Evangelical Churches and the Epidemic of Witchcraft Accusations-Part 1 PDF Print E-mail
Swift
Written by Leo Igwe
Friday, 30 December 2011 09:00

Witchcraft accusation of children (and also of elderly people) is ravaging the African continent like an epidemic. And Pentecostal pastors and ubiquitous men and women of God are the main culprits. They are spreading the disease of witch hunts and also exploiting the situation to their own advantage. These self-proclaimed emissaries of God and mouthpieces of the holy spirit are the continent's contemporary witch doctors. They exploit poor, ignorant, and gullible folks by getting them to believe that their problems are caused by witches and wizards in their families.
They incite the local population to accuse their families and community members of witchcraft and to blame them for being responsible for death, poverty, diseases, misery, or any form of misfortune they encounter or experience in their lives. These ragtag prophets or evangelists set up churches or prayer houses where they organize "deliverance" sessions. They subject alleged witches or wizards, which are in most cases vulnerable members of the population like children and aged persons, to torture and horrific abuses in the name of exorcism, as shown in this video clip from the Democratic Republic of the Congo:

Witchcraft accusation of children (and also of elderly people) is ravaging the African continent like an epidemic. And Pentecostal pastors and ubiquitous men and women of God are the main culprits. They are spreading the disease of witch hunts and also exploiting the situation to their own advantage. These self-proclaimed emissaries of God and mouthpieces of the holy spirit are the continent's contemporary witch doctors. They exploit poor, ignorant, and gullible folks by getting them to believe that their problems are caused by witches and wizards in their families.
They incite the local population to accuse their families and community members of witchcraft and to blame them for being responsible for death, poverty, diseases, misery, or any form of misfortune they encounter or experience in their lives. These ragtag prophets or evangelists set up churches or prayer houses where they organize "deliverance" sessions. They subject alleged witches or wizards, which are in most cases vulnerable members of the population like children and aged persons, to torture and horrific abuses in the name of exorcism, as shown in this video clip from the Democratic Republic of the Congo:


And at the end of the ordeal, these charlatans extort money or compel the wretched parents or family members to pay for their "service". In Congo DRC, many children were orphaned by the war. And some of them (over 20,000 according to UNICEF) are victims of witchcraft accusation. This video clip is just the tip of the iceberg of atrocious acts and horrifying abuses by these hoodlums who claim to have the power to deliver children from witchcraft.

In part two of this article, I will discuss further abuses against so-called "witches" across Africa.



Leo Igwe is a skeptical activist in Nigeria and a former representative of the International Humanist and Ethical Union. Currently, he is researching African witchcraft accusations at the University of Bayreuth in Germany. He is partnering with the JREF to respond in a more organized and grassroots way to the growing superstitious beliefs about witchcraft throughout the continent of Africa. More details on this collaboration will be announced in the coming week

Child Witches: Thousands of Children Falsely Accused in the Name of Jesus

Christian Pastors in Congo are Paid to Perform Violent Exorcisms; Children Banished From Homes, Abandoned by Families

In a dirt-floored, back-alley church, 8-year-old Bobby and his 6-year-old brother Henock were made to kneel before a pastor wearing a white, flowing robe adorned with pictures of Jesus.

Looming over the boys, Pastor Moise Tshombe went into a trance, during which he claimed the "Holy Spirit" took over and the voice of God spoke through him. "I see that witchcraft is in these two," Tshombe said. "The threats inside of them are very strong."

These young brothers were the latest victims in an epidemic of accusations of child witchcraft here in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is raging in the name of Jesus. It continues seemingly unabated despite flags raised by organizations such as the United Nations, Save the Children and Human Rights Watch.

Also see:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/video/2007/dec/09/video