Update, Dec. 30, 2014: This post is no longer reflective of my thoughts on this issue. I have a better understanding of how abuse should be handled in Christian settings, and I apologise for the complete derailment that this post contains. I however don't feel it is honest to take it down, so I won't, on principle.
Pretty much every Nigerian in cyber-space has heard of the Ese Walter/Biodun Fatoyimbo debacle. Many waited to hear/see what the popular pastor's response would be, and many, myself inclusive, were disappointed with what appeared to be silent ratification by the church of his behavior, because things went on as usual. He preached this morning. And neither confirmed nor denied the allegations.
We cried foul. I cried foul.
Then I got a lesson. In grace.
'I will show you levels of grace you don't understand.'
I am not a theologian, but I have a few (potentially controversial) thoughts to share, based on this lesson that I received.
1. God does not pander to the human sense of justice (because it is flawed).
Most people want to see Pastor Biodun either vindicated or punished, depending on his guilt. That is not on God's agenda at all. What God wants is what advances the gospel, not what makes us feel angry or pacified. At the end of the day, the opinion of the multitude is irrelevant to God's agenda because the multitude is rarely Godly.
God deals with us all on a personal basis. Let me show you.
The Woman Caught in Adultery.
The crowd wanted justice. 'Stone her!' (Also the crowd wanted to catch Jesus in a violation of Mosaic law, but that's another story).
What she did was wrong; unlike Pastor Biodun, she was caught in the act. Naked. Standing before a screaming, bloodthirsty mob, guilty as sin.
Jesus' first reaction? Silence. He did not respond to the crowd. The crowd was enraged, but they did not believe in him. Bringing her to be judged by him was an act of rebellion: 'We have always doubted your divinity, now we will use this adulterer to catch you in a misstep.'
How many gleeful church-bashers got a kick out of this scandal? The most popular reaction was 'Ehen! I knew these Pentecostal pastors were all self-seeking hypocrites!'
God is under no obligation to address people who hate him.
'..Let them that nameth the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.The Lord knoweth those that are his..'
His next reaction?
'Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.'
God does not deal with us as a multitude. In the dispensation of grace, God handles our sins as individuals. Jesus pointed the crowd's spotlight at their own hearts, and based on their own sins, they could no longer stand in judgment over another.
We clamor for justice based on the (definite possibility) that Pastor Biodun has committed a sin. By so doing, we are indirectly calling for the same treatment of our sins. Asking God for justice is not wrong in itself, but can we ask for the same treatment for ourselves? If we are honest with ourselves, our personal wrongdoing becomes the bigger priority than the sins of another man, no matter how grievous or scandalous.
What do you care of another man's standing with God when your own is precarious?
Then, 'woman, where are you accusers?'
In light of your personal sins, hidden and forgiven alike, can you stand in judgment over another man? If you have not confessed them, they will convict you. If you have, they will remind you that your righteousness is simply a function of the same grace that has been so mocked in the last couple of days.
2. 'Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God (alone!) forbid!'
Grace is God saying 'I have factored in your past, present and future, and I will always relate with you from the perspective of the possibilities of your future.'
Man says 'look at his past! look at his present!' And God replies, 'I'm looking at his future.' The present and past have been resolved by the death of Christ on the cross; as long as a man has a future, he is entitled to grace. That is why God's judgment comes after you have died. God's judgment and his mercy are two sides of the same coin, so insist on divine judgment, and you are by default insisting on God's mercy.
You can scream and shout about a man being a sinner. But God's grace is infinite to the living.
'The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning, great is his faithfulness.'
Look at Sodom and Gomorrah. God and Abraham, judgment and mercy.
'If my people who are called by name will humble themselves and pray, and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and heal their land.'
Grace cannot exist outside the context of sin. After Jesus sent away the multitude to deal with their own individual issues, he dealt with the adulterous woman's sin. She had sinned, there was no question of it, and the wages of sin is still death. But the gift of God is still eternal life, and Jesus knew he would die for her and pay for her sins, so he was the only one qualified to judge her, and in the process, give her a chance at eternal life. So he said 'Woman, where are your accusers? Do they not condemn you? Even so, I do not condemn you. Go and sin no more.'
3. God does not owe the public an explanation.
The kingdom of God is not a democracy; it is a theocracy. There is only one King of Kings, and his word is final. Children of God are kings on the Earth, and the King of Kings will never subject his kings to the judgment of sons of men. This is a hard truth, but it is the truth. It is God's truth.
God was not elected into office. To what electorate then does he owe anything? David and Bathsheba are a favorite line of defense when issues like this come up. And my question is, at what point did David apologise to Israel? To his army? To anyone other than God Himself? God sent a prophet to convict David, not a screaming mob of irate Israelites. The truth of the matter is, guilty or not, we may never hear anything of what Pastor Biodun does about this situation. And this is because he came to Christ as an individual, and his relationship with God is personal. He owes us nothing.
Someone might say 'but he has caused other men to sin!' because there will be people who will leave the church, people who will take the stance of 'if pastor can do it, so can I.' But the honest truth is others influence our choices, yes, but our choices remain ours. And that is the basis upon which God will judge each and every one of us; as single, independent agents who exercised free will. If Ese herself could come to a deeper knowledge of God because of this experience, who are you then to say it has caused you to sin?
Am I sanctioning Pastor Biodun's behavior? Far from it. I am just sharing what I understand to be the position of God. Ese Walter shared that the episode caused her to find God's truth personally. What that means is if she were to stand before God in judgment, she would not be a slut, she would not be an attention-seeker, she would be a child of God, your opinion notwithstanding. If Pastor Biodun is not guilty of this offence, He remains a child of God. If he is guilty and he repents and avails himself of the grace of God, he is restored as a child of God.
The only other person in this equation is you, standing in judgment over these children of God. What footing are you standing on? Both Ese and Pastor Biodun can take advantage of the shameless, annoying (to those seeking 'justice'), all-inclusive grace of God. But can you? Are you a child of God?
That is the only question that really matters.
Pretty much every Nigerian in cyber-space has heard of the Ese Walter/Biodun Fatoyimbo debacle. Many waited to hear/see what the popular pastor's response would be, and many, myself inclusive, were disappointed with what appeared to be silent ratification by the church of his behavior, because things went on as usual. He preached this morning. And neither confirmed nor denied the allegations.
We cried foul. I cried foul.
Then I got a lesson. In grace.
'I will show you levels of grace you don't understand.'
I am not a theologian, but I have a few (potentially controversial) thoughts to share, based on this lesson that I received.
1. God does not pander to the human sense of justice (because it is flawed).
Most people want to see Pastor Biodun either vindicated or punished, depending on his guilt. That is not on God's agenda at all. What God wants is what advances the gospel, not what makes us feel angry or pacified. At the end of the day, the opinion of the multitude is irrelevant to God's agenda because the multitude is rarely Godly.
God deals with us all on a personal basis. Let me show you.
The Woman Caught in Adultery.
The crowd wanted justice. 'Stone her!' (Also the crowd wanted to catch Jesus in a violation of Mosaic law, but that's another story).
What she did was wrong; unlike Pastor Biodun, she was caught in the act. Naked. Standing before a screaming, bloodthirsty mob, guilty as sin.
Jesus' first reaction? Silence. He did not respond to the crowd. The crowd was enraged, but they did not believe in him. Bringing her to be judged by him was an act of rebellion: 'We have always doubted your divinity, now we will use this adulterer to catch you in a misstep.'
