Religious madness: Idolizing the man of God 

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By Ogundare Abiodun Olumide
As a child, I would watch my uncle pray to a calendar hung on the wall in our living room which he bought at his church yearly. The calendar has the picture of the founder boldly imprinted on it. He would kneel before it and mumble some prayers that do not escape my scrutiny ears. ‘ God of Asolo, as I go out today let your protection be upon me and my family’ he would pray. As at that time, I was only a Christian by name yet my conscious mind was alert to know what was right or wrong religiously. 
Just yesterday, I was called upon to see a video that shows members of a popular church in Nigeria in a long straight queue knelling down before a vacant chair of their general overseer as a way of tapping into the anointing of a man who is million of miles away from the covention. The thought of if someone like Dr. Williams, a lecturer who holds a Ph.D in Oral literature, was present at that convention came to my mind: she would pick up her bag and leave. Dr Williams who is also a minister in her denomination once told us of how she left a camp seminar of her church when the invited guest started out with the story of his jet- travels. She narrated how pissed off she was about the guest minister telling stories of his travelling in a jet which according to her was bought with the worshippers’ money. I watched with utmost dismay as some of them where chased away by a fierce looking usher because they didn’t want to touch and leave but also want to say their prayer requests to it. 
A teacher in my school siezed a wrist band from one of the students and the following day, the mother of the student came to make trouble with the school. ” That wrist band you siezed from him was a blessed wrist band from our general overseer. It is for protection against evil. Why would you collect it from him? Eh? Tell me, why would you? She was furious, attacking and ready for a fight but no one would give her.
Who do we pray to? Men of God or God of men? I see no reason why anyone would direct his prayer to a man of God or attach  much importance to him more than God his creator. Many people see the men of God as gods and that is why they are heartbroken, disillusioned whenever these men of God commit graveous mistakes that even an ordinary member would dare not do. Every miracle you think you received in the course of their ministration is not by their power, if you know this; why do you still exhibit such height of ignorance? Why would you always tell us what your pastor says and not what Christ says? Why would you always take your matter to men of God instead of God of men? 

Ponder on these, seek the truth, and it shall deliver you from whatever religious madness you have been displaying.