Comparison chart
 | Christianity | Voodoo |
|---|---|---|
| Use of statues and pictures | In Catholic & Orthodox Churches. | Veve are encouraged and pictures permitted. |
| Place of worship | Church, chapel, cathedral, basilica, home bible study, personal dwellings. | Altars, temples. |
| Belief of God | One God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Trinity. | Bondye is the chief deity, but, other deities or lwas linked to Christian figures are worshipped also. |
| Founder | The Lord Jesus Christ. | No founder. |
| Place of origin | Roman province of Judea. | Benin, Haiti |
| Clergy | Priests, bishops, ministers, monks, and nuns. | Hougans(priests), Mambos (priestesses), Bokors, witch doctors, Amateur, etc. |
| Literal Meaning | Follower Of Christ. | 'Spirit.' or "Sacred" - Fon Language |
| Practices | Prayer, sacraments (some branches), worship in church, reading of the Bible, acts of charity, communion. | Witchcraft; Prayer, Devotion, Invocation, Healing, varies from good to evil (Blessings, curses, etc.) |
| Life after death | Eternity in Heaven or Hell, in some cases temporal Purgatory. | Vilokan is home to the lwa and the deceased. Described as a submerged and forested island, also belief in reincarnation, Life is continuous, |
| Population | Over two billion adherents worldwide. | Approx. 1 million(2010), Approx. 0.2 million (2020). Clandestine worshipers makes census difficult worldwide. |
| Followers | Christian (followers of Christ) | Haitian Vodou |
| View of the Buddha | Christians believe that the Buddha was a false teacher, and do not adhere to anything he taught. | N/A. |
| Holy Days | Christmas (celebration of the birth of Jesus), Good Friday (death of Jesus), Sunday (day of rest), Easter (resurrection of Jesus), Lent (Catholicism), saints' feast days. | Holy days often related to Catholic saint feasts. |
| Second coming of Jesus | Affirmed. | Haitian Vodou adherents believe in reincarnation of the good spirits to help humanity. |
| Goal of religion | To love God and obey his commandments while creating a relationship with Jesus Christ and spreading the Gospel so that others may also be saved. | To honor God and the lwas (Saints) and honor and celebration of life. |
| Geographical distribution and predominance | As the largest religion in the world, Christianity has adherents are all over the world. As a % of local population, Christians are in a majority in Europe, North and South America, and Australia and New Zealand. | Africa (Benin, Gulf of Guinea nations, Nigeria, and other West African states), the Caribbean (Haiti and Cuba, primarily), the United States and Canada. |
| Marriage | A Holy Sacrament. | Signature event whereby adherent(s) opt to dedicate their life in service to lwas (deities) |
| Original Language(s) | Aramaic, Greek, and Latin. | Fon, Ewe languages, Haitian Creole. |
| Prophets | Prophets in the Bible are venerated. | Witch doctors, etc. |
| Position of Abraham | Father of the faithful. | Ibraham, hagar, ismael, Muhammad is used as a cover for a Voodoo deity. |
| Birth of Jesus | Virgin Birth, through God. | Affirmed in Haitian Vodou. |
| Position of Mary | Mother Of Jesus. Revered in all denominations. Degree of reverence varies from denomination. | Used as a cover for the Haitian Vdou goddesses Erzulie Dantor and Erzulie Freda. |
| About | Christianity broadly consists of individuals who believe in the deity Jesus Christ. Its followers, called Christians, often believe Christ is "the Son" of the Holy Trinity and walked the earth as the incarnate form of God ("the Father"). | Haitian Vodou is a religion of many spirits and One God; Vodou is a very ancient and primarily oral tradition, It is the infusion of Traditional African beliefs with Catholicism. There are two aspects of Vodou: Rada - Positive, Petro - Negative |
| Death of Jesus | Death by crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension to heaven. Will return. | Affirmed in Haitian Vodou. |
| Use of Statues | Varies by denomination. Not used in Protestant denominations; icons are used in Catholic & Orthodox denominations. | Not clear |
| Identity of Jesus | The Son Of God. | Not Affirmed in Haitian Vodou. Other Vodou resected |
| Branches | Roman Catholics, independent Catholics, Protestants (Anglicans, Lutherans etc.), Orthodox (Greek orthodox, Russian orthodox). | Major branches include Haitian, Louisiana, and African forms. These forms are distinct, but closely related and generally mutually recognize each other. Practitioners sometimes belong to more than one branch. |
| Related Religions | Islam, Judaism, Baha'i faith | Yoruba, Santeria, Candomble, native West African faiths. |
| Rites | Seven sacraments: Baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, penance, anointing of the sick, holy orders, matrimony (Catholic and Orthodox). Anglicans: Baptism and Eucharist. Other denominations: Baptism and communion. | Initiation, healing the sick or cursed, cleansing, matrimony, revocation. zombification |
| Authority of Pope | Leader and overseer of the Catholic Church. his authority is completely rejected by Protestants, and is viewed by Orthodox as first among equals. Orthodox and Protestants reject Papal infallibility and Papal supremacy. | No |
| Ressurection of Jesus | Affirmed. | Affirmed in Haitian Voodoo. |
| No. of Gods and Godesses | 1 God | Monotheistic |
| Original Language | Aramaic, Greek, and Latin | Fon, Ewe languages, Haitian Creole. |
| View of Animistic religions | Paganism is Heathenism. Witchcraft is communication and interaction with demons, fallen evil angelic beings. These have no real interest ultimately, in helping their worshipers. Demonic possession is common. | Comradeship with other Animistic religions. |
| Prophet | Moses, Samuel, Nathan, Elijah, Elisha, etc., as well as both Johns in the New Testament too. | Peghambar Vodou devi & Peghambar Vodou Dev |
| Belief of deities | One God three forms: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. | Vodou Numerous deities. |
| Status of Adam | The first man. Humanity is in a state of Original Sin, due to Adam's disobedience to God. | Used as cover for a Voodoo deity in Haitian Vodou. |
| Concept of God | One God, Who Is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. | Omnipresent Creator (Bondye) |
| Concept of Deity | 1 God, in 3 Divine Persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. | Numerous deities; Bondye is chief deity (God). All deities are a reflection of a male and female aspect and belief that the gods are real personas. |
| Clothes | While there is no specific form of religious dress, people are encouraged to dress conservatively, rather than provocatively. | Simple, white clothes, undecorated. Clothing usually includes a head scarf or other simple head covering. Sometimes clothing relating to the spirit in question is worn by the possessed. |
Further Reading
For further reading, there are several books available on Amazon.com on Voodoo and Christianity:
Catholicism 
Catholic 
Mormonism 
Christianity 
Sunni 
Christianity
Comments: Christianity vs Voodoo
Anonymous comments (2)