Abuse of child 'witches' on rise, aid group says

Source: CNN International

By Faith Karimi

Christian Eshiett was a rambunctious pre-teen who spent a lot of time cavorting with his friends in southern Nigeria. He would skip school and run away from home for days, frustrating his grandfather, who oversaw the boy's care.

"I beat him severely with canes until they broke, yet he never shed a tear," said Eshiett Nelson Eshiett, 76. "One day, I took a broom to hit him and he started crying. Then I knew he was possessed by demons. ... Nigerian witches are terrified of brooms." From that day two years ago, Christian, now 14, was branded a witch. The abuse intensified. "They would take my clothes off, tie me up and beat me," he told CNN in a telephone interview.

The teen is one of the so-called witch children in Eket, a city in oil-rich Akwa Ibom state of Nigeria.

They are blamed for causing illness, death and destruction, prompting some communities to put them through harrowing punishments to "cleanse" them of their supposed magical powers. "Children accused of witchcraft are often incarcerated in churches for weeks on end and beaten, starved and tortured in order to extract a confession," said Gary Foxcroft, program director of Stepping Stones Nigeria, a nonprofit that helps alleged witch children in the region.

Many of those targeted have traits that make them stand out, including learning disabilities, stubbornness and ailments such as epilepsy, he added.

Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/05/18/nigeria.child.witchcraft/index.html

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The piece also states that "The issue of "child witches" is soaring in Nigeria and other parts of the world..."

than the former alone. Just saying... :shrug:

However, do not underestimate the power of Dominionist Christianity for money and power going on there. The explosion in this kind of event is pretty much the product of 'Joel's Army' types etal. In fact, they tend to wipe out any tradiditional tolerance for indigineous religions.

by 'troutfishing' at daily kos: Rick Warren's African Allies Accused of Sex-Slavery, Massacres, Slave-Labor http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/1/19/203428/595

by dogemperor at dailykos: Palin, dominionist intimidation, and *actual* witch-hunters http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/22/606414/-Palin,-dominionist-intimidation,-and-*actual*-witch-hunters

From Troutfishing at Dailykos: Rick Warren's African Allies Accused of Sex-Slavery, Massacres, Slave-Labor
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/1/19/203428/595

...stay on target.

Making Grand Canyon style jumps in logic just cheapens your argument. As someone that survived growing up in Rural Bible Belt America - I can attest that I never saw anyone accused of being a witch. Or someone suggesting that raping a baby will cure you of AIDS or gang raping a lesbian will 'cure' her (both are practices in that part of the world - mostly further south in Africa than Nigeria).

NOW...I did see snake handlers and they are weird, but mostly harmless.

Martin Ssempa who has appeared on stage at Saddleback Church twice has burned condoms in the name of Jesus, called on newspapers to publish the names of known homosexuals and urged the imprisonment of gays. Ssempa one of the many evangelized African pastors dangerously obsessed with witchcraft.

Grand canyon leap? Not really.

REAL. LIFE. EXPERIENCE.

I realize you are only sharing what you found on the internet. I do it all of the time.

But let me share something with you from my personal experience, having spent a lot of time in rural Africa.

The accusations of witchcraft and the beatings and destruction of property that happen because of such, have ZERO to do with Christianity. Absolutely nothing.

"Seven Mountains" and the "Joel's Army" plan for takeover

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/7/165650/170

There is plenty of evidence out there; the daily kos diaries of troutfishing (Bruce Wilson, also posting at talk2action) and dogemperor, a survivor of a dominionist cult are quite terrrifyung and quite jam-packed with what my teachers used to call 'primary sources' ie; videos and documents revealing the actions and intent of thse people in their own words.

The process currently going on in America known as 'steeplejacking' is diverting the money and faith of Americans into projests such as these.

I suggest you read up on this, harmless, sunstroked snake-handlers these bastards are not.

Many, many Nigerians beleive in witchcraft. It predates Christianity's arrival. They are a superstitious lot.

Bruce Wilson of Talk2Action, aka 'troutfishing:

Rick Warren's African Allies Accused of Sex-Slavery, Massacres, Slave-Labor

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/1/19/203428/595

I know Nigerians believe in witchcraft. But they've had a lot of encouragement to cast out 'child witches' from the Dominionist missionaries who also see themselves as fighting a spiritual battles against witches.

