Modern Day Witch Hunt In Nigeria

The following youtube videos was very hard for me to show because the subject and situation is very painful and sad. It is the case of Children in Akwa Ibom (and some other areas in the niger delta) of Nigeria who have been condemned by some so called pastor or pastoress as witches. These children are often brought in by thier parents to the church with accusations that they are responsible for the misfortunes in thier homes. These kids are often beaten, maimed, killed and abandoned to starve. I have to warn the the sensitive at heart to brace themselves before watching the clip and the others that follow it.



Thank God for what CRARN is doing to provide clothing, education and basic needs for this children. But they only way they can keep doing what they do is by our support.

It is possible that some of these children have psychic abilities which makes it even sadder that they are being treated this way! In America some of them would probably be called "crystal" children but in some parts in Africa it's a different ball game. This is another negative effect of what a distorted interpretation of Christianity is doing in Africa.

Our children are being killed and allowed to die like chickens in Nigeria, Sudan, Congo (child soldiers) and many areas of the continent, and it's got to stop. They are our future and should be safeguarded from the mess that we have collectively created or allowed to persist.

You can check out CRARN at www.crarn.tripod.com

Mythology

The image to the left is Ikenga, Ibo god of industry and prosperity-giver of strenght in the accomplishment of one's goals.

To provide an example of basic african spirituality/mythology, I will use the Ibos. The Ibos are a major ethnic group that can be found in Nigeria, Guinea, Cameroun and other neigboring countries, as well as in the carribean and throughout the americas. Spirituality as practiced among africans difer in region and ethnicity. However, there are similarities in many of the core beliefs just as similarities exist between the major religions of the world besides their obvious differences. African spirituality has been marginalized by many outside of Africa and even within the continent itself especially among christian converts. This is due to lack of understanding and the fact that every religious system on earth has at some point in time needed to evolve or transcend its present teachings. There are millions of Africans who still practice in the ways of thier ancestors, some of the systems as to be expected, being more evolved than others. We can learn a few things from African spiritual practices. One of them being the belief that consciousness is within all of creation and therefore nature deserves reverence for its free and bountiful provisions to humanity;respect for life and children as blessings from God and a strong belief in universal consciousness which is exemplified in their emphasis on strong communities.

link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibo_mythology
Chukwu is the supreme deity in traditional Igbo mythology. Linguistic studies of the Igbo language suggests the name "Chukwu" is a portmanteau of the Igbo words: "Chi"(spiritual being) and "Ukwu"(great in size).[2] Chukwu is the creator in their pantheon and the Igbo people believe that all things come from Chukwu. Chukwu brings the rains necessary for plants to grow. Everything on earth, heaven and the rest of the spiritual world is under the control of Chukwu.[3]
The Igbo People believe in the concept of Ofo and Ogu, which is more like the law of retributive justice. It is believed that Ofo and Ogu will vindicate anyone that is wrongly accused of a crime as long as their "hands are clean". It is only the one who is on the side of Ogu-na-Ofo that can call its name in prayer. Otherwise such a person will face the wrath of Amadioha (the god of thunder and lightning).[4]
Chi
Particularly in Nigeria, the Igbo People believe that each person has their own personal spiritual assistant or guardian called Chi, appointed to them before and at the time of their birth and remains with them for the rest of their life on Earth. A person's Chi is the personification of that individual's fate, which is credited for an individual's life's successes, misfortunes and failures. The Igbo believe that their success in life is determined by their Chi, and that no man can rise past the greatness of his/her own Chi.

Other deities (nb: westerners refer to them usually as angels or saints)
Main article: Alusi
Other deities or Alusi include Ahia Njoku, the goddess of yams, and Amadioha (or Amadiora) the god of thunder and lightning. In addition to them there are:
Igwekaala: sky god,
Ani: earth goddess and goddess of fertility.
Ikenga: god of fortune and industry,
Anyanwu: (literally:"eye of the sun" sun goddess)
Idemmili: mother goddess of villages through which the idemili river flows (Oba, Obosi, Ogidi, Ojoto etc)
Agwu: god of medicine men, god of divination and healing
Ahobinagu: forest god,
Aro (Aro-chukwu): god of judgment (also seen as the Supreme god's "Chukwu's" agent of judgment.
Njoku Ji: God of Yam
Ogbunabali (literally: [he who] kills by/at night): an Igbo god of death
Agbala: goddess of the hills and caves or the holy/perfect spirit in Nri
Eke: god/governor of the eastern sky (Heaven). Also the patron of Eke Markets and days.
Orie: god/governor of the western sky (Heaven). Also the patron of Orie Markets and days.
Afo: god/governor of the northern sky (Heaven). Also the patron of Afo Markets and days.
Nkwo: god/governor of the southern sky (Heaven). Also the patron of Nkwo Markets and days.

