One would expect that with the proliferation of churches today, especially, in our country and in Africa as a whole, immoral acts such as, idolatry, adultery, swindling (scamming), bribery and corruption, broad daylight extortion of money in the name of Christ and other forms of moral decadence would decline but the reverse is true; they are rather on the ascendency.
Most of the perpetuators of these crimes are the ‘dream-and-become-a-pastor-overnight guys’.
Their victims are the poor and needy, the marginalized in society who are also gullible, desperate to become rich overnight and sometimes the rich and affluent, who want to safeguard their properties. Lots of talk shows and social media platforms have discussed topics on this very issue.
However, nothing concrete has been done to safeguard our country and continent from the perpetuators of these vices.
Unfortunately, our economy’s volatile nature has increased joblessness rendered many people prey to these ‘Men and women of God.’ Several people have told their sad stories of how these imposters have dealt with them, yet people keep to scurrying to these ‘lion’s dens.’
As much as many would blame these men and women of God, the victims also have ourselves to blame; the sad stories from other victims should deter us from their clutches.
These days, in Ghana, we talk so much about cracking down on illegal miners. Indeed, these pastors are equally ‘Religious Illegal Miners’ (RIM). The force and strategies used to fight against ‘Galamsey’ should be same approach for stopping such pastors, priests and prophets.
Gone are the days when we knew only the Orthodox Churches, Protestant Churches, the Catholic Church, and later a seasoned Pentecostal Church. Surely, sins were committed then but they were not so naked and disgusting as we experience today. Sad to add that some pastors and priests of these ‘renown’ churches are being led astray by these ‘theatrical-pastors’ con-prophets, self-imposed apostles and ‘galamsey-bishops’, all because of money. These ‘pastors’ are so vociferous on social media to the extent that one would unconsciously tend to listen to them.
More to the point, the strange and sad part of the story is that, ‘well educated and exposed people’, who should know better, equally fall prey to these pastors, who seem to have all the gifts of the Holy Spirit imbued in one man and women of God. God certainly gives gifts through the Holy Spirit but ‘common sense’ should tell anyone that God would not invest all the gifts into one person or pastor; imagine one person having all the gifts of Holy Spirit. Go to any pastor today with any issue concerning any gifts of the Holy Spirit and he or she has ‘well-cooked answers’ for you.
This is absurd in my opinion. Why? Are you God?
Wander into any empty classroom in the evenings or weekends, empty garages and playing fields, all these places have been converted into prayer camps, spiritual centers and churches. You can literally tell the “quackness” of these churches from their names: Followers of the Intimate Love of Jesus International Global Chapel, Enriching Life Ministry Chapel International, Eucharistic Glory and Praise Evangelical Church International, Miracle fellowship Church of God’s Sons and Daughters International Ministry, Divine Word Evangelism International etc. Many times, these names do not add up. Giant billboards with elegant pictures of the pastors and their wives and not Jesus whom they serve as their master, yet people troop to these places to waste their precious time and hard earned money.
Running a church or pastoring a church today can be very lucrative: Blessing of religious artifacts (oil, water, pastor’s miraculous stickers), pronouncements of blessing from God, consultation, prophecies, prayers, home visitations and officiating at church members programs by these ‘Men of God’ are for a stipulated fee (exorbitant fees) in some Churches. Another forum where they extort money from the people are the various forms of collections taken (pastor wife wall drop, pastor’s mother in-law’s birthday), tithes, and sowing seeds for a better life. Next to our honorable politicians are our ‘glorious pastors’, prophets and bishops. These guys are un-examinable, untouchable and untaxable. They make huge sums of monies but nothing to show for it in society. They are busily building empires for themselves and their children. After they have been ‘rich enough’ through such means, they pass the baton to another person and disappear. All these extortionists are allowed to operate and walk freely because of freedom of worship or freedom of religion and the fear of hurting God’s anointed.
The ‘law is truly an ass’ sometimes. Sometimes, I wonder if there are laws and directives governing religious activity. Many are hiding behind the name of God and committing crimes and atrocities.
The whole essence of religion today has been twisted to something else in Africa and for that matter Ghana. Religion has become the grounds for extortion, making quick money at the expense of some clueless and desperate followers, corruption, killing of innocent people, especially defenseless babies, tearing families apart in the name of prophecies, reproaching and victimizing people publicly because of their sins, levying them with outrageous taxes, dehumanizing exercises for the reparation of their sins and all kinds of atrocities. Women are often the most targeted in these circumstance.
We certainly need more understanding of the correct definition of religion and the ultimate meaning of the word religion. The etymology of the word religion comes from a Latin word “Re-Ligare”. “Ligare” means “to bind” or to “connect”.
Adding the “re” before “ligare” causes the word to mean “Re-Bind” or “Re-Connect.” In other words, it means to relate; to relate with God and to relate to one’s neighbor. The book of 1st John gives us a rather practical or concrete way to relate to God. The book of 1st John says, ‘if you say you love God and hate your neighbor, you are a liar’.
This certainly, is a more practical way to understand religion. The majority of the problem we have and are running around looking for miracles and healing for are 90% relational issues and if we love the way God truly expects of us, most of these problems will disappear. If you truly love God, it should be translated in concrete terms through you loving your neighbor.
Nicholas Nibetol Aazine, SVD is the Coordinator for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation, Ghana-Liberia Province) Divine Word Missionaries: A Catholic Missionary Society || Email: justiceandpeaceint@gmil.com or nicholasbetol@gmail.com
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