"There have been a lot of responses to the Cosby "Rape" Allegations but I think this one speak so succinctly to the mind of the rape "victim" and how it's possible to keep it unreported for years." NB
The Bill Cosby rape allegations really started getting to me right around the time Philadelphia magazine’s Victor Fiorillo announced he was writing a theater piece about them. As a theater critic, I found myself one step deeper insidethe widening circle of accusations. But it wasn’t just that. I was raped in high school, or, more accurately, during the summer between my freshman and sophomore years.
(Photo by Pablo Vazquez, via Creative Commons/deviantart.com)
With each new woman who stepped forward to accuse Cosby, with Rolling Stone’s UVA story falling to pieces and potentially damaging the credibility of a new generation of victims, my own story felt perpetually pressed against my throat,forcing its way out. Though more than 20 women have now come forward,
when my husband, an attorney with an almost unfailingly steady moral compass, watched a CNN special
with me about the case, he said, “I didn’t know what to believe until I saw their faces and heard them speak.” I was shocked. To me, from the first, their accounts held ironclad key words and themes. I knew
implicitly why regular women held back for decades, even when reporting the incident wouldn’t result in bringing down any institutions, academic or cultural. I knew I was obligated to tell my story, one that also
went unreported.
A high-school sleepover
The night I was raped, a friend whose parents were out of town hosted a sleepover. It wasn’t much as far as high school parties go — just a few girls, even fewer guys, and later, someone’s older brother and his
friend, both men in their mid-20s. There was white wine, which we drank, and much discussion of the older brother, whom the girls all liked, but who wasn’t really my type — bulldog body, cheesy mustache, slicked-back hair, his friend a shorter, stockier version pulled from the same mold.
Still, I was enough of an alpha girl to feel flattered when the older brother asked me to go upstairs with him, and insecure enough to follow. He led me into a bedroom, and whatever I imagined, a makeout session, some conversation, dissipated when he asked what I was waiting for, and roughly told me to get on the bed. Again, I did what he asked. Though it wasn’t my first time, I was disgusted, not with him, a grown man who should have known better, but with myself, for letting it happen, for being so needy, so slutty.
Afterward, I told my friends I felt sick and went to bed. I awoke to find a man on top of me. The room was dark, and, confused, I asked if it was the older brother. He answered, “Yeah, that’s who it is. Go back to
sleep.” It wasn’t; it was his friend. I didn’t fight back, because if my own friends hadn’t protected me, hadn’t told him to leave me alone, what was the point? Instead, I waited for it to end, and when it did, he
left and again, I listened; I went back to sleep.
What could they do?
In the morning, furious, I asked my friends why they let him come upstairs. They said they didn’t know what was happening, but even if they did, what could they have done? These were men; we were girls. We
let them in and flirted with them and got what we deserved. I called my mother to pick me up. Later, rumors spread throughout our school about what I did that night. I told some of the girls I was talking to a lawyer about pressing charges, but I wasn’t. I just wanted them to know that what happened was wrong.
I got on with my life, and the decades slid past. Occasionally, some news story or Facebook post would trigger my memories, and I’d be right back in that room, waiting for it to end, but mostly, I shoved them
away. Except now, the memories shoved back. I frightened my teen daughter with warnings about serial killers, drugged drinks at parties, and the importance of traveling in groups. I indoctrinated my teen son
about rape culture and the necessity of stepping forward if he saw intoxicated friends or strangers at a party and the situation didn’t look or feel right. It was all good advice, but delivered with a shrill sense of panic. My internal struggles were leaking into my parenting, and for the first time, I told my husband of 20 years what happened, in detail.
Saying nothing then . . .
I didn’t report my rape when it happened 30 years ago, and here’s why: I was embarrassed. The rapist was connected to friends. I was certain my own friends knew what was happening, and no one stopped it. I was so young. I didn’t know his last name. I didn’t want my friend to get in trouble for hosting the party. Within the course of that year, both of my grandmothers passed away, my parents separated, and a classmate who was there that evening was killed in a car crash. I was dealing with enough. I thought I brought it on myself. I thought it would be expensive and difficult. I was afraid my dad and brother might try to settle the issue on their own. I wanted to forget it happened. I thought I was fine.
