Dispatches programme last night. 'Britains child witches'

JimiTime

Anyone see this documentary last night? It was absolutley vile!

Basically, in Britain (and no doubt here too), there are "evangelical pastors" from Africa. It seemed mainly The Congo, mixing 'christianity' with the voodoo-ish stuff of tribal Africa. Basically, these 'pastors' prey on the ignorant and vulnerable of their communities who are often isolated being in a new land.

People who have some bad things happen to them, go to these 'pastors' to find out if its anything spiritual. In all cases, these 'pastors' tell them that someone close is a witch, usually a child of theirs or their wife. they then in turn get money for performing an 'exorcism'. this entails some violent 'prayer' etc. Children as young as 8 were being abused because of it.

They charge thousands for these things too. At one point, the undercover journalist is in this congregation, and as bold as brass, the 'pastor' just says, 'I want a van'. 'Is that too much to ask'? 'I need £12000 - 14000. Its not too much money'. He also said to one girl (And likely many more), that having sex with him will drive the evil spirits away. i was flabbergasted. I was like, 'How can these people be so flippin gullible??' It seems though, that they are causght in this superstition hangup from their homeland, and have never heard the Christian message. All they get is the horrid corrupted hybrid fed to them by these wicked men. I'm not even sure how literate alot of these people would be etc, but it was such exploitation. Man, it made me feel so angry!
Absolutely disgusting!

Fanny Cradock

I was really in two minds whether to watch it or not. I chose the easier option. I've since read a couple of posts on the details of the programme - and the practice of these men sound disgusting and shameful. One would hope that after the police and courts are done with their business the orthodox (small o) African Christian churches in England would unite against this type of thing.

PDN is away at the mo, but it would be interesting to see if he has encountered any of this on his African travels.

JimiTime

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

PDN is away at the mo, but it would be interesting to see if he has encountered any of this on his African travels.

Didn't think of that, be interesting to hear.

PDN

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

PDN is away at the mo, but it would be interesting to see if he has encountered any of this on his African travels.

Sadly I have. There are a number of heterodox African 'churches' that practice syncretism - blending some aspects of Christianity with animist practices.

(I'm still away - but found a brief time when I could get online)

Fanny Cradock

I'd be interested to hear more when you get the time.

wolfsbane

JimiTime wrote: »

Anyone see this documentary last night? It was absolutley vile!

Basically, in Britain (and no doubt here too), there are "evangelical pastors" from Africa. It seemed mainly The Congo, mixing 'christianity' with the voodoo-ish stuff of tribal Africa. Basically, these 'pastors' prey on the ignorant and vulnerable of their communities who are often isolated being in a new land.

People who have some bad things happen to them, go to these 'pastors' to find out if its anything spiritual. In all cases, these 'pastors' tell them that someone close is a witch, usually a child of theirs or their wife. they then in turn get money for performing an 'exorcism'. this entails some violent 'prayer' etc. Children as young as 8 were being abused because of it.

They charge thousands for these things too. At one point, the undercover journalist is in this congregation, and as bold as brass, the 'pastor' just says, 'I want a van'. 'Is that too much to ask'? 'I need £12000 - 14000. Its not too much money'. He also said to one girl (And likely many more), that having sex with him will drive the evil spirits away. i was flabbergasted. I was like, 'How can these people be so flippin gullible??' It seems though, that they are causght in this superstition hangup from their homeland, and have never heard the Christian message. All they get is the horrid corrupted hybrid fed to them by these wicked men. I'm not even sure how literate alot of these people would be etc, but it was such exploitation. Man, it made me feel so angry!
Absolutely disgusting!

Yes, absolutely disgusting. But its not just Africans that can fall for this evil manipulation. There is little difference in what millions of white Americans and Europeans practise in many Protestant charismatic churches. A bit more subtle, but not much.

As to the power of superstition among those professing to be Christian, so much of Latin American Catholicism is syncretistic. Fear of and service to false gods runs with their Catholic faith.

But we need to remember how close we are to animism/superstition here. I remember in my youth (1960s) many people still afraid to cut down a fairy-thorn. Others who thought the priest could strike them down dead if he took great exception to their conduct.

Africa is only a couple of generations away from us. I grew up in some houses that either had no electricity, no water, or no back-door. Yet I was part of a welfare state, one of the more powerful nations on earth.

Maybe Africa will put away its evil culture and rise, and the West sink in its own perversity.
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Leviticus 18:24 ‘Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you. 25 For the land is defiled; therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants.

krudler

JimiTime wrote: »

Anyone see this documentary last night? It was absolutley vile!

Basically, in Britain (and no doubt here too), there are "evangelical pastors" from Africa. It seemed mainly The Congo, mixing 'christianity' with the voodoo-ish stuff of tribal Africa. Basically, these 'pastors' prey on the ignorant and vulnerable of their communities who are often isolated being in a new land.

People who have some bad things happen to them, go to these 'pastors' to find out if its anything spiritual. In all cases, these 'pastors' tell them that someone close is a witch, usually a child of theirs or their wife. they then in turn get money for performing an 'exorcism'. this entails some violent 'prayer' etc. Children as young as 8 were being abused because of it.

They charge thousands for these things too. At one point, the undercover journalist is in this congregation, and as bold as brass, the 'pastor' just says, 'I want a van'. 'Is that too much to ask'? 'I need £12000 - 14000. Its not too much money'. He also said to one girl (And likely many more), that having sex with him will drive the evil spirits away. i was flabbergasted. I was like, 'How can these people be so flippin gullible??' It seems though, that they are causght in this superstition hangup from their homeland, and have never heard the Christian message. All they get is the horrid corrupted hybrid fed to them by these wicked men. I'm not even sure how literate alot of these people would be etc, but it was such exploitation. Man, it made me feel so angry!
Absolutely disgusting!

The irony of this is staggering.

JimiTime

krudler wrote: »

The irony of this is staggering.

Rather than smugly scoff, can you give us something of worth? Detail the irony at least. You've gone to the trouble of posting a comment, the least you could do is give it some worth.

Or is it, 'I think all religion is sh1te, therefore anyone who has faith has no right to criticise any other religious practice'? Surely its not that level of stupidity, so I'm curious as to the Irony.

Fanny Cradock

JimiTime wrote: »

Rather than smugly scoff, can you give us something of worth? Detail the irony at least. You've gone to the trouble of posting a comment, the least you could do is give it some worth.

Or is it, 'I think all religion is sh1te, therefore anyone who has faith has no right to criticise any other religious practice'? Surely its not that level of stupidity, so I'm curious as to the Irony.

I would imagine it's the standard line: here you are complaining about abuse but fail to see that all religion is evil. I hope this isn't the case, Krudler.

Zombrex

krudler wrote: »

The irony of this is staggering.

I think it was the children are being abused part, rather than embracing religion during bad times, that Jimi was giving out about.

I agree with your point that it is difficult to be critical of one religions system of absolute authority while at the same time being part of another religions system of absolute authority just because you disagree with the outcome, but in fairness to Jimi that wasn't his point, so such a discussion probably belongs in the A&A forum.