THE RELATIONSHIP between religion and the family is supposed to be symbiotic and complementary. Religion provides the avenue for humans to commune with their creator. This is the essence of humanity that separates us from other animals. It is only humans that have that instinct for worship. Hence, religion ought to be a source of divine guidance to the family. No one is more qualified to provide an operational manual to families than the one who created the family in the first place.
A preacher is supposed to practice what he preaches. This is exemplary leadership. In Nigeria, preachers have turned themselves into businessmen who rip off their members to enrich themselves.
This article will take a critical look at today’s religion and ascertain if it’s discharging its duty to the family as intended or not.
We can’t deny the fact that weddings are done in churches. We cannot also dispute the fact that churches and mosques are avenues for bonding within families. On Sundays and Fridays, people congregate at these places for worship. Whether the teachings are impacting positively on the lives of the worshippers is another thing. There is a disconnect between these activities and the reflection on the society in general. It is tragic and ironic that while the number of religious institutions is on the increase, sin and criminality are also growing in the same proportion.
The question is, is it the creator that has failed to provide an effective manual to operate a family or the preachers who have failed to preach right. Your guess is as good as mine. In Christendom today, men of God have turned themselves into gods of men. Many are misleading the sheep of God. The rot in today’s church is appalling and pathetic.
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A preacher is supposed to practice what he preaches. This is exemplary leadership. In Nigeria, preachers have turned themselves into businessmen who rip off their members to enrich themselves.
A survey will shock you to realise that a great percentage of those who own private jets are not businessmen but preachers. They extort money from their flock, set up educational institutions, yet the average members of their churches cannot afford to send their children to these schools, especially the universities. Hypocrisy in the superlative form!
Preachers of God’s word today are enmeshed in scandals and vices that drag their vaunted reputation to the mud. Some preachers put their faithful through horrifying ordeals. The news is replete with these stories. Sometimes ago a pastor set a member of his church ablaze. Others have immoral sexual relations with their members not excluding people’s wives.
In the post-independence era, missionaries set up schools as acts of charity. These schools were free. Where fees were charged, they were minimal and affordable. It is this missionary schools that assisted our forefathers to gain access to formal education. At that time, preachers were not living in mansions or fortresses, neither were they travelling in private jets. They lived simple lives in imitation of Christ. Today, preachers shamelessly show off their ill-gotten wealth in defiance to the principle of simplicity promoted by Christ.
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I will explain what I mean by “ill-gotten wealth.” The manner in which they get their wealth is everything but godly. There was a story of a woman who took the vehicle her husband bought to convey children to school, and offered it as sacrifice to a pastor. Of course, the pastor had no qualms accepting this offering. He prayed in tongues for the woman. The twist came when the husband came demanding to retrieve the vehicle. The man of God resisted. It took the police to recover this vehicle.
Religion, as practiced today, is bringing little succour to the family. My advice is: people must endeavour to study the word of the creator either in the Bible or Quran to understand what the creator wants from His worshippers. Relying on preachers alone for this vital information is misleading. Today’s preachers want to enjoy their reward here on. They encourage their followers to work towards inheriting heavenly bliss but they themselves are up for instant gratification here on earth.
Cases like this are many and in direct violation of the principle of “love your neighbour as you love yourself.” If you truly love someone, there are certain offers he makes that love will impel you to reject or turn down. Take for example the encounter between God and Abraham. Isaac was Abraham’s only child that he had through Sarah. God, in a test, asked Abraham to sacrifice the boy. When Abraham took his son to sacrifice, did God accept the offering? God is love and provides a superlative example of love. Am I saying sacrifice is wrong? No! Sacrifice has its place but it’s overrated today.
Preachers of God’s word today are enmeshed in scandals and vices that drag their vaunted reputation to the mud. Some preachers put their faithful through horrifying ordeals. The news is replete with these stories. Sometimes ago a pastor set a member of his church ablaze. Others have immoral sexual relations with their members not excluding people’s wives. This is very common with desperate wives in search of the fruit of the womb. They claim powers they don’t have. There was a pastor that claimed he had the power to resurrect the dead. He was humbled when his building collapsed killing scores of people, yet he couldn’t bring a single soul back to life.
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The story is not different even outside Christendom. Most religious leaders undermine their calling by constantly making inflammatory comments that threaten the peace of the nation and her corporate existence. Some believe that killing of non-believers is an act of worship to the creator. They forget that the creator who made the world can also undo it without help from any human. The elements are in the control of The Most High. If He chooses to bring the world to an end, He will do this in seconds. Take oxygen as an example. If the creator stops the supply of oxygen, the whole world will be wiped out in seconds. Thus, it is total ignorance and callousness that makes a man feel the creator needs his assistance to destroy His creation.
This obsession and fanatism is what have led many to self-destruction. Some have been impoverished by this mentality. Others have even paid the supreme price of death. We must rise against sentiments to be reasonable in discussing the issue of religion or else this shackle will remain a major roadblock to our spiritual emancipation.
Religion, as practiced today, is bringing little succour to the family. My advice is: people must endeavour to study the word of the creator either in the Bible or Quran to understand what the creator wants from His worshippers. Relying on preachers alone for this vital information is misleading. Today’s preachers want to enjoy their reward here on. They encourage their followers to work towards inheriting heavenly bliss but they themselves are up for instant gratification here on earth.
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Why build a mansion when you know you have a mansion in heaven? They preach that the heaven is their place of abode yet their actions belie that claim. It is the accurate knowledge of the truth about the creator that can help a family to serve God in spirit and truth.
Unfortunately, some people have been so brainwashed that once you state a fact about their “men of God,” they lose it and begin attacks on your person. Instead of debunking the fact, they resort to attacks on the individual who simply stated a known fact. Some of these people are the ones being exploited. It is very, very unfortunate!
This obsession and fanatism is what have led many to self-destruction. Some have been impoverished by this mentality. Others have even paid the supreme price of death. We must rise against sentiments to be reasonable in discussing the issue of religion or else this shackle will remain a major roadblock to our spiritual emancipation.
Godwin Aondohemba Abeghe, Life Coach, is a graduate of the University of Jos and a prominent speaker on Family and Family Relationship. He lives in Lagos, Nigeria and can be reached via email: torjomabeghe@gmail.com or WhatsApp: +234 705 257 1353.
