The Mystery of Ill Health

LITTLE OWMADJI IS SICK WITH DIARRHEA. Hawa, her mother, is worried about dehydration; she heard that her cousin back in the village had recently lost her baby that way. Owmadji’s grandmother, Hawa’s mother-in-law, wants to take Owmadji to a tribal witch doctor. “A wicked spirit is making the child sick,” she says. “You refused to give her an amulet to wear for protection, and now the problems are starting!”

THIS scene is common in many parts of the world. Hundreds of millions believe that wicked spirits are the hidden cause of illness. Is this true?

Creating the Mystery

You personally may not believe that unseen spirits cause disease. In fact, you may wonder why anyone would think so, for scientists have shown that most diseases are caused by viruses and bacteria. Remember, though, that humankind did not always know about these tiny pathogens. It was not until the development of the microscope by Antonie van Leeuwenhoek in the 17th century that the microscopic world became visible to the human eye. Even then, it was only thanks to Louis Pasteur’s discoveries in the 19th century that science began to understand the relationship between pathogens and disease.

Since the causes of sickness were unknown for most of human history, many superstitious ideas developed, including the theory that all ailments are caused by evil spirits. The New Encyclopædia Britannica suggests one way that this could have developed. It says that early healers tried to treat the sick with different types of roots, leaves, and whatever else was at their disposal. At times, something worked. Then the healer would add to the healing therapy a lot of superstitious rites and practices, which served to conceal the real cure. Thus the healer made sure that people would have to continue using his services. In this way, medicine became shrouded in mystery, and people were encouraged to look to the supernatural for help.

These traditional healing methods live on in a number of lands. Many say that sickness is caused by the spirits of dead ancestors. Others say that God makes us sick and that illness is a punishment for our sins. Even when informed people understand the biological nature of sickness, they may still fear supernatural influences.

Sorcerers and traditional healers use this fear to exploit people. What, then, should we believe? Does it help to look to the spirits for health care? What does the Bible say?