My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: Hosea 4:6a (KJV)
INTRODUCTION
The sad story of the 72 year old grandmother burnt alive for ‘allegedly’ being a witch by a group led by an evangelist set this writer thinking about the level to which religious ignorance has sunk in this country. Prior to this sad story, there have been two incidents concerning comments made by two leading politicians to which some people seemed to find unacceptable. The first was the comment by Dr. Tony Aidoo questioning the sanity of Christians who ‘speak in tongues’ without understanding the meaning of what they say. Sad as it is, none of the critics sought to discuss and possibly understand the context within which Dr. Aidoo made his comments but the issue was dragged on with some even calling for the gentleman to render apology to Christians. The second issue concerns comment by Mr. Kennedy Agyepong, the Member of Parliament for Assin North on the need to tax religious organizations for their taxable incomes. In the case of Mr. Agyepong, yours truly listened in to the program on Adom FM and his subsequent comments on other radio stations (Citi FM and Oman FM). In all instances it seems cynical religious dogma rather than sound argument was at play. It is interesting that the key individual trying to impugn religious impropriety on Mr. Agyepong is Mr. Bature, a known National Democratic Congress (NDC) sympathizer, who is ironically a Moslem.
Although this writer has not heard directly the exact words of Dr. Aidoo, he is yet to be persuaded by the arguments of some of his detractors as to the heresy of what he is purported to have said. The MP had stated on a radio discussion program that he attended a Methodist church service with his mother and a priest was selling branded bottled water to the congregation as having healing and other spiritual powers. The MP had cited this as example of how SOME pastors in the Methodist Church have deviated from the original principles of the church. This was in support of his view that religious organizations involved in profit making ventures should be taxed, and was clearly misquoted and misrepresented by the Mr. Bature.
Ghana has largely done very well in the tolerance of diverse religious beliefs. It is noteworthy that all our past presidents and heads of state have equally participated in Christian and Moslem religious activities notwithstanding their own particular religious persuasions. Although President John Mills is a proclaimed Christian, he has always actively and comfortably played active roles in the celebration of Islam festivities. In the same vein, former Vice-President Aliu Mahama, a Moslem, participated in several Christian programs. However on a different front, there is a creeping religious dogmatism gradually becoming the order with some Christian leaders refusing to be questioned on their actions. Some individuals seem to have made up their own belief systems and consider them to be the most authoritative and therefore not to be disputed, doubted or diverged from by others. This is contrary to this writer’s understanding of what the Bible says. The Apostle Paul praised the Christians in the city of Berea for always checking the messages the received from the apostles with the scriptures. It must be indicated here that what pastors say and do are not sacrosanct. As they are not infallible beings every believer has the right to question their activities and put their acts and sayings to strict proof of biblical teachings. The Bible in 1 John 4:1 states:
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: for because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1 (KJV)
Yours truly has come across people who profess to be preachers of the gospel but show irritation and plain anger when others seek to verify their ‘prophesies’ and ‘guidance’ on the strict proof of the Bible. The Apostle Paul teaches Christians to verify all things and make the right choices (I Thessalonians 5:21). As a Christian, yours truly believes in miracles from God and prophesy. However, God in His wisdom has equipped every true believer to discern whether a prophesy or miracle is of God. Christ Jesus says in the Bible that:
For there, shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Matthew 24:24 (KJV)
This profound verse should be a great warning to true believers in the Bible. Currently on our television networks there is a competition of a countless number of pastors, prophets, healers and diviners claiming to perform all manner of miracles. Many shamefully advertise themselves as the final solution to all manner of problems and invite people to come to them for spiritual guidance. The radio stations have a far higher number of such individuals. This writer has friends who doubt these miracles and divinations. However, going by the above quote from the Bible one can accept the veracity of their claims but the issue is that the source may not be of God. Indeed the Bible provides an avenue for verifying the source of power of such individuals. Jesus Christ teaches that we shall know them by their fruits (Matthew 7:16). The Apostle Paul takes it to the final steps by showing how to identify the true prophets – fruits of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) and the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-24).