How many gleeful church-bashers got a kick out of this scandal? The most popular reaction was 'Ehen! I knew these Pentecostal pastors were all self-seeking hypocrites!'
God is under no obligation to address people who hate him.
'..Let them that nameth the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.The Lord knoweth those that are his..'
His next reaction?
'Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.'
God does not deal with us as a multitude. In the dispensation of grace, God handles our sins as individuals. Jesus pointed the crowd's spotlight at their own hearts, and based on their own sins, they could no longer stand in judgment over another.
We clamor for justice based on the (definite possibility) that Pastor Biodun has committed a sin. By so doing, we are indirectly calling for the same treatment of our sins. Asking God for justice is not wrong in itself, but can we ask for the same treatment for ourselves? If we are honest with ourselves, our personal wrongdoing becomes the bigger priority than the sins of another man, no matter how grievous or scandalous.
What do you care of another man's standing with God when your own is precarious?
Then, 'woman, where are you accusers?'
In light of your personal sins, hidden and forgiven alike, can you stand in judgment over another man? If you have not confessed them, they will convict you. If you have, they will remind you that your righteousness is simply a function of the same grace that has been so mocked in the last couple of days.
2. 'Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God (alone!) forbid!'
Grace is God saying 'I have factored in your past, present and future, and I will always relate with you from the perspective of the possibilities of your future.'
Man says 'look at his past! look at his present!' And God replies, 'I'm looking at his future.' The present and past have been resolved by the death of Christ on the cross; as long as a man has a future, he is entitled to grace. That is why God's judgment comes after you have died. God's judgment and his mercy are two sides of the same coin, so insist on divine judgment, and you are by default insisting on God's mercy.
You can scream and shout about a man being a sinner. But God's grace is infinite to the living.
'The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning, great is his faithfulness.'
Look at Sodom and Gomorrah. God and Abraham, judgment and mercy.
'If my people who are called by name will humble themselves and pray, and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and heal their land.'
Grace cannot exist outside the context of sin. After Jesus sent away the multitude to deal with their own individual issues, he dealt with the adulterous woman's sin. She had sinned, there was no question of it, and the wages of sin is still death. But the gift of God is still eternal life, and Jesus knew he would die for her and pay for her sins, so he was the only one qualified to judge her, and in the process, give her a chance at eternal life. So he said 'Woman, where are your accusers? Do they not condemn you? Even so, I do not condemn you. Go and sin no more.'
3. God does not owe the public an explanation.
The kingdom of God is not a democracy; it is a theocracy. There is only one King of Kings, and his word is final. Children of God are kings on the Earth, and the King of Kings will never subject his kings to the judgment of sons of men. This is a hard truth, but it is the truth. It is God's truth.
God was not elected into office. To what electorate then does he owe anything? David and Bathsheba are a favorite line of defense when issues like this come up. And my question is, at what point did David apologise to Israel? To his army? To anyone other than God Himself? God sent a prophet to convict David, not a screaming mob of irate Israelites. The truth of the matter is, guilty or not, we may never hear anything of what Pastor Biodun does about this situation. And this is because he came to Christ as an individual, and his relationship with God is personal. He owes us nothing.
Someone might say 'but he has caused other men to sin!' because there will be people who will leave the church, people who will take the stance of 'if pastor can do it, so can I.' But the honest truth is others influence our choices, yes, but our choices remain ours. And that is the basis upon which God will judge each and every one of us; as single, independent agents who exercised free will. If Ese herself could come to a deeper knowledge of God because of this experience, who are you then to say it has caused you to sin?
Am I sanctioning Pastor Biodun's behavior? Far from it. I am just sharing what I understand to be the position of God. Ese Walter shared that the episode caused her to find God's truth personally. What that means is if she were to stand before God in judgment, she would not be a slut, she would not be an attention-seeker, she would be a child of God, your opinion notwithstanding. If Pastor Biodun is not guilty of this offence, He remains a child of God. If he is guilty and he repents and avails himself of the grace of God, he is restored as a child of God.
The only other person in this equation is you, standing in judgment over these children of God. What footing are you standing on? Both Ese and Pastor Biodun can take advantage of the shameless, annoying (to those seeking 'justice'), all-inclusive grace of God. But can you? Are you a child of God?
That is the only question that really matters.
Wow..Objective.Scriptural and Lucid
ReplyDeleteKudos
So you now equate Pastor Biodun with God? Shame on you.This man is responsible for his congregation. Inability to keep his genitals in his trousers is his undoing
ReplyDeleteIn what way have I equated the Pastor with God?
DeleteYour reply is disappointing and unsurprising, but if in your infinite wisdom that is what you took away from this, then ride on into the blissful sunset of ignorance.
DeleteI'm glad you understand. My point is, this is a spiritual argument, so what are you taking away from all this on a personal level?
DeleteEveryone has a right to their opinion. Well Said Tee.But if i may ask, would it be fair to criticize our government and call them corrupt?
DeleteDude, a pastor who by the way gets paid by other people's free money does this? What's spiritual abt that? I pity Christians. A bunch of folks who give up their natural ability to choose and decide how their lives will turn out into the hands of punks and thieves parading as men of god. Where is god in anycase?
DeleteWhile i agree with most of what you have written,i am of the opinion (without being judgmental i.e) that if he did those things Ese Walter has accused him of doing, he needs to come clean and ask for forgiveness. How he chooses to do this is not my business but he will need to ask of his church's forgiveness. However they wish to convey this message is their business. but let me add there is no shame in being sincere and sorry. that is going to be the example so many sanctimonious members need to get their head in place. he needs to lead by example and i believe only then will total forgiveness and peace come to him.
ReplyDeleteHe needs to ask God's forgiveness, not the church's. Pastors are not supposed to be examples of infallibility, they are to 'feed the flock'. His forgiveness and peace are not a function of his relationship with the church, but of his standing with God. This is why I don't think he needs to apologise to the church corporately. However, if anyone has any questions and they approach him personally as their spiritual leader, that's a different matter entirely.
DeleteI'm sorry but I disagree with you. A pastor is a public figure. An even more so, one charged with extra responsibility. Not different from a politician, a even a school teacher in this case. If he were to be found guilty of these accusations, he'd not only have to apologise and ask for forgiveness from members of his congregation but from members of the public generally because he doesn't know who has come in contact with his words one way or the other. Of course, forgiveness is of the Lord so whether we forgive him or not is not the issue here.
DeleteA man is responsible to whoever gives him his position. Fathers to their children, husbands to their wives, elected to electorate. In the same way, a pastor is responsible to God.
DeleteI think many people want him to apologise corporately because they feel his actions are misrepresentative of his position as a pastor. My response to this is, his actions are misrepresentative of what modern Christians have come to view their pastors as.
People put their pastors on a pedestal of 'separate/special' holiness/righteousness/perfection because it helps them (us) feel better about our own imperfections.
Pastors are men who have accepted a responsibility from God to spread the gospel and guide true seekers. That's all they are. And if they become 'public figures' as a result, it still doesn't change the simple facts of God's word:
1. ALL have sinned
2. God forgives all who confess to him
3. All men relate with God on a personal basis.
He doesn't know who has come in contact with his words, true, but it is not his words that are important. It is God's word.
Did David sin? Did he apologise to Israel? Did God require him to? Was his position taken from him as a result? Don't make primary what is secondary, and vice versa.
Selah.
Some questions. If indeed a pastor is only responsible to whoever gives him his position then why do we dismiss some men as false prophets? After all we were not there when this said position was given to him? How do we even know he was given this position?
