The "witch hunter" who prayed for Palin -- THIS is what he & his ilk have wrought in Africa:

[scarletwoman]

Children are Targets of Nigerian Witch Hunt

Evangelical pastors are helping to create a terrible new campaign of violence against young Nigerians. Children and babies branded as evil are being abused, abandoned and even murdered while the preachers make money out of the fear of their parents and their communities.

The rainy season is over and the Niger Delta is lush and humid. This southern edge of West Africa, where Nigeria's wealth pumps out of oil and gas fields to bypass millions of its poorest people, is a restless place. In the small delta state of Akwa Ibom, the tension and the poverty has delivered an opportunity for a new and terrible phenomenon that is leading to the abuse and the murder of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of children. And it is being done in the name of Christianity.

<snip>

Although old tribal beliefs in witch doctors are not so deeply buried in people's memories, and although there had been indigenous Christians in Nigeria since the 19th century, it is American and Scottish Pentecostal and evangelical missionaries of the past 50 years who have shaped these fanatical beliefs. Evil spirits, satanic possessions and miracles can be found aplenty in the Bible, references to killing witches turn up in Exodus, Deuteronomy and Galatians, and literal interpretation of scriptures is a popular crowd-pleaser.

Please read the entire article at the link. Understand that THIS is the kind of "Christianity" that Palin represents.

Here's more about Muthee, the guy she is so thrilled about for having prayed for her to become governor of Alaska:

Sarah Palin Linked Her Electoral Success to Prayer of Kenyan Witch Hunter

The pastor who accused a Kenyan woman of causing car accidents through demonic spells "laid his hands" on Palin in prayer.

he pastor whose prayer Sarah Palin says helped her to become governor of Alaska founded his ministry with a witch hunt against a Kenyan woman whom he accused of causing car accidents through demonic spells.

At a speech at the Wasilla Assembly of God on June 8 this year, Palin described how Thomas Muthee had laid his hands on her when he visited the church as a guest preacher in late 2005, prior to her successful gubernatorial bid.

In video footage of the speech, she is seen saying: "As I was mayor and Pastor Muthee was here and he was praying over me, and you know how he speaks and he's so bold. And he was praying "Lord make a way, Lord make a way."

<snip>

An African evangelist, Muthee has given guest sermons at the Wasilla Assembly of God on at least 10 occasions in his role as the founder of the Word of Faith Church, also known as the Prayer Cave.

Muthee founded the Prayer Cave in 1989 in Kiambu, Kenya, after "God spoke" to him and his late wife, Margaret, and called him to the country, according to the church's Web site.

The pastor speaks of his offensive against a demonic presence in the town in a trailer for the evangelical video "Transformations," made by Sentinel Group, a Christian research and information agency.

"We prayed, we fasted, the Lord showed us a spirit of witchcraft resting over the place," Muthee says.

We know there are plenty of fundies who eat this kind of twisted crap up and love it. But surely there are plenty of swing voters -- basically decent people who are simply politically unsophisticated -- who would be utterly horrified about what "witch hunters" have been up to in Africa.

Tie "pro-life" Palin to the torture and murder of children, spread the word about the "witch hunters" like Muthee.

sw

[BrklynLiberal]

1. This is the same corporation that brought the world the Inquisition and the Crusades...

[vaberella]

2. She's fried. You come from this elk could mean support could mean you

believe in witch hunts. If they could do this to Obama and Rev. Wright, imagine what this will do to Palin.

[scarletwoman]

5. These people are insane, I want middle America to know this. (nt)

[juno jones]

3. K&R!

This needs to get out! Thanks.

[scarletwoman]

6. Thank you! I really do want to see this information spread far and wide.

I want people to be horrified by Sarah Palin.

sw

[vaberella]

7. KO is on top of this and he won't let this one go. n/t

[scarletwoman]

8. Glad to hear it. I don't have cable, so I can't watch KO.

All I know is that it's time for these fundies -- to whom Palin is the ultimate sop -- to be fully exposed as the evil people that they truly are.

sw

[FloridaJudy]

10. I don't have cable either

But I watch KO faithfully, here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/

You can also download it as a podcast to iTunes for free.

[scarletwoman]

11. My Flintstones computer can't do video, or much in the way of audio, either.

Anyway, I get plenty of vicarious KO from reading DU. :)

sw

[vaberella]

13. I agree. I believe the first news special came from KO on this...

so he won't let it go anywhere. Especially considering that his pals who guest star on his show and Rachel's show are on top of the Troopergate like white on rice.

