As I've learned more about human trafficking issues, I've realized that to learn how it works I don't need to limit myself to reading about cases in Africa, although that's my primary calling from God. Human trafficking and human abuse works pretty much the same the world over. That's why I was confident that when I taught my recent workshop of human trafficking, I could help those whose interest was centered on their homeland America or any other place in the world.
Recently I've been studying all I can find about healing and counseling survivors of sexual abuse, preparing to launch ECM's ministry to victims of the sex industry in a bigger way. And as I read about how abusers deliberately use shame to control and manipulate their victims, I thought about how the abusive LRA army that ravaged northern Uganda would force children to kill their parents or siblings, then tell them that they were so bad that even God would never forgive them, no one would ever accept them again, and their only hope for survival was with the LRA. The same old lies. The same deceptions. The same twisted messages. The same diabolic techniques. Satan is not very creative. God is the Creator. His enemy can only take what God has made, twist it, distort it, and misuse it. The more I learn about abuse the more I realize that whether children are forced into killing or prostitution, it's the exact same method of manipulation.
It makes it a lot easier to understand the old devil's techniques, because he repeats the same old tunes over and over in slightly different circumstances. It's heart-rending to see all the damage being done to the next generation. One thing gives me hope. God is Truth and His truth is stronger than all the lies of the enemy.
Please pray that God will continue to give me understanding. If I desire one spiritual gift above all others, it would be spiritual discernment. I need it so much in the work God has given me.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Child sacrifice or child murder
I think it was about two years ago that I learned the government of Uganda had created a special task force on child sacrifice which was becoming so prevalent in the country. It is connected with African traditional religion, its beliefs and practices. About the same time, our workers became involved in helping a little girl, about 18 months old, who had been used for ritual purposes, her eye teeth cut out of her jaw for magical purposes, then tied in a burlap sack and discarded. Someone found her while still alive, although almost drowning in her own feces. She survived, but suffers from cerebral palsy as a result of her ordeal.
In talking with our Ugandan leaders again recently, I learned that the government no longer wants to call it child sacrifice. Instead, they want to call it child murder.
Immediately I thought of the victim we are helping. The intention was clearly that she would die in the bag, but she didn't die, so it was not a child murder. It could have been considered attempted murder.
But to describe it as child murder skirts around the whole reason and motive for the crime. The traditional practitioner did not try to kill her for money, directly, at least, or for hate or anger or jealousy. He needed her eye teeth, in his religious practice, for magical purposes. It was a ritual act he carried out in sawing the eye teeth from her jaw.
Every government, of course, has a right to speak of crimes and issues in whatever terms they choose. For us, however, we will speak of child ritual abuse or child ritual murder. We would be doing a disservice to the public by obscuring the fact that child ritual abuse and murder are common and are on the rise. It could scare people, of course, but to ignore a clear and present danger to avoid scaring them would not do them a favor. They need to be aware and to take all precautions possible.
We do not wish to obscure the fact that African Traditional Religion is perpetrating these crimes. Not all practitioners of ATR practice child ritual abuse or sacrifice, of course, just as not all of them practice child slavery. Yet many abuses of children do stem from ATR, and both its adherents and the general public need to realize the dangers.
Changing terminology or relabeling something does not change the realities involved. The reality is that in Uganda, many child murders are carried out for ritual purposes involved with African Traditional Religion.
Pray with us that both our workers and the African governments involved may have wisdom from God in dealing with these issues.
In talking with our Ugandan leaders again recently, I learned that the government no longer wants to call it child sacrifice. Instead, they want to call it child murder.
Immediately I thought of the victim we are helping. The intention was clearly that she would die in the bag, but she didn't die, so it was not a child murder. It could have been considered attempted murder.
But to describe it as child murder skirts around the whole reason and motive for the crime. The traditional practitioner did not try to kill her for money, directly, at least, or for hate or anger or jealousy. He needed her eye teeth, in his religious practice, for magical purposes. It was a ritual act he carried out in sawing the eye teeth from her jaw.
Every government, of course, has a right to speak of crimes and issues in whatever terms they choose. For us, however, we will speak of child ritual abuse or child ritual murder. We would be doing a disservice to the public by obscuring the fact that child ritual abuse and murder are common and are on the rise. It could scare people, of course, but to ignore a clear and present danger to avoid scaring them would not do them a favor. They need to be aware and to take all precautions possible.
We do not wish to obscure the fact that African Traditional Religion is perpetrating these crimes. Not all practitioners of ATR practice child ritual abuse or sacrifice, of course, just as not all of them practice child slavery. Yet many abuses of children do stem from ATR, and both its adherents and the general public need to realize the dangers.
Changing terminology or relabeling something does not change the realities involved. The reality is that in Uganda, many child murders are carried out for ritual purposes involved with African Traditional Religion.
Pray with us that both our workers and the African governments involved may have wisdom from God in dealing with these issues.
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