DeleteAlso, why are christians "somewhat" required to give their lives and confess their sins publicly? Of course 'publicly' in this context is relative but then again, lets place giving your life during an altar call vs giving your life when you alone came across Jesus while reading your bible alone in your room. I don't know the doctrines of the church in question but I'm sure anyone who experienced the later would probably be told to still do it publicly in most churches nowadays. Same rule should apply throughout no?
Your first question. We - as believers - are the ones who dismiss people as false prophets, for whatever reason. God has given us a discerning spirit, but he does not call anyone a false prophet. If you think about it, even Jesus was called a false prophet in his time. That's why we have free will in choosing a church.
DeleteAlso, Christians are not required to do public confessions. Jesus Himself never even did 'altar calls'. We are required to confess our sins 'one to another', according to Paul. Altar calls are, as far as I know, for administrative purposes. Follow up and whatnot.
I hope I've addressed your questions?
your write up was nice to read but please don't spoil it will these arguments. Let me just point out a few things with the little time I have to write this, following your comment above, actually, I think there are false prophets and Jesus has warned us against them, Mat 24:3-5,10-11 (NIV). second point, yes, Christians are required to publicly denounce sin and accept Jesus that's an evidence to the world that you are no longer with it, even Jesus said something about that in Matthew 10:33. so altar calls are not just for admin and follow-up purposes.
DeleteI'm not arguing; I wrote the post to spark discussion because I enjoy sharing ideas. Iron sharpening iron etc.
DeleteOf course false prophets exist. But false prophecy is a question of doctrine, not personal failings. If every man of God was deemed a false prophet because of character flaws there would be none!
Matt 10:33 refers to publicly identifying with Jesus, not publicly denouncing sin. This is not to say that there is anything wrong with denouncing sin, but we are not required so to do.
Thanks for commenting!
Every other thing he tries to do in a bid to cover up, no matter how great the church continues to be will leave him unfulfilled and empty. its that simple. God cant be mocked...
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeletePls Essang, how did she equate Pastor Biodun with God? I didn't get that from the writeup. And I'm asking honestly, not trying to mock you or anything close to that.
ReplyDeleteWhile I wait for your response, let me say that I agree with the writer. Children of God make mistakes. But as children, we should endure the chastening of GOD when HE disciplines us (Heb 12). We should pray for both Ese and Pst Biodun to so they really submit to God's grace and discipline at this time. We shouldn't mock them or put our own human disciplines. My opinion!
How she made the comparison is using Jesus actions to explain the pastors action. Now to be honest I couldn't care less about another person only because salvation is personal. But you cannot compare Jesus behavior and how he chose to react when someone else was accused of adultery to this? Was Jesus involved in the act? He wasn't!? but THIS act between him and Ms Walters he was a party! So he is so far removed from suddenly having a demeanor similar to Christ's.
Delete"Children of God are kings on the Earth, and the King of Kings will never subject his kings to the judgment of sons of men. This is a hard truth, but it is the truth". Since this the truth then all of us should become pastors and do whatever we like since only God can judge us.if this story was about a politician am sure your submission would have been different.
ReplyDeletePastors are not the only children of God. All believers are. Was the woman caught in adultery a pastor? Did Jesus not spare her the judgment of men?
DeletePoliticians are accountable to the electorate because this is a democracy.
Christianity is not a democracy.
It might interest you to know that Paul corrected Peter “to his face” in Antioch “because he (Peter) was clearly in the wrong”. (Gal. 2: 11-21, NIV). It might also interest you to know Jesus regularly corrected the Pharisees and Sadducees (leaders of the religious institution of the time) in public.The woman that was caught in adultery was already guilty and what Jesus simply did was to save her from being stoned so nobody is calling for pastor biodun to be killed but he must admit if he's guilty and there is nothing wrong telling him to his face that he has done the wrong thing.
DeleteI'm glad that you pointed out that it was religious leaders correcting one another. Paul was not Peter's congregation. Nowhere in the Bible, Old testament or New, will you find a spiritual leader being corrected by or confessing his wrongs to his flock.
DeleteAnother rebuttal that I will draw from your own argument is this: the woman caught in adultery never admitted her guilt to anyone. You might counter that she was caught in the act, and I will bring up the Samaritan woman. Jesus had a private conversation with her about her sexual indiscretions, and when she went to her town as a missionary all she said was 'this man told me everything I ever did!'
So tell me, where do you get off saying Pastor Biodun must admit if he's guilty? To whom must he admit? You? His Church? Is he under your authority?
And where do you get off telling him he has done the wrong thing? Do you not sin?
Log vs speck, my good man.
Am sure you watched the election of pope and that shows people are being elected to lead .I believe he owns his congregation an explanation and it's high time pastors stop hiding under 'thou shall not touch my anointed" because even the verse in the bible was used to refer to Israelites and now US. if pastors should not be accountable then am afraid we will see more Rev kings.
Delete1. That's the Catholic Church.
Delete2. The Pope is elected from among the Cardinals by the Cardinals, not by the laity.
3. I'm not sure how the selection of the Pope is related to the issue under discourse.
4. The existence of religious cults a la Rev King is a tragic fact but again I'm not sure how it relates to anything on this post.
Well election of pope was response to ur comment which says politicians are elected and I was trying to let you know that religious leaders are representing people too either through election or selection and I mentioned Rev king to let you see how far people have taken the issue of not querying pastors to.Rev king was burning and killing members of his church and during his trial some pple still went to court with his pics on their necks praising him and saying man of God was being persecuted.Bishop Oyedepo slapped a teenager and there was a video evidence of it but people say we should not ask question because it was done by man of God.Now Pastor Biodun is being accused of adultery by a core member of his church yet we must not question him because he is not answerable to us.We will be the first to call boko haram evil when they carry out attack and claim to be acting under instruction of their God .I think we should strive to say the truth at all times.
DeleteI liked this. Gave me a lot of persperctive. Truth is I judged ese as attention seeking and complacent in the affair. I did not spare prayers for her which I really should have. I hope this experience is all for the better for her life. May God help us. He without sin, cast the first stone.. Never so apt as this time.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post... Largely.
ReplyDeleteTwo things I disagree with and would like to adress though...
1. The issue of his accountability to his flock. He DOES owe them (and possibly the entire body of Christ) an explanation and an apology if he admits complicity. Why? Because as a christian leader of any sort, he is a servant-leader. In Christ's words "If you want to be great in God's kingdom, you must be the servant of all". A servant is accountable to his master(s). Of course, no one but a pastor's leaders/mentors can enforce this and the sad part about this is, from all indications, it is not clear under whose mentorship pst Biodun is supposed to be under. But he is accountable to his flock, the people he leads and serves.
2. I haven't seen any clamour for judgement or the enforcement of it. I can't speak for everyone, of course, but from what I have observed, the clamour is for accountability on pst Biodun's part, a show of remorse if he admits guilt (refusal to admit guilt was an integral part of Ese's story) and a public apology where he refused to give a private one (again, if he admits guilt). Of course, some would also appreciate him stepping aside from his role, even if only for some time, to (re?)consecrate himself before coming back, but I don't believe anyone is really seeking a way to pass judgement from his statement (besides, obviously, the infamous church- and christianity-bashers). From all indications, he hasn't committed a crime, so he can't be prosecuted or anything of the sort.
