Witchcraft

[Wosbald]

+JMJ+

Nigerian Christians divided by conference on witchcraft [In-Depth]

Participants at the witchcraft conference at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in November 2019 (Patrick Egwu)


Enugu, Nigeria -- Last November an international conference on witchcraft divided Nigerians across religious lines. The B.I.C Ijomah Centre for Policy Studies and Research at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka -- Nigeria's first public institution -- organized the conference, the first in the country that aimed to demystify the concept of witchcraft that has been shrouded in secrecies and mysteries for decades in Nigeria, the West African region and all around the world.

"All cultures do not share a consistent pattern of witchcraft practice and beliefs," Egodi Uchendu, director of the center, said. "In Nigeria, for instance, the practice of witchcraft often intercepts with other concepts like magic, sorcery, esotericism, diabolism and even religion. From an interdisciplinary point of view, this conference seeks to find answers to pertinent questions such as: What is witchcraft? What factors influence witchcraft labeling in various communities? How does the practice of witchcraft affect society?"

Greeted with protests

Immediately after the announcement of the conference was made public, a group of Christian associations, affiliated organizations and some students, including the Christian Association of Nigeria, protested against the conference and called for its cancellation. For instance, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria declared a "prayer of warfare" against the conference which they said was "sponsoring evil" and did not "give God glory," according to The Cable.

However, other Christian groups differed in opinion and support of the conference, which they said would add knowledge and create awareness on the mysteries of witchcraft.

During the conference, a Catholic priest, Fr. Innocent Enweh from the department of religious studies at the university, said the opening prayers and asked for God's intercession and blessings on the success of the event.

In reacting to the debates and controversies generated by the conference, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Diocese of Sokoto, said witchcraft exists and made reference to Jesus' encounter with demonic spirits, as reported by Crux.

"Church pastors discuss witchcraft regularly and preach against it all the time, drawing from their experiences during their training and in their ministries," Uchendu, a professor of history and international studies at the university, said in response to the protests about the conference. "I am sure the information from this conference and the research findings would assist them in their work for the gospel."

Uchendu continued: "Some persons erroneously concluded that only witches can discuss witchcraft. We are not witches. We are professors and scholars who are intrigued by this phenomenon of witchcraft."

"I don't see anything wrong with this event," Enweh told NCR. "People are just being ignorant about an academic event that wants to promote knowledge and help people better understand the concept of witchcraft."

Despite the protests, more than 1,000 students, scholars and researchers attended the conference. Scholars and researchers from the fields of psychology, philosophy, humanities and anthropology attended, presented papers and shared thoughts on the concept of witchcraft and sorcery, and the mysteries behind them.

Uchendu said the conference was all about "provoking intellectual reflections that guide the shaping of thoughts and the development of a pro-positive developmental mindset in Nigeria and Africa."



A poster for the conference (Courtesy of B.I.C Ijomah Centre for Policy Studies and Research)


[...]

[Avatar]

That's the problem...if you believe in religion you almost must believe in witchcraft, a belief which has (and still does) cost countless people their lives in Africa.

--A

[Lazy Luke]

I find it odd that no one yet has mentioned Thomas Covenant. His name even begins with 'Coven' - though more likely to be the townsfolk,
rather than the gentle folk of Donaldson's 'Land', who try very hard to use their magic to do some good in the world.

[Wosbald]

+JMJ+

That's the problem...if you believe in religion you almost must believe in witchcraft ...

Isn't that kinda like sayin' that if you believe in science, you almost must believe in phlogiston?

[Lazy Luke]

+JMJ+

That's the problem...if you believe in religion you almost must believe in witchcraft ...

Isn't that kinda like sayin' that if you believe in science, you almost must believe in phlogiston?

... and that the moon is made of coal, or for that matter, Brunost cheese.

[Avatar]

+JMJ+

That's the problem...if you believe in religion you almost must believe in witchcraft ...

Isn't that kinda like sayin' that if you believe in science, you almost must believe in phlogiston?

