

[Barbkw]

“The shop was like something out of a nightmare David lynch would have while on hallucinogenic drugs. It reeked of bad incense, perfume, and other stenches. It was full of commercial Rastafarian clothes and other junk.”

Reminds me of my trip down Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

“I think the woman at the counter was watching a pornographic film on a portable television.”

Yep, Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

*“Was this sinful at all? Going in, not leaving once I saw the idols, or perhaps catching an accidental glimpse of pornography? I’m not going in there ever again, it’s like something out of a nightmare and I felt an immense amount of spiritual dread in the shop.” *

Purposedly doing hallucinogenic drugs is sinful. I think of it this way, you have to experience that darkness at some level to enable your mind & your soul a way to see through it. Once you can do that, you can become helpful to people who are locked in that crazy world.

 

[clarkpm2]

Purposedly doing hallucinogenic drugs is sinful. I think of it this way, you have to experience that darkness at some level to enable your mind & your soul a way to see through it. Once you can do that, you can become helpful to people who are locked in that crazy world.

I didn’t do any drugs. I was making a comparison to what the experience in the shop was like. I was wondering if it was a sin to be in there in the first place, not knowing that there were pagan items being sold.

 

[Barbkw]

Right, I know, you didn’t do any drugs. Sorry for the way I worded that.

By the way, when you say pagan, do you actually mean occult objects for contacting dark energies?

 

[clarkpm2]

There were objects that I assume are used to summon up various deities or spirits of whatever religion was being practiced, probably voodoo.

Was there sin since I didn’t book it out of the shop as soon as I noticed the candles with demons on them?

 

[Charlotte1776]

I don’t think you did anything sinful. You walked into a shop without really knowing what was in there, and once inside you didn’t do anything sinful either. Don’t beat yourself up about not leaving as soon as you saw the idols. Dwelling on this would be scrupulous.

 

[edwest2]

Friends,

I was walking down the street with a friend of mine recently when we passed a shop called “African Goods.” It is a rather silly looking establishment, lots of badly spelled advertisements for knockoff Pepto and old newspapers blocking up the windows. On an impulse I decided to go inside and my friend went with me.

The shop was like something out of a nightmare David lynch would have while on hallucinogenic drugs. It reeked of bad incense, perfume, and other stenches. It was full of commercial Rastafarian clothes and other junk.

Then looking at one shelf, I noticed it was full of candles, the tall ones in glass jars that looked like votive candles. Upon closer look they were labeled for protection against evil spirits and devils, sometimes with strange drawings on them. There was a whole shelf of idols, other images of false gods, maybe even some animal parts used in ceremonies.

But I didn’t leave once I realized they sold idols. I kept moving through the store, looking but not touching. I think the woman at the counter was watching a pornographic film on a portable television. I didn’t look at it, turned, and left the shop.

Was this sinful at all? Going in, not leaving once I saw the idols, or perhaps catching an accidental glimpse of pornography? I’m not going in there ever again, it’s like something out of a nightmare and I felt an immense amount of spiritual dread in the shop.

You didn’t know. You left when you realized you were in a bad place and it was time to go. End of story.

Peace,
Ed

 

[EricFilmer]

I think it is important to a make a distinction here. Obviously it is a bad thing to be in a voodoo shop, but the question at hand is whether or not you are culpable of sin in the situation you described. Keep in mind the three conditions that must be present in order to be culpable of sin. It must be a sin, a person has to know it’s a sin, and a person has to freely chose to do it (i.e., matter, knowledge and consent). If one or more of these conditions is lacking then the person is not culpable of sin.

When you made the choice to enter the store, you did not know it sold occult material. Therefore, there was no sin incurred when you entered the store.

Of course, you are also concerned that you lingered in the store after having seen the occult material (rather than leaving immediately). Here I think the motive for lingering maybe should be considered. When you realized that the place was bad, you may have felt compelled to assess exactly how bad it is (in order to discern the level of spiritual threat it brings to the neighborhood, and maybe devise a plan to counter this threat in some form or fashion). Off the top of my head, lingering based upon such a motivation does not seem sinful.

On the other hand, lingering out of curiosity would be imprudent. The devil often uses our curiosity as bait to draw us closer to his tricks, and curiosity over occult things is especially powerful and problematic. But whereas I think lingering due to curiosity is imprudent, I’m not quite ready to come out and declare it sinful. Maybe it is, maybe not. In any event, you can always bring it up in confession without having to be certain one way or another.

Now, had you instead lingered in the store in order to buy yourself a mojo bag to whip up a batch of Love Potion Number Nine in order to make your next door neighbor your love slave, then we could definitely say that you committed a sin. Fortunately, this was not the case.