As for his standing with God and all that, of course it is personal. But the issue of him admitting or denying the issues raised against him are not an issue of spirituality, it is an issue of integrity and moral standing while fulfilling a role that has everything to do with those.
I honestly think you're taking the 'servant of all' scripture out of context. Christians are not accountable to the body of Christ as a whole. Corporate accountability is no accountability; only a person/people who has/have a stake in your life can legitimately have a say in your life. And I doubt that the entire body of Christ's biggest issue right now is whether or not Biodun Fatoyimbo slept with Ese Walter. Also, if he does not admit complicity, does Ese also owe the entire body of Christ an apology?
DeleteFurther, even if he does owe them something (and I don't agree that he does), his first responsibility is to God. And he has said that God has told him not to comment on the matter (just yet?), a position I can understand, even on scriptural grounds.
Also I didn't mean judgment in a legal way. On what basis would legal judgment be required? They are both consenting adults. What I meant is people want to know whether or not he did it, so they can point fingers in one direction or another, or add to their arsenal of 'Nigerian Christianity is a sham'.
The show of remorse you think he should put up will only serve to smooth people's ruffled feathers etc, and while that would be great for people's social sensibilities, it really has no effect on the bottom line, which is each player's standing with God. Faith is not morality. Integrity is great, but it is not a fruit of the Spirit. :D
This is indeed the best blog I have read thus far...God bless you fr this.
ReplyDeleteTo everyone, please check yourself and your standing...God's hands are always open wide.
Wow! I've been doing a bit of studying on grace lately, myself and most of what I've only just learned is what you highlighted here again.I feel like you were able to put my thoughts on the issue into better light. Well done! That being said,I tend to agree with Tokunbo. If he indeed fell into this sin, he should take sometime out to reconsecrate himself (not to appease anybody) but to tend to himself without the burden of leading anyone for a while.I'm not asking him to resign but he needs time to just be with God and refocus on whatever it is God called him to do.Just the way you'd need time to recuperate after an illness.He may not be accountable to us but he is a servant of God and must be able to conduct his life in a way that brings glory to God and not otherwise.We all need to do so.As you said, its personal. If he has repented and God forgives Him,we have no choice but to move on too. God forgives us too whether we are Pastors or not
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it resonated with you; I wrote it to share what I learned. About the refocusing issue, I think you're right. But God's glory can come about in unconventional ways (Joseph and Potiphar''s wife, Bartimeus' blindness, Paul's persecution of Christians, Jesus' death on the cross), so even if he doesn't do what we think is the right thing to do, who knows what God's plan in all this is?
DeletePschewww...I cldnt even finish reading the crap you were writing...personally, I don't care if he did it or not, all I know is no man is above sin, we all sin, pastors, priests, pope, every1...hw he chooses to clean up his mess is what he shld focus on and not to further use our heads like what u too r trying to do!!!ur no 3 statement is fucked up...is God synanymous to P. Biodun? Even so, in d scriptures, He answered His People when they questioned Him. But sometymes He chose not to...pls nobody wants to stone P. Biodun...we jus want to be enriched with the Word of God. Even if the Devil himself repents and begins to preach, I will listen!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how you can call an honest attempt to discuss spiritual principles with scriptural backing 'crap'. Oh, wait, that's right; you didn't even read it.
DeleteI'd address your other comments, but you didn't read the piece so I don't know what they are based on.
Timehin you wrote crap really. Get off your high-and-mighty-I-know-it-all-cos-I-feel-I'm-a-good-christian.
DeleteThe man is accountable to the people who pay his salary (His salary is paid from the tithes and offerings abi?). He owes them an apology for lying to them not about the word of God but about his integrity. I'm not a pentecostal christian so I don't understand the I-too-sabi that you lot do. The day i quit pentecostalism was the day my spiritual journey took off. I became free to ask and question and spiritually I've grown beyond what I thought was possible. Open your eyes and see the truth, drop the rose coloured lenses and rationalize.
On the real Timehin you really have tried but it's not convincing. Too many holes. For example
Delete1) Jesus silence: Jesus was not a partaker in the adultery
Pastor's silence: Pastor was a PARTAKER! in the adultery.
So please do not use my darling Jesus's name to excuse away the Pastor's silence.
2) Pastor's comment which you so readily deem your synopsis on i.e 'I will show you levels of grace you don't understand.' Was this said during the acts or after the acts. It was DURING, which makes it null and void. OR are you trying to say he used that sentence to excuse away his impending sin before he carried it out?
For fuck sake don't be daft, you are definitely not and idiot.
3) He is a public figure and so as a shepherd of God (as he says) and has been tendering to the Lords sheep he owes his sheep and explanation. If he chooses not to give one so be it but on it's own merit i.e he doesn't want to comment not feed people some shit about God telling him not to speak. Did God not tell him not to fuck around? Suddenly he listens when its CONVENIENT for him and it's alright?
Wake Up
4) A lot of People are gullible enough in lacking understanding that in God's eyes pastor or not we are all the same. We each have our own roads to walk on. A lot of people put pastors on a high throne of some sort. And he (pastor) who has set upon himself to be distinguished in the works of God, to be the one to guide others in the ways of God has accepted that challenge and with that comes a huge responsibility. He has to be held accountable and et an example.He should stop being proud and set an example by admitting guilt and set an example. Show others in his flock the way in such situations instead of hiding and preaching on other stuff like this didn't happen. IT DID and so he NEEDS to address it squarely.
I get the point you are trying to make. But there's a reason the Levites were called out and made separate from the rest of Israel... They were ministers, both to God and to the people. The people DEPENDED on them to show them what God expected from them. Being a pastor means you are responsible for the souls of men. I'm not saying pastors should be infallible, i'm just saying that acting like nothing happened isn't the way to go either. There might be a young convert that is still trying to find his root in God, and he might have been "following Pst. Biodun as he follows Christ" and this whole scandal might have thrown him off his faith completely. It is for the sake of people like that that Pst Biodun needs to acknowledge the situation at the very least.
ReplyDeleteYou're right; I felt the same way earlier today.
DeleteBut then word got out that Pastor Biodun touched on the matter and said 'God has told me to keep quiet on this issue', and I couldn't say anymore that he had acted as if nothing happened.
I think he was telling the truth, in the same way that I think Ese was.
What purpose would defending himself or admitting his guilt serve, in the context of the furtherance of the gospel or the preservation of the faith of his members?
That's what I asked myself.
Timehin I'm shocked at your naivety. What do you mena by preservation of the faith of his members? Don't you think the church is bigger than Biodun? Don't you think if he confesses and shows remorse popular opinion would sway in his favour as people would see that he manned up to his weakness? What are you going on about Timehin? I am bashing the pastor and I'm not denying it cos nobody is above correction madam. God did not tell him to keep quiet on the issue cos he doesn't know God, if he did he would have shown repentance or even a little humility. Really Timehin I'm worried about you and your sense of morality, wrong is wrong and right is right never ever try to 'spiritualize' it. If he's not publicly rebuked and the matter is swept under the carpet the man would do it again, from what we've been reading this is not his first time, if he had being properly reprimanded when he was in Illorin things would not have gotten to this stage.
DeletePopular opinion and God's expectations of His children rarely coincide. If you could read the post AND all of the comments and still come to this conclusion, there is not much I can or even want to say to you.
DeleteWherever you went when you left the Pentecostal church (as you mentioned in your earlier comment) must have taken your spirituality to some seriously astronomical heights, because you not only feel comfortable bashing a man who is probably no more or less a sinner in God's eyes than you are, but you also know what God is and isn't saying to him, and you can establish (on the basis of exposure of past sin, might I add), whether or not he knows God.
