New Humanist magazine is reporting that prominent Nigerian preacher Helen Ukpabio is coming to America to share God’s message that if your life isn’t perfect, there’s probably a child you can torture to make it better. During her 12 days in Texas, she’ll explain how everything from poor health to lack of promotions at work to bad dreams are the result of curses from young witches (perhaps possessed by mermaid spirits!), and the cure is just a few Old Testament solutions away.
Ukpabio’s Liberty Gospel Church is a leading and growing voice in the advocacy of the child-witch-hunting movement in Africa. With branches in Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, and Cameroon, she and her organization spread the Gospel of Flaming Children through books, sermons, and films, including a movie called “End of The Wicked” which depicts children killing and eating their parents. They’ve been instrumental in whipping up the hysteria that has lead to what UNICEF estimates to be 20,000 children who are homeless in Nigeria alone as a direct result of being cast out by families who believe them to be possessed. It’s not all bad, though: if your son’s magic has caused that mole on your chin to grow a little larger but you’re not ready to kick him out of the house or kill him outright, you might be able to find a pastor who, for a small fee, will exorcise the evil spirits by setting fire to the child or pouring acid into one or more orifices. Other options include in-church imprisonment and torture, forced drinking of hallucinogens or poison, and live burial.
rain dance festival voodoo ritual prayer for rain. Children still die far too often in the US from abuse or neglect by well-meaning parents who thought they were doing God’s will and everything would work out fine if they were just pious enough; is there really much of a jump from there to witch hunts?
A “Stand Against Helen Ukpabio” page has been created on Facebook to help organize protests against her visit.