For the purpose of this piece, an attempt would be made to understand the teachings of the bible concerning witchcraft and consider whether this spiritual condition is the same as the concept of ‘bayie’/’ayen’ as found in Ghanaian Traditional Religion.
BACKGROUND
Witchcraft has been given various definitions. Witchcraft is however believed to be the alleged use of magical or supernatural powers. From historical perspective, witchcraft was believed to be the use of such supernatural powers to bring harm on people or their property. For the purpose of this piece witches (female) and wizards (male) would be considered as practitioners of witchcraft.
In some cultures in Western Europe a distinction is often made between good witchcraft, often involving healing, and bad witchcraft which brings curse and a means of explaining misfortune. Sub-Saharan Africa is noted as having strong belief in the power of witches to cause untold misfortune to individuals. Of much significant note is that although many believe in the existence of wizards (male), a vast majority of people accused of witchcraft have been women. An interesting phenomenon is that the people often accused as witches tend to be drawn from the vulnerably category of poor, uneducated and most probably living in rural area or the poorer sections of cities and towns. They are usually old or menopausal, and if young, are likely to be a house help or a niece living with an aunt/uncle. The underlying factor is their vulnerability. One often wonders why a professional – doctor, lawyer or engineer, politician – or a rich individual is never accused of witchcraft whereas it is so easy to pick on a poor ailing women who is probably a widow as a witch.
BIBLICAL TEACHINGS ON WITCHCRAFT
The Bible makes several references to witchcraft with a strong condemnation of its practice. However, from the various references and commentaries, the condemnations does not seem to be based so much on the supposition of fraud as on the abomination of the practice itself.
In the Old Testament, the first reference can be found in the Book of Exodus. The Bible states:
Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. Exodus 22:18 (KJV)
This verse seems to have provided scriptural justification for Christian witch hunters in the early Modern Age. It is of no wonder that many ignorant preachers of today continue to rely on the verse to torture vulnerable people they claim to be witches. Whereas it is possible to fairly physically judge a sorcerer under theocratic monarchical regimes, same cannot be easily said of modern day witches in Ghana who are said to be operating in realms which only the so-called ‘spiritually-eyed’ can discern. The sorcerers in the days of the Bible were identified with their implements of idol worship but can one say same of current situation. Yours truly nearly wept once when television pastor turned round to accuse a young woman to be responsible for the sickness of her sister. One often wonders the cause of all the numerous diseases of cancer and several incurable diseases suffered by many whites, whereas in Ghana even the death at ripe old ages can be attributed to the work of witches.
James Strong, the American Methodist Bible scholar and educator, and the creator of the Strong’s Concordance explains the root word of witch/witchcraft in the Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible. In the commentary, Strong contends that the primitive root of the Hebrew word kashaph, usually translated as 'witch' or 'sorceress' in English means “to whisper a spell” (i.e. to practice magic). The word occurs with similar meaning in Deuteronomy 18:10 and 2 Chronicle 33:6. Admittedly whereas none of the Biblical commentaries give an exact meaning of the practice, it is clear that it involves the use of supernatural powers that hardened hearts against the truth (Exodus 7:11). Those in Israel who used such powers were therefore to be executed. The Bible gives evidence of practitioners of sorcery as having been put to death as punishment under the Hebrew kings (1 Samuel 28). The involvement of King Manasseh in sorcery to the point of making his children walk through fire led Judah to the breaking point of God’s patience (2 Chronicles 33:6 cf 2 Kings 24:3-4).
In the New Testament the word witchcraft appears only once (Galatians 5:20). The root of the word employed is sorcery, similar to the derivative employed in 2 Kings 9:22 in reference to Jezebel. Again the same word is linked metaphorically to harlotry. In the New Testament the practice is condemned as an abomination, just as the Old Testament had (Galatians 5:20, compared with Revelation 21:8; 22:15; and Acts 8:9; 13:6). The word in most New Testament translations is "sorcerer"/"sorcery" rather than "witch"/"witchcraft".
