"A Man's a Man for all that!" - Rabbie Burns

"Religion? No thanks. I prefer not to outsource my brainwashing."
Trying to get your average Joe creationist to understand the phrase scientific theory is as hard as getting a fish to enjoy mountaineering. Its an unimagined world for them - it requires a complete reversal of their normal modes of thinking and being. The fact that humans could explain the complexities of this world without a creating God is a world view they cannot grasp. It's like asking a tuna if it appreciates the view from the top of Mount Everest.

Nov 12, 2008

Dreadful abuse of Nigerian children labelled witches

I have just finished watching one of the most disturbing and upsetting documentaries that I have seen in a long time.

The documentary “Saving Africa’s witch children” was about the work of Gary Foxcroft a 29 year old English guy who with an organisation called Stepping Stones is attempting to rescue children in Nigeria who have been accused by evangelist Pentecostal preachers of being witches and wizards.

The film showed many of the children that had been rescued and told how in certain parts of Nigeria children are regularly starved, abused and beaten after being accused of witchcraft and are then, if they are lucky, simply abandoned by their parents. In many other cases children had been physically maimed for example with acid and in some cases their parents had tried to bury them alive after their communities had rejected them because of the witchcraft accusations.

One clip showed the director of the Stepping Stones Project trying to take a young girl back to her village community only to find the villagers threatening to machete the girl if she remained.

This appalling treatment of children, some of whom were no older than three months old, appears to stem in large part from the preaching of a certain Mrs Helen Ukpaibo and evangelist and self proclaimed fighter against witchcraft who appears to hold great sway in parts of Nigeria. Her Church – the Liberty Church – produced a film about child witches which was seemingly widely circulated and has resulted in this wave of horror against innocent children.

I have looked up some initial links about or to this woman and you can read about the issue for yourself. They may not be the best links available and I haven't read them in depth as I haven't much time just now to undertake a more comprehensive search.

An interview with Mrs Upkaibo?

Helen Ukpabio's own site

A blog article with comments on the issue

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here is a link to an article from Anglican Mainstream:

Saving Africas Witch Children

Here is a link to the Stepping Stones Charity that is tryiong to help these children;
Stepping Stones Nigeria


And a link to some childrens stories;
stories

Looney said...

It does sound extremely horrible, although I haven't seen the original commentary. The world seems to have no end of charlatans anxious to perform the most gruesome acts.

From my Christian perspective, however, I see essentially no difference between the cruelty towards a three month old child in Nigeria and what is done to a child in an abortion clinic down the street in Fremont a week before what would have been a natural birth. Maybe that makes me a bit numb.

Thanks for highlighting this. The overall situation in Nigeria is clearly a complete mess and well beyond any human power to sort out.

Delirious said...

I would be happy to post about this issue. (I'll try to get to it after I get the kids off to school) Children are innocent, and evangelicals who accuse them of these things should remember what the bible says. "It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones." Luke 17:2

Delirious said...

I posted on my religion blog with the hope that more religious people would see it.

Anonymous said...

Thats great D thanks.

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