That's a pretty impressive skill set, albeit one that no Christian I know has any desire to acquire. You must be proud of yourself.
insightful, but what i can deduce from most of the comments i have read is; most people are trying to understand the things of the spirit, with the wisdom of the flesh, they are folly to each other. Also some may argue that we are allowing religion to mask us from some societal realities, but again the 'church' is way different from the everyday government.
ReplyDeletewhether he is guilty or innocent is not my call, all i know is we are always in a rush to judge men of God and interpret the bible literally to further exude our ignorance. The way the lord deals with his prophets or his called is different from the way he deals with every other individual, Moses is a classical example of this (Numbers 12), and if you think in your mind that someone is a prophet or not, remember Judgement is mine says the Lord, not yours...So while it appears like i am sounding impractical, i must also reiterate that if i believe one part of the scripture as a christian, then i must believe other parts of it that may make me appear a fool to you oh righteous realist.(this was the problem Christ had with the pharisees and Sadducees)
Christians should also stop worshiping Men of God, but Worship God.
DeleteWhat you have said about his accountability to God is true. But you must also understand that there are multiple dynamics at play here. Does someone (I go generic because I am not privy to the facts of this case) who strays owe his wife and children an apology? Giving your line of reasoning, they only get one if he "graciously" offers it.
ReplyDeleteThe esteem demanded of children of God for their leaders is not without a condition. "And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves." (1 Thessalonians. 5:12-13.) Is the church his family, and do they deserve an apology too?
Also consider that in the office a pastor administers in public view, is encased an INHERITANCE. Every religious leader in civilized nations enjoys a certain level of respect, trust, honor and admiration simply by bearing that title, or wearing that robe or collar. In return for that privilege, society expects them to be of high moral standing, serve the public's interest, and implicitly be accountable. Denying the accountability part and vesting it all on God is simply asking that the public cease to recognise religious leaders as being deserving of any respect. That would be a shame.
"We have renounced disgraceful ways (secret thoughts, feelings, desires and underhandedness, the methods and arts that men hide through shame); we refuse to deal craftily (to practice trickery and cunning) or to adulterate or handle dishonestly the Word of God, but we state the truth openly (clearly and candidly). And so we commend ourselves in the sight and presence of God to every man’s conscience." (2 Corinthians 4:2, Amplified.)
I have no interest in this case, it is none of my business. I however urge that public office be retained as a public trust, and not squandered. Let's not cause disaffection among those who hold us in high esteem. If you have inherited something valuable, that others worked to build, think twice before you strip it of consequence. I love you all.
Timilehin as much as i enjoyed reading your 'summation@ above, you seem to miss the entire point.Ese felt GUILTY, do you know what that means, it takes you to still be human to do things and feel remorse. Biodun has been doing it for so long that his conscience is dead! he feels no remorse and please don't come up with he doesn't owe us any explanations... even the bible says confess your sins to one another, why do the Catholics go for confession? why do we have restitution in the bible?? please read your bible well and don't be biased. something similar happened in my church once a pastor and a member. they were called out in the full glare of the church and reprimanded, the pastor wasn't allowed on the pulpit for 6month, had to undergo marriage counseling with his wife that was his punishment. For this kind of huge allegation even if its false he should not be allowed on the pulpit at all because as yorubas would say 'ti eyan o ba rin ni agbegbe iro won kin pa mo eyan' we all operate on a level of grace as u have rightly quoted 'shall we continue in sin and ask grace to abound'?
DeleteTo the first commenter, my reply will hinge on three things:
Delete1. The article addressed my understanding of God's methods in relation to Pastor Biodun's possible guilt, the public outcry and the demand that he address the situation, not his family. It is only natural for one to expect him to offer apology to his wife, children and the few others upon which his actions will have the most direct and traumatising impact.
2. We are to esteem our spiritual leaders 'highly, in love'. Consider the nature of love as laid out in 1Corinthians, and see where that takes you.
3. Society's expectations of Christians very rarely coincide with God's requirements or standards. The public nature of a position of spiritual leadership is incidental to its primary status as being first accountable to God before any societal demands. I am not saying that Pastors should not be accountable, I am saying they are not accountable to society/the public.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
To the second commenter, I don't know what facts you base your claims of Pastor Biodun's lack of remorse/dead conscience on. You don't know what transpired between God and him, or do you?
While I do think that it might be in the interests of the man and the church for him to step down if he is guilty, implementing such a process takes time. Don't be so focused on punishment that you ignore what is best for the parties involved.
Timehin...wow! Gotta say I'm quite blown away. The depth of this is phenomenal; and as unpopular as it may seem, the truth cannot be denied.
ReplyDeleteGod does view things from an entirely different perspective than mankind. It's the reason quite a few of us are so stuck on Him we cannot EVER imagine living outside of Him. Left to menfolk, we'd probably be long since written off. Old news. No news, more like.
He, on the other hand, makes it abundantly clear that His love is eternal and His mercy endures forever. (Note the word 'endure'; meaning to suffer something painful or difficult patiently). It's not exactly fun for Him, but it IS what He does over and over again.
I understand a woman needing closure. That's pretty much how we women are wired. Going public with her story was, to her, the best way to get closure. I have no right to comment on her choices - past or present.
At this point I am reminded that, over and above all, they both are accountable to the God who knows them better than anyone else does and loves them despite all that He knows - good and bad. If they have settled the score with Him, I'm better off settling mine than pointing fingers in either direction.
The sooner we all begin to see all men as equal, the better. Regardless of our levels of enlightenment, we all have equal access to connect with our Source/God and the truth is we ALL are of ONE SOURCE.
ReplyDeleteDon't try to convince me otherwise with the whole "anointed Man of God" story. As humans, we all have access to make the same decisions, leading to the same consequences. The universe as it exists runs, not on Christianity or any religion. It runs on principles that have existed LONG before ALL modern religions began. If a man, manipulates a less enlightened individual, it is because this man knows that he is at an advantage and he can. If Ese Walters were more enlightened, then when the pastor told her to sit on his lap, she could have told him to his face that he is a "DIRTY OLD PIG".
I know some would quote the Bible (written by the same selfish humans for personal gratification) and say, "Touch not my anointed..."
My response to this is "I was anointed before Christianity began!"
As humans, we all need to open our minds and discover the power that we all truly have and not dwell on the purported powers that exist in other humans.
I mean, Ese Walters, if truly she was busy studying for her masters degree, could have told the pastor that she just didn't have the time to sort out his itinerary. Afterall there is a "Pastoral Care Unit". I wonder what the hell that means. She felt that she was in some way enslaved to the "Man of God" and was obliged to do all his bidding, including satisfy his libido.
I have been a worker in church and have seen the way these women lust after the "man of God". I think it is a natural thing because women generally are attracted to men with power and since the pastor controls the minds of thousands.....
As conclusion, I would like to share a wonderful quote from one of my "pastors",
"Emancipate yourself from mental slavery..."
(Pastor) Bob Marley
Have a great day and EMPOWER yourselves!
Soji Ogunnaike.
I don't pretend to know every detail of what happened between Ms Walter and the pastor, but I see how it would be easy to stand on the outside of a situation and say 'this and this could have been done differently'. Still, what has happened has happened, and our 'shoulda woulda coulda' can't change that.