[scarletwoman]

14. Thanks for giving me hope!

The fundies have declared war on the rest of us, it's time we declared war back.

sw

[Blue_In_AK]

43. I was so proud to see our own Shannyn Moore on there

yesterday.

[crazy_vanilla]

25. A lot of people are already horrified by her

Yesterday, my Republican sister-in-law asked me innocently what I thought of Palin. I let her know exactly what I thought. She scares me for sure. She thinks she is on a mission from G-d, that's why she is so giddy with excitement.

We already have one of these in the White House.

[myrna minx]

4. K&R. This is disturbing. n/t

[inna]

9. there is more here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4042213

isn't it just amazing.

[scarletwoman]

12. Yes, I saw your thread -- good work!

As soon as I saw the "witch hunter" threads today, I remembered the article about how children in Africa were being tortured and killed for "witchcraft". I wanted to make sure that people understood that this "witch hunter" stuff isn't just something to cynically joke about, it has some truly horrific repercussions.

sw

[scarletwoman]

15. Morning kick.

[glitch]

16. Welcome to the 12th Century. JFC. Thanks for posting. K & R nt

[scarletwoman]

17. Thanks for the k&r. These are seriously sick people.

[starroute]

18. Add this one

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7413268.stm

21 May 2008

Eleven elderly people accused of being witches have been burned to death by a mob in the west of Kenya, police say.

A security operation has been launched to hunt down villagers suspected of killing them in Kisii District. . . .

Anthony Kibunguchy, the provincial police officer, told the BBC that the eight women and three men were all aged between 80 and 96 years old.

The mob dragged them out of their houses and burned them individually and then set their homes alight, our correspondent says.

[scarletwoman]

19. Thank you. I actually had that same article ready to add to this thread, but my computer

froze up and I just now re-booted.

Accusing someone of witchcraft in Kenya, and in many other parts of Africa, more often than not means a death sentence for the accused -- and generally the deaths are extremely grisly.

For a so-called "Christian" to promote witch hunting in Kenya is absolutely inexcuseable and intolerable.

sw

[Sensitivity]

20. Be careful. Racism has such perverse effects: PALIN seen as innocent dupe to OBAMA'S evil cohort

from Kenya.

Unfortunately, middle America bigotted RWs will find a way to blame Obama and protect their innocent SARAH

[scarletwoman]

21. Sorry, but that's just ridiculous. I'm NOT going to be "careful" about calling Palin out for being

a religious nutjob who thinks she got prayed into the Governor's office by a fucking witch hunter!

sw

[Sensitivity]

24. Her official actions are Whacked out enough if they were EXPOSED. Religion and Race are danger!

[H2O Man]

22. Nominated.

It is sad but true that this is what people like Palin wish to inflict upon our society, as part of their "holy war."

[Kurovski]

32. As she has said, she wants to "reform our country",

which is quite different from reforming government.

[H2O Man]

46. That is a significant

distinction. Thank you.

[scarletwoman]

49. I meant to thank you earlier for your rec.

I always feel honored when you show up in one of my threads.

I have zero tolerance for "people like Palin". I believe they should shunned and ridiculed and given no quarter or consideration in polite society. They are a danger to our country and should at all times be treated as such.

sw

[H2O Man]

57. And I always

look forward to your contributions on DU, because I consider you to be one of the smartest, most honest, and "on target" members of this community. I am honored to be on the same team with you.

I was recently speaking to a good friend about Palin. My friend is a psychiatrist, and for many years, we worked at the same clinic. Outside of work, we spent a lot of hours in '92 and '96 doing voter education and registration, along with other co-workers. Anyhow, I read to her a few quotes from Sarah Palin, regarding her belief that God -- "The" God, Creator of the Universe, the Energy Force of the Cosmos -- took a unique interest in Sarah's proposals for an oil pipeline.

It's curious to think about how if Sarah were just an ordinary citizen, who brought a proposal to her yown/city board ..... and if she insisted that God backed the plan ..... no one would take that seriously. In fact, people would consider her to be delusional. And rightly so.

My father was a religious man. That translated to his having compassion for others, even those he recognized as delusional. But he also had a lot of common sense. I remember on the weekend before I started working at that mental health clinic, him saying to never turn my back on someone who thought God was ralking directly to them, because they were potentially dangerous.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

23. Sad to say, the fundamentalist/Pentecostal doctrines of demon possession and witch hunting

blend quite nicely into indigenous African beliefs in witchcraft. Then, having been converted by free-lance fundamentalists (many of whom just make up their doctrines as they go along), the African converts go their own way, adding whatever they feel like.

