Followers want what societies can’t offer: identity and hope, writes Chris Maxon
We were recently entertained and tormented by the rape trial against televangelical pastor Timothy Omotoso, who is alleged to have raped young girls in the name of some god. Our people are lost. They are hopeless and sick, and in need of healing. Most importantly, they want to find themselves. The same is true of African pastors such as Paseka “Mboro” Motsoeneng, Shepherd Bushiri and Walter Magaya. The top six richest pastors in Africa, according to indapaper.com , are all from Nigeria.Others, the goose that offers willing and God-fearing people who would do anything, including submitting to sexual abuse, for prosperity.It is chronicled; the founder of the prosperity gospel “faith movement” was Essek William Kenyon , a pastor and founder of Bethel Bible Institute.
He argued that the religious hope for a better life in heaven is a drug that blinds people to their hardships and prevents them from taking the actions needed to lift themselves out of poverty; that religion works against the poor by keeping them complacent and docile. Therefore, the mushrooming of churches should not be confused with a sudden interest in Godly living, but rather in what God can do materially and physically for the individual.Interestingly, traditional beliefs are also based on the idea of manipulating supernatural forces for personal benefit, and so Christians who chase after miracles are not different from people who frequent traditional healers.
Jeremiah 8:22
When human babies are born they give out their first cry. But there is nothing to beat resurrection gasp! 🤣
Jeremiah 5:31