Christianity in Haiti - Why do Haitian Preachers Preach and Encourage Poverty?

Do you go church? Better yet, do you go to a Haitian church? Don't you get the impression that many Haitian pastors are preaching and encouraging poverty on the pulpit?

KREYOL: Haiti Religion - POUKISA anpil pastè Haitien ap preche la pauvreté, sa lakoz fidèl yo rete pòv tout tan, y ap di "Béni soit l'Éternel" epi y ap BAYE... Kisa ou panse de sa???

When I was a kid growing up in Hinche Haiti, my mother used to take me to this church in town. Sometimes they would sing this song:

Seyè, mwen pito malere...
Seyè, mwen pito malere...
Tan pou-m ta rish sou tè-a
pou-m pa eritye syèl la...
Seyè, mwen pito malere...
Malere... Malere...

This is the exact song... I didn't make it up!

Translation:

Lord I would rather be poor...
Lord I would rather be poor...
Instead of being rich on earth...
and not go to heaven...
Lord I would rather be poor...

Although I was just a kid, I would NEVER sing with the church when they were singing these types of songs. I always thought that these songs were being used to keep Haitians in a poverty state...

Why can't you you be rich on earth and go to heaven?

When you are poor, you cannot build hospitals for God's sick children!

When you are poor, you cannot build schools for God's uneducated children?

You're poor? You're broke all the time? You have nothing? Don't worry about the wonderful things that the rich enjoy here on earth because they're gonna BURN in hell and you will enjoy these things in heaven...

Sometimes I feel that this is the type of sermons that is being preached to poor Haitians in Haiti.

While the United States is singing "God bless America!" Haitians are singing "We'd rather be poor!!!"

I once read a story about Aladin and the lamp... Whatever you talk about you bring about...

Do you believe that?

You keep singing "God Bless me, God bless my country" blessings will come over and over again...

However, if you keep on singing "I'd rather be poor," just what do you think will happen?

I truly believe that some if not MOST of the Haitian preachers out there need to change the way they preach the Gospel...

What do you think?

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All Comments (9)

Tontonbob says...

what a stupid post. I've never read anything dumber.

I've worked with Haitian pastors a lot. Most of them are good

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Herman says...

Au riche jeune homme qui l'interroge, Jésus dit: "Si vous voulez devenir parfait, allez, vendez tous vos biens, & les donnez aux pauvres, & vous aurez un trésor dans le ciel." Ce jeune homme fut affligé d'entendre ce discours, & il s'en alla tout triste, parce qu'il possédait de grands biens.

Jésus ayant vû cela, dit à ses disciples: "Qu'il est difficile aux riches d'entrer dans le royaume des cieux !
Oui, il est plus facile qu'un chameau passe par le trou d'une éguille, que ce riche entre dans le royaume des

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Patrick Princivil says...

bonjou tout zanmim yo ak enmim yo!

se esprem te fè mwen pat janm di anyen sou rezo a poum te wè kiyès kretyen ki tap parèt ak yon repons pozitif sou zafè sa a; elas: mwen pa jwen repons mwen tap chache a.

mezanmi, sispan inyorans sa yo ke nap preche la yo! piga tòde pawòl bondye a nan fason pa nou.

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Junior Sou Facebook says...

Christianisation se toujou sistem esklav la ke kolon yo pote ba nou sou fom bondye epi yo fe nou konnen vodou se bagay kimal e nou kwe ladann vre fok yo domine nou pou nou ka rete zonbi ap tann le nou mouri nap byen

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Ghislaine Decayette says...

Religion is all fucked up, whoever is preaching Christianity is all fucked up by religion.

Those Haitian pastors are keeping these people in ignorance so that they can fill up their pockets better, by taking these people's change are all full of shit themselves.

So most of them will have the followers singing these negative songs, keep them believing in lies, So that they can keep filling their own pockets.

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Bobv says...

Sorry, I don't believe this is true for the majority.

There may be some like that but not many. I never heard that song or anything similar sung in

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F Etienne says...

That is the reason I do not go to a Haitian

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Evincent says...

That song that you've quoted is also an American Gospel Song. It does not literary mean poverty.

When you look around there are many evil ways one can come to wealth: such as corruption, drug dealing, kidnapping, racketeering, stealing, lying, and so forth.

We as Christian do not oppose wealth or riches but it should be according to the will of

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Jj says...

Oh Lord sa tro funny m paka ri non wi c vre yo mete ko yo mal pa gn anyin ki di siw riche ou paka sevi Die en faite roi David Salomon, Job yo tout t rich nan sans pa yo et yo t vrai serviteur BonDie.

BonDie pa rele nou poun viv nan pauvrete mezanmi and it's ok to ask God for Money he knows we cannot function

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