SAFF Review of Witch-Child, A BBC2 Investigation Into How
Young Children are Being Abused and Tortured in Christian Exorcism Ceremonies
Broadcast April 4, 2006, BBC2
This was a courageous piece of reporting by Richard Hoskins with some highly
emotional images including the cutting of little children's stomachs with razor
blades to 'let the demons out'. It would have been a breath of fresh-air in a
debate poisoned by prejudice had it not been hamstrung from the start with an
entirely incorrect premise. It was the fundamentalist Christians who were
beating, abusing, torturing and killing children as a by-product of their belief
in possession and this had nothing whatsoever to do with the native African
religious belief system.
It didn't help that the term 'witchcraft' was used confusingly throughout the
programme to describe several totally different things (the act of Sorcery, a
belief in animism and the cause of possession) The compulsion to in some way
relate this abuse to 'witchcraft' was a clear symptom of prejudice and this made
it impossible for the programme makers to get at the truth.
Hoskins programme focussed on the abuse of children in exorcisms and conveyed
the message that there was a problem in the exorcisms of children who had been
accused of involvement in 'Witchcraft' but this is misleading. In fact there is
a problem in the exorcism of ANYONE; children or adults , accused of involvement
in Witchcraft by Christian Evangelists. This difference is crucial in that it
immediately highlights the real nub of the problem, which is the casual use of
exorcism by Christian evangelical churches and not ( as the government's recent
Stobart report concluded) a belief by Africans in 'witchcraft'.
It is not Witchcraft which is the cause of the abuse, witchcraft is the
justification used by fundamentalist Christians to abuse the children. Thus by
stepping back one pace away from the stereotypes forced upon this problem by the
clique of believers in Ritual Abuse ( who have consistently disinformed the
debate over the past two decades) the truth of the matter can be seen; the
rampant wave of exorcisms afflicting West Africa and London are simply part of
the Witch-hunts regularly created by Christian extremists. This most recent bout
was caused by the hysteria of the Satanic Ritual Abuse Myth which was exported
from America to the UK in 1989 by missionary activists from the same groups who
are now abusing children in exorcisms in Africa and London. It is not Africa or
its native beliefs which is the problem. It is the growing power, influence and
irrationality of free-style Christian evangelists, BLACK AND WHITE, for similar
situations are occurring throughout the world. One must remember that only TWO
clear cases of 'Child Abuse Through Exorcism' have occurred in the U.K. At least
ten times that number have occurred in the U.S.A. (in predominantly white
Churches). The reason why the London cases have been given so much prominence to
the exclusion of the overall view, is that the Satan Hunters in Social Services
have linked them with the 'celebrated' Thames Torso case.
Richard Hoskins' conclusion approached this idea and then rationalised it by
suggesting that the self-styled African evangelists were mis-using the tenets of
Christianity to pander to the primitive superstitions of uneducated black
immigrants who were being lead to abuse their children due to their state of
anxiety at having to come to terms with cultural differences in Britain. Thus
letting mainstream Christianity off the hook. When he visited the Congo he
reinforced that idea by suggesting that two decades of civil war, the plague of
AIDS and a breakdown of law and order there meant that the population were in a
continual state of paranoia and this fed the belief in the existence of witches,
evil-doers etc., He was absolutely right, and it is just this mix of fear which
Christian agitators have used throughout history to seize the moral high-ground
and bias the political system to favour their biblical views. But what has that
got to do with 'Witchcraft'?
All Hoskins had to do for confirmation was to look back into European history
into what British Pagans term 'The Burning Times' where a combination of social
deprivation and the march of the Black Death in the 13th century was responsible
(according to Norman Cohen in his classic work 'Europe's Inner Demons') for
igniting senseless witch-hunts all over Europe where innocent people, INCLUDING
CHILDREN, were sucked into a system of torture and mass execution by Christian
Witch-Hunters. The same social mechanisms which are occurring now in West Africa
and in London. And just as in the 13C, 14C and 15C the authorities allowed the
abuse, torture and killing of innocent adults and children to continue because
they were culturally blind to the fact that it was Christians which were
perpetrating these horrors, not 'Witches'.
