I have reached that point in my life - I am starting to brood. As much as I tell myself and others that I don't want children until I am ready to have them and/or ready for the responsibility, I still can't help having the feeling of the love you would give a child, your own child.
A perfect example, the other day, my friends' son was coming up the stairs and he tripped and fell with his head first as he reached the bottom of the landing. I nearly broke my own legs whilst rushing to pick him up from the bottom of the steps. I was horrified and shaking as if he was my own and I think he sensed this as I comforted him. Thank God he was alright, just shocked at the attention he received after his fall. The smile I got after all the fuss was
Priceless.
Anyway, back to why I am writing this post today. Yesterday, as I prepared to retire, I switched on the telly and whilst browsing the channels, one programme caught my attention. BBC Two was showing a documentary called
Witch Child. I wasn't prepared for what I was about to see. Let's just say, I had a box of tissues close to me and a pillow. It was like watching a horror movie. Here is the programme description:
"In the last five years, Britain has witnessed a disturbing new crime. Young children are being abused, and even murdered, by parents and relatives in the belief that they are possessed by evil spirits. This film follows Dr Richard Hoskins, a specialist in African religions, as he investigates the background to this phenomenon, and travels to Africa in search of a young London child who has been sent back to the Congo and comes face to face with the horrifying realities of exorcism in the 21st Century. This programme contains some scenes that some viewers may find upsetting."Source: BBC WebsiteI was shocked at how pastors in churches are using Christianity to make money through children. Fine, we have the ones back home who 'beg' in the streets aka 'Street Preachers', but after watching this programme, the ones back home seemed harmless. Here children are kicked out of home because their parents claim they have evil spirits in them. Something they called 'kindoki'. At one point, they are made to fast for one week. Fasting included, no water, food or even general hygiene. They are then exorcised of the evil spirits. Relatives of the children take them to these so called 'healers' and pay them to have the children exorcised. Each child has a different level of being 'evil', so the price of the exorcism varies. Making it big business in the DRC.
The part that made me reach for my pillow was when the children were made to lay on the ground. The 'healer' then proceeds to stump his foot on the child's stomach area several times. After this, he kneels before the child (child between his thighs) and proceeds to massage the stomach vigorously and then with a razor blade, he makes three cuts on the child's stomach - close to the navel. These cuts are deep enough to draw blood. The 'healer' then continues to massage the area he has just cut until he is satisfied that the said evil spirit has departed the child. On one child, the healer massaged so much that something bloody popped out of the child. It was so disgusting. The children are not allowed to show pain or emotion, as this will indicate that they have the evil spirit in them. Instead they chant/pray that the evil spirit should leave them while the exorcism is performed on them.
This documentary is in relation to a child here in the UK who was abused by her relatives because they believed she was possessed. This story here and here just shows how widespread the problem is. And the victim is, that innocent child who has been brain-washed into believing that they are possessed, because I believe the parents should know better.
At what point does the parent realise that the child is possessed? I don't get it.
The saying: "Asiyejua uchungu wa mwanawe....." (One who doesn't know the pain of a child...) - (I think that is how it goes), seems to have lost its meaning in this case of children being molested, abused and tortured in the name of Christianity.
How far does our cultural beliefs determine what is right or wrong inconjuction with Christianity?
I was really shocked and saddened that this is happening to our children. The future generation of the country.
And what are the leaders doing about it?
In the irony of it all, I pray that God is with them - ALWAYS!
