I can’t say that things like this surprise me anymore. After all, it happens a lot. This particular article caught my eye because of one line, the fourth paragraph in the article says:

“It was not clear why the girl was not taken to a doctor earlier.”

Are they kidding? Did the person who wrote the article not understand what they had just written in the first three paragraphs? It’s so obvious why this poor kid was not taken to the hospital right away. It’s because of a ridiculous, irrational belief in supernatural for which there is absolutely no evidence. It’s 2010 and adults still believe in demons, ghosts, goblins, and things that go bump in the night. This type of belief in the supernatural is not harmless. If these people did not belief in such things, then perhaps this girl would have been rushed to a hospital right away and had a chance to survive with proper medical care.

“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”

-Voltaire

The quote above is in my opinion one of the wisest things ever said. When people find out that I do not believe in the paranormal and am a vocal critic of such beliefs, I am often asked “Well, even if it (insert supernatural belief here) isn’t real, what is the harm in believing?” The answers to that question are varied depending on the specific nonsense under discussion, but today I came across one of the worst examples of how paranormal belief can cause suffering on a massive scale. It is particularly disturbing because it is happening against a group that is least able to defend themselves against it–children.

Imagine this scenario: A local religious leader tells you that your child is a witch who is possessed by Satan. They come into your house and for a steep fee that is usually more than you make in a year, begin a “deliverance ceremony.” The terrified child is then shaken violently, has “potions” poured into their eyes, and is dragged around the room. All of this while you the parent look on, praying that the ritual will work. If it does not, your child is then either killed, or thrown out of the house into the street to fend for themselves.  Sounds like something out of 14th century medieval times right? Nope, this is happening right now in Nigeria, where a blend Christianity and local tribal beliefs have created widespread fear of witchcraft. Many of the children are held captive in churches, chained up without food until they confess to being a witch. Just the thought of something even a fraction as terrible as this happening to my children makes me wince in horror.

Please read the article if you are one of those who think that beliefs in the paranormal are harmless. It goes without saying that if the people in these villages were not brainwashed by this nonsense, there is no way that they would allow this abuse of their children to happen, much less pay someone to do it. There are simply not enough words in the English language to describe how horrible these atrocities are, and what makes it even worse, is that all this abuse is FOR NOTHING. Nothing because witchcraft and Satan do not exist and never have. Think about it again: parents are paying people torture and kill their children due to a belief in something that can’t even be proved to exist.

If this is not sickening enough for you, or if you think that this is only an exception to the rule and that most supernatural, superstitious, paranormal, or pseudoscientific beliefs do no harm, please visit whatstheharm.net where you can see examples of how pretty much any of these beliefs can cause harm on a massive scale. And also keep in mind that I am writing this on the anniversary of another of the most graphic examples of how a lack of critical thinking can kill. It was thirty years ago today that 909 people, many of them children who had no choice in the matter, commited mass suicide in the cult community of Jonestown after being brainwashed into it by their cult leader, Jim Jones.