All a Christian evangelist has to do is to claim that Witchcraft is involved and
he can act pretty much as he likes whilst the police rush around elsewhere
looking for rampant satanists. Children have of course, ALWAYS been used as star
turns in witchcraft trials because they are, amenable and have inventive
imaginations; easily 'confirming' the prejudices of their inquisitors without
properly understanding the ramifications of the questions. The Infamous Salem
Witch Hunts in New England were created by just such a happening. Inventive
children in a fundamentalist puritan colony giving vent to their imaginations
and implicating innocent people as 'witches'. In more recent times the same
thing happened in the Orkney and Rochdale cases in the early 1990s where
Inquisitors from the local Social Services manipulated the testimony of kids to
implicate dozens of innocent people. Why can't people see this happening? It can
only be explained away by the incessant need of some to confirm their worst
fears. Fears which have been indoctrinated into them by other Christians when
they were very young and unable to properly discern. So the wheel of prejudice
turns; and in Hoskins programme it turned one more revolution.
It became clear as the programme continued that the problem with the children
who were abused had nothing to do with a native belief in Sorcery or Witchcraft.
The only people Hoskins' interviewed who seemed to have a clue as to what was
really going on were the Witch-Doctors he went to visit to ask about the native
religion of the Congo. They articulately explained that 'kindocki witchcraft'
was rare and that their treatment for it was herbal in nature. Their cosmology
did not allow for 'exorcisms' of the type these child victims were suffering.
Then they told Hoskins straight that the problem was caused by interloping
Christian Missionaries who over the past decade had been taking advantage of the
rampant fear generated by the disastrous political turmoil and violence in the
Congo.
Was it really that simple? Well, yes, but Hoskins, hamstrung by his original
prejudices that it was some primitive atavistic belief in the Congolese native
Culture which had hi-jacked Christianity, obviously couldn't see the wood from
the trees. Instead of now looking at the Tenets of Christianity itself, he
continued to unthinkingly absolve the larger Christian belief of blame whilst
seeking to find a 'reason' why African Evangelists had come to adopt this
terrible technique.
But how could he make such a mistake? Hoskins is a visiting senior research
fellow in Theology and Religious Studies at Kings College, London. Surely he
would know that the belief that devils stalk humanity and possess human beings
in order to create evil is a FUNDAMENTAL tenet of Christianity. In fact it was
one of the main differences which allowed Christianity to split with Judaism and
create a niche for itself in the days of Jesus.
Since the 17th century with the ascendancy of science this idea of independent
devils existing all around us has fallen out of favour with the educated classes
and seems quite irrational, but millions of Christians still believe and are
taught consistently by their fundamentalist pastors that possession is real and
exorcism necessary. Of course it's all superstitious nonsense anyway, but if one
wants to track the history of its use the CRUCIAL thing to remember is that
Christianity's theologians have ruled all spirits or demons come under God's
rule. Spirits exist to tempt man. God put them there to do that. The purpose of
exorcism is to bring the parishioner back to centre, it hasn't anything to do
with the possession of his body by an animistic devil from an ancient African
religion. Even in the mad bad days of the Burning Times ecclesiastical courts
were careful to ensure that people tried of witchcraft were made to admit to
having consciously trafficked with satan to do mischief (to avoid them using the
'a demon possessed me and I couldn't help myself' defence which would have
compromised the accepted Christian tenets on the issue).
An additional error was that the programme featured solely the situation in the
Congo and missed the fact that this kind of irrational evangelical activity is
going on throughout Africa where DIFFERENT tribal religions exist. Obviously all
can't be responsible. There are areas with tribal religions where exorcism is
not happening. It is only happening in certain areas where Christian
fundamentalism is on the rampage. What is the common denominator? The common
denominator is not witchcraft, it is not Africa, it is not children. The Common
Denominator is the teachings of Christianity about exorcism.
Evangelists have worked hard in Africa, India, Indonesia and Polynesia to
discredit and displace the existing pagan beliefs for hundreds of years. The way
Christian beliefs have influenced the local tribal religions can be seen clearly
in the South American Religion of Santeria and the Carribean beliefs of voodoo
where West African symbolism has melded with Catholic ideas and iconography.
Thus if we accept Hoskins' premise that native Africans believe in the existence
of a myriad of demons waiting to ambush children they got it from the continuous
missionaryism which has afflicted the Dark Continent NOT from their native
tribal religions who have somehow been dragged into this because of one
misjudged case which set the Metropolitan Police on a wild goose-chase in 2001.