A few years ago, I visited a therapist and mentioned the incident in a cavalier manner. “But,” she said, “you know that was rape.”
“Yeah, I know,” I answered, “but I’m fine. I’m over it.” I’m not.
If I was unwilling to report the nobody who raped me, when I had a supportive family, access to an attorney, witnesses, proof, and people who could find him, why would anyone imagine that these women, with their own lives and struggles, would report Bill Cosby at the height of his powers? Sometimes it takes a while to gain back that inner fortitude. Sometimes it takes 30 years.
. . . but now?
I’m now faced with a dilemma. Learning there are five years left on the statute of limitations is a gift because it puts power I never knew I had squarely into my hands. Recently, my daughter and I watched an episode of The Sopranos in which Dr. Melfi, Tony’s therapist, holds onto the knowledge that if she wanted, she could ask Tony to do away with her rapist at any time. Just owning that knowledge was enough power for her. My daughter couldn’t understand why she didn’t use it, but I could.
The night after learning I could still press charges, I lay in bed, thrilled and terrified. I kept second-guessing my age at the time, until I remembered a box in our basement that held all my old diaries. I rummaged around until I found an electric blue one decorated with hearts and song lyrics and boyfriends’ names. Sure enough, there was a dated entry referring specifically to the men involved and what they did.
“Well, anyway,” I concluded, “that happened.” Even then, in my own diary, I tried to erase it away, and yet it remains all these years later, tangible evidence that rape refuses to disappear, no matter how hard you try to suppress it. Khaled Hosseini wrote in The Kite Runner, “The past claws its way out. Looking back now, I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last 26 years.”
Where is he now?
Still, I wonder if the man who raped me cleaned up his act. Maybe he has a wife and children and a job, and I feel protective of them, even as I try to protect myself. Statutory sexual assault is a second-degree felony and can carry with it a ten-year sentence. Maybe I should leave him alone and assume karma had its way with him. After all, he didn’t seem to be headed for greatness. And then I read the statistics: nine out of ten campus rapes are committed by serial rapists. My circumstances were different, but I wonder if I’m his only victim, who else he attacked after I didn’t report him, or if he’s still attacking.
I still don’t know what I’ll do with this new information, but I’m grateful to the brave women who came forward en masse to hold Bill Cosby accountable for his alleged crimes. I know why they waited so long and why they stopped waiting, and I also know that if it weren’t for their strength, I might never have found mine.
"A striking
example of how Christianity destroys a proud culture, by introducing
"doubt". The Christian body is imperfect, we are "sinners".
These beautiful people learn for the first time, that their behavior is a
"sin". A bigger psychological disastrous impact is the fictitious
idea of the Christian afterlife, their current world is a place of sin, they
are sinners, the "real life" will start in the afterlife. Makes me
think what proud people we could be, if we could remove the Christian doctrine
of imperfectness of the body." ₁
Disclaimer: This was written for the purpose of discussion my
own thoughts and conclusions. It is in no way an offense to anyone who may read
it. In fact, I Thank you for reading this.
There have been so
many questions in my mind over the years particularly as it relates to
Spirituality and Religion. Before I go on, I have to admit that I too believed
that "my religion" was the best religion. This belief started to wane
gradually as I traveled through many religions, and in fact believed the propaganda. The
propaganda was so intense that it made me feel even less righteous if I didn't
"spread the word."
My journey started
with Catholicism, then on to Protestantism, Islam, Buddhism culminating in
African Centered Spirituality. There was
a common theme that flowed through them all, politics, economics and
oppression. Arriving at African Centered Spirituality, I looked back in
wonderment how they could possibly embrace Christianity as brought to them by
outsiders from the West. After contemplation, observation, conversation and
some serious study on my part, I think I have come to understand why African
People, from the blackest to the lightest would embrace, preach and even die
for Christianity. They literally abandon their original African Gods for the
Image of the European as God. It is a bit mind boggling and what I want to do
with this piece is explain from my perspective the reason why it happens and
with such a fervor and fierceness sometimes to the amazement of the very people
who brought it to them.