DeletePeople quote the Bible out of context all the time to suit their own agendas. I however never said anything about anointed men of God. I addressed the issue of grace as it is made available to all who believe.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Hello Tim. Good write-up, can't say so of your exegesis in relation to Pastor Biodun's response. But hey, we both are not theologians.
ReplyDeleteIt is true many are so eager to cast, if they could Zuma Rock at Pastor Biodun but many also like myself, share the view that being in such a position warrants a different response and one of humble clarity. I'd try to briefly explain...
Assuming he is indeed saved (born again) as we are made to believe, this man decides to start a church, his salvation drives him to do so. Now why didn't we say, "oh, salvation is between a man and his God, why go public and gather people under one roof to be their leader?". You may say, it's evangelism, well, he didn't need to brand his 'ministry' to do that-COZA.He could just roam the streets and find a soul to preach to....
What I am saying is, since his salvation is not a private matter, neither can his response to such an allegation as Ese's be-quiet or lacking clarity.
It is not really just about him asking forgiveness of his congregation. Even though if he did, it would be commendable because his offence is first towards God and then to man, who make up the body of Christ and which comprises both the weak in faith (easily offended) and the strong (unmoved by another's actions). He doesn't have so many options as to how he should respond if he is to follow in Christ's steps, biblically. If he is not guilty, he would simply make a response that says he isn't and subsequent accusations can be overlooked, rejoicing in his innocence before all as Christ says we are in the beautitudes-Matt 5:11 and afterall, in the last days as Timothy tells us, there would be false accusers.
On the other hand, if he is guilty and truly born again,Pastor Biodun would exude much godly sorrow which leads to true repentance. He would seek forgiveness of God (of cos, we wouldn't see when he does that) but then he would also say to his people what he has done, he may step down for a while just to be away with God or he may not but his humble honesty if he is guilty is the Christlike thing to do.
You can say in this time that the Media/Ese is the prophet Nathan sent to convict Pastor Biodun (as was David) and did David confess to his sin before the prophet or not? He said, "I have sinned before God!" and he mourned.
Our Lord Jesus on every instance falsely accused, defended His deity-whether they believed or not, He asserted He was of God, from God and God's Son. When they said His miracles were of the power of Belzebub, he responded, in absolute lucidity, see Matthew 12 from verse 25 Christ lengthy response. He responded! and clearly! He could have said, well, as the Son of God, He owes no man a response but guess what? He responded!! Now, why shouldn't a mere mortal as Pastor Biodun?
Sorry, this is getting long. It is a touchy matter. 1 Timothy 3 teaches on the qualifications of occupying the office of a bishop. Verse 2 says, I quote using amplified bible,
" Now a bishop (superintendent, overseer) must give no grounds for accusation but must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, circumspect and temperate and self-controlled; [he must be] sensible and well behaved and dignified and lead an orderly (disciplined) life; [he must be] hospitable [showing love for and being a friend to the believers, especially strangers or foreigners, and be] a capable and qualified teacher..."
The rest of the chapter is very instructive but the first line of this verse is where I like to leave off.
He must give no grounds for accusation....
I hope I have been able to pass my view across clearly. I for one can cast no stone at Pastor Biodun, not even the tinniest pebble but when we err and when occupying such important positions which are in the name of the Almighty God, our errors are most magnified and so our responses must be most clarifying of doubts. Godbless you.
I'm glad that this post is sparking discourse. All I'm saying is there is no scriptural basis for the general consensus that Pastor Biodun publicly admit his guilt/defend himself.
DeleteThe Bible is full of guidelines for behavior, but no man can live up to all of them. We are all sinners saved by grace, so while it would be great to have a host of pastors who all measure up in every way to the standards laid down in the word of God, it is also unrealistic to expect men on Earth to be above reproach.
This is not to say that sin is permissible; my point is, men will fall. And that is why grace exists, so that when they fall, they can repent and be restored.
Appears I typed that looong comment for nought. In essence what you are saying is we don't endeavour to live according to the bible since we can't and thankfully grace would cover.
DeleteYou know most people have even gone past his actual sin, if he asked for forgiveness truly, God has forgiven him. Period. But that there is no scriptural basis for him to give a response to these allegations? No, that is not true.
If we go by just that first line of Timothy, that is enough even. But perhaps I should add, Romans 15:1 & 2,
"We who are strong [in our convictions and of robust faith] ought to bear with the failings and the frailties and the tender scruples of the weak; [we ought to help carry the doubts and qualms of others] and not to please ourselves.
2 Let each one of us make it a practice to please (make happy) his neighbor for his good and for his true welfare, to edify him [to strengthen him and build him up spiritually]."
This has definitely caused many to doubt and though like you said, whatever actions they take because of Pastor B's action is very well their doing and they would bear the consequence still, Pastor B if he is a shepherd who truly cares for God's flock , he would do much to assuage doubts of the weak. Let me quote from Matthew 18:6,
"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in and [a]acknowledge and cleave to Me to stumble and sin [that is, who entices him or hinders him in right conduct or thought], it would be better (more expedient and profitable or advantageous) for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be sunk in the depth of the sea.
Woe to the world for such temptations to sin and influences to do wrong! It is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the person on whose account or by whom the temptation comes!"
Ah, indeed he must assuage doubts arisen. He said as I learnt, he would be coming out with a robust response...well, I don't know what that means but as of now, he has given much ground for accusation, against what the bible teaches, he may have caused many to stumble, again against the bible's teachings. And will he be forgiven for allllll this if he meets with Christ, of cos he will! but becos grace abounds, must we continue in sin? NO! becos we are frail shall we not strive to be like Christ? NO!
When David said the word of God was a light to his path, it was because the word is to purify us, our actions, when we yield to the word, then are we the sons of God...so we can't go by your inferred approach that well, the God is aware I can't meet his standards so I won't endeavour to, I won't pursue after righteousness...I won't yield daily to the Spirit...NO!
Guess what, God said "be ye holy, for I AM holy"...didn't this same awesome God say that man's righteousness is as filthy rags? oh yes! but then He says again in 1 John 5:3,
"For the [true] love of God is this: that we do His commands [keep His ordinances and are mindful of His precepts and teaching]. And these orders of His are not irksome (burdensome, oppressive, or grievous)."
If we love God honey, we strive to please Him. Just like you want to do stuff to impress your spouse..same here, just ought to be more intense, with all your mind, soul, strength , that actually makes the first of the two most important commandments. the next is to love your neighbour as yourself.
There are too many scriptural grounds for Pastor B to publicly say to his congregation(note I said his congregation) what the truth is and tell them he has repented, not counting the costs for himself, maybe some would leave but for the honour of God, to erase the doubts many have. It is the Christ like thing to do. sadly, he is very in the public eye so he would have to bear consequences to clearing the air...publicly.
To say scripture isn't clear on what he should do now, is arguing blindly.
You've raised a valid point in your last two comments - those scriptures can definitely be interpreted to mean he ought to address his flock. But I wasn't saying it is okay not to obey God simply because we are imperfect, I meant our imperfections will show up even when our desire is to please God, and we will fall short.
DeleteI believed Pastor B's statement because it makes sense to me from a practical position. God is a God of order: no matter what steps must be taken to handle the situation in the event of his guilt, two days would hardly be enough time to execute them without causing even more undue upheaval in the church. And if he is innocent, it is possible there is a process that God wants to see through.
In all, this is speculation. It remains to be seen what will actually happen.
YOUNG LADY! what about RESTITUTION??!!!