As in the Salem witch trials, accusations of witchcraft become handy weapons against people you don't like.

In the case of the children accused of witchcraft, it may be a handy excuse to get rid of a child the parents didn't want in the first place.

[juno jones]

26. Morning kick

For those who didn't see this baby last night.

Look, it's still 1698 in other parts of the planet. Do we really want to let loose this kind of thing here?

[scarletwoman]

27. "Do we really want to let loose this kind of thing here?" Spot on! Thank you again. nt

[juno jones]

34. My pleasure

As a non-x-tian and multitheist, my friends, family and myself are in danger from people like this. This must be heard!

[Kurovski]

28. K&R

She's way out there. Way, WAY out there. I wrote an outline for a little piece and poll about our Madam Moosejaw last week. I'll try to put it up here soon. I'm so puking sick of her Bush-like nit-wittery and xtian-powered hypocrisy I just haven't had the energy to type it out. And besides, the whole world's in a terrible state 'o chassis!

Good to see you, my friend SW! :hug: :loveya:

[scarletwoman]

31. Kurovski!

Hey, man it's GREAT to see you!

I hope you'll post your piece soon. I gotta say, I've been hatin' on Palin from the moment she first got paraded onstage. But this witch hunter thing has totally sent me over the edge.

It's bad enough that we're all being robbed blind by our corporate-owned government, but I'll be damned if I'm going to put up with 13th century superstitious rubbish on top of it. It's just too fucking much!

Thanks for kicking my thread, dear friend!

:loveya: :hug:
sw

[Kurovski]

35. Sure thing.

Give my love to the throngs at the DUzys tonight, remember me to Herald Square. Tell all the folks on 42nd Street that I'm 50 clams a throw, 250 for the night. ;-)

I'll PM you when I do the Palin thing.

[scarletwoman]

37. Only 250?

Heck, I'd shell out that much just to have you at the DUzys tonight!

Anyway, I just PM'd you because I have some news I wanted to share, hope you'll see it before you disappear again.

I'll be looking forward to your Palin piece.

Love,
sw

[Danger Mouse]

29. K & R. We need to get this info out there.

[OneGrassRoot]

30. This confuses me. Can someone please clarify something?

There are many links with her (and her church)to the Christian Dominionist movement which is very racist.

I am thrown to read about the above, as the pastor is black and was a guest at the same church with ties to dominionist racists.

I know that's not the gist of this newest revelation and that Muthee's extremist (to say the least) views and actions are what is being discussed, but how do Palin's *cough* "alleged" dominionist ties fit with this picture of Muthee being involved?

Is there a natural fit for both aspects that reconciles them in some way: her dominionist beliefs and also following this crazy Muthee person from Africa?

I don't doubt any of it, I'm just trying to reconcile in my mind how those with racists beliefs following such a man.

Thanks in advance. :)

[scarletwoman]

33. Can't really help you on your question. I don't know anything about racism among the Dominionists.

I have a feeling that theological agreement may trump racism in their world. That is, if you're a true believer in their whacked out religious tenets, your skin color doesn't matter.

Just a guess, however.

sw

[juno jones]

36. I have no links but seem to remember

That this flavor of domininionists are really hung up on 'sorcery'. They believe they are holding back a tide of witchcraft that threatens all they hold dear. If someone claims to be killing witches, then they are at least allies if not exactly 'one of them'.

[juno jones]

38. Another thought

spurred on by somrthing that got raised on another thread:

I find it revealing that these children are being blamed for deaths by disease, etc. Who profits by making children the scapegoats for imperialistic global economic greed that has kept these people from having access to infrastructure and health care that would have prevented these conditions? You can racist as hell and support this stuff. The 'missionaries'and 'witch-hunters' are responsible for deflecting the fear and loathing that should be directed towards the colonial/imperial/industrial complex onto innocent children (whom they cannot perhaps afford). This ties in well with the dominionistic mindset.

[LiberadorHugo]

39. It's disgusting isn't it...

This is what you get when the most reactionary and poorly-educated cross-sections of the African population run into the American fundie-fuck evangelicals. Follow Hugo Chavez's leadership on the issue of fascist indoctrination of the Third World and kick these fucking neo-Nazis out of Africa like Chavez did to Robertson and his ilk in Venezuela.

