Those who continue to deceive gullible people in the name of religion are not doing the society any good. Irrespective of the huge financial gains that accrue to these so-called men of God, playing on the intelligence of people in the name of God is nothing short of blasphemy. Unfortunately, the level of poverty and deprivation in Africa has continued to give these deceivers the leeway to continue their deceptive shenanigans.
I write with great concern and worry in my heart just as I feel so sad that many souls have been wasted as a result of ignorance and sheer stupidity. Why, for instance, would someone undergoing chemotherapy abandon the process and cling to the warped doctrine of a fellow human being who is only being deified by people who have been brainwashed?
Prayer has remained an essential ingredient for the spiritual wellbeing of man. However, using spiritual items for healing has not been specifically recognised to be effective by medical practitioners because such practice is classified under faith-healing, which in itself is not an aspect of orthodox medicine. This, notwithstanding, does not foreclose the possibility that faith-healing happens, as enshrined in the different religious tenets of the world.
During the time of Jesus Christ on earth, he was credited to have performed many miracles, such as healing the blind, raising the dead, making the lame walk again and providing more than enough food to feed multitudes of people. The same Jesus also said that greater miracles would be performed after Him and through Him.
However, there is no instance in the Bible where Jesus told His disciples or followers not to take medication because He had given them power to perform miracles. Inasmuch as there is no such instance, it would be dangerous for anyone to jettison medication just because their spiritual leader said so. Diseases like cancer, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, kidney damage and liver cirrhosis require urgent and systematic treatment schedules and not mere prayer. Prayer should be complementary when battling these conditions; it should not be the basis for treatment.
In all their boastful pontifications on their ability to minister healing to the sick, many Nigerian clergymen present themselves as God and oftentimes lead their followers astray with controversial teachings on the application of faith. It will even shock you to discover that some of the so-called healings that take place in Nigeria are arranged or manipulated through the use of special effects on television. Without trying to undermine the demonstration of God’s healing power through few genuine men of God, I have never seen any Nigerian pastor who has called out someone like Stevie Wonder for healing. At least, we all know him to be blind from birth. Some Nigerian pastors who advertise their healings should invite him and make him see again, just as Jesus did to the blind Bartimaeus.
In early March, 2020, the Nigerian media was awash with the case of a particular woman named Mrs Bose Olasunkanmi who was paraded for allegedly being used to stage fake miracles by some Nigerian pastors. It was business in every sense of the word, as she was used to deceive the unsuspecting public by those pastors who advertised signs and wonders after which she was paid some token.
Just as I stated earlier, the poor woman had fallen for the dubious arrangement largely due to poverty. With many bills to pay and the reality of widowhood biting harder and harder, she couldn’t resist the offer.
Telling people to stop their medication while deceiving them with fake miracles is a serious crime both in the face of the law and in the face of God. There is no greater crime against humanity!
The problem with Africa is that, most of our leaders lack the political will to check the excesses of these men of God who arrogate anointing to themselves. You will always hear, “Touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm”. This scripture has been greatly bastardised and has become the biggest fight back weapon for those fake clergymen who always want to defend their unholy deeds in the eyes of men.
I call on every Nigerian – irrespective of religious preferences – to resist being cowed by any prophet of doom masquerading as an angel of light. When sickness troubles you, take your medication and commit your recovery into God’s hand. Don’t you ever believe that prayer alone cures any ailment. God knows that He cannot come down physically to heal you and so, He has made provision for all kinds of medicines through divine inspiration in the medical and health sciences for our own good.