ReplyDeleteThis article is for you and your Christian friends who understand some things.. for others it just won't make any single sense.
Restitution only exists when there is something left over to be paid for. Jesus' death on the cross paid the entire debt of our sins, past, present and future, as long as we are in Him there is nothing left to pay. And maybe these others should become Christians so that the principles of God will be made clear to them by the Holy Spirit.
DeletePlease to add, I deliberately ignored the report that he said, "God told me not to speak" because you see this is an unverifiable statement. Biblical instruction however isn't.
ReplyDeleteThe bible is open to us all for good instruction, reproof, rebuke...2 Timothy 3:16. The Bible is tested, proved! And it is our standard as Christians, so don't tell me, "God told me" yet. If your stance is in accordance with biblical doctrine in its proper application, then great. If not, please keep it down. It isn't today many a man used the name of God to lie.
It is also not today that man has obeyed God's instruction, even when the instruction made him look foolish in the eyes of the world.
DeleteRemember that I am not arguing about his guilt or innocence; I am discussing the power of grace.
Give me scriptural grounds for his, "God told me not to speak"?
DeleteHebrews 11:1-2
"In many separate revelations [each of which set forth a portion of the Truth] and in different ways God spoke of old to [our] forefathers in and by the prophets,
[But] in the last of these days He has spoken to us in [the person of a] Son, Whom He appointed Heir and lawful Owner of all things, also by and through Whom He created the worlds and the reaches of space and the ages of time [He made, produced, built, operated, and arranged them in order]."
In these last days, God has spoken (in past tense) to us through His Son, Jesus Christ and He is the Word. His word is sufficient. In these last days, God would not say do anything that is contrary to His word. It is foolish for instance, to go marry an unbeliever now cos Hosea did when we are clearly told not to be equally yoked with unbelievers...so God had His reasons for instructing Hosea to do so cos He wanted to teach Israel something but NOW, Christ is come, all that was a shadow is past for the real deal-Christ.
Whatever God speaks to a man's heart TODAY, NOW in these times, be it in study or the Holy Spirit bringing to one's remembrance can never be in misalignment with scripture-the word of God revealed in the person of Christ Jesus and His teaching.
If you want to hear God speak today, read the bible out loud and kick those voices in your head out!
If God were to reveal what we've all done in secrete then it would be a truly chaotic and shameful world.
ReplyDeleteIf God has chosen to reveal this to the whole world then the shame of the publicity might just be enough for the already battered image/ego of the man in question.
Personal Lesson: nothing hidden that HE cannot not reveal. For the Lord that sees what you do in secrete (whether good or bad), can surely repay you in very public view of the whole world.
Nice piece
ReplyDeleteI'm pleased you think so. Thank you!
DeleteI love stephanie Uwaifo's comment. I absolutely agree wt u especially on d bible verse in Timothy which talked abt d qualifications of church leaders-He must give no grounds for accusation....
ReplyDeleteHow many here have prayed for the lady involved and the man involved?
ReplyDeleteSo a pastor is subject to his congregation? He is under their authority and not under God's?
Church members are not under the authority of a pastor, neither is a pastor under the authority of the church. God is the Judge of all. Judgement is not yours, do not touch it.
It amazes me how Christians can be judgmental when Jesus, not Paul, not Peter, not Timothy...JESUS himself, said "Judge not that you may not be judged." Exactly what the pharisees were doing; trying to judge that woman is still exactly what we are doing after all these years.
It is so sad.
I must admit I haven't prayed for either of them - in my haste to 'share my knowledge' and 'enlighten the world' I myself have lost sight of what is important.
DeleteThank you.
John 7:24 - "judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgement.." Oya talk another one..
ReplyDeleteTaking scripture out of context to prove a point is not the way to go. Jesus was talking about the crowd's reaction to a miracle on the Sabbath.
DeleteThe point of this post is not 'winning an argument', it is turning the focus off another man's possible sins to our own, so that we can avail ourselves of God's grace.
@Timilehin: Err.. Actually the post was not meant for you jare.. I didn't click on the appropriate "reply" button; but thanks for responding all the same! :)
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ReplyDelete^_^ You know I’m your number one fan, but can you please reason along the following questions:
ReplyDelete1. Are you technically saying that everybody should continue as if nothing happened, I mean this is what your piece seem to be hinting at.
2. If this was your daughter that complained that she had sex with this pastor and is now being mentally/emotionally tortured (and we’ve seen cases of such that has led to depression and suicide) and publicly demonized, what would be your reaction? Would still assume this air of “Gods grace” and “go and sin no more”?
3. If this said woman had gotten pregnant from this encounter what would be your reaction
4. Assuming she had gotten HIV from this man of God what would be your reaction?
5. In the bible Jesus himself said that false prophets would arise to mislead the nations, from your own perspective what could be a sign of a false prophet, ( at least now I know “banging” your female congregation while being married is definitely not one sign.) What would a prophet have to do before been classified as a false prophet?
6. What is your criteria for knowing one prophet a cultist and the other a man of God? Dr kings congregation don’t think he’s a cultist, also when prophet T.B Joshua started many called him a cultist but now that’s he’s got all the money and became a “Mega church master” most people have elevated him from cultist to divine MOG/prophet? if this randy pastor wasn’t so rich, wouldn’t he be called a cultist?
7. Would your stance still have been the same if it was a man that brings up this allegation against him (because I know that the churches homophobic tendencies would supersede this soft stance you take towards infidelity)
8. If a pedophile assumes a position of power then uses his authority to molest young boys what should be done to such person
9. In the same vain if a sex addict assumes a mantle of authority, using his new found power to sleep with women in the name of God, then when challenged tells the people that God told him to keep quiet, what should be done? If your daughter was in such a man’s church what would you do?
10. If rev. king (a prophet who set some church members on fire) had said it was God that told him to do it, from your argument he should be left alone?
11. The following link (http://www.osundefender.org/?p=113885) is to the case of Aswad ayinde who is jailed for 90yrs in the USA for impregnating six of his daughters, he claimed he’s chosen so God told him to do it. According to you they should not have done anything since he’s chosen and “God told him to do it”. In fact if he was in Nigeria he would have a large church with a huge following right about now.
And I quote you ““You're right; I felt the same way earlier today.
But then word got out that Pastor Biodun touched on the matter and said 'God has told me to keep quiet on this issue', and I couldn't say anymore that he had acted as if nothing happened.””
Oh, really? All it takes to cool your mind is to pull the good ‘ol “God told me to keep quite card”? . do you know how many times “God had told me” to rape women and rob a bank? If I had known that’s all it takes to go scot free is tell the police that “God told me to do it and keep quite”, I would have started long ago… but it’s never to late to start. Sheeshh. The power of religion on the African mind! Amazing!
All this questions points to the thing about Nigerians and the Nigerians society in general, I call it the “eni to kan lo mo” principle. This translates to “it’s the person that’s affected’s problem” as long as the crap does not come to our side: God is in control and its all Good.
It’s the same mentality that makes politicians steal funds without accountability and police shoot people on the streets without fear, as long as he didn’t kill our relative, why worry right?. The rot of the Nigerian politicians have spilled into the Nigerian church, and its sad to see educated people like you encourage it under the guise of “Gods anointed” and the likes.
