RELIGIOUS ERROR (Part 2)

PROF. BEN ONYEUKWU (REV)

NCE(Eng.) ND/HD (Journalism); BA (Hons) MA, PhD.

Call: +2348037346939  E-mail: profesorbenonyeukwu@yahoo.com

RELIGIOUS ERROR (Part 2)

THE ASSUMPTA CATHEDRAL MONUMENT

WRITER’S QUOTE:

“Those who attain goals at the expense of the needy are on the path of injustice and condemnable error”.

MAIN TEXT:

…“For all His ways are justice. A God of Truth and

without injustice. Righteous and Upright is He”, (Deuteronomy 32:4).

INTRODUCTION:

The main text of this work clearly shows the nature of God, who we serve as Christians or people of other religious faiths. The cited scripture reveals that “all His ways are justice”, as well as refers to Him as “a God of truth, who does not associate with injustice”, in fact, “Righteous and Upright is He”. But, someone may say, “we are human and cannot keep to His standards, yet His demand has been, “I am the Almighty, walk before me and be perfect”, (Genesis 17:1). In the words of Jesus, we should “be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48), by making sure people are fairly treated, irrespective of religious, ethnic or social affiliations, and this is a concept people in leadership positions, (Ecclesiastical, Traditional or Political) must imbibe, as well as incorporate into decision-making process, if the society must enjoy stability, (verses 43-47).

Therefore, the recent decision of the Imo State Government to adopt  the Assumpta Cathedral of the Catholic Church as a state monument falls short of every consideration that makes for religious harmony in a multi-religious domain, and suggests  that the government is in pursuit of another sectional agenda, similar to the relocation of the Imo State University to Ideato, the country home of the governor, to favour his kinsmen and now the making of the Assumpta Cathedral a state monument, in favour of his church. If the truth must be told, these two decisions of the Imo State Government are unwise, and carry traces of dictatorship. God forbid that anyone should deny the fact of the good work the government is doing in the areas of education, road network and other infrastructural development in the state, but, we should be mindful of the fact that throughout history, dictators often begin with ‘seemly good works”, with hidden agenda. This is just a fair comment, and not designed to portray the Imo State Government in bad light. Having said this, please learn further that;

THE ADOPTION OF THE ASSUMPTA CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL AS IMO STATE MONUMENT IS THE HEIGHT OF RELIGIOUS MISTAKE 

            There is no gainsaying the fact that Imo State of Nigeria is a multi-religious state which harbours Christians and non-Christians. However, as a predominantly Christian enclave, Imo State parades Christian religious movements like; the Evangelicals, the Sabbatarians, the Pentecostals, the Catholics and more, with adherents all over the place, and it is a known fact that the aforementioned religious groups, apart from the Catholic Church, have various religious and social landmarks that qualify for state monuments, if that is the way the Imo State Government is now driving at. For instance, from Okigwe to Owerri, there is the Cathedral of Transfiguration of Our Lord (CATOL) of the Anglican Church, near the Imo State University. Moving a little bit further is the new Cathedral of He Reigns Chapel that is presently under construction. From Orlu to Owerri, there is also the mighty Cathedral of the Lifeline Assembly, which is being built with the kingdom zeal and speed at Ohie junction. From Umuahia to Owerri, there is another one along Egbu road also owned by the Anglican Church. From Aba to Owerri, there is the newly built Apostolic Church, after the Federal Polytechnic Junction. From Port Harcourt to Owerri, before the Assumpta Cathedral is the magnificent Winners Chapel, and then the Assumpta Cathedral that faces the Onitsha Road, at the Control Post Owerri.

            Having cited the above, why then, should the Imo State Government, under the leadership of Governor Rochas Okorocha consider only the Assumpta Cathedral of the Catholic Church as worthy of State monument in a dynamic socio-religious state like Imo? In fact, the translation of the Assumpta Cathedral into state monument is not the issue, but a trick that may have been played by the government to assist the governor’s church with state fund. After all, who does not know that the Catholic Church has been sourcing for funds for the renovation of the Cathedral? But, it is the height of ecclesiastical, cum executive fraud, as well as a black spot on the government which says it is on a rescue mission to rob Peter to pay Paul by coughing up a whopping sum of N50m from the coffers of taxpayer’s fund to a church that is richer than the state, under the guise of state monument, an action that may justify the notion at the grapevine that the governor may be devising other ways of taking back the so called forfeited salary and security vote, which he says he donated toward the success of free education in the state.