Minor spirits
Igbo mythology also contains multiple minor spirits. Among them are:
Mbatuku: spirit of wealth
Ikoro: drum spirit
Ekwu: heart spirit or spirit of the home
Imo miri: river spirit[5]
okwara-afo: for Nkwerre people in Imo state is god of mercantile activities
Aju-mmiri: sea-goddess in Nkwerre is goddess of prosperity, fertility and general well-being.
Ogbuide: goddess of the water associated with the Oguta people.
Urashi and Enyija: god of the river
Ezenwaanyi/Owummiri: Female Water Spirit, Mermaid, Seductress

African Spirituality For the New Age

Chiisim otherwise known as Godianism is a movement that aims to express African traditional spirituality in its purest form. African spirituality is what sustained our culture for thousands of years. We were able to build great ancient civilizations based on this spirituality. Sadly, after the arrival of Christianity, we were taught that all African religions are paganist. This was due to the fact that the Europeans did not understand our spirituality. Sadly, many of us have been brainwashed to think this way as well. But with knowledge of ourselves, which begins with knowledge of our spiritual heritage, we can be freed by the truth of who we really are.

Godianism spreads the message of love and oneness. It does not discriminate or divide. It seeks to enhance all life. The following words are part of the introduction to the Godianism website.

"It will be a refreshing and exciting experience if a person can go to India and feel free to worship in the liturgical variety of either Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism or Jainism; or to China or Japan and feel free to share the liturgical variety of Confucianism, Taoism or Shintoism; and the liturgical variety of Islam and Christianity in Mecca or Rome; while in Africa you experience the traditional coordinating concept of Chiism, without any prejudice or rancor. With precepts--rational, positive, constructive and objective as these, Chiism is a useful agency for unity promotion and the mobilization of the masses of humanity for harmonious civilization everywhere on earth. We call on all peace loving religions to preach these new lights from Chiism from their pulpits, so that a great new spiritual civilization would be established among the masses of humanity everywhere on earth."

For more information please visit http://www.godianism.com/

Who Was Afra?

Some of you will wonder how I contrived the name Afra-motherland and upon discovering how will wonder who in the world Afra is. Afra is an ascended master from whom the name "Africa" is said to have been inspired by. An ascended master is a spiritual being who once lived on earth and upon transcending the material realm into the spirit world attained the position of an ascended master. Examples of ascended masters are Moses, Jesus, Mary and many of the popular saints and mystics in world religions such as Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. Isn't it refreshing to know that there are some ascended masters and saints who were black? Growing up in a catholic household I was surrounded by images of saints and mystics of european descents. Later, I encountered others from middle eastern and asian descent. I admired each of them but often wondered why there were no black faces depicted.
Afra is believed to have been the first ascended master from Africa. He lived 500,000years ago at a time when a great African civilization was at the bringe of destruction. Pure spiritual practices of that time were being polluted by black magic, voodoo and the likes. He came to save his people and to teach them the importance of being united for the intrusion of these negative practices were beginning to divide them. I believe that many of our African brothers and sisters have ascended. We just have to seek them out to find them. To read more about Afra please visit: http://www.tsl.org/Masters/afra_set.html
Again it is important to be open minded when reading this. Many of us who are from Christian or Muslim backgrounds have no problem believing in the existence of Adam and Eve. Some of us even take the bible literally. If we can do this, should it then be difficult for us to believe the story of Afra?

Additional note: In writing the above, I do not expect or necessarily encourage anyone to believe in an ascended master named Afra. Nor am I attempting to spread or preach a new religion or movement. The most important thing is the concept and what he represents, and not whether he existed or not. For me and many others he represents the existence of great African saints and mystics. These are the beings that spiritual minded people should seek (in my opinion) to assist them in the upliftment of the motherland.