TheCable

BY OLUWASEUN ‘DAYO OMOTOSO

“Those who transmit knowledge are capable of error” – Mike Murdoch.

It smacks of lack of doctrinal understanding and absence of scriptural insight to insist a clergyman cannot be wrong. This stubborn insistence, I understand, is borne mostly out of the sudden realisation by some, that the individual they hitherto idolized is as prone to mistakes as they are. This never goes well with the minds of fanatics.

Check the story of fanaticism everywhere and you will see the same narrative unfold time and again; whether Christian fanaticism or Islamic fanaticism.

Fanaticism is defined in the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 7th edition, at page 531, as “extreme beliefs or behaviour, especially in connection with religion or politics.”

The same dictionary, at page 519, defines ‘extreme’, in this context, as “far from what people consider to be normal, reasonable or acceptable.”

From the above one may conclude that the hallmark of fanaticism is the crass inability to see things in perspective and evaluate arguments along a broad spectrum (pardon the play on words).

Since those who have exhibited this inability to tow the middle path on issues most times justify their stance by allusion to their scriptural foundations, I will address this issue mainly from same perspective, with the assumption that they will see the need, this time, to always retain an open mind.

Before I delve into some Biblical allusion to drive my point home, I would like to refer to an incident that happened at the Obafemi Awolowo University years ago, when the leaders of a particular student fellowship on campus, claiming to have received information concerning the end of the world, took (almost all) members away from the school environment, into some location in a jungle where they ostensibly ‘prayed’, awaiting the return of their messiah.

This temporary loss of cognitive ability on the part of all who had almost been transformed by that experience into socially maladjusted persons did not come to the fore until fellow students noticed what appeared to be the coordinated disappearance of several students on campus and alerted the school management.

Today, many years after, the world still patiently awaits the return of the Messiah they had to head to the bush to hasten! It is shuddering to imagine what could have befallen them, had they not been rescued from their temporary loss of faculty.

I made the foregoing allusion to illustrate the dangers of group delirium, which is made even worse when the arrowhead of such group combines seeming educational advantage with some ecumenical appeal.

I have had to engage a number of individuals on the burning issue of the 5th generation wavelength (5G), its alleged link to the coronavirus, some new world order and the claim in certain quarters that states in Nigeria were shut down to pave way for the introduction of the 5G network.

I have expressed my view on the apparently unfounded assertion earlier and this has also been addressed in a video, now in public domain, of an enlightening conversation between Pastors Adeyemi and Oyemade on the issue, I will thus not delve much into same again. Unfounded, because an unbiased review of the video being peddled by some proponents of the theory that 5G=NWO/COVID-19, involving a popular Nigerian pastor would reveal to those willing to reason that nowhere in the video did the said Pastor give any credible authority for his assertions, scientific or technological. This, of course cannot be unconnected to the fact that he has no background in the field he sought to convince an entire nation about! It would, of course, had been a different kettle of fish if he had invited a member of his church or even some expert in the field of telecommunications to deliver the lecture with facts backed up by detailed research. Here in Africa however, the Pastor is expert in all fields.

When issues like this arise, my mind readily goes back to some remarkable occurrence, recorded in 1st Samuel 16: 6;

“So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said ‘surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him'”.

That was Samuel, who had learnt to hear from God from his infancy, even far and above Eli who brought him up. One would have assumed that with his credentials and his depth of spiritual understanding, he was basically infallible, yet at one of the most crucial moments in the Jewish history, he failed to hear from God and spoke from the abundance of his confidence. Looking at the captivating presence of Eliab therefore and his appealing mien, he proclaimed him the chosen of God and almost anointed a wrong person king over Israel!

The relevance of that passage to the current debate is not so farfetched; religious leaders are human and the best of humans are humans at their best. Everyone is prone to error! It is unfortunate that the same people who slaughter their political leaders on the altar of public opinion when they make mistakes pat their religious leaders on the back when in similar situation and even blindly defend them in face of overwhelming evidence of their error.

I will sum up by admonishing religious leaders to always keep the sacredness of their calling in perspective, especially when making utterances that their followers are likely to act upon. James 3:1 makes it clear why this must be the standard:

“My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing THAT WE SHALL RECEIVE A STRICTER JUDGMENT” (emphasis mine).

To disciples who have rather attached themselves to individuals than to the scriptural foundation of their faith, I would like to urge you to rate yourself against the Berean standard, as recorded in Acts 17:11, where the Bereans were said to be

“more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, AND SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAILY, WHETHER THOSE THINGS WERE SO.” (emphasis mine again).

The believers in Berea were commended, not because they merely listened to the word, but also because they went beyond listening. In the recesses of their rooms they probed whatever they were taught, looking out for possible errors. This is where many who blindly bit into the 5G=NWO apple fell.

I am certain if there was internet in the days of the Bereans recorded above or rather, if they were with us today, they would have gone online to learn about the emerging trends in communications, comparing same against what they are taught at the pulpit before defending theories propounded by their sect leaders. I do not subscribe to the view that religion is an excuse to suspend one’s faculties.

While one needs not dictate to anyone the religious sect they wish to belong, if you claim to be a Christian, use your brains and be a Berean!

Ps:

While this does not pose as some apologetic for the proliferation of technology which might be deemed adverse to human health, the crux here is that such issues ought to be handled by persons learned in the field, with empirical proofs and credible evidence.

The ‘falling sky’ approach embraced in the field of religion, which resorts to appealing to the fear and insecurity of followers with sweeping generalizations makes a mockery of the whole issue and calls to question our claims to being enlightened.

Omotoso is a Lagos based legal practitioner, private investigator and social commentator.
07033324004