Let people use their money as they wish

I will say this again, since the debate never quite goes away: Just because you were born decades after your church/mosque had finished building a magnificent cathedral, schools, hospitals, orphanages, does not mean that no one paid that price/picked the bill.

There are generations of our grandparents and great grandparents that, given a chance, would tell you of how much of their incomes they gave to the Church or Islam, simply to build and expand.

Some donated miles and miles of free land (something that interestingly causes vexation today, when a believer does that for his/her church); some offered their free labour and others brought their ‘ndobolo’, seed and offertory, to farther God’s work.

So, why would anyone who is not Pentecostal have a problem with how we spend our money?

Fine, there are many charlatans in the Pentecostal faith – false prophets exploiting the vulnerable – but for the majority, they have very noble causes that we, the ‘bringers of that money’, are comfortable with. Why are you losing sleep on our behalf?

Some of the arguments are comical. One argued that the clergy are supposed to come to spiritually feed the flock and expect nothing in return.
Hmmm. Even in the traditional religions, a priest/imam is no longer a shabby, bicycle-riding servant of God!

They don’t feed on the Eucharist, or fast 24/7. They are human beings that have dreams for their families, pay bills and eat decent meals.
I derive no joy from seeing my pastor’s family go hungry, or his/her children get kicked out of school, while I cruise around in a Toyota TX – thanks to his/her prayers.

Don’t fault people for how they choose to use whatever blessing God brings their way. That smacks of jealousy. Just rest assured, we give willingly and when we don’t have, no one chases us away for not giving, or refuses to pray with us.

Where you hear it happening differently, those are not pastors, but rather false prophets that have taken advantage of Ugandans’ poverty and thirst for quick fixes – however flawed and temporary.

Pentecostalism is relatively young. Will you let us build and establish ourselves too? Maybe, instead of criticizing, you could borrow a leaf and change the way you give to God…

Because even when the cathedrals, schools and projects are up and running, the Pentecostal way of giving is unlikely to change, because God’s principles are tested and solid.

He says: “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again (Luke 6:38).

malita@observer.ug