But the price can be high. In some cultures, the ritual sacrifice of a child has been considered necessary to save an entire village from an offended god's wrath. In one country where animism prevails, its followers have been known to descend on the scene of auto accidents, hoping to scoop up human blood to be used in their rituals - a more powerful substitute for the animal blood most often available. Priests, witch doctors, and shrine guardians preside over most rites. Because they are seen as holding the power to gain favor with the spirits, they have influence that often exceeds that of the tribal chief.
Secular scholars debate the historic place of animistic religion.
Some see it as a primitive form of worship that later leads to more formal polytheism, then to monotheism, and ultimately, say the humanists, to atheism. In the West, manifestations of these beliefs include reading horoscopes, using crystals for healing and power, druid practices, and other ideas that fall within the general scope of the New Age movement. The role of missionaries in animistic societies, therefore, is not to transform them into clones of Western culture, as some critics have asserted. It is to bring them the Good News of a personal Creator who has complete power over all He has made and who wants all people to be in fellowship with Him forever.