So far, there is no evidence adduced to show that the practitioners of witchcraft/sorcery were any more than people who sought to cast spells or confer with familiar spirits. We can deduce no evidence as yet of witches or wizards who eat human beings, cause diseases, turn into vultures, and more importantly appear strangely in other peoples’ rooms. There are instances in Ghana, and indeed in many countries, that people have advertised themselves as sorcerers and invite others to come to them for divination yet none of them are attacked by members of the society.
CONTEMPORARY SITUATION
Going through the New Testament, there was never a situation where the Lord Jesus Christ or a disciple accused any individual as being the cause of an ailment or condition. This notion is therefore unknown in Christianity. Going back into the 1970s in Ghana, it was common to hear of people going to consult traditional priests (Akomfo). In those days Akonedi, Bokyerewa, Antoa Nyamaa and Kyinaman were thought to be powerful deities to be consulted for spiritual guidance. However into the 1980s this became ‘unfashionable’ and there was a greater shift towards Christianity. The Apostolic and Pentecostal churches became very popular with their vibrant form of worship backed by healing and miracles. From the middle of the 1980s the concept of Charismatism led by the notable pastors like Pastors Mensa Otabil and Duncan Williams in Accra, Alfred Nyamekye and Ransford Obeng in Kumasi and many others began in the country. Before the Charismatics there have always existed independent churches led by Odiyifos (prophets and prophetesses – the Odiyifo Nkansahs) who practiced some form of pentecotalism tinged with African Traditional Religion.
Out of the Charismatic congregations emerged many pastoral and evangelism schools training numerous people to become pastors and evangelists. We therefore have so many trained pastors and evangelists who may initially join a church as a junior pastor but sooner than later leave to start their own churches. Many of these young pastors tended not to be content with their economic condition and leave and may end up hovering from one church to the other until they set up their own churches. This has created a high level of competition among these churches and there are a number of cases of so-called men of God slugging it out publicly with unprintable words. In fact, some of the accusations traded include adultery, incest, fraud, occultism and a host of others. The underlying factor is that as more individuals enter the fray and the ‘market’ becomes choked, some of the pastors employ plain deceit to draw more people to their churches. It is not uncommon for some of these pastors to employ FEAR to keep people under their control. Some will go to any length to keep members of their church.
CONCLUSION
Yours truly would like to state here that he is a firm believer in miracles from God and in his own personal life has had experiences which could only have been described as miraculous. Considering our acceptance of each others’ right to freedom of religion we cannot prescribe one belief for everyone even within the same religion. However, as a nation we must come to the realization that there are many individuals hiding under the cloak of spiritual divination to cause havoc. Some of these individuals are breaking up marriages and families. Their activities bother on serious abuse of the rights of others and some of their actions are criminal in nature. Many vulnerable individuals are being tortured physically and psychologically on the directions of some prophets. Visits to prayer camps and other church premises will show how inhuman people with psychiatric conditions are treated. The least said about productive hours lost in numerous church services and spiritual consultations the better. Your truly has had the unpleasant experience of going to a very top national public organization only to be told the head was not available on Thursday mornings because he/she was attending a church service – Jericho Hour! From dawn to dusk, and throughout the night there is a church service taking place somewhere in our communities. Many of us keep quiet and suffer the nuisance of noise making by churches day and night in clearly designated residential areas for fear of being branded demonic or anti-Christ.
This writer would not go as far as calling for churches to be taxed but the personal emoluments of all the workers of the church should be taxed. Indeed the tax laws of the country require individuals working in not for profit organizations to pay personal income tax. As for the quacks parading as men of God, the Bible tells us that we cannot weed them out. The Lord Himself will deal with them in His own time. The purpose here is to draw the attention of the ‘elect’ to their activities lest we would be taken in by them.
God bless Ghana.
Kofi Nyame
Gbawe, Accra
kofinyame@gmail.com
