Joseph Ade-Gold, Contributor

The information released by the Constabulary Communication Network last month was shocking. Seven hundred and twenty-three children missing! Two were found dead - mutilated.

Since that report, the news has indicated that more children are being reported missing. Where are these children? Are they missing solely as a result of the breakdown of values and morals in our society? Are they on child-trade programmes (human trafficking)? Have these children, mostly girls, gone with men because of the increase in promiscuity in our society?

Times and seasons

It is the responsibility of the Church to tell the Government of Jamaica what to do on this matter of our missing children. The issue of blood imagery is carefully noted in the Bible. It is worse when it has to do with child sacrifice. The book, Child Sacrifices as a Foreign Practice by Francesca Stavrakopoulou is worthy of study. The book examines a number of Bible passages such as Jeremiah 19:4-5 and Ezekiel 16 and 23. Jeremiah 19:4-5 is an allusion to child sacrifices, and relates to the readers the motive of such sacrifices.

Francesca Stavrakopoulou submits that the act by King Manasseh of killing (children) innocent blood can be compared with Psalm 106:37-48. The same Hebrew words for innocent blood in 2 Kings 21:16 is the same as in Psalm 106:38. Many commentators believe that Manasseh the King became involved in the sacrifices of children for power and fame.

"Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents; they have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind" (Jeremiah 19:4-5).

From a biblical perspective, some things are worthy of mention:

1. Child sacrifices are real. Children are targets of cult crime

2. Child sacrifice can be carried out single-handedly or as a communal exercise;

3. Child sacrifice is a cult practice that may be interpreted as a social crime;

4. Children are offered as sacrifices to gods for wealth or power;

5. Children sacrificed may be burnt, buried, or have sexual rituals performed on them.

1. International scene

Let us carefully examine cult crimes on the international scene. Lisa W. Foderano, wrote a special report to the New York Times on June 17, 1989 titled 'Officers Study Voodoo to Identify Cult Crime'. In this report, Lisa Foderano reported that eight police officers from across New York State attended a seminar in Westchester County village. Similar seminars were also held in Albany and Buffalo.

The seminar was on police response to satanism and the occult and was organised by the New York State Sheriff's Association. The aim was to alert law enforcement officials to the growing incidences nationwide of cultism, particularly of the satanic variety.

John Joyce, the project director indicated that crime cult is growing especially among kids. Many participants in the seminar reported an increase in what they believe was evidence of rituals. Anthony Moses, Westchester's Commissioner of Public Safety who has investigated several incidents of animal mutilation, puts it straight. He said, "The highest form of satanism, of course, is the human sacrifice".

Satanism, drug-smuggling

The seminar pointed out that Satanism and drug smuggling are contributing factors to these satanic evils of mutilation of bodies reported around the nation. The seminar mentioned a drug cult that killed 15 children in an act of satanism. Sgt John Penney who also attended the seminar said, "You've got to be educated".

That is the advice I also want to give to our police and security agents, our pastors and religious leaders, our politicians and civil servants, let us be educated on this matter!

Where are our children? They may have become objects of sexual rituals. Sexual rituals are sexual acts that are demonic. Sexual rituals in satanism is an act of initiation into witchcraft. The soul of the victim is tapped into and such person will be manipulated as much as the Satanist requires.

Let us be clear in our minds that there will be increases in cult practices. Every member of the society has a role to play in preventing cult crime. I therefore propose the following actions:

1. The Government needs to establish an agency under the prime minister that will conduct research and monitor religious movements in Jamaica. This is not to enslave the churches, but rather to be sure that no cultic religion that practices blood rituals is allowed to practise in the land. Any religious group with secrets are prone to such cultic practices.

2. The Jamaica Constabulary Force could invite representatives of the New York Police and other such authorities on the matter to Jamaica to conduct seminars and training sessions on how to handle cult crimes.

3. Conduct high-level interviews with some of the young people who have been victims of cult crime and have been released.

This may lead to discovering cult sites and monuments across the nation. Let us be aware that one of the instruments used by cult criminals is mind control. Mind control is like hypnosis.

These victims must be referred for counselling by deliverance ministers or Christian counsellors with a knowledge of the operations of the spiritual realm. Demons are involved in this act of mind control. Proper security needs to be provided for them after these interviews.

4. Create public awareness among parents, school authorities and community leaders about cult crimes. One such example is a recent documentary aired on NBC showing an interview by Geraldo Rivera on drug smuggling cults.

School security

5. Increase security in our schools. More attention needs to be paid to our children on our school compounds, while the parents take up the responsibility of security outside the school gates.

6. Community members must be sensitive to strange activities, strange fires, strange gatherings in their communities. The perpetrators of cult crimes are not all ordinary men in the society. Some of them are well-respected members of high society. Sacrifices could be conducted for wealth increase, stability, or protection. In addition, those who kidnap the children may not be the same as those who perform the acts.

7. Pray! The church - the Christians among us, must pray. Nothing beats prayer. The cult criminals have gone deep into the spiritual realm. Prayer can destroy their cords of evil.

Bishop Joseph Ade-Gold is senior pastor at Overcomers World Ministries. He may be reached at joadegold@hotmail.com.