Of Witchcraft, Magic and Miracles

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francis kwarteng 11 years ago

Brother SAS,

Oyiwaa!

You have dropped another timely bombshell!

Let us see what the naysayers and hopelessly irredeemable superstitious got to say about your masterpiece!

Your piece reminds me of what one reviewe ...
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Brother SAS,

Oyiwaa!

You have dropped another timely bombshell!

Let us see what the naysayers and hopelessly irredeemable superstitious got to say about your masterpiece!

Your piece reminds me of what one reviewer of George Orwell's "Animal Farm" had to say about it in the 1940s, describing the book as an "atomic bomb" or "nuclear bomb" waiting to implode in the belly of the former USSR.

I wonder what this reviewer would have made of Orwell's "Ninety Eighty-Four," which has something to do with the USSR, Nazism, etc.

True, most of our people in politics, Mosques, Churches, and shrines are not behaving differrently from the topical characterizations of Orwell's "Animal Farm" and 1984!

I am waiting to see how your piece implodes!Hahahahahaha...

Thanks.
Twum Barimah 11 years ago

I have never read any article on Ghana web better than your article. My brother, you have done it all. Unnecessary superstitions, belief that God will do it for them are killing not only Ghanaians, but also Africans in genera ...
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I have never read any article on Ghana web better than your article. My brother, you have done it all. Unnecessary superstitions, belief that God will do it for them are killing not only Ghanaians, but also Africans in general.The White people who brought their churches are greatly turning their backs to the synagogues and taking to sciences and mechanics to better their lives. And unbelievably, Africans are more and more clinging to unnecessary beliefs to make ourselves more and more poor. I always wonder when will we be able to fabricate cars, generators, airplanes, armaments etc. to sell them to the world for us too to make adequate monies to take care of ourselves. My brother, it's so sad!Thanks a million times!
Mr. Figure-Out 11 years ago

I have nothing to contribute to this discussion since SAS has said it all. Religion, particularly Christianity( mainly the unothodox version,) and the totality of Islam, not forgetting the myriad of foolish traditional belie ...
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I have nothing to contribute to this discussion since SAS has said it all. Religion, particularly Christianity( mainly the unothodox version,) and the totality of Islam, not forgetting the myriad of foolish traditional beliefs championed by our chiefs and stinking fetish priests/priestess, are the root causes of the irrational beliefs and thinking that have captivated most people into the world of witchcraft, magic and miracles. For instance, where on earth has somebody prayed for a hunchback to be healed? But Rev. Asamoah Boateng- Apae Live, was on radio sometime ago claiming he made it happened in the USA. Incredibly there is no video/audio footage/documentation on this great "9th wonder" of the world in this age of advanced scientific and technological innovations. And none of his hundreds of followers has dared to question him who and where exactly can that person, the hunchback,can be located and found. Oh! This is how far this world of just believe and don't ask why has gotten us into.
Dr. SAS, Attorney at Law 11 years ago

Mr. Figure Out,
If you think about it, the biggest of all the irrational beliefs is the notion that one is superior or inferior simply on account of one's race or ethnic origin.
There are people here, including yourself, wh ...
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Mr. Figure Out,
If you think about it, the biggest of all the irrational beliefs is the notion that one is superior or inferior simply on account of one's race or ethnic origin.
There are people here, including yourself, who are still slaves to this irrationality which is even worse than superstition.
Sam 11 years ago

Very good observations, but still science has not been able to solve all mankind problems. Spirituality and faith have worked also. We need to seek a balance here, after all, most scientific and industralized nations, like US ...
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Very good observations, but still science has not been able to solve all mankind problems. Spirituality and faith have worked also. We need to seek a balance here, after all, most scientific and industralized nations, like USA, U.K, Germany, Japan, S. Korea, etc still see true religion/faith as playing very vital role in their society. You live in Texas and aware of how the conservatives, some of which are scientists and successful enterpreneurs, cherish their religious beliefs.