African people are deeply religious or shall I
say spiritual. So no outsider could bring to the African anything as it
pertains to being deeply connected to the Divine Source, they perceived in
their minds, through the ages as the most powerful being that governs the whole
world, in fact, it governs the whole Universe. No one could pull from their
hearts, minds and bodies what was not already deeply rooted in the psyche of
the African. So what did the missionaries have that the Africans thought they
did not?? This is partially what I wish to discuss here with a few additional
points of reference for this topic.
Author's Note: I am
focusing on Africans and descendant Africans because I am most familiar with
these people and how they process their reality. This article is not meant to
offend but to just bring some clarity to the question, how can Africans become Christians
(of the Western persuasion that is.)
The
Politics
When you couple
Religion with Politics it almost seems likes an oxymoron. But from the
beginnings, religion has always been political. Ancient human history shows us
that the original rulers were people who were designated as Highly Spiritual
first. It was believed that a highly spiritual person was closest to God and
thus would be the most fitted to rule righteously and justly.
But as time wore on
things became more and more corrupted. People began to fight amongst themselves
as to who should really be in power. Scandals would be exposed and the person
in power at that time would be ostracized or castigated in some way, bringing
shame upon he/she and their entire family.
There was an unspoken law that says, "No Chief or Queen mother
should break the laws of the Village." They are held in high esteem thus
the tradition of carrying them on a litter above the heads of everyone
else. Ancient Africans strongly believed
that their leaders were able to speak directly to God and in some instance,
were perceived as Gods themselves. ₂
So, as with any
political system of rulers and ruled, there were rivalries and outright wars
over who would prevail in the position of honor such as the "Godhead"
of a nation, particularly when the one in power was perceived as inept, corrupt
or morally lacking. The usurpation of
one "Godhead" Chief or King for another regulated in such a way that
it would not be arbitrary. Systems were set up to determine the right rules of
engagement when selecting the next Leader. Politically, this bares a strong
resemblance to the mentality of most of the worlds institutionalized political
leaders. In traditional African society however, rather than it being put to a
vote, it would be suggested by the counsel of elders, who for the most part,
were deemed the law givers who maintain the order of society and settled
disputes. Again, this is reminiscent of what happens in other societies around
the world to this day. They may not be considered the counsel of elders but
they are considered judges and magistrates, lawmakers and local politicians and
law enforcement. It seems that somewhere along the way, the human being was
taught that he needed to be regulated by an external entity because he could
not regulate himself. Could it be that the very fact of being born an infant
that has to be taught has something with this being a common feature across
cultures?
NPCA Board Member Installed as a Chief
Thus, the African
was not given anything they did not already have. The structure, order and
operation of the Western system was strikingly different but the fundamentals
were comparable, and comparable enough for the African mind to find it to be
something that he could apply to his life or even discard his present
experience and completely immerse himself in the "foreign" political
structure. ₃, ₄
Nigerian Lawyers
The exchange is
made, from the local authorities to the Invader's authority figure who was then
given all the rights and privileges of the original authority figures in their
culture. Hence the dismantling of "Leaders" who looked like they did to
leaders who bared no resemblance.
Let me speak briefly
about the African mindset as it relates to Albinos, or albinism. While Africans
are certainly aware of the various complexions they can produce from their
loins, a completely pale, colorless offspring was cause for some to consult the
elders and medicine men, as they felt they were cursed! Imagine the
frightfulness they must have felt when these pale men came upon African shores.
Imagine the gamut of emotions from those who feared them and those who loved
them. Imagine the confusion. And then imagine what happened in their minds
when they were told that these people were gods, leaders and bearers of good
tidings.₅
Albinism
is a rare, non-contagious, genetically inherited condition occurring in both
genders regardless of ethnicity, in all countries of the world. BOTH the father
and mother must carry the gene for it to be passed on even if they do not have
albinism themselves.