I don't think so. Phlogiston was a theory which was subsequently disproved. That's sorta the whole point of science.

However, the fundamental underpinning of both witchcraft and religion, a supernatural world populated by supernatural entities, are the same. Certainly the bible refers to witchcraft, and it was part of accepted Christian belief for centuries...just look at the Malleus Maleficarum...

Has the church ever come out and said that there was no such thing or that it was disproven etc?

Certainly African Christianity takes it seriously, and no wonder...if they must believe in God and angels and miracles, then they must believe in demons and spells.

To this day accusations of witchcraft in Africa are frequently a death sentence by "vigilante" justice.

--A

[Wosbald]

+JMJ+

That's the problem...if you believe in religion you almost must believe in witchcraft ...

Isn't that kinda like sayin' that if you believe in science, you almost must believe in phlogiston?

I don't think so. Phlogiston was a theory which was subsequently disproved. That's sorta the whole point of science.

[...]

Phlogiston was found to be inadequate to the facts.

Certain elements or assumptions characteristic of 'witchcraft' -- whatever those elements may be (the identification of which seems to be the whole point of the conference) -- are inadequate to the facts as held by orthodox Christianity.

At first blush, the comparison doesn't seem all-that-unapt.

[Lazy Luke]

Certainly African Christianity takes it seriously, and no wonder...if they must believe in God and angels and miracles, then they must believe in demons and spells.

--A

All the Christian gospels have a dark side.
Personally I have no use for witchcraft per se though the witches hat certainly fascinates me. As if its roots might stem from the pyramids of ancient Egypt.
It makes for a wonderful emblem and warm source of energy when used in Sahasrara meditation.

[Avatar]

+JMJ+

Isn't that kinda like sayin' that if you believe in science, you almost must believe in phlogiston?

I don't think so. Phlogiston was a theory which was subsequently disproved. That's sorta the whole point of science.

[...]

Phlogiston was found to be inadequate to the facts.

Certain elements or assumptions characteristic of 'witchcraft' -- whatever those elements may be (the identification of which seems to be the whole point of the conference) -- are inadequate to the facts as held by orthodox Christianity.

At first blush, the comparison doesn't seem all-that-unapt.

Ha, I challenge you to explain to a congregation of African Christians that they must believe in one invisible being that can affect their world and lives, and not in a different invisible being that can affect their worlds and lives.

--A

[Wosbald]

+JMJ+

I don't think so. Phlogiston was a theory which was subsequently disproved. That's sorta the whole point of science.

[...]

Phlogiston was found to be inadequate to the facts.

Certain elements or assumptions characteristic of 'witchcraft' -- whatever those elements may be (the identification of which seems to be the whole point of the conference) -- are inadequate to the facts as held by orthodox Christianity.

At first blush, the comparison doesn't seem all-that-unapt.

Ha, I challenge you to explain to a congregation of African Christians that they must believe in one invisible being that can affect their world and lives, and not in a different invisible being that can affect their worlds and lives.

--A

FTR, I didn't mean to say that belief in non-divine spiritual beings (angels & devils) would be inimical to orthodox Christianity, but rather, 'certain elements' of witchcraft (whatever those might prove to be).

[Lazy Luke]

+JMJ+

FTR, I didn't mean to say that belief in non-divine spiritual beings (angels & devils) would be inimical to orthodox Christianity, but rather, 'certain elements' of witchcraft (whatever those might prove to be).

'Swings and Roundabouts', as we say here in Cov.

[Fist and Faith]

Wos, you are saying certain elements or assumptions characteristic of 'witchcraft' are inadequate to the facts as held by orthodox Christianity, but nobody knows what those elements or assumptions are? How can the adequacy of unidentified elements be determined?

[Wosbald]

+JMJ+

Wos, you are saying certain elements or assumptions characteristic of 'witchcraft' are inadequate to the facts as held by orthodox Christianity, but nobody knows what those elements or assumptions are? How can the adequacy of unidentified elements be determined?