            But, Governor Rochas Okorocha is a confirmed multi-billionaire, even before he became a governor, and so, what is hard in giving his church a personal gift of fifty million naira for the renovation of its ecclesiastical seat of power? And, how would his sidekicks, commissioners and a special advisers be justified before a just God, if they did not advise him otherwise? Furthermore, what would be the reaction of a Holy God whose sacred church is now handed over to a secular state in the name of monument? In the reader’s attempt to respond to possible answers, let it be stated that the Assumpta Cathedral of the Catholic Church, Owerri cannot be a state monument in Imo, but only may have been used to play out the antics of embezzlement.

THE HOUSE OF GOD SHOULD NOT BE BUILT OR RENOVATED WITH UNRIGHTEOUS GIFT

God’s projects, in ideal situations, are sponsored through legitimate means, devoid of any form of corruption. In the early days of the Christian Church, credibility was the yardstick for the acceptance of those who bring part of their resources for the work of God. But, nowadays a good number of the members of the Christian clergy and people responsible for the business of the church are unmindful of the sacredness of the things of God, and so, play down on the kingdom standards. It common knowledge that certain members of the clergy often collude with government officials to steal from the coffers of government, a practice which has greatly robbed the church of its power to reprove government functionies when they go wrong. Worst still, is the fact that church leaders may be very much aware that most of the people that donate to church funds may be members of secret fraternities or persons of questionable character, and yet take from them, their ill-gotten wealth for God’s holy projects, and pretend all is well.

Now, to the N50m cash gift of the Imo State Government to the Catholic Church, for the renovation of the Assumpta Cathedral, Owerri. If those involved in the deal would be honest to God and society, they would tell the simple truth that the business carries no iota of transparency. Some of them may equally come up with various versions of the story of the conspiracy that gave birth to the unholy transaction, since it may not be true that the purported translation of the said Cathedral into a state monument really informed the controversial gift, but a subtitle way of spending public fund on a project of a favoured denomination, and biblically speaking, this is not God’s method of funding His work, as the deal is shrouded in the darkness of injustice and unrighteousness, which a Just God will not accept or support, though individuals without conscience may continue to receive and spend such ill-gotten funds on His projects.

And so, the Catholic Church must be told that it is unfair to collect such as huge amount of money from a government that is not finding it easy to pay various contractors handling various projects in the state. This super Christian denomination should as well be told that it is unchristian to influence any government into such an inconsiderate expenditure, at the expense of the crucial needs of its citizens, especially in the areas of economic empowerment and employment, as well as a mark of selfishness to have not taken into account the good of other Christian denominations and people of other faiths in the state in the pursuit of its white-elephant goals.

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH SHOULD REJECT THE OFFER IF IT UNDERSTANDS THE WAYS OF GOD

In recent past, the Catholic Church of the Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, under the Leadership of the Most Rev. Anthony Obinna, the Archbishop of the Archdiocese had been reputed for rejecting money and materials from the previous political administrations in the state, with the stance that they should use the money for the payment of workers salaries and other services that promote the welfare of the people. However, the present situation paints a different picture of the Church, and suggest that there is a shift from a hearty feeling for the people to a mental calculation to take its own share of the state cake, probably in the supposition that the government is having more than enough for state projects, considering the numerous infrastructural development going on in the state.

            But, from what we hear of the policy of the present administration, over 70% of the work so far done in Imo State are funded by the contractors, which the government is yet to pay or has just paid a little, and that the multitude of projects embarked upon by the government are forcing it into multiple taxation, which is having adverse bearing on the people, since they now pay higher fees for the services they now receive from government and private establishments, which hitherto have increased their service charges  to enable them meet the overloaded tax demands of the government.

            From the foregoing, it becomes obvious that any external cut from government revenue, like he N50m donated by Imo State Government to the Catholic Church for the renovation of the Assumpta Cathedral will definitely add to the burdens of the people who now pay more for the government and private services in the state, and the Church will not be justified before God for collecting such a huge amount of money from a government it should have been canvassing for financial support from its wealthy members, if it still has the interest of the people at heart, as the Catholic Church has a multitude of rich members that can donate billions of naira to the church, as well as support government to run its programmes for the uplift of the people, since it is certain that money is not a problem to the Catholic Church, and by the big status of the church, this is one of God ways, and the way it should now be operating in society, and not to take money and materials from the government which has a lot to do for the poor masses it claims to be having interest in what affect them.

            In conclusion, the Catholic Church is regarded by many as the “Big Brother” of the Christian Faith, that has not been taking care of his brothers and sisters in other denominations, but has been domineering in his relationships with them and this may justify the allegation in some quarters that the choice of the Assumpta Cathedral of the Church as State monument, as well as the N50m naira gift for its renovation is a grand plot by some highly placed individuals of the Imo State Government and the authority of the Church to make Imo State a Roman Catholic State, against the wish of the vast majority of members of other Christian denominations, a conspiracy they vowed to resist with vehemence. BEWARE OF RELIGIOUS CONFLICT.