UH, AH, CHAVEZ NO SE VA!

[scarletwoman]

40. Very well said. I totally agree.

Welcome to DU, btw. :toast:

sw

[LiberadorHugo]

41. Thank you for the warm welcome. :-)

But Incidentally, why is this community so willing to mobilise behind Nancy Pelosi and her allies after her unwarranted attack on the Bolivarian Revolution and support of Bush relative to Chavez and her refusal to push for impeachment? How do Pelosi's milquetoast positions domestically and steadfast opposition to the radical social changes desperately needed in Latin American benefit anybody on this website?

[rvablue]

42. I experienced the tragedy of this firsthand

I lived in rural Africa for two years and saw lives destroyed with accusations of witchcraft.
You cannot simply condemn the beliefs of the pastor guy because EVERY SINGLE PERSON where I lived believed in witchcraft. Homes were burned, people beat up, exiled, you name it. And there wasn't a thing I could do or say to try to convince someone otherwise, once the "hunt" started. They are long held, ancient beliefs.

What does disgust and revolt me is the manner in which Palin ignored all of these well-known facts or simply just doesn't care. I find it also so revolting, being a believer myself, that someone could be so in love with the thought of themselves that they actually think God wants them to be Governor after praying.......

Freaks me out and reminds of the fundies Anti-Christ garbage.

[LiberadorHugo]

44. I understand your point...

But you know full well that many of these irrational fires were initially stoked by right-wing White evangelicals...I see it at Carleton University...The Focus on the Family types (and yes, they do exist here in merry Ottawa) maybe be oh-so-nice about it, but anybody with a fucking clue and the willingness to give a damn can see that they're trying to manipulate these people, many who have left home for the first time to study thousands of miles away, who are ignorant of this dynamic (Just as there are many dynamics and subcultures in Asia, in Europe, in Africa, or Hell even in certain parts of Canada of which I myself am certainly oblivious to) into this bullshit.

[scarletwoman]

47. Thank you for your post. However, I can very WELL condemn the pastor guy when he's there in Kenya

inciting people against a supposed "witch". Did you read the story at the second link? HE was the one stirring up the town against that woman. HE was the one naming her as a witch, and accusing her of being the source of the car accidents.

That's absolutely inexcuseable as far as I'm concerned. I'm not talking about just his "beliefs", I'm talking about his ACTIONS. And I WILL condemn his actions; and I condemn Sarah Palin and all her co-religionists for embracing such foul superstitious garbage, and for embracing a man who promotes it in the name of "Christianity" among a people already fraught with superstition.

They are all utterly loathesome.

Point well taken about Palin's egoism re: "God" wanting her to be Governor. But that's pretty par for course for those fundy nutcases. They all think they're on God's A-list.

sw

[Blue_In_AK]

45. Pre-Countdown story on this from Mudflats

http://mudflats.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/witch-hunter-that-prayed-palin-into-office-is-coming-back-to-wasilla/

[scarletwoman]

48. Yeah, I read that. Thanks for adding it to this thread. (nt)

[Blue_In_AK]

50. Are you a Mudflats fan?

If nothing else, Sarah Palin has done wonders for the popularity of Alaska's progressive bloggers. :)

[scarletwoman]

51. I'm a very new fan. I've followed links to it now & again, and read a bunch of her earlier posts.

It will probably be one of my semi-regular blog stops going forward, she's a great writer with a fine wit.

Until the Palin thing happened, I didn't know there were any progressive bloggers in Alaska, I'm glad to know better now. Go, Mudflats!

:D
sw

[Swamp Rat]

52. k&r

[scarletwoman]

53. Swampy! AWESOME graphic!!!! It's great to see you back!

Thank you for the k&r!

I hope you're doing okay -- are you ready to move North yet? No hurricanes here. :D

:hug: :loveya: :*
sw

[johnaries]

55. Swampy! Welcome back! We missed you!

We sure were gald to hear you were ok, we were getting worried.

So, when are you giong to do a gif of Palin transforming into her real zombie self?

[Bubbha Jo]

54. Mary Poppins is returning soon and will kick some fundy ass!

There are a few real "witches" though. They are simply female mystics with green/hazel eyes. They alter the physical world by thought, some locally, some widespread. For every male with a lot of power in the physical world, he has a psychic balance somewhere out here among us. Nothing is by coincidence, nothing without cause.

Karma rocks and witches rule!

[scarletwoman]

56. evening kick...