Perhaps our problem in Ghana is over-reliance on the metaphysical and neglect of scientific pursuit.
dennis awah 11 years ago

i largely agree with the writer that we are so lazy that we refuse to think, we always look for the easy way out and the pastor, priest or witch is the solution to our problems.

when lazy pastors like otabil decietfully p ...
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i largely agree with the writer that we are so lazy that we refuse to think, we always look for the easy way out and the pastor, priest or witch is the solution to our problems.

when lazy pastors like otabil decietfully preach for their congregants to have faith in a pointless book and its even more pointless characters and then complains that we do not have what it takes to solve our problems like toilet facilities at the airport, we realise we have a serious problem on our hands.
Mr, Smith 11 years ago

SAS, your article simply portrays believers of such things as lazy and stupid. Agreed, but what is the purpose of religion? Is it not to connect us to our God? Why do Catholics have their rosaries displayed in their cars, hom ...
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SAS, your article simply portrays believers of such things as lazy and stupid. Agreed, but what is the purpose of religion? Is it not to connect us to our God? Why do Catholics have their rosaries displayed in their cars, homes, offices, etc.

Your write up seems to be about your country Ghana. You may have come across Indians (Hindus)in the US. I have NEVER come across any Indian without some sort of charm either on him/herself or in their homes. As we are all aware, Ghana is not a Christian but secular state. In the Islamic calendar, Muslims slaughter a ram for reasons best known to themselves only. They will argue that it has a lot to do with the Almighty God. So will the Hindus. Do Muslims in the US do same? Please find out for yourself.

Nobody can convince anybody that had Christianity not been introduced to the black race, our ancestors would have been bound for hell. If so, then why did God create us in the first place? In the absence of Christianity, which method do we use to connect to our God? Pouring of libation, which people like you frown upon, maybe.

Try paying a visit to the numerous forts and castles in Europe. There are some places the tour guide will make sure you don't see. I agree 100% with Sam. Over reliance seems to be the problem. But will a visit to India tell you the same story when you get close to the river Ganges? The whole place smells of superstition, with thousands lined up on the shores of the river engaging in one ritual or another.

When the birthday cake was not introduced in Ghana, we were used to celebrating it with mashed yam and eggs. Today the cake is being shunned on health grounds. So in order not to be labeled as superstitious, some birthdays are not celebrated at all. Otherwise people like you will descend heavily on some poor Ghanaians. There is nothing wrong in commenting on such issues, but I think it be devoid of insults. How many lazy and stupid Ghanaian knock on your door for their daily bread?
Dr. SAS, Attorney at Law 11 years ago

I am talking about how our superstition and belief in magic and miracles undermine our rationality, and all you can say is that people elsewhere have similar superstition and belief system. What kind of reasoning is that? Is ...
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I am talking about how our superstition and belief in magic and miracles undermine our rationality, and all you can say is that people elsewhere have similar superstition and belief system. What kind of reasoning is that? Is it your il/logic that because people are engaged in bunkum elsewhere, we should continue with the charade elsewhere?
And what do you mean by your assumption that religion connects us to God? I don't understand your "connect" or "God" in this context, but if you empirically measure religiosity by good deeds or conduct, you will see that none of your religious fanatics, including yourself, measures up as righteous. That is why religious phenomenon has become useless in transforming societies...
Mr, Smith 11 years ago

Hold on SAS! Religion comes from the latin "religare" which means to reconnect. My question is, to reconnect to what? Please cool off and let sleeping dogs lie. What has righteousness got to do with your own article? Our lead ...
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Hold on SAS! Religion comes from the latin "religare" which means to reconnect. My question is, to reconnect to what? Please cool off and let sleeping dogs lie. What has righteousness got to do with your own article? Our leaders have simply failed us. If we are to grab all the loot our past presidents have stashed away, we can fix every infrastructural problem here just like the one you are enjoying out there.

I believe strongly that you are fully aware that our politicians are rather making some of these pastors and jujumen rich. Maybe you would have been more guilty if you were invited down to hold a political position.
dennis awah 11 years ago

Sam, i usually get very angry when people make comments like "but still science has not been able to solve all mankinds problems" it shows a real lack of honesty on the part of the religious person. If any person in ghana ad ...
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Sam, i usually get very angry when people make comments like "but still science has not been able to solve all mankinds problems" it shows a real lack of honesty on the part of the religious person. If any person in ghana adds up the number of prayers, the hours spent praying and worshipping and the resultant "answering" to these prayers and worships, honestly even the variouys gods of the religious cannot match science in what it has been able to solve. while the religious claim sickness can be healed by prayer and faith, a single doctor heals more sick people than all the pastors, priests and witches in the country, medical science trumps religious healing anyday. if the various gods and their religions were able to cure sickness and disease then malaria should have been eradicated from our land long long time ago. it still exists and its solution sits on pharmacy shelves not chuurch halls or shrines. Science has not solved all of mankinds problems but it has allowed us to live better and more fruitfully than the isrealites of the old testament and the jews of jesus times.

