Pastors can only con part-time thinkers
Jul 31, 2007
EDITOR—Nearly every newspaper article I have read since journalists started exposing pastors who con Ugandans has been critical for obvious reasons. But there is the other side of the coin we are not looking at.
EDITOR—Nearly every newspaper article I have read since journalists started exposing pastors who con Ugandans has been critical for obvious reasons. But there is the other side of the coin we are not looking at.
Without trying to absolve the errant pastors from any blame, I will critically look at that side. The vast majority of the people who have been conned seem to be afraid to think, and they believe because they are afraid not todo so. Some of these people, for example, take money to pastors because they want to get visas to go either to Britain or to the United States for menial jobs. Most Ugandans I know who live and work in the UK and America are illegal immigrants.
And those who are desperate to go also want live there illegally. So when someone tells a pastor that they need a UK or a US visa, and that he should pray for them to get a visa, it means that Jesus or God listens to and answers prayers of wrongdoers! Anybody who does not think part-time must know that no amount of prayers can get you a visa.
You get a visa because you have convincing reasons to get one. Ugandans who think pastors can enable them get visas should be frank and tell them that they want to live abroad illegally. If the pastors insist that they can still pray for them to get visas, they should ask the pastors why Jesus or God would allow this.
They should ask pastors how prayers can make non-convincing reasons for seeking a visa become convincing. Many people who go to the numerous churches of born-again Christians in Uganda have failed to ask questions they must ask because they are afraid to think. Other reasons have something to do with the fact that religious claims are not supposed to be questioned.
They are not subjected to the same close scrutiny other claims and assertions are subjected to. A pastor can tell his congregation that he talked to God and they will be content to go with that yet a pastor is a human being like everybody else.
We all have five senses that perceive things that exist and should use them. If you believe in a reasonable and thoughtful God, you will be alright.
People who are doing religious work should also find other jobs to do. They do not have to do this full-time and expect others to finance their lifestyles.
Robert Musaazi Namiti
Cardiff University, UK
Without trying to absolve the errant pastors from any blame, I will critically look at that side. The vast majority of the people who have been conned seem to be afraid to think, and they believe because they are afraid not todo so. Some of these people, for example, take money to pastors because they want to get visas to go either to Britain or to the United States for menial jobs. Most Ugandans I know who live and work in the UK and America are illegal immigrants.
And those who are desperate to go also want live there illegally. So when someone tells a pastor that they need a UK or a US visa, and that he should pray for them to get a visa, it means that Jesus or God listens to and answers prayers of wrongdoers! Anybody who does not think part-time must know that no amount of prayers can get you a visa.
You get a visa because you have convincing reasons to get one. Ugandans who think pastors can enable them get visas should be frank and tell them that they want to live abroad illegally. If the pastors insist that they can still pray for them to get visas, they should ask the pastors why Jesus or God would allow this.
They should ask pastors how prayers can make non-convincing reasons for seeking a visa become convincing. Many people who go to the numerous churches of born-again Christians in Uganda have failed to ask questions they must ask because they are afraid to think. Other reasons have something to do with the fact that religious claims are not supposed to be questioned.
They are not subjected to the same close scrutiny other claims and assertions are subjected to. A pastor can tell his congregation that he talked to God and they will be content to go with that yet a pastor is a human being like everybody else.
We all have five senses that perceive things that exist and should use them. If you believe in a reasonable and thoughtful God, you will be alright.
People who are doing religious work should also find other jobs to do. They do not have to do this full-time and expect others to finance their lifestyles.
Robert Musaazi Namiti
Cardiff University, UK