The
Economics
As historians have
shown, African people were quite industrious before the advent of Western man.
They had an economy that supported the land and the society. They were
builders, artisans, farmers, teachers, homemakers, iron workers, textile engineers and
gold and ebony harvesters and craftsmen. The adorned themselves with their
products as well as paid homage to the gods, elders, chiefs, priests/medicine
men and village leaders. It was not
uncommon to know who these individuals were just by looking at their housing,
clothing, property, wives, children and livestock. Most of these items were
given in support of their leadership and often to free them from toiling the
land so they could spend most of their time taking care of their communities.
The African mindset
of seeing their leaders as closer to the gods than themselves was enough
motivation for them to honor them and in many cases gain favor from them, by
giving them material things and physical service. Of course, human nature being
what it is, in some cases, the hearts and minds of the populace were exploited
by unscrupulous leaders. This could be seen in the extremes of the haves and
the have-nots who just to gain favor would "sacrifice" their worldly
possessions to gain favor from the gods. The exploitation of people of this
mindset was easy in some instances and in others, caused the breakdown of the
cohesion of the community as it became known that they were not being favored
by the Gods and that they in fact, were being taken advantage of. ₆
Therefore, even in
this instance, the advent of Western Style Christianity brought nothing to the
African that he/she did not already have except in one sense. That is, he/she
no longer had to pay a host of gods to gain favor, he/she only had to accept "Jesus"
as their personal savior and that would seal the deal. No more running from one
person to another seeking recourse for troubles, giving offerings and making
sacrifices to the multitude of "gods" they initially served. They exchanged
the many "gods" for one. However, the concept of tithing did not
cease, and thus they were encouraged to build the church and volunteer at the
church, and farm the land the church owned and do whatever other services the
church required for the Glory of the Lord.
Here is where the
exploitation became maximized as can be seen around the world, not just in
Africa. Huge buildings are erected to hold the masses. These buildings become
assembly rooms for the multitude to bring their money and wealth to a central
location where they would be divided among the Church Officials, the newly
acclaimed High Priests of the Western Christian Order. But the question
remains, how do we keep them from running back to their old spiritual and
political leaders? This leads us to our next topic.
Oppression/Violence/Intimidation/Abuse/Education
African people have
a strong sense of family and an even stronger sense of shame and fear of what
is commonly called "bad medicine or witchcraft. Most people who encounter
Africans do not understand this very deep cultural aspect of the African mindset.
Family means so much to them, that they are filled with dread when they are not
able to uphold their family obligations. If these people are convinced that
their family obligations are no longer to their physical family but to the
members of the Church than they can rest at ease that they are fulfilling their
duties in the eyes of the new "one God" who will bless them
enormously if they forsaken their families for the Church as Christ had to do
in order to gain the Kingdom of Heaven. They may have to be away from them for
long periods of time in order to serve the Lord in his Holy place. Mind you,
before this, there were shrines, temples and holy places peppered throughout
the African community. This was not a new concept. The strangeness was
demonstrated when they had to forsake their families, or leave them behind, in
the bush as they did the "Devil's" work with the primitive bushmen.
Let me move to the
concept of shame and how that played a significant part in persuading the
African that he would be sullied indeterminately or maybe forever in the eyes
of this new "God". Shame to the African can lead them to suicide,
that is how deep and soulstirring the very thought of it is. Shame place upon any man/woman/child in the village could
lead to banishment, lack of support, no family connections or marriages, etc. A
shamed individual would find it hard to live peacefully in his community
because he has become a subject of social opprobrium and as a result he would
rather travel some great distance where he would not feel the brunt of this
shame. Shame can be placed upon an African due to any inordinate behavior that
does not adhere to the laws of the community.
He/she may be able
to make sacrifice for retribution, but it will still carry for some time that
this person did something to bring shame upon himself and HIS/HER WHOLE FAMILY.