when u claim spirituality and faith have worked also you need to give us examples, the current situatuion where spirituality and faith dominate the landscape in ghana is not working. if you propose a balance between the two then there will always be confusion for example should we have pastors and priests at pharmaceutical factories praying over newly manufactured drugs to be more effective???????? while an individuals faith and spirituality may not stand in the way of the scientific pursuits, the two must be seperated completely. a priest cannot be a medical scientist if he faithfully believs that some jewish carpenter raised people from the dead!!! he will never develop the critical faculties necessary to be a great sceintist and solve problems, science demands that you study cause and effect to determine patterns, faith demands that you believe in what you have no certainty about or in what you do noot know. the two are incompatible as beliefs. i luckily come into contact with many german scientists and technicians because of my work and i have yet to meet one who is religious, they may go to church for a wedding or some other event but they believe in science. it is extremely rare to find a scientist who believes in the story of creation over evolution!even Walt Disney publishes childrens books that teach evolution not creationism.

Sam you also talk about "true religion"!! what is that? religion being true???? when religion cannot even cure malaria??????which religion is true because in your example of countries you mention japan and south korea whose most popular religion are significantly different from the religions adopted by the US etc. by using true it can mean only one religion, since humans are one family or you are implying that all the religions are true since you have stated a variety of countrys that practice different religions. i think you are confused.

Kwame 11 years ago

Let us drop our illusions and plug a living flower - ourselves. I switch on to another station yesterday evening when I saw parliamentarians singing Christmas chorus. Does that superstition put bread on the table of Ghana? Ou ...
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Let us drop our illusions and plug a living flower - ourselves. I switch on to another station yesterday evening when I saw parliamentarians singing Christmas chorus. Does that superstition put bread on the table of Ghana? Our government and parliament is a soul of the soulless world.
When I was a boy a girl was alleged to be the cause of my several head and stomach aches.One day we found the two of us were alone in the forest. I ask her if she is a witch and she said yes. I told her your meat is here before you so you can eat it because no one is watching. I lied down for her to take her lunch but she could not do anything. I told her that you are now my dear and stop deceiving yourself and others that you are a witch that you are not.
Sam 11 years ago

Evolution and creationism, to me, are not mutually exclusive. Life can evovle no qualms about that, but it doesn't rule out some things including humans were also created. After all evolution has still not discovered the miss ...
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Evolution and creationism, to me, are not mutually exclusive. Life can evovle no qualms about that, but it doesn't rule out some things including humans were also created. After all evolution has still not discovered the missing link. I was not advocating that religion should compete or even be on the same pedestral with science. I wasn't also advocating that people should spend all their time praying and forget about practical needs. My point is science has not been able to solve 100% of our problems. Religion has contributed as well to give inner satisfaction to some of its adherents. Religion has also contributed to some extent some economic improvements. Read Max Weber's thesis on Capitalism. "Protestant Ethics and Spirit of Capitalism." The fact that some German Scientists attend religious weddings tell you that they haven't ruled out religion completely, other than that they would be the most stupid people I know of. Why attend a ceremony at a place you think is unnecesary or waste of time in human life? Why don't just marry at the courts only? Why do they even need a priest to marry them? I'm surprised you haven't come accross a Scientist who is religious. Just google it out, great scientists who were or are religious. It's unfortuante some people know only science and nothing else, braoden your horizon, have an open mind.
I Boateng, New York 11 years ago

The bottom line is balance. Even the Bible admonishes us to be moderate in all things. It isn't the West that introduced us to religion. Religion has been with us since the beginning of history , but we're just over reliant o ...
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The bottom line is balance. Even the Bible admonishes us to be moderate in all things. It isn't the West that introduced us to religion. Religion has been with us since the beginning of history , but we're just over reliant on it for solutions to problems including those that require scientific approaches.
Joe 11 years ago

Leaders should promote education and development including infrastructural dev't and things will change over a period.

