Chaos in the house....what’s going on, why, what does it mean?

By Clive Mutame Siachiyako

Religiosity does not seem to make sense anymore. Happenings in some religious groupings are baffling. The ordained purpose of church has lost touch. People have taken jokes to far it seems, taking drama to the presence of the Most High. They are turning religiosity into a hotbed of chaos, deception, lies and treachery.

It is very common to hear a ‘man of God’ telling congregants to do mundane things. Very bizarre and questionable things; yet people do as told by their pastors/prophets. Stories about people eating grass because their pastor said so, women being made to have sex with the pastor to cleanse them, people emptying their hard earned money to support flamboyant lifestyles of their pastors, etc. are very common.  

When I was in the religiosity mazy one Friday, an Awake Booklet was dropped at my apartment by two people [Jehovah's Witnesses]. Although I was pretty busy working on my stuff, I spared them few minutes to hear what they had for me. My quick talk with them led to an avalanche of issues, ranging from war and terror to strange religious practices of all sorts doing rounds in the world. By the time they were saying bye, we had touched way too much to chew.

Anyway, one of the booklets they gave me had a title “Is religion dying out?” I have no idea whether it is dying or it is being ruined by human excitement, manipulation and utter gullibility of believers to anything looking religiosity. It is a pity people become so blind to matters of salvation even when the bible cautions about “false prophets” and beckoning us to “test all spirits to see whether they are from God.”

If you speak against a strange religion, you are either branded evil or outcast. You will be reprimanded and bombarded with “touch not the anointed of God” verbose. I do not appreciate unreasonable religiosity, questionable and mundane. God cannot be worshipped blindly, the bible has too much light to shine amid all sorts of darkness fakism brings in religion spheres.

But people accept this mediocrity by refusing to see beyond their nose. They accept to be abused and taken advantage of by liars, criminals and thieves hiding behind scripture. Not everyone has fallen prey to strange beliefs. The happenings in churches, mosques, synagogues, diocese, chapels, cathedrals, etc., are disillusioning many.

Why are some people disillusioned?

The way religious leaders conduct things and organise worship and religious business send some people into disillusion. A storm of religious sanctioned violence and terror, sex scandals and other subtle acts that are engineered by religious leaders would leave you spellbound...literally speechless, confused and lost. Material prosperity has drastically risen in most religious establishments. Splendour, driving massive and pouch cars, private jets, living in exquisite bungalows, wearing gold and diamonds, etc are ways of showcasing how religious one is in today’s ways of worship the Super Being.

Nothing wrong with being rich as religious leader, after all bible recordings say King Solomon was awesomely wealth. But how is that wealth accumulated? We have seen magic flying all over religious groupings in the name of attracting followers, self praise and human worship being the trend. The “love of money” is supplanting the love of God. Maybe that is why proverbs 30:8-9 says “give me neither poverty nor riches so that I do not become satisfied and deny you.”

Some level of love for money is way out of line. Some religious leaders have gone as far as participating in ritualistic acts to remain on top of the wealth ladder. Supporting political figures for financial purposes is very common too. There are laughable stories of something called miracle money. We should quit being lazy...the bible [for Christians] says those who are lazy should not eat!

“The real miracle money is one where a Man of God prays for you and you find favour in the eyes of other people that give you a job to give you money every monthend or assist you to set up a business for your lifetime success and sustenance,” my friend Kunda Macintosh would argue. I agree with him, we have to be realistic, since when did money start falling like rains? Even Adam and Eve when put in the Garden of Eden to undertake economic activities.

Secondly, morality has fallen below par among religious leaders. Churches were beacons of morality years back. I remember my friends who could handsomely get drunk and pee in their trousers saying “when it is time for marriage, we will go find wives in church.” Religious ladies were desirable marriage partners those days. But today, churches are reducing themselves to laughable dens of sexual misdeeds.

Some churches have crudely lost touch with the core of religiosity. They have become so irrelevant...making people lose even the little confidence in them. Churches cannot be considered moral arbiters anymore; they are something else to look up to. Very few of them are holding on to the truth and speaking truthfully no matter how others may look at them as old fashioned.

The bible says “by their fruits you will know them.” This is truer because “every good tree produces fine fruits...whereas every rotten tree produces worthless fruits.” Fruits that cannot add any value to one’s spiritual or basic life...but make them move like headless chickens without a spiritual foundation.

Thirdly, out of their strange religiosity, some church leaders put so much emphasis on financial prosperity and other endless financial whatevers! What happened to the message of salvation? Are churches so lost that they have run away from their ordained function? Why turning themselves into financial dreamers, coupled with magic, ritualism and obsession melees?

Following biblical writings, today’s religious practices fit into the description of a “flamboyant prostitute” [named Babylon the Great]...symbolising a religion that is unfaithful to God. This description of false religious teachings and practices suit ancient Babylon, a city where triune gods and occultism have their roots. The city according to Revelations 17: 1, 15 “sits on many waters”...it is attracting so many people.

The bible sums it up with the words “come out of her.” We have to open our eyes, we have to read the bible, we have to question strange doctrines, we have to develop a reading culture, and seeking deeper meanings of what the bible says. Manipulators and opportunists must be placed where they belong [junk box of liars] and never to follow things blindly. We can do it, we can end the religiosity rot. 

We have to read the bible. We need to know the truth. We need to question mundane practices in churches. Religiosity is not only about miracles. It is about working hard, utilising what God has blessed us with [abilities, resources, networks, etc.] to earn a living. Going to church should not be about miracle money, anointing water, oil, pants, etc. It should be about salvation...learning the truth. What does it benefit you to receive all miracles and lose your soul.....miss heaven? I think religiosity is about some place beyond earth.