Of course this strictness would lead these human beings to the point of secrecy,
particularly in the case of the unwed mother, the thief, murderer or insane
person. They become practically marked for life. Imagine the relief they felt
when told that "Jesus" died for your sins and though you are a sinner
to begin with, you can be saved by the "blood" of Christ and all
would be cleared and you would be
welcomed into the Church family, no questions asked. The African full of shame
would be more than willing to glorify in the name of the Lord, profess his sins
and come to be saved by the power of the Holy Spirit, which he knows about
spirits anyway.. So why not have one that can do all that? That is the message
I was told when I ask a Liberian friend of mine, why did he become a Christian.
His response was, "Jesus is the
final sacrifice. There is no more need to shed the blood of an animal when
Jesus has shed his blood to save us all."
I had an Eureka
moment in that instance, as by this time, I was deeply involved in just that
aspect of African Spiritual tradition of making sacrifices to the
"gods."
How does
violence/intimidation and abuse play into this scenario? The added measure is
that of the Devil and evil. Now the African is being taught that the Devil is
real and that he is evil and that anyone who worships the Devil will die and go
to hell for eternity. That's intimidation. If you shirk Jesus than you must be
of the Devil as you cannot serve two masters. If your family shirks Jesus then
they too are of the Devil and must be punished.
Initially, this
concept makes the African quite uncomfortable and uneasy, and so she/he becomes
comfortable with just saving their own souls, but sermon after sermon they are
told how important it is to save their families and friends, etc., that they become so guilty and shame-filled that they are not doing their Christian duty of
bringing more people into the fold. Eventually,
they become strong enough and armed enough through this propaganda that
they are willing to approach their families and friends and here is where the
violence and abuse comes into the picture.
Now the African is
armed with the knowledge that he is better than his family and friends because
he has been saved, therefore, if they do not abide by his command to join the
Church he has the right to smite them. In essence he is not seeing himself as smiting
them, he is smiting the Devil within them.
Africans are
susceptible to this type of mentality as they believe in spirits, negative,
that would do harm to them or their family and loved ones. These spirits, often
displayed by so-called witch doctors, medicine men or priests; were considered
evil or bad medicine, but the idea of the arch deceiver being a Devil was a new
concept. But again, it was workable because it could align itself with the
belief they already had.
Through the
teachings of Christianity, which seldom was complete except in part for those
who entered the pastoral college, seminary or the like, the masses are given
allegory, proverbs, myth and smatterings of historical leanings. This too is in
alignment with the African mindset in that many traditions where handed down
generation to generation. You did not question the origins or ethicacy of these
teachings, you accepted them as "Gospel." How easy then, the transplanting of this
style of teaching into a mind of a people who were not encouraged to question
what they were being taught by the Elders. To question the Elders was consider
blasphemy and very disrespectful. Therefore, the African Christian would be
hard pressed to know that much of the Bible is made up from various tales,
legends and myths from ancient cultures and in some instances from their very
own culture. How easy is it for them to find relationship and reference to what
they had been taught over the ages, presenting itself through the teachings of
the Bible and Christianity.
While this
commentary does not specifically identify the militaristic aspect of
conversion, I would like to stress that I am well aware of the Blood, Guns
and Steel that was also brought to the continent. The continent was heavily
divided upon the arrival of the Western European version of Christianity. This
division made the African even more vulnerable to the manipulation of this New
Religion. It also provide plenty of free labor and various other support to
maintain the existence of these Missionaries and their Churches.₇, ₈
Woman Beaten to death accused of being a witch
The
Mind Control/Hypnotic Trance
I believe that the
most powerful tool for conversion of the African is mind control. This comes through a series of Gospel passages repeated over and over again.
Songs and dances and musical instruments are all used to illicit the overall
submission of the congregation.
Initially, this may
start off rather small, and then grow to a huge congregation with a very large
church. Because Africans have been using song, dance and words spoken
repetitively in rituals to honor the gods, here again we have a very neat alignment with the African mind
when it comes to spirituality. This mind control is very exquisite in its
ability to untrain and retrain the African into believing that Jesus Christ is
there for them and that they no longer need their "Old Primitive
Gods" anymore. In fact, they don't even need to venerate the Ancestors!