Leaders should promote education and development including infrastructural dev't and things will change over a period.
Gabby 11 years ago

Well i believe there shd be a balance here. Accordg to christiandom, God never saved us to loose our mind. We were saved to use the wisdom of God in building our nation. Bt sad thing is that many spend all their time in our c ...
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Well i believe there shd be a balance here. Accordg to christiandom, God never saved us to loose our mind. We were saved to use the wisdom of God in building our nation. Bt sad thing is that many spend all their time in our chs regardless of their work. I believe we shd seek God n yet still wrk 4 the betterment of our nation.
dennis awah 11 years ago

Gabby, even gods own "word" is undecided about the role wisdom or knowledge play in our lives. while Proverbs 4:7 admonishes wisdom, Ecc 1:18 and 1 Cor 1:19 totally domonish the value of knowledge and wisdom. how can you seek ...
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Gabby, even gods own "word" is undecided about the role wisdom or knowledge play in our lives. while Proverbs 4:7 admonishes wisdom, Ecc 1:18 and 1 Cor 1:19 totally domonish the value of knowledge and wisdom. how can you seek a god who obviosly doesnt value knowledge and seek knowledge too? this is according to chirtiandom so i dont know where you got your version form but that is not biblical. what is happening in Ghana today is faithfully folowing the bible, the two verses in support of ignorance 1 Cor and Eccequate knowledge to sorrow and nothing. the good christian is supposed to shun wisdom so what you claim is a lie.
Dr. SAS, Attorney at Law 11 years ago

Dec 17 at 9:44 PM
Thank you for writing and publishing your article about our African
beliefs in "Witchcraft, Magic and Miracles." I read it today from
www.Ghanaweb.com.

One idol that is strong in the Ashanti Regio ...
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Dec 17 at 9:44 PM
Thank you for writing and publishing your article about our African
beliefs in "Witchcraft, Magic and Miracles." I read it today from
www.Ghanaweb.com.

One idol that is strong in the Ashanti Region of Ghana is the fetish god of Antoa Nyamaa. This fetish god is getting rich because uninformed
people are rushing to him all the time when they have a simple problem
or a fight with someone in their own family or village. When someone
dies, somebody will be accused of killing this person. The accused is
taken to this god who gets his fees paid to him, and who punishes the
accused after judgement is pronounced. Nobody dies from natural causes in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The scientific mind will call for autopsy report or death certificate signed by a qualified medical doctor showing the cause of death. The illiterate villagers will benefit from that death certificate if they can read and understand it, and protect themselves from further deaths, especially if the disease in their family is transmittable to the next generations, [such as diabetes,
cancer, ebola, mental disorders etc].
However, when educated people who can read and understand scientific
literature follow the illiterate folks into idol worship, worshiping of witches, "adusinfo or untrained herblalists, magicians, self-made
bishops and prophets who claim to heal any type of disease through
miracles, I lose hope for our African society. We will forever remain
slaves in our own country, and slaves to the developed countries in
Europe, North America and the so called Big 8. In the developed
countries, the scientific machines help early detection of diseases and
possible cures. They believe in the physical cause of diseases such as
bacteria, germs or viruses. The Africans belief in the spiritual cause
of diseases and deaths.

We can not save everybody, because everyone has the will power and the
choice to believe what they want to believe and apply in their lives.
Some people naturally want to destroy themselves, and there is nothing
we can do for them to change their lives around. I am happy that you
think and operate like me. I am happy that I am not enslaved to any
church dogma or any magic, witchcraft or miracles. I got a BA, MSc and
PhD through hard work reading when others slept or followed men and
women into self-destruction. I believe in God the creator who gives us the air to breathe, the water to drink, and the sun and moon to give us
light and warmth, the food in the sea and on earth for us to eat, and
the physical, spiritual and mental talents within us to develop and use
to improve and enjoy our lives. Some people want to get rich overnight
without working to create the wealth, they want to reap without sowing
first. They work against God's laws and man's laws. They will destroy
themselves. They are not among those who will read your article. Thank
you for writing a good article.
KBK 11 years ago

This is someone who wrote you a private mail in appreciation of your article. I am sure the person knew he/she could also have placed the comments under the article but did not.

Is it proper for you to make it public? Did ...
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This is someone who wrote you a private mail in appreciation of your article. I am sure the person knew he/she could also have placed the comments under the article but did not.

Is it proper for you to make it public? Did you seek the person's permission to make it public? If not, what is the rationale in doing so?

There are certain unwritten laws of etiquette that cannot be argued for in a court of law...
Dr. SAS, Attorney at Law 11 years ago

My post below is actually meant for you. Please read and apologize to me ASAP.

