Three Captives of Superstition Find Freedom

THEY called him M. Tout-Blanc, which means “Mr. All-White.” A resident of the Ivory Coast town of Dimbokro, Edmond had worn white clothes exclusively for the last 16 years! And if you asked Edmond why he wore only white, he would simply tell you that it was because he was obedient. But to whom​—or to what—​he did not say.

Adama’s prized possession was his woven “guinea-fowl” shirt. It was called that because its black and white colors were a reminder of the guinea fowl. The design was characteristic of the work of the Tagbana tribe in north-central Ivory Coast. Adama had received the shirt as a child, but even in adulthood he carefully secured it in a safe place. He somehow felt he had to.

Athanase similarly had something that he treasured​—a perfume bottle filled with, of all things, a mixture of kaolin (white clay) powder, sand, and water. Yet he was actually afraid to throw it away!

All three men were captives of superstitious, religious fears​—fears that actually took over their lives! Millions more suffer similar captivity. In Africa many believe that items such as amulets, rings, statues, and necklaces have supernatural power to ward off wicked spirits. Promoters of superstition, such as fetish priests, make a living off such fears. And Africa is not unique in this regard. Many followers of Western culture have similar beliefs when it comes to “lucky” objects, such as the rabbit-foot and the horseshoe. Nevertheless, as Edmond, Adama, and Athanase learned, there is a way out of this captivity.

Edmond and the “Spirit of the Stream”

Some of Edmond’s earliest memories are those of accompanying his parents to a “sacred” mountain outside their village. Nearby was a stream where sacrifices of cattle and sheep were offered to please the spirit of the stream. People would come and consult this spirit for solutions to their problems. Everyone had heard emanating from the stream a voice that often gave them counsel.

Certain children in each family were said to have a special relationship with this spirit. Edmond was one of these, according to the fetish priest. He could, therefore, depend on the spirit to guide him. When Edmond became old enough to work, he would consult the spirit if it appeared that other workers were in line to get a promotion that he wanted. The spirit would tell him to offer a chicken or a sheep as a sacrifice. By thus appeasing the spirit, he was sure that “bad luck” would befall his colleagues. Edmond made fast progress and came to have a responsible position where he worked. Even his parents, recognizing his “special relationship,” would come to Edmond if they needed to contact the spirit.

Oddly enough, Edmond saw no conflict between practicing spiritism and Catholicism. At the Catholic Church that he regularly attended, pagan rites, such as the playing of sacred tam-tams (drums), were carried on side by side with “Christian” ritual.

Eventually, Edmond’s job brought him to the capital city, Abidjan. There he became interested in yet another spirit​—one his brother-in-law consulted regularly. This spirit, however, was associated with the lagoons and the ocean. They called it Mami-Wata. Near one of the lagoons was a secluded spot that Edmond would frequently visit in order to consult this spirit for advice.

One day, however, the spirit appeared to be perturbed. “What is the trouble?” Edmond asked. The spirit complained that Edmond’s brother-in-law was no longer coming to consult him. “Why?” asked Edmond. He was told that it was because of his brother-in-law’s new religion. Edmond was intrigued, for he was a Catholic, and the spirit had never complained about that. There had to be something different about this new religion. Soon Edmond was to be visited by a member of this religion, and his days of consulting Mami-Wata would also come to an end.

Adama’s Search for Success

Adama’s ambition was to succeed in life. His parents were animists, believing that each material object has a soul. So they gave him a fetish object​—the “guinea-fowl” shirt—​for good luck so that he would do well in school. When he failed his school exams, however, he concluded that other students must have had fetishes that were more effective than his.

He spoke to his parents about this, and they now gave him a goat’s horn. By means of a very thin thread, he was to attach this to a nail in the ceiling of his room. In the morning he could consult the fetish object, telling it all that he wanted. Then the thin thread would break! Now, depending on the way the goat’s horn fell, he could decide whether to go ahead with his plans for the day or not. This new fetish, too, proved ineffective.

After Adama finished school, he went to the town of Agboville. There, one of his friends directed him to a fetish priest, who said he could guarantee Adama success in finding a job. Obeying the instructions of the priest, Adama bought a small padlock. He was told to speak into the opening of the padlock and say all the things he wanted in life. “I want to find a job,” he said into the padlock, closed it, and waited for success. But it did not come.

Nevertheless, Adama did not despair. He was sure that he was still protected by the magical charm of his precious “guinea-fowl” shirt.