I just take the facts as I find them, and sorry, I do know something about this subject because I have read extensively on this phenomena. Here's an oldie but a goodie:

"Seven Mountains" and the "Joel's Army" plan for takeover

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/7/165650/170

What I love about dogemperor and troutfishing diaries, they are chock full of what my teacher used to call 'primary sources'. I am inclined to have to take 'primary sources' with the gravest of consideration.

would you rather stick to your false argument, or would you like to learn something new from someone who spent time on the ground and has firsthand knowledge of this?

Accusations of witchcraft have nothing to do with Christian missionaries.

Now, if you are arguing that Christian missionaries use these native beliefs in witchcraft to gin up converts and exploit these beliefs to get them to "come to God" then you might have a point.

However, accusations of witchcraft and the violence and destruction of property that are result of such accusations are based on native and ancient belief systems.

They are beating torturing starving people because they are scared or worse.

And what are they tring to get the kids to admit, they are trying to get them to admit they are in league with evil. Something that is a statement some would not want to make, but evil likes.

I am not sure what they mean by witch, especially when accusing children. But if they mean possesed, or controlled by evil. It is the accusers that are more like what they are calling witches.

Same thing happened in early American history during witch trials. They would strip down the accused witches and examine their entire body, more for the judges then for any real reason. Then just like in Nigeria they would try and get them to claim allegiance with evil. Which if you are Christian is against your faith, since that claim to a Christian is really bad.

One of the ways they punished accused witches was to pile stones on their chest untill they could not breeth. And one of the things a witch was said to do in medieval times was to sit on an innocent persons chest at night keeping them from breathing. Again who is acting like the witch?

The accusers were closer to witches then the accused. I assume its true in Nigeria. If the kids were possesed, showing them love, while having no dealing with the evil would be the coarse of action.

Although there are people who do exorcism in many religions, I think it is rare, and many times the fear created when telling someone they are possesed can add weakness to them in the form of many temptation, since fear is one of the goals of evil. Showing them love, while being stern and not giving ground if a child is being bad, you would think would be the better solution.

:scared: :crazy:

has EVER been logical.

Does every region's witches have different household items they're afraid of?

spiders. I know I am not supposed to be afraid of them but I am. I do enjoy a good broom ride though. Usually at midnight on a full moon. I plan to swoop Texas on the next full moon, see if I can convince Perry to follow through on that seccession plan.

Very expensive to be a witch in Nigeria.

Thank Sara Palin's awesome 'Lord make a way' pal.

-Hoot

We really are going back to the dark ages.

I hate witchcraft as much as the next person (a witch doctor murdered my grandmother, grandfather and uncle; all from my mother's side). But, come on, these SOBs are blaming children cuz they are failures as parents or caregivers.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-blumenthal/the-witch-hunter-anoints_b_128805.html

snip<<<<On September 20 and 21, I attended services at the church Sarah Palin belonged to since she was an adolescent, the Wasilla Assembly of God. Though Palin officially left the church in 2002, she is listed on its website as "a friend," and spoke there as recently as June 8 of this year.
I went specifically to see a pastor visiting from Kiambu, Kenya named Thomas Muthee. Muthee gained fame within Pentecostal circles by claiming that he defeated a local witch, Mama Jane, in a great spiritual battle, thus liberating his town from sin and opening its people to the spirit of Jesus.
Muthee's mounting stardom took him to Wasilla Assembly of God in May, 2005, where he prayed over Palin and called upon Jesus to propel her into the governor's mansion -- and beyond. Muthee also implored Jesus to protect Palin from "the spirit of witchcraft." The video archive of that startling sermon was scrubbed from Wasilla Assembly of God's website, but now it has reappeared.

The Youtube version is below (Palin appears after about 7:30):


.......As I filmed, a nervous church staffer approached from behind and told me to put my camera away. I acceded to his demand, but as Muthee urged the church to crush "the python spirit" of the unbeliever enemies by stomping on their necks, I pulled out a smaller camera and filmed from a more discreet position. Now, church members were in deep prayer, speaking in tongues and raising their hands. Muthee exclaimed, "We come against the spirit of witchcraft! We come against the python spirits!" Then, a local pastor took the mic from Muthee and added, "We stomp on the heads of the enemy!"
.....

The Christian right's analysis is accurate to a certain degree. While Palin may not be The One, she is certainly one of them. Her social policy views, from her rejection of scientific evidence on global warming to her opposition to publicly funding emergency contraception for rape victims, are explicitly influenced by the sectarian theology she has subscribed to since she was a teenager. There is no better evidence of the depth of Palin's radical convictions than her startling encounter with the witch-hunter, Bishop Muthee.>>>>>snip

It is hard to miss the connection. Palin's brand of Christianity obviously approved of his witch hunting and in order to approve they had to first believe in the existence of "witches".

