Witch Hunts In Angola: Orphanage Cares For Accused Children (VIDEO)

In light of recent footage of Sarah Palin praying with her 'witch hunter' pastor Thomas Muthee, here's a look at an Angolan orphanage that provides refuge for 'witch' children accused of cursing their families.

Comments

[Judyisacutie]

If Bill Maher had his way, this orphanage would be shut down because it's run by nuns.

[JodyMcg]

Witchcraft and witch hunts however should be repudiated by Sarah Palin and she should have STOPPED her laying on of hands service with Muthee. She had the responsibility as an elected official to OPPOSE witchcraft in an Alaskan church or anywhere else. She should have spoken out! She should have said, "Excuse me Rev. Muthee but I do not condone Witchcraft. Please do not use that word to describe evil. I find it as an American to be a sexist word. In America and here in Alaska witchcraft means to persecute women. It may have a different cultural meaning where you are from but that is the context and the history for us here.".... oh wait she actually can 't put a sentence together if her life depended on it. What was I thinking???

[DeSwiss]

All of the Abrahamic religions as evidenced in their respective tomes, refer to and support a belief in witches. At no time have any of these religions repudiated this belief, although such ideas are generally downplayed by the mainstream church today -- for obvious reasons. And even though we in modern society no longer tolerate burnings at the stake and drownings in rivers of those "difficult women" on behalf of the Catholic Church, and as did our earlier New World Puritan variety of witch-hunter; they are still part and parcel of the Jewish, Christian and Islamic belief systems. ALL of them. Those who adhere to any one of these beliefs, but fail to acknowledge the existence of witches are simply invoking the required level of cognitive dissonance which is necessary if one is both literate and a follower of any of these religions.

And of course witches are still being beheaded in Saudi Arabia. Although such news surprises no one these days:

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/02/13/saudia18046.htm

And such beliefs are also endemic in Africa to the point where scores of witches and those possessing such things as the "evil eye" are harassed and intimidated and sometimes killed:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080915/ap_on_re_af/congo_soccer_riot

[SummerNite]

So they are blaming children for the death of their parents...lovely.

to quote Judyisacutie: where do I send the check.

[Wolfgang]

If you can believe in supply side economics than you can also believe in witchcraft. Neither one makes any sense.

[Judyisacutie]

It's insane that Palin and others to support accusing people of witchcraft in Africa. Look at the actual harm that's done to children!

What I want to know is: Where do I send my check to help this orphanage?

[marymansour]

Could happen in this country if Palin is elected.

[truthFORauthorityNOTaft]

Exactly, that was my FIRST reaction when I read about the pastor Palin so "adores".
I am thinking, poor innocent people that have suffered for this man to actually claim "success" with demonic warcraft.

Palin encouraged him, by going to a church that pays this man for "lectures", thus legitimizing his victimization of innocent pepole.

Shame on her. I really really wish bad things happen to her. Wait... did I just commit whitchcraft?

[mikie63]

This uncaring woman, who says she has a college education and isdeeply religious, believes that little children are witches.
In the VP debate next Thursday of course no one would ask her if she believes this, because the question would be unfair to a woman who is the Republican VP pick, and a woman who thrills in killing Mooses and wolves and fish and polar bears, etc., but can't stand the thought of destroying a few combined human cells in a i4 year old girl who was raped by several HIV positive men.

Oh well, who am I to judge such a wonderful woman like Sarah Palin? If I judge her I am being too sexist.

[silvertongue]

She's either very naive or one of the world's biggest hypocrites. Either is a disqualifier for the position of VP.

[MajorKong]

I find it absurd that we're having a conversation about witchcraft in the 2008.

[planmeister]

Yeah!

And we wouldn't be-- except for that marvelous/scary clip from Wasilla, right? I'm sorry, Sarah can't have it both ways: She can't adore "Pastor" Muthee for his apparent answer-to-prayer boost to her gubernatorial campaign AND distance herself from the video clip and the good evangelist's reference to "witchcraft"!

That reference comes in a historical context and MUST be understood in that context. So yeah, it's absurd, but we need to have a conversation about a witch-hunting pastor from Africa. She's injected him into the presidenti­al/vice-pr­esidential campaign, like it or not.

Obama/Biden '08!! -- And don't take ANYTHING for granted!

[Tulka2]

Bless these intelligent women who are able to step above their culture's worst superstitions.

It happens here too that orphans are blamed for their misfortune. So much easier to dump them if it's their own fault.

"To lose one parent is tragic, but to lose two seems careless". -Oscar Wilde

[wm1066]

This problem is world wide and beyond any race. I remember 15 years ago some French journalists went into the jungle (south america) with a Yanomano tribe and a woman was sick and the tribe decided it was a witch from a neighboring tribe so hunters went out to kill some one from that tribe. It is ignorance and superstition.

[mabinog]

While what her pastor believes is not necessarily what SP believes (just as it was with Obama and Wright), I still think the woman is a stealth candidate is ree-ligious right and a wha=ck a doo. She is just not airing the specifics of her faith in public. That is okay too, the real question is can she keep them separate and right wing evangelicals are not supposed to do that or seldom do.

[Dupree]

Although I consider myself a very spiritual person (not religious) and really believes that there are more here than meets the natural or naked eye...I know that the battle is not with flesh and blood. It is a spiritual battle and if anything it should make one more attentive to the plight of others ...not making the person the object of contention. It is a shame that there are those who think they understand spiritual truths and they do not have a clue what they are dealing with...and they translate that ignorance and reduced it to human terms and usually makes the individual that is hurting or is in trouble the escape goat. My heart and prayers goes out to these innocent children who are victims of religious beliefs that has nothing to do with faith and everything to do with fear. Fear is the exact opposite of Faith...I only wish other Christians get the memo.

[irisda]

couldn't have said it better

[itsjustmeee]

Beautifully worded

[ZimboChick]

The video and your writing brought tears to my eyes. I know first hand that the line is blurred and it is indeed more than meets the eye. May those dear children be blessed!