This cuts to the core value of the African
mind that the Ancestors are guardians and sit close to God in the Spirit
realm. They can be called upon to assist in their affairs. Their names are
remembered and offerings are given to them to encourage them to help the
community. To tell an African that his Ancestors can no longer hear them
because when they die, they are dead and there is no more need to communicate
with the dead until you die and meet them in heaven. So to be told to pray "for" them as you do not need them "to" pray for you, must cause cognitive dissonance
in each one who hears this.
I always say that
Jesus is the baddest Ancestor around considering the fact that he died and that
was 2000+ years ago according to the story, but he is being venerated as if he
is alive today. To the contrary, anyone else who dies can not be heard, cannot
help you and if you do hear from them, you can be sure they are demonic spirits
and "not" the voice of your Ancestors. So, quite capably, they toss
the traditional acknowledgement of the Ancestors, the lineage of the African
and give him another Ancestor, a European looking God. Again, since he is
definitely an Ancestor, the African can accept him as he once accepted his own
ancestors. In fact, due to the fact that the New Eurocentric Ancestor came down
and shed his blood to save them, it tugs even more so at the African conscience.
How many of their Ancestors have done such a feat? There are probably stories
of such things happening but due to the indoctrination by the new God, that was
all of the Devil, for only Jesus Christ was appointed as the Son of God to come
and save the masses from original sin and utter death and damnation.
While in school, I
asked my teacher, "What happened to Jesus when he ascended? Where did he
go? Did he disappear into the sky, high above the mountains where no one could
see him? Or did he keep going further out into space? As the story goes, he returned flesh and
blood, showing everyone that he was not a "Ghost" so if he did go
somewhere, where was that?" I never got an answer and I went to Catholic school
and nobody studies the bible stories like they did when I was in Catholic
school. But I digress.
The European brand
of Christianity in my estimation is just another form of what Africans had
known for thousands if not millions of years. This is specifically true with
regards to the Catholic missionaries who not only brought them a Single God
made of three parts; a Holy Spirit and a plethora of saints who took on many of
the attributes of their former Gods but, the rituals that included burnt
offerings and blood sacrifice and various types of "vestments." In
essence, the African could relate and from what I have read, felt that
Christianity was so comparable it was welcomed with open arms. However, there
was just one thing they did not realize. Traditional religion and Christianity
could not co-exist. They also did not realize that the Christian missionaries
had no intention of allowing them to keep their traditions while attending their
schools or be a part of their congregations. In fact, the Christian
missionaries insisted that the traditional practices were immodest(nudity),
barbaric (blood sacrifice of animals) and immoral (shameful) and actually
caused the disdain of this New God and should be abolished at all costs. This
propaganda went into a feverish pitch during the sermons, particularly by those
who wanted to be close to this New God and therefore, holier and better than
the others. Unfortunately, even this was in alignment with African
Spirituality. It had been and still is believed that those who serve the Gods
are closer to the Gods than those who do not. Those who serve the Gods are
revered as keepers of the culture, the staff, the umbrella, the shrine, the
temple, the grove and even the Gods. They are sanctified and much more able to
communicate directly to the Divine than the uninitiated.
The Churches became
the new coven, the new shrine house, the new temple and the keepers of these
edifices became the new gods to the Africans. They simply traded in their old
pair of shoes for a new one. But they are still dealing in shoes. ₉
Today,
in modern Africa, the radical and fast spreading Pentecostal Christianity is
leading a spiritual crusade against the old gods of West Africa. The
Pentecostal pastors are taking up the millennia-old battle with heathendom,
trying once and for all to break the ancient alliance between the Ghanaians and
their ancestral spirits. In the process, the women of Ghana are given a
radically different role in the moralist worldview of modern Pentecostalism.
With
intensely raw and naturally dramatic footage, Ghana Possessed gives us a rare
and penetrating insight into a contemporary living religion where gods and
spirits enter directly into people's lives.