My post below is actually meant for you. Please read and apologize to me ASAP.
KBK 11 years ago

I am ready to apologize but I don't know what for. My entry is date stamped before the entry you are referring me to. And I was asking you if you sought permission to post his response rather than making a direct accusation. ...
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I am ready to apologize but I don't know what for. My entry is date stamped before the entry you are referring me to. And I was asking you if you sought permission to post his response rather than making a direct accusation. If you obtained permission, then you should just say so. There is no need to ask for any apologies.

the don 11 years ago

I really find it difficult to completely agree with the writer. May i ask, has the writer ever Prayed? Or has he ever being to church, mosque. U see we might be lazy, yes but not wholly because if u are not aware the white wh ...
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I really find it difficult to completely agree with the writer. May i ask, has the writer ever Prayed? Or has he ever being to church, mosque. U see we might be lazy, yes but not wholly because if u are not aware the white who u say have been using scientific and technological means to develop strongly believe in spirituality and superstition. U seem to have forgotten so soon your past. Again, can i ask, don't Americans and the so called develop nations you refers to attend church and mosques to pray and if they do, what advice do u have for them too. Come again brother
MDT 11 years ago

Religion, especially Christianity had enslaved the mind of Ghanaians and Africans to these superstitious beliefs; magic, witchcraft, miracle among others bcos they can't do without the encyclopaedia of superstitions called ho ...
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Religion, especially Christianity had enslaved the mind of Ghanaians and Africans to these superstitious beliefs; magic, witchcraft, miracle among others bcos they can't do without the encyclopaedia of superstitions called holy books;bible, Quran etc.

But the best way to defeat them is to continue the war via this educative writeups, exposing the stupidity of the beliefs.
Dr. SAS, Attorney at Law 11 years ago

Dear Samuel Adjei Sarfo:

You have my permission to post my commentary or thoughts as an addendum to your article.

There is another angle to your article and my commentary which we both have not touched on. That unto ...
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Dear Samuel Adjei Sarfo:

You have my permission to post my commentary or thoughts as an addendum to your article.

There is another angle to your article and my commentary which we both have not touched on. That untouched angle is about the double lifestyle of the so-called Christians and who sing and pray to the Supreme God in the churches, cathedrals and under trees or in open air during daytime, evenings, weekends, all night prayer sessions, doing several days of dry fasting and praying for manna, miracles and disease cures to descend from heaven. Some of these same so-called christians secretly consult with the smaller, illiterate and unschooled fetish gods, magicians and witchcraft dealers, and pay them consulting fees for them to command miracles and disease treatments to descend on them from heaven. Some of the poor people believe that there is a miraculous way to become rich overnight by vomiting money from your stomach. Incidentally, the person who can give you this quick money from your stomach can not do the same thing for himself or herself. So how can a poor witch or magician help you to get rich miraculously. Why is it that the family members of this witch are not rich?

Ignorance kills our African people everyday. It is not surprising to find out that death rates from most diseases in Africa are rising. The sick people are consulting the wrong people in wrong places for diagnosis and cures. The sick consult with the Alhajis and Alhajias, the self-styled prophets, evangelists, priests, pastors, idols, witches, wizards and the dead saints for diagnosis and cure. No death certificates are issued by such operators who promise to have the cure for every sickness. Belief systems and ignorance are difficult to change. Modern universal scientific education for every child is the key to changing belief systems and ignorance.

Peter Osei-Kwame, Ph.D
K Atoh 11 years ago

This is the number 1 article on Ghanaweb!

Anyone who knows how to read should read this and encourage friends and colleagues to read it as well.

The writer has said it all and until we educate ourselves out of certain b ...
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This is the number 1 article on Ghanaweb!

Anyone who knows how to read should read this and encourage friends and colleagues to read it as well.

The writer has said it all and until we educate ourselves out of certain beliefs, the con men and women who call themselves bishops, pastors, malams and priests will enrich themselves by sowing discord in our societies and abuse the mentally vulnerable.

Ghanaians and some Africans believe Maame Water exists – a woman that is partly fish and partly human. Someone would soon discover stupidity genes in our DNA.

Well done Mr Writer!
Ben Yorke 11 years ago

wow!! I luv this article. Hope many of our countrymen and women get to hear this message.

wow!! I luv this article. Hope many of our countrymen and women get to hear this message.

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Of Witchcraft, Magic and Miracles

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