Determining those 'elements', at least with ever-greater academic precision, seemed to be the whole point of the conference referenced in the article I posted above (and which [witch?] I accidentally just deleted and then, had to restore ).

[Lazy Luke]

Ha, I challenge you to explain to a congregation of African Christians that they must believe in one invisible being that can affect their world and lives, and not in a different invisible being that can affect their worlds and lives.

--A

After Linden Avery possess' Covenant (from The One Tree, chapter 11), he turns into Marid with snakes for arms. Confronted by such an evil vision Linden is borne away on winds of darkness.
Later, when she awakens:

The cabin appeared to lie canted around her, like a house that had been broken from its foundations by some upheaval.

which is so reminiscent of Dorothy's house on landing in Oz.

In her bitterness Linden leaves her cabin and goes up on deck. When she steps over the storm-sill,

she was nearly blown from her feet. A predatory wind struck at the decks, clawed at the sails. As she struggled to a handhold, spray lashed her face, springing like sharp rain from the passion of a dark and viscid Sea.

So like yet another dreamplace - and is it any wonder skestlike sea-snakes are on their way.

What a fantastic passage from the 2nd Chronicles. However, I don't believe an African congregation would get it.
As a matter of fact, I'd likely end up tarred and feathered!

Link

[Avatar]

Wos, you are saying certain elements or assumptions characteristic of 'witchcraft' are inadequate to the facts as held by orthodox Christianity, but nobody knows what those elements or assumptions are? How can the adequacy of unidentified elements be determined?

Determining those 'elements', at least with ever-greater academic precision, seemed to be the whole point of the conference referenced in the article I posted above (and which [witch?] I accidentally just deleted and then, had to restore ).

Firstly, thank you Fist.

Secondly, if this is the case, then probably a laudable attempt by the church to try and ameliorate the very practices and beliefs I mentioned above. Tough to do, because those same practices were already entrenched in pre-Christian society here.

--A

[Fist and Faith]

Firstly, thank you Fist.

I live to serve. *bows*

[Wosbald]

+JMJ+

Women accused of witchcraft in Ghana find refuge in outpost run by sisters [In-Depth]

Vivian Salamatu, outside her house, relates how she escaped death from angry villagers who had accused her of killing her brother-in-law. (Doreen Ajiambo)


Persistent cultural practice targets women.


Gushegu, Ghana-- Vivian Salamatu and 200 hundred other women here are bound together for life. They share each other's misfortunes and all have a similar story. They were accused of witchcraft, beaten, cast out and sent to "witch camps" that serve as havens.

"When my nephew died after a short illness, everyone hated me," Salamatu explains in Dagbani, her native language. "My brothers-in-law said I was responsible, they accused me of being a witch."

Dozens of elders and villagers gathered at her home to determine her innocence or guilt. One of the elders participating in the ritual test grabbed a chicken, slit its throat and flung it overhead. After it finished struggling, the chicken fell head first and died face down.

It was clear by the village standard she was a witch.

"If the chicken had died face up, then I would have been declared innocent of witchcraft," said Salamatu, 39, a mother of three. "That night, villagers led by my brothers-in-law attacked me with machetes and set fire to my house. They wanted to kill me with my children."

Her attackers, who had tied her up with a rope, were intercepted by nuns and local authorities. She was rescued with her children and taken to Gushegu "witch camp," located in the north of the country.

"I can't believe I'm alive today," she said, noting that the allegations came barely a year after losing her husband in a road accident. "I had no one to protect me from the angry villagers. But I want to thank God and the sisters who came and rescued me. It was a miracle!"

Salamatu is among hundreds of women who have been rescued by the Missionary Sisters of the Poorest of the Poor and taken to Gushegu. The refuge, which is run by Sr. Ruphina Anosike and other sisters, provides homes to women accused of witchcraft. Anosike also cares for the homeless by providing meals and other necessities such as medical care and education for their children.

