The issue of witch hunts and the ignominous role some christian church leaders popularly known as pastors have been playing have been in the news for a while.
In Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, South Africa, etc pastors are fueling and perpetrating witchcraft related abuses. Incidentally, for obvious reasons, few people have come out to openly and publicly condemn our so called men and women of God who are committing, aiding and abetting witchcraft related abuses. In this piece, I will proffer reasons why our pastors and their church members have suddenly become witch hunters, and have made witchcraft accusation the focus of their ministries. Before going ahead with my argument, I would like to make some clarifications. The belief in witchcraft predates the advent of christianity to Africa. Witchcraft claims are not part of those cultural ‘imports’ from the West. The belief that people can spiritually alter or undermine the fortunes of others has been with Africans for ages. So the persecution and execution of those alleged to be engaging in witchcraft activities have been going on in Africa before its contact with the West or East.
In fact it was the traditional medicine men, oracle priests, local diviners, or witchdoctors who were carrying out witchcraft diagnosis, witch finding and identification. So why the sudden change of guards? How did our pastors and their church members turn to be witch torturers, persecutors and executors? Why are many churches fanning the flames of witchcraze and witchcraft accusation?. The reasons are not far fetched. Like I noted earlier, the belief in witchcraft has been with us for some time. It constitutes part of the traditional education and orientation which most Africans receive from childhood. So the pastors and their church members are spreading a superstitious belief inculcated in them from childhood. The only thing new and different in what they are doing is that they are using the Bible to justify their actions. And why is that the case?
Because in today’s christianity, Biblical literalism is the norm-a dominant and driving force. Most pastors in Africa preach and promote the Bible as the literal and infallible word of God that should be accepted without question, alteration or revision. And these Biblical teachings include provisions that sanction the execution and persecution of witches and wizards. For instance Exodus 22: 18 says “Suffer not a witch to live” This verse is a clear and unequivocal endorsement of witch persecution and killing which any literal believer in the Bible cannot but endorse. Meanwhile the Bible did not define who a witch or wizard is or what the term ‘witchcraft’ means? And this has created rooms for so many misinterpretations, abuse and misuse by pastors and christians in Africa. Related to the above point is that pastors promote the Bible as the standard of good conduct and behaviour. Pastors make their followers to believe that as long as their actions are in accordance with what is written in the Bible, they have nothing to worry about. As if all that is written in the Bible is morally good, sound and upright.
So pastors and church members who indulge in witchcraft related activities believe that they are exercising their faith. That they are fulfilling the word of God, for which God will reward them in the hereafter. Hence they dont see anything wrong in torturing, killing, maiming or burning those alleged to be witches.
Another reason for the spread of christian faith-based witch hunt is the prevalence of ignorance among pastors and church leaders. Many pastors never received any formal education or training in theology, religion or philosophy before starting their ministry. They just woke up one morning, claiming to have received a revelation or a call from God and started a church. Some pastors are school drop- outs. They started a church out of frustration, lack of jobs and source of income. Some pastors actually attended theology schools which are glorified Bible indoctrination centers. Still there are pastors who are experts in various fields like law, science, engineering, architecture, journalism, banking etc . These pastors mistakenly think that the expertise or excellence in their various fields confers on them the ‘vocation’ or authority to preach the Bible, lead a church and ‘pontificate’ in matters concerning religion.
Many pastors have become witch hunters due to lack of what to preach and what to use to mobilize and tyrannize over their church members. Human civilization has made many pastors irrelevant to the current scheme of things. So many of them are desperate to attract new members and keep the tithe flowing. So what we have today is a situation where many pastors are spreading false, dangerous and hateful messages all in the name of preaching the Bible. Many pastors have actually led their members astray all in the name of spreading the word of God. Pastors claim to know and have the solution to every problem. Of course, every problem is caused by the devil, by demons, by principalities and powers which they claim to have the power to deliver and subdue.
What we have today is a situation where many christians commit atrocities all in name of obeying their pastors or doing what the Bible says. The time has come for Africans to abandon blind obedience of their pastors and blind belief in the Bible, and in any of the so called holy books. Africans must begin to think for themselves and not allow pastors or the clerics to think for them. African must begin to apply their reason to issues. The time has come to liberate Africa from the tyranny and stranglehold of ignorant pastors and their deluded church members. The time has come for Africa to leap out of the terror of witch hunt, superstition, religious fundamentalism and irrationalism.