Adama did eventually find work in the town of San Pedro. It was not the kind of work he wanted, but it was work. In the evening Adama would visit a friend’s home. One evening he found that his friend had a visitor​—a teacher of the Bible. A fervent Catholic, Adama disputed what this visitor had to say. Yet he was intrigued by the idea of studying the Bible to learn about the Creator. One evening when the topic of discussion was “Are There Wicked Spirits?” Adama could not resist participating in the discussion fully. His days as a fetish worshiper were also coming to an end.

Athanase and His Talisman

Athanase was brought up a “Harrist”​—a nominal Christian sect founded by William Wade Harris. He was a Liberian who claimed to have been appointed as a prophet by the angel Gabriel. About the year 1913, Harris left Liberia for the Ivory Coast and began preaching. One book says: “At his voice, the fetishes fell in powder, those ministering to idols renounced their false gods, whole villages accepted his religion. . . . He advanced, supporting himself on a cane surmounted by a wooden cross, followed by six women all dressed in white as he was and whom he called his ‘disciples.’”

Athanase’s father told him that he was to become a Harrist priest when he grew up. While the Harrists supposedly condemned fetishes, they claimed that the Bible had miraculous powers! Like their founder, Harrist priests would use the Bible to bless and to heal people. Athanase observed, however, that few actually read, much less followed, the Bible.

When he finished school, he decided to spend two weeks with a high official of the Harrist religion, hoping that this would result in his obtaining a job. To his great surprise, the religious leader gave him a talisman​—a perfume bottle filled with kaolin powder, sand, and water—​and told him that this would guarantee his success in finding work. “But,” said the official, “if you throw it away, you will go mad and eventually die!”

Athanase was confused. He could see no difference between this perfume bottle and the fetishes used by members of other faiths. However, out of fear of his parents and the religious leader, he kept the talisman. It did not bring the good luck he had been promised. A whole year was spent looking for work but without success. Nevertheless, Athanase, too, came in contact with someone who freed him from the fear of the talisman.

The Truth About Fetishes

All three men had come in contact with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Through a Bible study with the Witnesses, they learned the origin of the spirits. The Bible showed that before the Noachian Flood, angels rebelled against God and materialized so as to enjoy sexual relations with women. The Flood forced the spirits to dematerialize, and they have been trapped in the spirit realm ever since. No wonder these demons place so much emphasis on material objects, such as fetishes!​—Genesis 6:1-5; 2 Peter 2:4.

In time each of these three men built up a love for Jehovah God and a hatred for spiritistic practices. The Bible quite explicitly condemns seeking contact with wicked spirits, saying at Deuteronomy 18:10-12: “There should not be found in you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, anyone who employs divination, a practicer of magic or anyone who looks for omens or a sorcerer, or one who binds others with a spell or anyone who consults a spirit medium or a professional foreteller of events or anyone who inquires of the dead. For everybody doing these things is something detestable to Jehovah, and on account of these detestable things Jehovah your God is driving them away from before you.” Not wanting Jehovah’s disfavor, the three of them now followed the advice of the Christian disciple James: “Subject yourselves, therefore, to God; but oppose the Devil, and he will flee from you.”​—James 4:7.

Breaking free from religious captivity was not easy, however. Edmond, for example, had to burn amulets that apparently linked him to Mami-Wata. But he made fine progress thereafter, even dedicating his life to God and being baptized in symbol of this. Then, just one week after his baptism, the spirits began to bother him. Voices told him to quit this newfound faith. But Edmond prayed and called on the name of Jehovah. Eventually the wicked spirits ceased harassing him.​—Proverbs 18:10.

Adama, too, had his problems. Desiring to help others break from Satanic influence, he became a full-time preacher. However, for a while he was plagued with feelings of discouragement. He felt that he was not making good progress and that in spite of much Christian activity, his spirituality was low. What could be the reason for such negative thoughts? Suddenly Adama realized that he still had that “guinea-fowl” shirt his parents had given him. He searched his house, finding that last link with the spirit world and destroying it. “I felt greatly relieved in my mind,” he said.

Athanase, too, had to throw out something​—that talisman he had been given. After doing this, he became very sick. ‘Could it be because of disobeying the order not to throw it out?’ he wondered. But he, too, turned to Jehovah in prayer. Rather than succumbing to pressure from his relatives to resort to spiritism again, he sought medical help. In time his health, both physical and spiritual, improved. Athanase now spends his weekends helping neighbors learn Bible truths.​—John 8:44.

The experiences of these three former captives of superstition confirm that the Word of God is able to work mightily on those who come to believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13; Acts 19:18-20) More than 2,000 others in the Ivory Coast are working with these young men in helping people to gain freedom from religious captivity. Jehovah’s Witnesses in your area, too, will gladly help you find such freedom.