Let me
refer here to an article by Mansa Musa, called, "Moving From the Plantation tothe Chur-chation" reading this article put so many things into perspective
as to how the African can be hoodwinked into believing that Christianity is a
better brand than their "old time religion."
Another good read,
particularly for those who are deeply rooted in either, is "War In Heaven" by
Kyle Griffith. In his book he speaks about religious mind control and how it
permeates "all" mass gatherings. It is basically the major component
of crowd control, creating a mania that is contagious for most all of the
participants. This is done through repetition and highly energetic displays of
emotion. See chapter 12: Excerpt:
"Religious Mind Control Q. Exactly how does religious
mind control work? A. It
involves what modern psychologists call "operant conditioning":
altering behavior and mental programming by positive and negative reinforcement
on the physical and sensory level.
The Theocrats strengthen this conditioning on the
physical level by transmitting ideas and emotions directly into people's
subconscious minds by telepathy.
Religious mind-control techniques are easier to
understand if you realize that the Theocrats use people's own psychic powers to
control other members of the congregation."
Unfortunately,
down through the ages, Africans have been controlled by their own version of
spirituality. A version that encourages the person to seek outside of
themselves redemption from their various life challenges and problems. They ARE
NOT taught that the answer lies within and that they need only go there to find
what they are looking for. In some instances, they actually voluntarily give up
control over their lives to an outside source, giving it power over their
lives, and allowing it to be the answer for whatever situation they come upon.
Thus we see the pantheon of gods and deities that are supplicated in a variety
of ways through rituals and trance to accomplish this. The predominance of this
type of mind control is mostly seen in the so-called more evolved societies
where much of the Spiritual traditions have been institutionalized. The
representation of these institutions being shrine houses, temples or sacred
places.
As far
as the spiritual African traditions would tell you, this was a workable
solution to the healing and maintenance of a sane and compliant society. People
are taught the rules, protocols and rituals that they must follow in order to
reach a certain level of spirituality, to ward off evil spirits, to gain
happiness, riches, strong families and children. The African in good faith
would make these supplications and if they fell short of the desired goal it
was deemed a trick by some nefarious unseen spirit and therefore, more work had
to be done to get rid of it. The African was blamed for entertaining this
nefarious unseen spirit and given admonishment and more rituals.
Another aspect of
this mind control was the insistence that sex was sinful and that anyone who
participated in it was unholy unless they were married. In fact, those who took
the vow of chastity and abandoned sex altogether were considered even more holy
than others. This too was in alignment with many of the traditional African
spirituality practices in that abstinence for periods of time were encouraged
for the initiated. In the eyes of the African, the nuns, priests, pastors,
etc., were initiates, therefore it was their duty to abide by the various
protocols set up.
Ironically, today,
you will find more "Spiritism Churches" or "Pentecostal
Churches" being attended by most Africans who become Christians. Why?
Because it is most in alignment with their traditional beliefs to begin with.
In these churches people speak in tongues, do the laying on of hands and get
caught up in the Holy Spirit. Demons are cast out, a joyful noise is made with
songs, drumming, instrumentation and even dancing. There is something about
this combination that is an elixir for the African Spirit. Spirit for the
Spirits, they say, as they pour libations with some form of liquor of
fermented liquid. Ultimately, the
religious trance that permeates traditional African Spirituality can be clearly
seen in any church where Africans gather to worship the Lord and receive the
Holy Spirit. No matter how much the pastor, evangelist or minister may defy the
existence of these Ancestral spirits and the Gods who nurture them, they tend
to appear on every occasion where all of the above components are present.
The African is truly
a spiritual as well as religious being, therefore it is of no importance who is
lying on the cross or hanging on the wall in their homes and Churches. It is
what he represents and since they are keen in the knowledge that it is not the
thing (rock, groves, stone, water, air, fire) but the power behind it, then,
naturally if that power is emanating from a being that is European, well so be
it.
