By Learnmore Zuze
The fatal wound inflicted on Christianity today is the belief that one man knows and hears God more than others.
The horrendous sexual crimes committed by RMG Independent End Time Message leader Robert Martin Gumbura will go down in Zimbabwean history as some of the most heinous crimes ever to be committed by a religious leader.
Atheists and unbelievers in most places- even on this forum- descended heavily with an unholy zeal by throwing an overall dark blanket on the good name of Christianity owing to the Gumbura scandal. “If this is what the church is about, I would rather be alcoholic for life” wrote one person to the Herald Newspaper.
At a time when Christianity is battling a deadly cancer namely the proliferation of ‘soccer and passport’ prophets among many other questionable practices, it seems Gumbura’s story wouldn’t have come at a worse time to further inflict Christianity. I have written and spoken numerous times on how congregants today have helped create semi-gods out of mortals.
Today the world has been invaded by religious followers who align with human leaders more than they align with God. The fatal wound that has been inflicted on Christianity today is entrenched in the belief that one man knows and hears God more than others hence followers have to bend down for them.
This belief is by and large responsible for most ills besetting Christianity today and it seems Gumbura had taken this belief to its conclusive stage. The belief proved evident when one 20-year-old female who had come in solidarity with her pastor militantly defended polygamy at the Rotten Row Court.
In other sections of Christianity this belief has been fostered by the claim of anointing; ‘our leader has a great anointing’ is the by-word in contemporary churches. Consequently, congregants jostle to ‘connect’ with this anointing. One then wonders; is Jesus Christ not supposed to be the center and symbol of Christianity?
Doesn’t the Bible itself say there is only one Person who stands between man and God (Jesus Christ).Why then have today’s Christians created deities out of mortals. This is the belief at the centre of all the shame that has rocked Christianity today; followers have created invincible and totally unaccountable characters that cannot be questioned at all.
Christianity has become the subject of ridicule amongst atheists and the heathen today because of this toxic belief. None should claim to have some spiritual privacy with God which others don’t have and abuse it to their advantage. While Christ exhibited a servant leadership-style these men exhibit dictatorial tendencies. Christianity has been misrepresented today.
Last year, a woman from the Philippines wrote me an emotional mail after having read one of my articles. In the article, I highlighted how the wealth gospel, for example, misrepresents Christianity and makes it appear like materialism i.e. cars, wealth and houses are indicators of godliness and blessedness which is totally untrue.
I would like to quote verbatim what this woman wrote as I believe she captured the present African truth very well, “These denominations which emphasize on deifying leaders have inflicted a wound on Christianity which will take a long time to heal.” I couldn’t agree more. Christianity has been presented as a religion which apotheosizes mortals.
Today Christianity has been made to appear like a religion fraught with sexual perversion much to the delight of the heathen.
No week passes without a pastor being nabbed for rape. Today Christianity appears like a means to financial and material gain with church leaders living like rock stars in the name of being blessed in a country where others cannot afford a loaf of bread. Hordes of unemployed youths in this country swarm to these churches in the mistaken belief that Christianity is a means to financial and material gain.
People now believe you need to connect with a leader’s anointing for your life to happen. It now appears like wealth is the primary goal of Christianity. It is sad seeing as it is that the very things the founder of Christianity warned against have mockingly been repackaged to identify with Christianity.
A chain of shameful acts by supposed Christian leaders continue to top the news every week. A Reformed Church of Zimbabwe pastor faces a lawsuit for adultery by a church member for alleged rape. Bishop Picanto from Brazil cheated people that he can produce milk from his manhood.
A youthful Zimbabwean prophet claimed to have done miracle abortion. Principles of wealth without work have become the in-thing. Instant gratification and quick fix approaches have commonly become rampant in Christianity.
Just across Limpopo, Pastor Lesego Daniel of Rabboni Centre Ministries made adults eat grass to prove their faith. These are wounds that have inflicted the good name of Christ. Those who want to commit rape are doing so in the name of Christianity. Those who want to fleece money from the poor are doing so under the banner of Christianity.
Those who want to foretell they want to fore tell under the good name of Christianity. At this critical time when Christianity is reeling from these fatal wounds comes the infliction of yet another all-time wound on Christianity-the Gumbura scandal. Will this wound heal?
The horrendous sexual crimes committed by RMG End Time Message leader Robert Martin Gumbura on his female congregants will go down in Zimbabwean history alongside the heinous crimes ever committed by a supposed religious leader. His lengthy incarceration as well will remain unmatched for a long time to come.
In conclusion, I wish to explain something simple. The term Christianity derives from the blameless name of Christ. A Christian is a follower of Christ. Final questions: Did Christ teach polygamy? Did Christ live like a rock star during his time on earth? Was he obscenely rich?
Did he allow people to kneel before him? Did he preach wealth or salvation? Did he identify with the rich or the poor? Would he command anyone to eat grass to prove their faith? Did he preach adultery or purity? Did he claim glory or he gave it all to the One above?