The immense majority of these women are widows with children. They have been accused by relatives, or sometimes by a competing wife, neighbors or village elders, of witchcraft, mainly of killing their husbands or other family members, said Anosike.

"It's heartbreaking to see that these women suspected to be witches are no longer needed in their families and communities," she said, noting that her camp, which accommodates more than 200 women, has become a safe haven for widows accused of witchcraft. "They stay here because they have no place to go, no food to eat, and no one cares for them."



One of the mud huts where women accused of practicing witchcraft live in the Gushegu camp of northern Ghana (Doreen Ajiambo)


The motive to call someone a witch

Anosike notes that the chief motive behind such acts is often greed, and labeling these women as witches becomes a means of taking away their husbands' wealth. Camp residents also include mentally ill women and children who are considered outcasts in Ghana, she said.

Salamatu agreed there is a motive.

"My father-in-law wanted to take cows, land and some money that my husband had left, and I refused," she said, adding that her husband's relatives became hostile to her and toward her children. "They later accused me of practicing witchcraft so that I could be chased away and leave them everything. One of my neighbors told me they held a meeting to discuss how they could chase me away so that they would be able to take my properties."

Thousands of women and their children in northern Ghana have been left homeless after being accused of witchcraft, according to a 2018 report by the U.S. State Department. The report indicates that there are more than six witch camps spread throughout the northern region, holding 2,000-2,500 adult women and 1,000-1,200 children.

There is a widespread belief in witchcraft in the West African nation, according to 2009 Gallup surveys, despite 96% of the population declaring themselves to be active worshippers in one of several world religions. The belief in the phenomenon has devastating consequences. Elderly women believed to be witches are often persecuted, ousted from their homes or even murdered. Their children are also cursed and not allowed to go back home after they have grown.

[...]


Women rescued by the Missionary Sisters of the Poorest of the Poor live at Gushegu "witch camp" [YouTube: 2.5 min]

GSR video of sisters and women at the Gushegu camp in northern Ghana by Doreen Ajiambo


[...]

A superstition that sticks

Witchcraft is a stubborn phenomenon in African cultures, experts say. Witches and wizards are thought to possess intrinsic and supernatural powers that are used to create evil. Many seek out the services of witchdoctors and wizards to find solutions for their relationships, troubles and even for good health. However, the practice has for years also had its negative side. In worst-case scenarios, such beliefs lead to murder and destruction of the accused witches, they said.

"The belief in witchcraft is deeply entrenched in Africa culture and dictates people's lives," said Charles Nzioka, a professor of sociology at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. "Witchcraft is in people's minds. If someone loses a job, Westerners assume that it's due to economic conditions or poor performance. An African is likely to say that someone used witchcraft to make or confuse an employer to hate and sack the person concerned."

Nzioka said that the belief in witchcraft in Africa is intended to keep order in society; any deviation in behavior may lead to an allegation. As in Ghana, women who do not want to conform to society's expectations may fall victim to the accusations of witchcraft, he said.

[...]



Srs. Ruphina Anosike, left, and Monica Yahaya, second from right, help sort out the grains that had been swept from the market by women accused of witchcraft in Ghana. These women survive by collecting firewood, selling little bags of peanuts or working in nearby farms. (Doreen Ajiambo)


[...]

[SoulBiter]

What I would like to know.... its been 16 years. Did those poor souls who had never watched "The Holy Grail" ever reconcile themselves by watching it?

[Wosbald]

+JMJ+

What I would like to know.... its been 16 years. Did those poor souls who had never watched "The Holy Grail" ever reconcile themselves by watching it?

[Skyweir]

Is Christianity still obsessed with witchcraft? What of devil worship or Satanism?

Funny cuz witches are accredited in the Old Testament .. as another supernaturally legitimate.. but I know the articles linked talk about how witchcraft is used as a opportunistic condemnation of a particular demographic .. for motivations like greed etc.

A shame really that not all who embrace the supernatural cant just get on

The devil itself is a religious construct ... are wizards more palatable to the religiously inclined? A patriarchal perspective