We don't have to enter into a historic tale of how pious intolerant Christians
murdered, killed, enforced, enslaved and generally tortured half the world
during the so-called 'age of exploration' but from the exploits of Cortes in the
genocide of Mexico to the myriad of modern day missions in Africa which are
constantly supplied with resources and influence by the Assemblies of God
Christian Network in the U.S.A. it is clear that indigenous African spiritual
beliefs and their exponents have been constantly under attack by intolerant
religionists using racist propaganda for hundreds of years. The modern bloody
conflict in West Africa between Marxism (atheism) and Christianity is the next
phase of this 'spiritual battle' just as the conflict in the middle east has, as
it's root, the provocation of fundamentalist Christians (Bush et al) and
Fundamentalist Moslems.
Thus it is singularly unfair to blame the old tribal religions of Africa for
Christian's having generated a climate in which adults and children are
continuously accused of being infected with the Devil.
It is incorrect to blame indigenous shamanistic religions for the fear put into
the minds of parishioners by Christian fundamentalist Pastors.
It is racist to infer that the roots of the evil actions of Christian
evangelists in abusing children in exorcisms has been caused by 'savage' tribal
beliefs of native people.
The blame lies entirely with Christianity.... and those people in positions of
influence who turn a blind eye and fail to bring them to justice because they
are prejudicially displaced towards Christianity themselves.
The fact is that exorcism as known in the west is a peculiar and highly
contradictory development of Christian doctrine. They can't live with it and
they can't live without it. Many people lose sight of the fact that Christ was a
Jew and that Christian theology is firmly based on the Jewish Holy Books. These
do not portray Satan as an autonomous devil. They portray him first as any
adversary or hurdle to national unity. Then as an Angel who God uses to punish
people for their wrongdoings. At the time when the Hebrews were cast out of
Israel and were in the 'wilderness' their religion was an eclectic blend of
Ancient Hebrew Lore and pagan beliefs influenced by Sumerian and Babylonian
pantheism whose societies they had mixed with. With no country available to them
the Hebrew Nation relied on its religious tenets to coalesce their people, just
as they do today, all over the world; as a mark of nationhood. But their
religion was insufficiently distinct from the various pagan beliefs which
surrounded the near and middle east. It was to polarise this difference that the
Ten commandments were invented which emphasised the monotheistic uniqueness of
Judaism. We all remember how in Exodus Moses came down from mount Sinai and
lambasted the Hebrews there for worshipping false idols, giving strict
instructions to break with the pagan links from before.
But this was when Judaism was a minority sect which wanted to isolate itself
from the rest in order to perpetuate the state of Israel. Whilst 'in the
wilderness' things didn't look too good for the nation of Israel and the regular
hereditary priesthoods (Cohens etc) were challenged by radical newcomers who
created a schism (just like the Sunni - Shiite division in Islam) when a number
of new Judaic sects were inaugurated to break the monopoly of the hereditary
priests. Chief amongst these were the Sadducees, the Essenes and the Pharisees.
In order to gain authority amongst the people these new sects amplified the
Eschatology (end-time) of the Judaic Holy Books, which had previously been
scant, into a firm mythology which featured the idea of redemption and eternal
life. To increase their influence another component part of their philosophy was
the idea of a Messiah who would appear just before the end of the world was nigh
in order to lead pious Jews to eternal life.
Jesus grew up and developed within this dramatic new current of religious
FUNDAMENTALISM and he is said to have favoured the teachings of the Pharisees.
Either way the monopoly of the old Hebrew Priest Castes was broken and the
Pharisees, Saducees, Essenes etc, (The original Fundamentalists) could begin
their radical interpretations of the Holy Books.
Thus there was developed the idea that people who were pious who would be chosen
for resurrection and people who were impious in Jewish ways would not be chosen
and burn in hell for eternity as punishment. According to them Satan was always
waiting in the wings to tempt people from the path of righteousness (viz the
Temptation of Jesus - 'get thee behind me satan') into paganity, immorality 'or
worse'.
Of course someone had to distinguish between the pious and impious and chief
amongst these were the new fundamentalist priests, the most famous of which was
John The Baptist who regularly held exorcism ceremonies to cleanse people of
their sins (i.e. satan). This power-play for control of Judaism caused
continuous internecine squabbles and eventually when Jesus came along the new
religion of Christianity broke away and rewrote the holy books in it's own
image, paying particular attention to the necessity for exorcism.
