Liberian Literary Magazine Promoting Liberian literature , Arts and Culture
[ that is like every other week ] and then the praise and worshipers ’ practice on Mon / Wed / Fri . you get the picture ? This is more than a little . It is a hell of a lot . They drag the kids that they can and leave the rest to fend for themselves after they return from school- that is if they are not demanded to attend some of those sessions . These women get so entangled in the web that they eventually begin to compete for their leader ’ s attention . This leads to all sorts of dangers . They start cooking , cleaning and soon the pastor ’ s wife gets a continuous vacation from her duties . I mean who wouldn ’ t want the constant help with the home chores ? Which woman would not ? The men get detached from their wives , the pastors get attached to others people ’ s wives and then anything is possible . Single women , teenagers and minors are all entrapped in this complex relationship . I would still like to think that this does not start out as an evil enterprise but when two people from the opposite sex get to do those many things together , alone in secluded
places , many things happen . This is partly how children get hooked in this world of pastor worship and get abused ; this is partly responsible for single women forming attachments to their spiritual leaders . This is how the spiritual mothers let their guards down and turn a blind eye to these deeds especially if they feel unable , unwilling or uninterested in catering to all the needs of their spouses . The chances are way too many . Husbands , who often already have their own issues , get bitter , angry and hateful to the pastors . This doesn ’ t happen overnight . They get abusive , intolerant , stay out late , drink , and neglect their duties because hell has broken open . The children get mixed up in this as well . They find themselves with plenty free time since the ones responsible for supervision are busily ‘ supervising ’ another ’ s home . They can now utilize that free time as they see fit . In the end , the family structure is gradually eroding because those that should keep it , are busy seeking “ God ’ s ” earthly favor . Church / TAX / Poverty The amount of young , abled body people that are expected to linger in church activities is simply alarming .
One often hears the complaints that people forsake church activities when they get jobs . This to me is a matter of simple logic . Without job the person is free to come for all the prayer services and fasting . They can go up on as many mountains as possible . However , when ‘ God ’ finally gave them the job , they are unable to do so . One requirement of jobs is that employees report to work at hours their employers schedule for them . This is too simple to be an issue . However , I believe this is just a ploy to make them feel guilty and release more of their meager incomes . The pastor , knowing the salary , pushes this because the church can now take its 10 % tithe on it . They forget that these people have families and all the needs that lagged in the drought period . Pastor takes the tithe first and leaves you to figure out the rest . I think God must be a Jewish banker -come high or low , they come like a loan shark for their money . If the member is allowed to stay too long away , they see the reality and then the tithe gets reduced or stops altogether . Hence , this guilty lane is offered to prevent that in part . TO BE CONTINUED …. D . Othniel Forte
11