Witchcraft myths and realities
“Penis theft panic hits cityâ€, read one headline; “7 killed in Ghana over penis-snatchingâ€, went another. The articles ran in respected conservative news media — Reuters and Cable News Network (CNN) respectively.
By Robby Muhumuza
“Penis theft panic hits cityâ€, read one headline; “7 killed in Ghana over penis-snatchingâ€, went another. The articles ran in respected conservative news media — Reuters and Cable News Network (CNN) respectively.
The Reuters story is about 14 suspects in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), who were arrested on allegations of using witchcraft to steal and make men’s penises disappear or shrink in order to extort cash for a cure.
The CNN story is about 12 alleged penis snatchers who were beaten to death by a mob in Ghana. They too were purportedly using witchcraft.
But does witchcraft really exist? Yes. I believe there is a spiritual world that consists of God and good spirits. There is also the devil or negative spirits. Witches are people who work with evil spirits to cause harm to other people, but the power of the devil (witches) is limited. There are many things witchdoctors claim to do which in reality they do not.
Witches only take advantage of the ignorant and those with little faith. I have participated in burning talismans and charms made by witchdoctors with no fear of reprisals to me.
However, it is not fair to kill people accused of being witches because there is no logic or scientific proof that connects the unexplained deaths or calamities to witches. If witchcraft worked, then teams (especially in Africa) that use it say, in the World Cup, would be winners but it is the opposite.
Some people blame HIV/AIDS and cancer on witchcraft. In 2006, between 25,000 and 50,000 children in the DRC were accused of being witches and consequently thrown out of their homes to become street children or live in destitution. In the Nigerian states of Ibom and Cross River, 15,000 children have also faced similar treatment.
Cases of witch-hunting are not a preserve of Africa alone. For example, more than 100 women are tortured, paraded naked or harassed in the state of Chhattisgarh (India) annually, according to a Sky News Report of December 2008.
The common thing among most of these is that they are poor countries.
Throughout the ages and in different cultures, humanbeings have tended to believe in the existence of supernatural powers. In some cultures, the good ones (powers) are attributed to God or the gods, while the negative or evil ones are said to belong to the devil.
The power of God or the “good spiritual beings†can be harnessed or appeased for good. Those of the devil or evil spirits can be manipulated and used to harm others. The priest, prophet, diviner or healer plays the role of the mediator between God or the positive supernatural powers and human beings.
The witch or sorcerer, on the other hand, is believed to work with or manipulate the evil supernatural powers to cause harm to others or cause calamity like drought and diseases to the community.
In Europe, thousands of people, mostly women, were accused of being witches between 1500AD-1800AD. They were tortured and executed. In the US, the last trial and execution of witches was in the 1600s.
My view is that the practice of accusing people of sorcery and killing them is barbaric and must stop. Unless they have been caught using poison or sacrificing children, they should not be falsely accused. If there is any suspicion, they should be taken to competent courts of law.
“Penis theft panic hits cityâ€, read one headline; “7 killed in Ghana over penis-snatchingâ€, went another. The articles ran in respected conservative news media — Reuters and Cable News Network (CNN) respectively.
The Reuters story is about 14 suspects in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), who were arrested on allegations of using witchcraft to steal and make men’s penises disappear or shrink in order to extort cash for a cure.
The CNN story is about 12 alleged penis snatchers who were beaten to death by a mob in Ghana. They too were purportedly using witchcraft.
But does witchcraft really exist? Yes. I believe there is a spiritual world that consists of God and good spirits. There is also the devil or negative spirits. Witches are people who work with evil spirits to cause harm to other people, but the power of the devil (witches) is limited. There are many things witchdoctors claim to do which in reality they do not.
Witches only take advantage of the ignorant and those with little faith. I have participated in burning talismans and charms made by witchdoctors with no fear of reprisals to me.
However, it is not fair to kill people accused of being witches because there is no logic or scientific proof that connects the unexplained deaths or calamities to witches. If witchcraft worked, then teams (especially in Africa) that use it say, in the World Cup, would be winners but it is the opposite.
Some people blame HIV/AIDS and cancer on witchcraft. In 2006, between 25,000 and 50,000 children in the DRC were accused of being witches and consequently thrown out of their homes to become street children or live in destitution. In the Nigerian states of Ibom and Cross River, 15,000 children have also faced similar treatment.
Cases of witch-hunting are not a preserve of Africa alone. For example, more than 100 women are tortured, paraded naked or harassed in the state of Chhattisgarh (India) annually, according to a Sky News Report of December 2008.
The common thing among most of these is that they are poor countries.
Throughout the ages and in different cultures, humanbeings have tended to believe in the existence of supernatural powers. In some cultures, the good ones (powers) are attributed to God or the gods, while the negative or evil ones are said to belong to the devil.
The power of God or the “good spiritual beings†can be harnessed or appeased for good. Those of the devil or evil spirits can be manipulated and used to harm others. The priest, prophet, diviner or healer plays the role of the mediator between God or the positive supernatural powers and human beings.
The witch or sorcerer, on the other hand, is believed to work with or manipulate the evil supernatural powers to cause harm to others or cause calamity like drought and diseases to the community.
In Europe, thousands of people, mostly women, were accused of being witches between 1500AD-1800AD. They were tortured and executed. In the US, the last trial and execution of witches was in the 1600s.
My view is that the practice of accusing people of sorcery and killing them is barbaric and must stop. Unless they have been caught using poison or sacrificing children, they should not be falsely accused. If there is any suspicion, they should be taken to competent courts of law.