I once entered my
God-sister's shrine room and noticed several carved dolls that were white. They
did not necessarily have African features yet they were dressed as
representations of some of the "higher ancestors." I found this
curious so I asked, "Auntie, why are those dolls white?" Her response
was that they were not painted yet.
Here I will conclude
on one more aspect of this dynamic; the whitening of the skin during rituals.
In some instances it is done with powder in other instances it is done with
clay. This change of the person's persona by whitening can be seen all over Africa
during their sacred rituals. Not all participants or priests are whitened but
many are and here is where I began to understand even more why a white god is
in alignment with African core beliefs on spirituality. There is a difference
however minimal, but the idea that whitening of the skin makes you more
spiritually in tuned than not, is a curious endeavor for the African. Now we
see this not only in traditional rituals but in every day life, the whitening
or lightening of the African's skin tone. Along with the straightening of the
hair and abandonment of traditional garments. When looked at with a global lens
it makes perfectly good sense that Africans would become Christians. They are
hardwired to become Christians.
The
Invisible Band Behind the Curtain
Here I wish to give
an explanation from my point of view of what is happening for the African and
how the Invisible Band Behind the Curtain is actually the orchestrator and
manipulator of all of this. Somewhere in the African Historical record this
propensity toward religious adoration was fine tuned and orchestrated. But by
whom?
We hear this
question quite often. Who built the pyramids and why are there these structures
around the world, some older than even those at Giza. What happened on Planet
Earth to make it the stomping ground for giant megalithic structures going back
thousands upon thousands of years?
It is my opinion,
that even these structures are a form of mind control. With that being the
case, it makes sense that they would be all over the planet to control the
masses. When looking at a designer garment or pair of shoes we can tell which
designer did them as they contain a certain style. If you attempt to attribute
it to another designer, the one who is aware of this will quickly correct you.
Obviously, in my estimation at least, there had to be one designer or the other
designers were trained by the elder designer. Thus structures around the world
"resemble" one another while not exactly alike, they bare the same
constitution. Is it possible that a group of people traveled the entire planet,
took their slaves with them, hired new slaves when they got there and set out
to build these megalith at these strategic places on the planet, heralding the
equinoxes, the solstices, the planetary bodies, etc., etc., etc.?
Even if we speculate
that the planet was one land mass, again, imagine the logistics of hauling
folks and 2-3 ton rocks around the entire planet on "horseback"?
"Oxen"? Archaeologists insist
that these structures took hundreds of years to build with very primitive
tools, yet these structures are all over the Planet and many of them are
comparable in age. Does that not speak of some type of intelligence that was
guiding the construction of these buildings? Who is the Invisible Band Behind
the Curtain?
And while they were
constructing these edifices, they were also constructing religious rituals and
protocols and dignitaries to maintain them. "Who Is the Invisible Band
Behind the Curtain?"
Many of these
"different" cultures share a common thread, that is, offerings to the
"Gods" in various forms particularly blood offerings. Why? Was there
a genetic manipulation going on? Did the Invisible Band Behind the Curtain need
blood, and if so, why? And to this day, they are still receiving blood
offerings in the bush and in the Church. There has to be something said about
this as it relates to the human psyche and its fascination with blood offerings
and offerings of energy to some outside force for that matter.
In Ancient times,
the people saw their leaders as Gods or descendants of Gods. This holds true
for all of humanity. While there may not be a perfusion of blood being offered,
the energy that the blood represents, the life force that flows on and in the blood
is still being offered up to our Leaders, Politicians, Presidents, and
Superstars. Why is that such a common thread in all of humanity on this Planet?
And how did that come about?
Who is the
"Invisible Band Behind the Curtain"?
I strongly encourage
anyone who got this far in reading this to read "Alien Interview" edited by
Lawrence Spencer and "War In Heaven" by Kyle
Griffith PDF format (starting with chapter 10).
These two books may bring to light and some answers to this very interesting
Phenomenon.
Disclaimer: This was
written for the purpose of discussion my own thoughts and conclusions. It is in
no way an offense to anyone who may read it. In fact, I Thank you for reading
this.
