When I hear extreme emotional, heart-string-pulling stuff like this, I want to look behind it all and carefully scrutinize the institutions which "pull the strings" from behind the scenes. In the context of the reality of shared colonial interests in Africa in general, I wouldn't be surprised at all if the c.i.a. (and similar agencies from europe) are behind this in various ways. Then again, we're likely seeing, as well, the devastation wreaked by centuries of european-style meddling. Finally, to characterize these cultures as "scarcity cultures" (as Greg Gruber says in his comment) or any other such distracting concept (where mystification continues unchecked) feels to me like more of the same of arrogant "civilization" pushing its hidden wars. Same old song, different mobilization method!

People in scarcity cultures are always looking for who/what to blame for poverty, illness, bad things happening in the society. Innocents, like children or mentally challenged people are quite often targetted or scapegoated. It is true that spiritual activity can bring blessings or curses to the community-- but identifying the perpetrators is difficult proposition that should be undertaken with care by those who can truly see with spiritual eyes and proper training. Christian churches have neither to offer in this work-- they are not equipped to do this. Even "modern" or "civilized" nations like the U.S. practise blaming the innocent and punishing someone/anyone for perceived ill fotune. This is a tragic waste of human energy and life!

Listeners may be interested in a CBC podcast about atrocity and moral certainty that has considerable resonance with this issue. We humans are often unaware of the adopted moral values affecting our reasoning.

And The Moral Of The Story Is...

http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/podcast.html

Just scroll down.

I also agree with Tony (comment below) from Australia. Dangerous, illogical and violence-encouraged dogma in any religion should be addressed and controlled! If only it was a perfect world, Tony! =( Perhaps we will evolve enough to leave these horrors behind in the next millenium!

I just heard a radio show about Witchcraft in Ghana with an interviewer named Anna. She stated that "we don't believe in witchcraft in our country." This completely baffles me, as there is a VERY large Pagan community across the U.S. I have been Wiccan most of my life. The problem in Ghana is not about witchcraft. It is about ignorance and fear, and uncivilized thinking. True witches follow a "rede" which states "an ye harm none, do as you will." We have a strong connection to nature and take our beliefs and practices and responsibilities to our Mother Earth and our fellow man very, very seriously. There are millions of us in the states. We are not "evil" Christians, Muslims, etc (patriarchal religions as a whole) have either painted witches as being this way, or have denied our existence altogether for centuries. Pagan, nature religions were the ORIGINAL religions, celebrating the equinoxes and solstices with joy and merriment, cherishing life itself. We are not an obsolete or samll group. We are alive and well in many forms, following similar paths. Because we do not proselytize, or "spread the good news" or try to convert people, it is often not well-know we are here. But I can assure you, we certainly are--and in great, great numbers! Also, because of the stigma of being a witch in a Christianized world, many of us are afraid to come out of the "broom closet." We are not fiction and we are not out to do our fellow man, or any living thing any harm. I just wanted to bring this to the attention of the station, so you can educate yourselves.

Today's program, with the stories of the horrific physical torture and murder of young children is almost beyond comprehension. The only thing I can compare it to is the rampant abuse of innocent young children by Catholic priests all over the world, and how these pedophiles were passed along by church authorities to other, unsuspecting parishes over and over again.

I learned as an adult that a priest in my home town -- Springfield, Illinois -- had preyed on children while in our city and then transferred by the bishop to a rural community, where he continued to molest young boys. He was finally confronted by parents in one of those towns, arrested, convicted and sent to prison. Sentenced in 1985 for 14 years, he died in 2002, a free pedophile, in Florida. [Newspaper story at http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2005_01_06/2005_03_13_Bakke_SinsOf.htm]

I researched his story for a newspaper column and read that the judge in his trial, while condemning the priest, said it was beyond his understanding why the priest's superiors kept passing him along to silently torture and brand for life, hundreds more young children.

With the exposure of the Pope's similar actions, it becomes apparent that this quiet 'pass along the pedophile' practice was well-known and repeated, endlessly, by Catholic bishops all over the world. I can think of no worse condemnation of an organized religion.

All the decades that I, as a young Catholic boy, heard unending, self-righteous wrath over sex 'sins' -- contraception, masturbation, gay and unmarried sex, gay marriage, even the extremely personal choice of abortion -- belie an ancient hierarchical church that knowingly allowed and enabled the worst of all human degradation: taking sexual advantage of little boys and girls who trusted and obeyed their perpetrators.

The leaders of the institution known as the Roman Catholic Church have exhibited the height of hypocrisy and a cruel, sick cynicism. And the world notes that, while some confessed only when their contemptible actions were exposed, many more -- especially this pope -- decry and and deny documented proof of their actions.

In Africa, evil seems to be more real than good. In the context of of extreme difficulties - poverty, disease, and death, people must explain their circumstances somehow, and witchcraft, ascribing evil powers to their family members and neighbors is one way to explain the unexplainable distress. If so-called witches were as powerful as alleged, why would they not use their abilities to overcome poverty and bring healing rather than evil- poverty, disease and death to their communities. Your speaker, Sam mentioned the influence of films -- indeed, the preponderance of Nigerian films is on the theme of the evil power. Bless you Sam Itauma for rescuing the children. It takes getting used to, but good is MORE powerful than evil.

I keep wondering if courageous men like Sam Itauma did not come out to challenge the false religious teachings of the likes of Helen Ukpabio and Bishop William, what would have been the state of children in Nigeria and indeed Africa. God will really bless you and your likes. CRARN KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

The disbelief and indeed the dismay in the voice of the interviewer was almost palpable. A rational, intelligent compassionate westerner trying to understand, to comprehend, how superstition and totally illogical religious dogma could lead to such acts of abject horror as is found within so-called child witches. Perhaps what this tells us is this: that all belief systems need to be challeneged, to be questioned, to be asked for proof of their bizarre assertions and that no system of thought, whether religious, faith based superstition or political or scientific belief be alllowed to escape intellectual scrutiny of their claims.