O que devemos pensar a respeito do candomblé?

Typically, within the Church, there are two common attitudes toward Candomblé and pagan and animist religions. The first is indifference: they exist, but there's no need to pay attention to them. The second is fear, due to the possibility of some demonic influence. These two attitudes date back to the early centuries of Christianity, when Saint Paul had to confront and respond to the questions of early Christians about the consumption of meat sacrificed to idols. Both attitudes are common. Thus, the approach proposed in this episode will be to understand Candomblé from within and, using its own principles, understand the great difference between Christianity and pagan religions without initially demonizing them, but seeking to understand what lies behind them. Candomblé, apparently, is a rudimentary religion, lacking logical principles. The same concept applied to Christianity in its early days. It was very difficult for people of that time to understand how the supreme God was proposed to be worshipped, since He is immutable and, as such, perfect, not lowering Himself to the level of creatures. They further understood that only gods—with a lowercase "g"—can be worshipped, as they are cosmic forces and principles, mutable and at the disposal of humanity. In Candomblé, it is the same. The highest "God" cannot be worshipped, but only the orixás, lesser deities who govern each person's life according to their personality. Just as in ancient Greco-Roman religions, in Candomblé there is a "god," a cosmic force for every human characteristic. Likewise, the "God" creator of all things cannot be worshipped, since it is impossible to maintain any kind of relationship with humanity, given their perfection and immutability. Although there is an undeniable logic in both ancient pagan and Afro-Brazilian religions—for, indeed, the Creator God truly seems to be far beyond humankind, dwelling in inaccessible light—Christianity has something that sets it apart from other religions. The Creator God, the immutable, the perfect, the supreme good, descended from heaven and came to dwell among humanity through his son Jesus. For Christians, Jesus is God himself made man. Through divine revelation, it is possible to perceive that the logic of pagans is not so logical, for although God is immutable, He is not immobilized by His own immutability. On the contrary, the Creator God is a Living God, who possesses the perfection of immutability, but at the same time possesses the perfection of vitality and dynamism. For pagan religions, the concept of immutability allows their god to fit into their minds and explain them. Such religions have fallen victim to human logic, which associates immutability with something dead, which is not the case with the God who revealed himself to Christians. Almighty God manifests his strength and omnipotence in the most paradoxical of circumstances: the impotence of the Cross. He dies, but his death destroys Death from within. God is Perfect, dwelling in inaccessible Light, but the great Christian novelty is that He is not indifferent to humanity; on the contrary, He is their "friend" and wants them to share in His blessed life. This is the great event that Christianity presents, and it renders all other religions transitory and futile, losing their consistency. For what is the point of worshiping creatures when God the Creator himself cared for humanity, bridged the chasm that separates them, and became "Emmanuel—God with Us." Paganism is incomplete, as it seeks to worship cosmic gods to achieve cosmic well-being, which will never satisfy the human heart, as it seeks perfect happiness, which only the Perfect God, Creator of heaven and earth, can provide.