Mr. Travis Kavulla weighs in on the issue of demonic witchcraft versus the godly variety.

"Troubled in spirit: the surprising direction of African Christianity"




A snippet , highlighted and edited, that is taken from the original article online at: "National Review, March 10, 2008. By Travis Kavulla."


Here it seems, to yours truly at least, that he's speaking of the African witchcraft scene generally.

However, in all fairness to the opposition, some of of his statistical numbers - crunching data below seems pretty iffy, if not flat - out wrong.

Example:

...historic churches lost hundreds of millions of parishioners in a generation's time.

Hey!

Even Rome claims no more than -- hummm .. exactly what? -- o.k. -- like maybe 117 million African Catholics nowadays altogether and then go on to treat that stat like it's an all - time high, which is something I'm sure, Rome would know!

So, who -- or what -- is being lost? :)

We'll mark such of Mr. Kavulla's comment(s) as these with "[You sure? etc.]."

Now, as Mr. Travis Kavulla tells us:

"Such beliefs were never reconciled with Christianity during colonial times.

"European missionaries taught that witchcraft beliefs were to be deprecated as baseless superstitions, and that a faithful Christian's divine reward was deferred, and not material.

"With Pentecostals' suggestions that one didn't have to die to be rewarded, that what was needed was to sieve the demonic witchcraft from the godly variety [as we saw Saturday, November 29, 2008], Africa's old beliefs finally have found a Christian outlet.

"Faced with parishioners who still believe quietly in the old ways, even mainstream churches have been forced to confront the subject.

"By and large the theology of Pentecostalism has carried the day in Africa.

"Not only have the historic churches lost hundreds of millions of parishioners in a generation' s time [ You sure? :) ], they have in many ways been Pentecostalized.

"Members of the [Roman Catholic exclusively or what?] clergy have gone into schism."


Enter an ex - Catholic Virgin Mary - possessing priest, Felician Nkwera!


"One of the largest Pentecostal churches in Tanzania, to Kenya's south, is the Marian Faith Healing Ministry, led by Felician Nkwera, an ex - catholic priest.

""His treatment at the hands of the Church hierarchy is a textbook case the ambivalence racking mainstream Christianity in Africa today.

"When Nkwera began to offer Masses in which [a Medjugorje - style demon calling itself] Mary [??!!] would possess members of his flock, the Irish White Father then in charge of the parish forbade them.

"A bishop of the diocese, an African, reversed the Irish priest.

"[A]nd in turn the metropolitan archbishop, some say on orders from the then - Cardinal Ratzinger [nowadays Pope Benedict XVI!], reversed him.

"Notwithstanding the sensational test cases, all of Africa's mainstream churches today make room for services where parishioners follow a rougher liturgy, punctuating th eservice with ululations, clapping, and testimony"

Wow!

¡Guau!

Even Real Deal Anglo - Medjugorje - style Witch Doctors Rock!

Satan's h*o*s can be sooo cool!

¡Tipos tan suave!


Male or female!


"Some of the key figures in African Penetcostalism have a Western background.

"Juanita Bynum, a prophetess who preaches that a pastor's success will entail that of her parishioners; Benny Hinn, a healer of ailments from epilepsy to AIDS; and the German evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, wo reputedly resurrected a Nigerian minister who had been dead for at least 42 hours -- all of these figures are now widely known in Africa, their inspirational literature more available than a Shakespeare play or, for that matter, anything besides the Bible and nationally designated textbooks.

"Their programs are rebroadcast on television [How about recently even in Today's Catholic, in a front - page article by Mr. J. Michael Parker, of our very own Archdiocese of San Antonio? N'ombre, are you sure? :) ], their sermons are sold on cassette and CD, and their frequent visits in person are well renumerated."

You can just bet on that!