Prosperity preaching among churches promoting poverty, occultism — Don

A Professor of Religious Studies, Kehinde Obasola, has expressed concern over the increasing wave of prosperity gospel coming from the pulpits of many Pentecostal churches in Nigeria, warning that it is counterproductive.

Obasola described the prosperity gospel as a prominent idea churches in the country teach and preach to congregants, telling them that Redemption through Jesus Christ releases one not just from death and damnation but also from poverty, lack, sickness and other evils while constantly reminding the followers that their promised fortune will not materialise until they have sown seeds, paid tithes, made big cash or property gifts.

He lamented that while the prosperity gospel preachers are evidently amassing enormous fortune and living in opulence steadily, their followers remained largely impoverished, having been plunged into poverty due to high routine contributions, tithes, and special offerings imposed on them.

Prof Obasola, according to the statement, on Sunday made this known while delivering the 115th Inaugural lecture of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, with the theme ”Delivering God From Evil: An Afro-Philosophical Perspective”.

Citing over a dozen preachers, including the late Temitope Balogun Joshua, as being involved in purveying prosperity messages, he gave reasons that the line of teaching was inducing evil in the country and Africa, saying apart from promoting poverty, it was also breeding occultism and cultic theology, greed, self – indulgence, selfishness, lack of Christian virtues and materialism in society.

He urged Nigerians to be self-aware all the time and critically interrogate every doctrine or message coming out from the pulpits, warning that some of the prosperity preachers use “altered state of consciousness, peer pressure and hypnotic suggestions” to manipulate and exploit their victims(followers).

Obasola, during the inaugural lecture, was quoted as saying, “The prosperity gospel has pushed pastors and leaders to embrace corrupt patterns of leadership, which is depriving people of their hard-earned money, plunging them into poverty. As a result of the high contributions and levies imposed on them, congregants have been financially exploited.

“Churches are rapidly expanding in many parts of Africa today, yet Sub-Saharan Africa is the only place in the world where poverty is increasing. The prosperity gospel is not working. It impoverishes the followers.

“Prior to the arrival of Christianity in Africa, particularly Nigeria, people went to witch doctors and sacrificed goats or cows to get prosperity. They pour libations over the ground for the gods to hear their petitions. Similar acts persist now because prosperity preachers have become Ifa priests.

“There are stories of church preachers burying live animals beneath the floor of their churches to gain people’s favour. People who follow these prosperity preachers are reminded that their promised fortune will not materialise until they make big cash or property gifts.”