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Delete(CONTd)
ReplyDeleteAlso the analogy of Jesus Christ and the log/speck in the eye has been totally abused. If we were to use it in the way you argue, then you’re practically saying nobody can call any other person to order because we’re all sinners. Lets say a guy caught me stealing meat from my neighbors pot yesterday, then today I catch the guy sleeping with my neighbors ten year old daughter – well since we’re now both sinners its best I keep quite, right? at least now there’s a log in my eyes and there’s a speck in his eyes, who am I to judge? and even if I call him out on it, he can also play the “God said card”, assuming he says “God told him to keep quiet” and not respond, from your argument that settles everything, I mean who are we to question Gods directive correct?
This is the painful thing about religion in Nigeria, because of lack of education the peoples mind have been so entrapped by this MOGs that twist gospel to their taste, people can’t tell their left from the right and its very disturbing when I see educated people like yourself working with what seems like this flawed logic that allows these Corrupt priests to get away with their crimes against these gullible and vulnerable citizens.
The moment you start spending the people’s money on Gods behalf you become accountable to the people. Assuming God puts it in your heart to donate ten million naira to your pastor to renovate an orphanage nearby, then a week later the pastor buys a brand new jeep and the a year later the orphanage remains unfixed and the children die of malaria and pneumonia - Shouldn’t God hold you responsible for complicity in the children’s death?
In the words of martin Luther king the “what speaks loudest in the end is not the action of the wicked but the silence of the Good.” The Nigerian congregation have been conned into committing sins of “negligence” for far too long. (Negligence – def:1. Failure to act with the prudence that a reasonable person would exercise under the same circumstances 2. The trait of neglecting responsibilities and lacking concern) – how accurately does the previous definitions define your argument in your writing above, accurate is it not? Yes, negligence is the word that best describes the Nigerian Christians to the crimes of the church and priests. “Lets wait for gods judgment” they say – until the perversion devours us all and the whole country turns to crap.
You’re educated; you know what obtains in other countries. Why is it that its only in Nigeria that men in authority are encouraged to be unaccountable? Why is there more sanity in countries were accountability is demanded in all levels of society? We say America is a sinful country yet our pastors and politicians and everybody is trying to escape there?
When are we going to realize that there’s an inherent flaw in the way we approach religion in Africa, we have monstrous churches and mosques with minarets extending to the very heavens yet corruption remains the bane of our society,
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ReplyDeleteDo you see now why I’m so scared of these pastors? see the power they wield? over even educated enlightened people like you, to convince you to work with such flawed logic against all normal female instincts, a fellow woman had just claimed she was abused and betrayed by a man she hold in such great respect – shouldn’t you be angry? a serial sex addict who betrayed his trusted wife? Shouldn’t you be vexed? Doesn’t it offend you sensibility? But since he has invoked the name of God all those natural instincts are automatically extinguished. Such is the mind altering power of religion on the African’s mind.
This is not about church bashers, the church should put their house in order. Since the fellow priest and the laws that should call such wayward man to order has been compromised, its up to well meaning Christians to stand up for the right of the defenseless: this woman is a victim and against the army of the hypnotized MOG fans that threaten to crush her we will stand behind her, people have been quiet for far too long.
The following link is to the story of an American man who has been recently jailed for sleeping with his daughters, he said its God that told him to do it, if this was in Nigeria and from your argument this man would have had a big church and still be out preaching with the likes of you singing the do not “touch my anointed” mantra.
P.S – david was a king, not a prophet, even if the people felt like revolting when he erred, his soldiers would have kept them suppressed and in check. So because there was no record of the people rioting doesn’t mean the people wouldn’t have murmur and tried to take action. Davids betrayal and planned murder of a soldier who was busy fighting for him would have been the highest level of betrayal if his soldiers had heard of the incident, the army would not have taken it well if they knew the truth. So your argument that it was a prophet and not the people that held David accountable doesn’t really apply to this case. If the people had known the truth he would have been held accountable to them.
The following stories are happening right in Nigeria, they do not make mainstream headlines because of “our religiousness”, to you this men of God would probably be out of jail collecting offering right now.
“Pastor Impregnates 15 Year Old Daughter Twice After Wife's Death”
“Pastor Rapes and Impregnates Senior Pastor's Daughter; Now Runs A Miracle Church”
^_^ no hard feelings o, but this piece smells of the style of MOG fanboy mentality that I almost fainted reading it. God is not going to come down to protect people from wayward men corrupting his name, that is what the law is for. :p
You have missed the point so completely and at such great length that I really don't know where to begin to address your comment. But please re-read the post (and the comments) with an open mind so that you can understand what I was saying, because it doesn't seem like you did the first time.
DeleteSome thoughts re: your comment:
*Speculating on the many possible directions this situation could have gone in serves no purpose.
*Ese is a consenting adult. Easily influenced, maybe, but an adult nonetheless.
*I used the term 'religious cult' in the context of situations like The Family and Heaven's Gate.
*Pastor Biodun's personal life was called into question, not his doctrine. It is doctrine that defines false prophecy.
*Corruption in Nigeria has nothing to do with the issue at hand - it is an attitudinal problem.
*The focus of the piece was not the man of God or his behavior, but God himself and his behavior toward us when we sin, in the context of the COZA scandal.
Again, I would try to address your whole comment but it is really long and misses the point of the post. If there are any issues related specifically to the post that you want to discuss maybe you can raise them in a more concise manner?
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DeleteEveryone has a right to their opinion. Well Said Tee.But if i may ask, would it be fair to criticize our government and call them corrupt?
ReplyDeleteOf course. In a democracy the government is accountable to the electorate. Notice how the Nigerian government doesn't seem to be accountable to the citizenry? It is because we didn't really elect them.
DeleteI made that point to show you that if you do not give a man his position, he is not accountable to you.
You do not elect pastors. Therefore they are not accountable to you. If they choose to be for whatever reason, that is a personal decision. But they are accountable to God.
That's why you can change churches and you can't change governments.
My position: no one is guilty until the pastor admits or denies it. We're fond of jungle media justice in Nigeria. What we should condemn is Pastor Biodun's insipid silence. He isn't helping matters also by contradicting himself. In one breath, God asked him not to talk, big men in Abuja also asked him not to talk, yet he will talk at the appropriate hour.
ReplyDeleteThat said, the alleged adultery was by consent. There's no criminal offense in there. If it turns out to be true, it's then termed a SIN, which is between a man and his God. It's up to spiritual fathers (who are directed by God) to wade in and protect the sanctity of the church. Aint my headache at all.
It's one thing for me to say 'he who covers his sin will not prosper,' it's another thing. to say 'pastor, you covered your sins, you won't prosper!' The latter is 'beyond my mouth' or anybody's!
On grace, we must always remember that grace, though free, is not cheap. It cost the sinless son of Man his life. Grace is not a license to sin but the empowerment for holiness.
Hello Timilehin, i read the first few lines of your write up but i just could not go any further cause its just not worth it. are you trying to justify promiscousity? its bad enough that your pastor that you are defending has lost every sense of shame and you so called congregation has joined in this show of shame. Please let us not drag the name of God in the mud. stop defending evil in the name of christainity. have you people lost your brains? on my God i cant believe this level of stupidity!
ReplyDeleteHello Miss Timilehin, please I would love to hear your new thoughts on such issues. First of all this article helped me a lot when I found out that my Pastor whom I adored, was having sexual relations with ladies in the church . It helped me understand he is human and reach a place of forgivness. It also helped me to continue being blessed by his messages seeing him apart from his sin. This is almost 4 years on since you wrote this article and you said this article no longer reflects your views, please I would love to read your new take concerning such issues. Thanks so much for your anticipated response.
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