Several hundred years later in an attempt to formalise control over the end-time
paranoia which the fundamentalists had created, a demonology was developed which
formalised an exorcism squad within Christianity at a very early date. Exorcists
formed one of the four minor orders of the Church. It was Their reputation which
helped spread the new faith wrote Justin Martyr in the 2nd century A.D. As time
went on the number of 'devils' which could inhabit a person went into the
extreme. Hundreds were claimed in some cases and by the renaissance this
atavistic and anti-social idea had become an art-form in which hundreds of
treatises were published instructing priests how to identify anyone who was
possessed and how to exorcise them. This literature reads like some Hammer
Horror movie in the horrific and disgusting steps which were taken against
so-called witches. Often women were victimised as an excuse for extreme sadism
by priests who were already sexually repressed and frustrated. It is estimated
that 13 million people were tortured and put to death throughout Europe during
The Burning Times in the most insane ways, including being skinned alive, having
lumps of flesh torn from them, having Red Hot Irons pushed into their viscera,
having their feet and legs crushed, having molten lead poured into their mouths
etc., So many and varied were the sickening atrocities meted out to innocent
people in this way by supposedly pious Christians that their victims willingly
admitted whatever tales their inquisitors accused them of in an attempt to get
to the stake more quickly and stop the unbearable torture. In this way the
Christian church justified these extreme atrocities of exorcism and the signed
confessions were confirmation that the torture was necessary in order to get at
the 'truth' and save the soul of the tortured.
This historic perspective is clearly and dutifully recorded in every respect in
the annals of the Church. It is impossible for anyone with a seat in Theology
and Religious studies not to know about it. So the question is, why did Hoskins
turn a blind eye when he was making his programme?
The Christian teachings surrounding possession and exorcism have been very much
played down in the Western World during the past few centuries whilst rational
scientific thought has held sway but because of expedient politics, the
chattering Bishops and greedy Media Moguls who de-sensitise the population to
the effects via their tardy images, Exorcism is flourishing again in Britain
today. Self-appointed Witch-finder Generals (evangelical pastors) are gearing up
to physically abuse children and adults in a completely unnecessary bout of
mind-bending torture which will increase the level of mental illness in the
population by leaps and bounds.
When the very same fundamentalist activists made the same accusations in 1989
and began the modern Satanic Abuse Hysteria, the SAFF said, right at the start,
that there was no such thing as Satanic Abuse and that the invented accusations
so beloved of the tabloids were simply the warmongering strategies of
evangelicals who were intent on activating hidden fears in the population in
order to gain control of the mass mind. We pointed out a planned 'conspiracy'
amongst high-ranking, well-funded U.S. fundamentalist churches to take over the
moral debate and we warned in 1989 that one of their intentions was to spread
discord and enmity between nominal Christians and Moslems, Hindus, Pagans,
Buddhists etc., When Bush (a believer in end-time, and creationism, a promoter
of biblical ideas which consider all other faiths counterfeit) got into power we
prophesied that he would start another Christian crusade. And Iraq is the
result. Enlivened by the example of their president the fundamentalists have
spent the last few years expanding their power base in foreign lands; setting
brother against brother, mother against son, father against daughter. Even the
Father of South Africa, Nelson Mandela himself became a born again Christian and
opened doors for their number. The result is an ideological conflict in African
countries between Moslems and Christians; Marxist-atheists, and Christians, and
a free-for-all religious mania which has resulted in evangelical churches
becoming big-business. Unless these churches continuously find 'evidence' of the
existence of Satan, they will loose followers to another, less picky,
evangelical church. Thus, in hypersensitive mode, these manic people scour their
communities for 'kindocki' in order to justify their existence and then use any
foul method of torture to convince their congregations or their victims, that
they are 'possessed'.
That the British Government, The British Press and the British Police are too
hide-bound to see all this happening is testimony to how easy it is for
unscrupulous Christian agitators to manipulate history.
'He who controls the past, controls the future'
No Richard Hoskins, your programme failed to pinpoint the truth behind these
abuses and because of that other children will undoubtedly suffer.
Ends
John Freedom, Mortlake July 2006