CHRISTIANITY IN NIGERIA: A CLASH OF OPPOSITES-BETWEEN MATERIALISM AND TRUE RELIGION.
What is happening in our world today? What has happened to true Christianity expounded and taught by Apostle James in James 1:27? Today,true religion has died a natural death and has since been buried in the sepulchre of materialistic theology. Go to any Christian church today and you will discover that it's all launching and fundraising ceremony masquerading as sermons. In fact, if a priest or pastor's preaching is devoid of a mention of monetary giving, he's considered as someone out of touch with modernity in religion. He is not a committed church man of the 21st century. Before now, the church used to be a refuge for the needy seeking comfort for his or her soul. I can still recall when I was a little boy of about 9 years old. I always was fascinated by the selfless lifestyle of the missionary priests who could even give up their personal comfort so that the poor in my village then could have their needs met. As a matter of fact, I was so highly inspired by their way of life that I began to nurse a noble ambition to go to the seminary for a study towards priesthood ( though this dream never materialized due to parental opposition).
But what is the case today? Ours is a time when liberation theology has come to be replaced with materialist-inclined theology. Christianity has been elevated to a level when poverty has become abominable-undesirable evil.The poor can no longer feel comfortable in the church. He is seen by the rich as a pest because he has no money to donate in church. And because he has been told severally that poverty is a curse which must die by Holy Ghost fire, he is ashamed of going to church if he has no money on him.He is the wizard or witch (female) who must die by fire. What a pity!
As rightly stated by the fiery Bishop of the Catholic diocese of Sokoto, Most Revd Dr Mathew H.Kukah during his 2015 Christmas message ,today, we Africans pride ourselves on our expansive, expressive, explosive, superfluous and ubiquitous show of dubious religiosity matched by a most deplorable lifestyle of deceit, banditry and criminality. Today, we Christian leaders have created the conditions for our men and women in public life to misbehave in the name of God and indeed we Christian leaders have mutilated the message of Jesus Christ. We Christians all share in the fraud that has engulfed our nation and we must therefore find the courage to ask ourselves some very hard questions while searching our consciences. The drama and theatre that masquerades as Christianity should be a cause for concern for all of us and invitation to soul-searching.
Jesus did not ask us to become famous healers, wonder workers, miracle hawkers,fortune -tellers,money doublers,stargazers or prayer warriors for the rich and the powerful. In His real life, He chased all of these false prophets out with whips. The prophetic voice today should thunderously warn that the mighty could be cast down from their thrones and the lowly will be lifted up. Instead, what we see today is an army of obsequious sycophants grovelling and kowtowing before the thrones of power. From their hymn books, they sing deceitful ululations assuring those who have stolen wealth and power that it shall be permanent because it is the Lord who has done it. Suddenly, all of us have become princes,and we have a God who does nothing but butter our bread. Suddenly all of us have to be rich, and none of us can fall sick because sickness is a curse. We are told that wealth and power are signatures of God's love and blessing and that everyone outside our small circle of fraud is a sinner to be cast out and burnt by Holy Ghost fire. But did the real Holy Ghost fire not burn out fear and enable the tongue of the Apostles to speak the truth? Jesus called us to be witnesses. Jesus did not ask that we should be called His followers;neither did the early Apostles go about saying so. Rather, it was unbelievers who saw His followers withstand torture and humiliation,they saw His disciples literally walking in His footsteps,it was then that they called them Christians (Acts 11:26).
Jesus did not ask us to become famous healers, wonder workers, miracle hawkers,fortune -tellers,money doublers,stargazers or prayer warriors for the rich and the powerful. In His real life, He chased all of these false prophets out with whips. The prophetic voice today should thunderously warn that the mighty could be cast down from their thrones and the lowly will be lifted up. Instead, what we see today is an army of obsequious sycophants grovelling and kowtowing before the thrones of power. From their hymn books, they sing deceitful ululations assuring those who have stolen wealth and power that it shall be permanent because it is the Lord who has done it. Suddenly, all of us have become princes,and we have a God who does nothing but butter our bread. Suddenly all of us have to be rich, and none of us can fall sick because sickness is a curse. We are told that wealth and power are signatures of God's love and blessing and that everyone outside our small circle of fraud is a sinner to be cast out and burnt by Holy Ghost fire. But did the real Holy Ghost fire not burn out fear and enable the tongue of the Apostles to speak the truth? Jesus called us to be witnesses. Jesus did not ask that we should be called His followers;neither did the early Apostles go about saying so. Rather, it was unbelievers who saw His followers withstand torture and humiliation,they saw His disciples literally walking in His footsteps,it was then that they called them Christians (Acts 11:26).
In a bid to increase their churches' numerical strength,which is invariably expected to translate to more money in the church treasury, many men of the clothes have soiled their hands with the oil of occultism having unholy alliances with the devils in water who bestow some mysterious healing powers on those seekers of healing powers. The words of the psalmist is instructive here "those who rush to other gods bring many troubles on themselves. I will not take part in their sacrifices; I will not worship their gods. You Oh Lord are all I have and you give me all I need; my future is in your hands" (cf Psalm 16:4-5).
Our duty as Christians do not entail erection and worship of false prophets and gods;our duty is to stand against every manifestation of false prophecies and worship of false gods while soberly and prayerfully turning to Jesus for answers. I'm not unmindful of the enormous challenges we face from those who have been brainwashed by self-appointed Christian leaders. The challenges persist because the poor followers still wallowing in some kind stark hypocrisy and self delusion won't just accept the truth. One thing I know is- people can't be deceived for too long. At the right time, the sources of some of their healing powers will be revealed because I am certain that only a few are actually interested in the salvation of lost souls. A great majority are more interested in building perishable religious edifices and empires than helping the needy. Some have started thinking of raising billions of naira just to build mere structures that span several kilometres in length and breath. Do you think Jesus Christ would have done the same if he had been here today? What about the poor, unemployed people? Shouldn't our men of the clothes raise such money for their empowerment? God is watching! As for me, I think I'm too enlightened to fall victim of religious manipulation and deception, not when I still have my holy Bible with me. May God save us from neo-colonialists and greedy capitalists in sheep's clothing.
Our duty as Christians do not entail erection and worship of false prophets and gods;our duty is to stand against every manifestation of false prophecies and worship of false gods while soberly and prayerfully turning to Jesus for answers. I'm not unmindful of the enormous challenges we face from those who have been brainwashed by self-appointed Christian leaders. The challenges persist because the poor followers still wallowing in some kind stark hypocrisy and self delusion won't just accept the truth. One thing I know is- people can't be deceived for too long. At the right time, the sources of some of their healing powers will be revealed because I am certain that only a few are actually interested in the salvation of lost souls. A great majority are more interested in building perishable religious edifices and empires than helping the needy. Some have started thinking of raising billions of naira just to build mere structures that span several kilometres in length and breath. Do you think Jesus Christ would have done the same if he had been here today? What about the poor, unemployed people? Shouldn't our men of the clothes raise such money for their empowerment? God is watching! As for me, I think I'm too enlightened to fall victim of religious manipulation and deception, not when I still have my holy Bible with me. May God save us from neo-colonialists and greedy capitalists in sheep's clothing.
Comments