As a Witch, I am appalled. The last thing I want to do is dump on Africa, I’ve always loved Africa, but with women on the run from female genital mutilation and Islamic Shari‘ah punishments, and now this… I say it isn’t African culture itself that’s to blame for these ghastly crimes, it’s what happens when humans are put under more stress than they can bear. The ugly side of human nature comes out. It could happen here too, if our country had been torn by war, endemic poverty, hunger, disruption, and exploitation for so many years. Actually, this is nothing compared to the massive, systemic Witch persecutions carried out a few centuries ago in Europe, the home of our glorious vaunted Western culture. I think what we’re seeing in Angola is a culture in crisis, and this is one of the symptoms. Too much war tearing up the fabric of society. Desperate people lash out at easy targets. As for how to remedy it in England, don’t existing child protection laws cover the situation? Isn’t it a simply a matter of enforcement?
I’ve read other articles about Witch hunts in Africa in which Christians have helped shut them down- either “westernized” C’tians showing them to be nonsensical or Pentecostal-style C’tians showing native witchcraft to be powerless.
Take off your pious blinders, Ted. It’s Pentecostal Christians who are behind the persecutions in Angola for alleged witchcraft. Christians are abetting these crimes. Deal with it.
Well, I checked every link in the OP & the last one does indeed document your accusation. I’d say the problem with that Pentecostal C’tian minister in the last article isn’t that he is too Pentecostal or Christian, but that he is NOT enough of either. He’s not practicing Biblical exorcism- he’s sure not casting out any demons, he’s just a flim-flam hoodoo man who may well have a few demons himself.
That said, I know even in the U.S. there are charismatic C’tians who get caught up in witch hunting hysteria (the Satanic Panic which hit all the talk & news shows in the 80s is a prime example.) Of course, the worst abuses in that were by overzealous prosecutors & social workers & repressed-memory psychotherapists, some of which may have had religious axes to grind (in fact, that would be an excellent subject to research). Anyway, if educated late 20th-C Westerners can get caught up in it, how much more people who are just coming out of primitive cultures.
Incidentally. this is coming from someone who is really wondering if the Biblical teaching of Satan & demons has been accurately understood. I’ve always thought Biblical faith mandated belief in the existence of evil spirits- now I’m wondering if the Bible actually teaches that or if that was a commonly-understood-at-the-time metaphor for sins & delusions which was lost to us over centuries of misinterpretation.
I’ve been following the story here. It’s quite upsetting.
A radio interview with Victoria Climbie’s aunt was revealing. She said “ndoki” (witchcraft) was real. It could make you barren. It could stop you getting a job. It could give you problems with the immigration authorities.
The mindset was clear - the trials and tribulations of everyday life are not bad fortune, but witchcraft. Health problems? Ndoki! Rejected for a job? Ndoki! Find those responsible and punish them. The pastor will know who it is.
Not that Victoria had been practising witchcraft on those around her. She was accused of flying to Africa at night and carrying out witchcraft there. Apparently convicted out of her own mouth. I do wonder what triggered this accusation. Sleepwalking? A child’s fantasy? But once she was accused, confessions could be forced out of her.
A visit to Angola was highly revealing as to the roots of these beliefs. Pure, crushing, hopeless poverty. The belief in Ndoki basically legitimises infanticide for a people too poor to take care of all their children, and obviates the grief and shame of this. People in this situation are going to find it hard to accept that they are murdering their children rather than punishing the evil sources of all their woes, and the pastors and spiritual leaders aren’t going to give up their power easily.
If demonic spirits do exist, maybe not.
I will say that it’s obvious from the article that he is practicing witchcraft just as much as those he accuses. Whether or not it has any effect is up for grabs.
Ted, I grumped at you and you responded like a gentleman. Style point goes to you on this round. In fairness, the Catholics who run the hospital that cares for the victims are contributing their share of help according to their understanding of Christianity and deserve credit.
Witch persecutions are a sore point with me, obviously, being a Witch myself. But remember the innocent people killed in Salem were Christians. Preventing anti-Witch hysteria is in everyone’s interests. My Navajo friend told me about 12 years ago that everyone on the res was afraid of one another because of witchcraft hysteria. Such social tension is not caused by the Witches themselves, but by the Witch-haters.
The last thing I want to do is dump on Africa, I’ve always loved Africa, but with women on the run from female genital mutilation and Islamic Shari‘ah punishments, and now this… I say it isn’t African culture itself that’s to blame for these ghastly crimes, it’s what happens when humans are put under more stress than they can bear. The ugly side of human nature comes out. It could happen here too, if our country had been torn by war, endemic poverty, hunger, disruption, and exploitation for so many years. Actually, this is nothing compared to the massive, systemic Witch persecutions carried out a few centuries ago in Europe, the home of our glorious vaunted Western culture. I think what we’re seeing in Angola is a culture in crisis, and this is one of the symptoms. Too much war tearing up the fabric of society. Desperate people lash out at easy targets. As for how to remedy it in England, don’t existing child protection laws cover the situation? Isn’t it a simply a matter of enforcement?