My dear friends, this certainly is the last hour. Take heed that no one deceives you.
The fatal wound inflicted on Christianity today is the belief that one man knows and hears God more than others.
The horrendous sexual crimes committed by RMG Independent End Time Message leader Robert Martin Gumbura will go down in Zimbabwean history as some of the most heinous crimes ever to be committed by a religious leader.
Atheists and unbelievers in most places- even on this forum- descended heavily with an unholy zeal by throwing an overall dark blanket on the good name of Christianity owing to the Gumbura scandal. “If this is what the church is about, I would rather be alcoholic for life” wrote one person to the Herald Newspaper.
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| Will Gumbura’s wound on Christianity heal? |
Today the world has been invaded by religious followers who align with human leaders more than they align with God. The fatal wound that has been inflicted on Christianity today is entrenched in the belief that one man knows and hears God more than others hence followers have to bend down for them.
This belief is by and large responsible for most ills besetting Christianity today and it seems Gumbura had taken this belief to its conclusive stage. The belief proved evident when one 20-year-old female who had come in solidarity with her pastor militantly defended polygamy at the Rotten Row Court.
In other sections of Christianity this belief has been fostered by the claim of anointing; ‘our leader has a great anointing’ is the by-word in contemporary churches. Consequently, congregants jostle to ‘connect’ with this anointing. One then wonders; is Jesus Christ not supposed to be the center and symbol of Christianity?
Doesn’t the Bible itself say there is only one Person who stands between man and God (Jesus Christ).Why then have today’s Christians created deities out of mortals. This is the belief at the centre of all the shame that has rocked Christianity today; followers have created invincible and totally unaccountable characters that cannot be questioned at all.
Christianity has become the subject of ridicule amongst atheists and the heathen today because of this toxic belief. None should claim to have some spiritual privacy with God which others don’t have and abuse it to their advantage. While Christ exhibited a servant leadership-style these men exhibit dictatorial tendencies. Christianity has been misrepresented today.
Last year, a woman from the Philippines wrote me an emotional mail after having read one of my articles. In the article, I highlighted how the wealth gospel, for example, misrepresents Christianity and makes it appear like materialism i.e. cars, wealth and houses are indicators of godliness and blessedness which is totally untrue.
I would like to quote verbatim what this woman wrote as I believe she captured the present African truth very well, “These denominations which emphasize on deifying leaders have inflicted a wound on Christianity which will take a long time to heal.” I couldn’t agree more. Christianity has been presented as a religion which apotheosizes mortals.
Today Christianity has been made to appear like a religion fraught with sexual perversion much to the delight of the heathen.
No week passes without a pastor being nabbed for rape. Today Christianity appears like a means to financial and material gain with church leaders living like rock stars in the name of being blessed in a country where others cannot afford a loaf of bread. Hordes of unemployed youths in this country swarm to these churches in the mistaken belief that Christianity is a means to financial and material gain.
People now believe you need to connect with a leader’s anointing for your life to happen. It now appears like wealth is the primary goal of Christianity. It is sad seeing as it is that the very things the founder of Christianity warned against have mockingly been repackaged to identify with Christianity.
A chain of shameful acts by supposed Christian leaders continue to top the news every week. A Reformed Church of Zimbabwe pastor faces a lawsuit for adultery by a church member for alleged rape. Bishop Picanto from Brazil cheated people that he can produce milk from his manhood.
A youthful Zimbabwean prophet claimed to have done miracle abortion. Principles of wealth without work have become the in-thing. Instant gratification and quick fix approaches have commonly become rampant in Christianity.
Just across Limpopo, Pastor Lesego Daniel of Rabboni Centre Ministries made adults eat grass to prove their faith. These are wounds that have inflicted the good name of Christ. Those who want to commit rape are doing so in the name of Christianity. Those who want to fleece money from the poor are doing so under the banner of Christianity.
Those who want to foretell they want to fore tell under the good name of Christianity. At this critical time when Christianity is reeling from these fatal wounds comes the infliction of yet another all-time wound on Christianity-the Gumbura scandal. Will this wound heal?
The horrendous sexual crimes committed by RMG End Time Message leader Robert Martin Gumbura on his female congregants will go down in Zimbabwean history alongside the heinous crimes ever committed by a supposed religious leader. His lengthy incarceration as well will remain unmatched for a long time to come.
In conclusion, I wish to explain something simple. The term Christianity derives from the blameless name of Christ. A Christian is a follower of Christ. Final questions: Did Christ teach polygamy? Did Christ live like a rock star during his time on earth? Was he obscenely rich?
Did he allow people to kneel before him? Did he preach wealth or salvation? Did he identify with the rich or the poor? Would he command anyone to eat grass to prove their faith? Did he preach adultery or purity? Did he claim glory or he gave it all to the One above?
My dear friends, this certainly is the last hour. Take heed that no one deceives you.