Education is free in Nigeria, but for one reason or another it doesn't appear to be working. Most kids don't bother with secondary school, and almost half of adult Nigerians are illiterate. All of that oil money, and yet so many lives are being wasted, due largely to inadequate education.

dup, browser trouble

More reasonable & evolved than most, and they are aware of their specific mission/purpose in life from birth, and so, unable to fall in line with the, foolish old fashioned social customs, and dutifully be like everyone plodding along whith out questioning.
I was an early manifestation, and until about age 10 would remind myself that certain things were important, and I must not forget them.
A difficult adolescence and family problems, chased those thoughts out of my head......and it wasn't until I was in my 60's, teaching Art to some young indigos, that I recaptured my sense of purpose, and got back on track!
My former students were of course, old enough to vote for Obama in the Nov. election!
Google Indigo Children for more info!

but i have to ask- do you think your superstitions are any better than theirs? you clearly do not have any more sense than to align yourself with such atrocities. geez. wake up.

It's a bunch of woo-woo nonsense.

"Indigo children" do not exist. Period.

The last thing they need is more fantasy bullshit. But thanks for choosing this thread to tell us about your awesome specialness. I'm sure we're all really impressed.

:cry:

"Many of those targeted have traits that make them stand out, including learning disabilities, stubbornness and ailments such as epilepsy, he added."

I'm a high functioning autistic, so what's the chance that I would be declared a witch if I lived there?

who are certainly capable of some terrible things, but the whole witchphobia thing in africa predates Christianity. These are native beliefs that were held over long after converting to (mostly) Christianity.

Dominionists believe that witches are trying to keep everyone from converting to christ so that they must stop them so rapture can come.

Here's a good place to start if you want to learn about this;

Dogemperor is a survivor of a dominionist cult: "Seven Mountains" and the "Joel's Army" plan for takeover

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/7/165650/170

Troutfishing aka Bruce Wilson of Talk2Action reports investigatively on this topic:

Rick Warren's African Allies Accused of Sex-Slavery, Massacres, Slave-Labor

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/1/19/203428/595


I highly recommend these diaries which are full of primary source material which shows that something is going very wrong there, and it ain't just those primitive Nigerians (I just love the broadbrush. I have known Nigerians and worked along with them at jobs, can anyone else in this thread who decry superstitious Nigerians say the same?).

Boy Dies As Churchgoers Try To Remove "Evil Spirits" Of Autism
By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
August 27, 2003

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN--Eight-year-old Terrance Cottrell Jr. died Friday night as a prayer leader and the boy's mother attempted to "exorcise" his autism from him.

The local medical examiner determined Monday that the cause of Cottrell's death was "mechanical asphyxia due to external chest compression" and ruled it a homicide.

Ray Hemphill, 45, a member of the Faith Temple Church of the Apostolic Faith, was arrested Tuesday on charges of physical abuse of a child causing great bodily harm, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and $25,000 in fines.

Hemphill told police that he had been holding special prayer services during the last few weeks to remove "evil spirits" from the boy. Hemphill said that he would sit on "Junior's" chest for up to two hours at a time. Hemphill weighs 157 pounds. The boy's body weight was not revealed.

During Friday night's prayer service, the boy's shoes had been removed and he was wrapped in a sheet to keep him from scratching parishioners. Three women -- including the child's mother, Patricia Cooper -- sat on his arms and legs while Hemphill sat on his chest. One woman said she pushed down on the boy's diaphragm several times during the service.

Pastor David Hemphill, Ray's brother, said he is confident all of those involved in the death will be cleared.

"Didn't do nothing wrong," said Pastor Hemphill. "We did what the Book of Matthew said, Chapter 12. All we did is ask God to deliver him."

"He just passed away . . . God is a mysterious person, and if he wants to call a life back, he does."

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, this is not the church's first run-in with the law over its treatment of children. In 1998, a 12-year-old girl claimed to have been beaten during a church service. When police and the district attorney's office looked into her allegations, Pastor Hemphill claimed her beating was not severe and that congregation members were only doing as the Bible teaches.

No charges were filed in that case.

http://www.inclusiondaily.com/archives/03/08/27.htm#cottrell

What occured in Europe during and right after the Black Plague is similar to how AIDS has affected the religious mindset of Africa.

People have always been attacked over "witchcraft" all over the world. It happens in areas where there is a lot of religion and only a little education.

Pretty Please, find my trail of breadcrumbs above. Information about all of this must get out.