Ali Adoyi: Why new Generation Churches must be banned in Nigeria

Most of the time, people often find it difficult to take up religious issues, people like more of secular stuffs in their discourse. Nigerians believe that religion is very sensitive and a no-go area. Some deliberately avoid topics that ask very sensitive religious questions, simply because of allegiance to their Pastors and not really about God. Believe it or not, reasonable number of Nigerians are selfish church goers who seek after worldly blessings from their Pastors, not really God, and now finding it difficult to distinguish between the face of God and the face of man-Pastors.  I am not saying that one should disrespect an anointed man of God, but respect is clearly different from worship. I doubt you can read into another line, because of your obsessive attitude. I know that fundamentalists do not read into another line when they see that a particular gospel is not in line with their philosophy.
The same people who have confirmed  their firm belief in God recently to different churches in Enugu, pulling down the various effigies scattered across different catholic churches, leaving some notes behind, with the inscription; “stop worshipping Idol”. So the question is, are these really God’s own people? Who could have possibly done this? Is this extremism about being a child of God, or enemy of the most high who instituted the catholic religion and tradition?
When they say we are all worshipping the same God, I just wink, smile, and ignore such assertion to pass through the other side of my ears. What on earth should connect the Anglican, the catholic, the Methodist and the Baptist churches with all these “what’s up” churches? Even with the anger that boils in me, I will not call names of those churches that ironically defile the several messages of Jesus Christ on the oxymoronic relationship that exists between eternal life and wealth; you know your church, so let your conscience prick you. A church that I know was instituted due to insatiable quest for money among those greedy brothers who departed from the Anglican or the Catholic Church cannot come out today to insult and debase the Catholic Church…never.
I’m provoked by the recent statement from the same people who should be lashed for running after miracles and wealth. They have said that the Catholic tradition was old and sacrilegious, hence needs to be discarded. I’m just amazed at their myopic reasoning, which I could simply term a ‘blind’ man’s recommendation emanating from the fear of retribution for all they have done to the Nigerian masses. Have you wondered even for once why the Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, and the Baptist church share so much in common? That tells more about the originality of these Churches and certain ancient traditions that have been passed down to churches of this generation, that modernism cannot toy with.

You sit there and watch your pastor in his Afro hairstyle, and his Michael Jackson’s suit, doing his Michael Jackson steps, while he preaches prosperity to suck you of the little you have, and you think you are wise, and you still have the gut to pull down the statues of Christ?
You sit down right there watching your fat bellied pastors, thinking of how to add one or two jets to the already acquired ones, shouting halleluiah in celebration; meanwhile, you wallow in poverty. Amazingly, you have the guts to pull down the church of God and its sacramental.
I’m now wiser than ever, as I have suddenly realized that I have been fooling myself all these years by being a member of this life saving church. It is ironical that what is supposed to save life has killed me 20 times emotionally. I had donated my entire salary to a church-pastor, thinking that I was giving it to God, as I had thought the pastor was equally going to be philanthropic to the poor, but he ironically headed for the best jet; only for his comfort, and I wonder if such mean-spirited acquisition of property has anything to do with the kingdom of God.
Why must a pastor ask for consultancy fee before you see him? Do we now pay for God’s blessings and inquiries?

Are pastors now ‘babalawos’ that must demand for impossible items before rituals are performed? I remember when Christ rebuked the crowd for merely seeking for miracle instead of seeking for the ‘word’. I can’t say the exact quote, but you and I know the truth. Why is the church of God now church of miracle instead of emphasizing on the ‘word’? So you think all Pastors are sent from above? I just can’t imagine the signs and wonders that are being performed by some men of God. I have been compelled to begin to compare some with Elijah, but the only difference is that while Elijah did his signs and wonders that spread to all parts of the world, your Pastor, our pastors advertise their miracles in order to get more congregations that can possibly donate into their coffers.

My friend, the real pastors, or men of God are not known. They are hidden in the sanctuary of God. They are quiet and strong with their faith. They believe that even in the silence of their words, they touch souls, and save human lives.  My brother, the real men of God would not allow their white apparels to be stained with issues of marriage and divorce. The real men of God cannot beat up a member in an attempt to perform some healing miracle or cast out demons. That real man of God doesn’t need to shout to call God’s favour to the alter. That real man of God speaks words like Elijah in a contest with the baar prophet, and fire answers. The real man of God cannot repeatedly say Holy Ghost fire before fire consumes. In the quiet of his room, many are healed, even  the media will never be his friend. A real man of God will deprive himself of certain luxuries of life and publicity that will push him into hiring bodyguards for his safety. He will live an exemplary life, a life of poverty, because God is "poor", and that is why he lived with the poor. I get it vividly when Christ said “ It will be easier  for the head of a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a rich man to pass through into the kingdom of God”. That real man of God does not call for conference and term it healing conference. If anybody is going to get healed, it’s simply by the power of God, and the faith of the individual involved. The disciples were commission not to do miracles but to spread the ‘word’ to the end of the world. It is only by doing so, that the ‘word’ heals. You don’t really need to prepare for miracle before it happens. It becomes more of psychological pronouncement than healing when you tell someone that he will be healed when he comes to crusade with certain requirement.  Funny men of God. Christmas is fast approaching now, and you will begin to see fliers flying around town. Different money making  pastors will soon begin to call for their season’s business. I call some of the churches “ seed sowing churches”. Their preaching is usually one sided; “if you don’t sow seeds, you won’t get blessed”. It’s not that God will bless you, then you go  and bless the poor in return, but to continuously sow seeds for them.
Nigerian pastors have studied our psychology. They know that Nigerians are suffering, and are continuously in search of what will make them happy. The message is straight… hear them -“you are born to be rich, and if you are not rich, it means certain forces are working against you. If you come to my church, your life will not remain the same again. Your prayers would be answered”
So we all doubt our relationship  with God, we doubt that we can talk to God any time so long as we have faith in him and always do his will. We often doubt his power over us by believing that another man’s prayer through some payments works better.  We believe we can bribe God.
My people, if this deception must stop, then the government must intensify efforts towards placing ban on some popular money making churches. If we don’t regulate the operation of those churches in Nigeria today, poverty will regulate us, as people will continue to be impoverished by these fat bellied pastors. This is the reality, take it or leave. I recommend Catholic, Methodist, Anglican, and Baptist churches as the best churches to attend in this era of unemployment.  This is what we should talk about now, and not about some harmless statues. We cannot be talking about corruption in government when men of God themselves are corrupt, unless you don’t know the definition of corruption. I think some churches are into  advanced “yahoo-yahoo ( 419)”
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