not an obsession with the church but with their pastors. 

I could not be the only one to have observed this phenomenon in the recent years. It’s truly something to behold. One would argue that the link between religion and each generation, Gen X, Boomers etc has been increasingly tied and not just a new occurrence but i would argue that for a generation that claimed so fervently to not repeat the mistakes of the ones before us we have fallen down the same rabbit hole. but we swear we are not nothing like that. 

We watched our parents ( those of us from religious backgrounds) do and say the most outrageous things under the guise of religion but yet are we any different? Religion had our parents forgiving pedophiles but throwing stones at divorcees or gays. 

And now in adulthood we find ourselves not all that different after all those who fail to learn from history are bound to repeat it. 

It seems as if no one is aware that you can listen to a pastor’s sermon and not worship the ground he walks on? you can pay your respects to your religious teachers without turning them into your own gods. But these days, stating a disagreement with a pastor’s sentiments even politely will be viewed with hostility on social media by his members. How dare you question pastey? remind me who is your God again? 

If you fundamentally do not agree that your pastor can have a wrong opinion then i fear you haven’t found a church but a cult. This visceral reaction you feel to defend your pastors even when they’re clearly in the wrong is not birthed out of respect but idolatry. Wake up! 

This is only further heightened by guilt tripping which has always been a tool used in organized religion to get everyone in line. For what you can’t imbibe in them, you shame them into doing. Ask yourself why you only understand or worship God through the lens of your pastor. Why a slight against him seems so personal? Paul put down your weapon. 

I’m not one to be swept up in the fancies of religion because i understand that my relationship with God is personal with or without a pastor. Like we need an extra channel to be closer to God, we have Jesus for that. But furthermore humans can be wrong but the inability for your pastor to recognize and address that is the issue. 

Not every well intended reproach is persecution. I think this holds strong for Nigerians whose culture does allow for persons in position of pseudo-authority to be questioned or worse disobeyed. 

And there’s already a lot of faith manipulation that goes into these things that soon the lines between God and your pastor become crossed that you can no longer tell the difference. 

My advice, know God. Truly seek him stripping away the doctrine, the denominations and your pastor. Knowing that the relationship you have with him isn’t performance based (despite what the church preaches) you do not receive blessings as a testament to your faith, prayer or fasting but as a result of grace. Everything we do is by grace, God is not a transaction you only execute when your account is full. In any situation have unshakable faith that it is impossible for you to call on God and he will not answer.