Angels and Demons (rise of Pentecostalism in Africa leads to witch hunts, HIV/AIDS

FP ^ | December 20, 2013 | Jill Filipovic

[NYer]

LILONGWE, Malawi

[NYer]

Signs of child bewitchment, according to Mulinde, the pastor from True Faith Revival Church, include disrespectful behavior toward elders and falling asleep at school. - snip - The deliverance ceremonies designed to bring children out from under the spell of witchcraft can be traumatic and even dangerous. According to Mulinde, the patient often becomes violent and vomits. At one such ceremony in Cameroon earlier this year, a 9-year-old girl died as the pastor attempted to cast out evil spirits.

FYI ping!

[SauronOfMordor]

Lots of Africans believe in magic and witchcraft. It doesn’t matter if their religion is officially called Christianity, Islam, or “native beliefs”.

[GreyFriar]

I will read the entire original article before I comment. However, baptism is a form of exorcism. I know a couple of people who stated after their baptism, that they had felt that “something” had departed from them during their baptism. And they sensed a better internal feeling.

[RegulatorCountry]

I’m curious as to why this particular story regarding fears of witchcraft among African Pentecostals piques the interest of our FR Catholic contingent.

It’s not as if there aren’t many, many examples of similar tales from Catholic areas in third world countries. It’s not as if fears of witchcraft and exorcisms are not also Catholic.

So, maybe you can enlighten me.

[Dutchboy88]

I am no fan of Pentecostalism, but is a reach even for you. Isn’t Rome deeply involved in exorcisms and demonic “warfare”? What is your point?

[ETL]

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"Bath in the sacred mud"

[ETL]

[fso301]

This is not uncommon wherever missionaries come in contact with pagan peoples. Some get just enough exposure to Christianity that the blend parts of Christianity in with their own preexisting belief system.

[Bryanw92]

The power of Christ is strong in Africa these days. Much stronger than it is in the USA and Europe. If he is giving them the power to drive out evil spirits, then we should pray for the same right here.

The folly of calling evil a mental illness proves itself out with every mass shooting.

[Jeff Chandler]

"Hello everybody!"

[roamer_1]

Pentecostals using ‘holy water’?

: \

Nah.

[familyop]

It’s cold as a witch’s hund out there.

[Safetgiver]

What’s a Witch hund? A German hound?

[mlizzy]

It takes a great deal of diagnosing in America to deem someone possessed. To grab some kid out of a classroom because he's yawning, and then force him into a deliverance ceremony, is evil in and of itself. Some sick stuff, but later on in the article, comes the answer:

In many cases, healing and witchcraft-cleansing ceremonies are not free -- in Kenya, for example, Pentecostal congregants have reportedly been asked to shell out their life savings in exchange for healing services....

[huldah1776]

No olive oil, but plenty of water.

[ifinnegan]

Sounds like liberal left FoggyBottom head propaganda.

Anything that competes with the spread of Islam in Africa is to be demonized.

Why do people here at FR promote this?

[vladimir998]

I think you hit a nerve with this thread. The bigots are squirming.

[LadyDoc]

nonsense, of course.

The idea of spirit possession and witchcraft is part of the indigenous religious practices, and was not introduced by pentecostalism.

Traditionally, those labled witches were killed...now the pastors just do a “deliverance” ceremony. So I guess things are getting better.

[daniel1212]

I’m curious as to why this particular story regarding fears of witchcraft among African Pentecostals piques the interest of our FR Catholic contingent. It’s not as if there aren’t many, many examples of similar tales from Catholic areas in third world countries. It’s not as if fears of witchcraft and exorcisms are not also Catholic.

NYers post is rather transparent as being a response to another expose of the liberal nature of Rome from the Vanishing Catholics thread.

But while Africa abounds with aberrations, Rome has a historical history of religious syncretism,, and thus another attempt to promote Rome will result in its own lack of clothes being exposed.

Journal of Religion & Society - The Virtual World Project - Anthony M. J. Maranise, Christian Brothers University Investigating the Syncretism of Catholicism and Voodoo in. New Orleans ... presence of Voodoo in New Orleans is the result of syncretism with Catholic religious. This paper discusses the syncretism of both Catholicism and Voodoo in New Orleans and explains how the adaptable Catholicism of New Orleans provides ample support for the growth rather than repression of Voodoo.

Religious Syncretism AboutSanteria Behind the veneer of Catholicism, however, Afro-Cubans kept their old religions alive by "syncretizing" their deities with Christian saints. They knew that the ..