Churches that support Mnangagwa benefit from Zimbabweans' suffering!

I HAVE written quite a bit on the deceitful and misleading teachings of Christian organizations that support the ZANU PF regime.

I do not feel it necessary repeating the same things I have raised before since that would merely be recycling my previous work.

Nonetheless, all those who study the word of God with any seriousness can easily tell that these church leaders love twisting the scriptures for self-serving ends.

There is no genuine, self-respecting, God-fearing Christian who would actively support, defend, or even campaign for a thieving, murderous, and oppressive ruling establishment.

Nowhere in the Bible did Jehovah God ever command us as believers to do this.

Submitting is merely putting ourselves under the authority of another.

However, this can never mean and has never meant, actually supporting and defending evil leadership.

Jesus Christ - whose death, burial, and resurrection many of His followers commemorated over the weekend - was the best example of this submission.

He readily placed Himself under the authority of those who were in leadership at the time (both the Jews and Romans).

Yet, there is no one with all his senses intact who can seriously believe Jesus would have supported, defended, or even campaigned for the likes of Pontius Pilate or Herod.

It sounds so preposterous just writing it!

If anything, one of the greatest prophets to walk the earth (according to Jesus Himself), John the Baptist, had his head chopped off for telling truth to power.

He condemned King Herod for sinning against God by taking his brother's wife as his own.

That is what we expect to see from real Christians and church leaders.

We should place ourselves under those in authority, but at the same time, be prepared to boldly rebuke them should they go against God's word, no matter the consequences.

Our reward is not here on earth but in heaven.

So, why are these Zimbabwe church leaders - mostly the so-called 'indigenous churches' - so eager to do something that Jesus would have never done?

Do any of them honestly believe that our Lord and Saviour would have supported, defended, and campaigned for a regime that killed and persecuted its own citizens, looted the nation's resources, and left millions languishing in poverty?

We should not play around the name of our God.

Why then are these church leaders doing it?

I have my own hypotheses.

Let us remember that most of these supposed 'indigenous churches' have made a name for themselves for their so-called 'prosperity gospel'.

This is preaching mainly centred around assuring followers of leaving behind a life of poverty into abundant unbelievable miraculous riches.

In a country where nearly half the population lives in extreme poverty (with two-thirds of the workforce earning below the poverty datum line), this translates into an inexhaustible source of congregants.

In turn, this influx of poverty-stricken people seeking the promised riches has actually resulted in the phenomenal unexplainable wealth of the church leaders.

The followers themselves have, however, largely remained as poor as before – in spite of regularly parting with their little hard-earned money through unending tithes and offerings.

The few who actually escape poverty in these churches attribute this to their 'man of God', as such fear leaving in the belief that they will also lose their 'blessings'.

As such, they become captives to their church leaders and life-long members of the particular organization - parting with even more tithes and offerings.

This raises a critical question.

If the state of Zimbabwe's economy was to significantly improve, what would become of these churches?

Will all these congregants continue attending these churches when they are no longer wallowing in abject poverty?

Why would they, when all they ever wanted from these churches was a way out of their misery and suffering?

In fact, is that not why the 'prosperity gospel' finds very little traction in more advanced economies?

Very few people in those 'developed' countries are interested in teachings and prayers over getting a job or buying a car or a house.

They are already able to acquire these things with relative ease.

These Christians are more interested in the gospel of salvation and eternal life in heaven, through Christ Jesus – which is what our faith is really about.

In other words, without poverty in Zimbabwe, most of these 'prosperity gospel' churches would be empty.

This explains their sudden popularity surge and sprouting in the post-2000 era, when Zimbabwe's economy took a dramatic nosedive.

That is the brutal truth.

As such, those church leaders who are reaping big from desperate Zimbabweans coming to them for a promise of riches can not imagine an economically thriving country.

That would be a frightening nightmare.

That, as far as I am concerned, is the reason they are supporting, defending, and even campaigning for a leadership that has presided over the systematic destruction of our once prosperous country.  

No wonder they have no shame at all turning their church gatherings into ZANU PF rallies, as we so often witness in utter shock and disgust.

They benefit more from a Zimbabwe in tatters and turmoil than one whose citizens are economically successful.

It is time their followers realize these painful truths.

Their leaders prefer the country to continue in this mess.

That way, more and more congregants are guaranteed for these churches.

Of course, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that they are also being rewarded handsomely by the ruling elite.

It is their blind gullible followers that are the losers in all this scheme.

If these congregants do not wake up, they will never come out of their poverty since their leaders will always support a government that makes sure the nation remains  poor.

● Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog