The tiff between residents of Ashdown Park in Harare and Heartfelt International Ministries Church whose members the former accuse of disturbing their peace typifies the way some modern-day Christians and their denominations think about fellow human beings.
By Kamurai Mudzingwa
These types of Christians are so self-absorbed that they do not see anything wrong with stamping on other people’s rights in the name of Jesus.
Their world outlook is informed by the “my-religion-is-better-than-your-religion” type of reasoning that does not embrace diversity. But why should everybody be a Christian?
It is an immutable fact that the world is diverse and nothing can change that. We all found it like that and we will leave it like that. History has shown that those who try to fight diversity end up—at worst—as proponents of genocide and other such ills.
Ask Christians what is central to their teaching and they will tell you it is the love for thy neighbour as taught by Jesus in the Bible.
But what kind of love is it that makes one install a PA system in the middle of a residential area, disturbing the peace of others through ‘worship’ or so-called all-night prayers? Is it love that drives one to disturb a neighbour’s peace?
Do these people ever consider that among residents there are many who do not believe in Christianity, but who want their peace? Do they know that there would be students studying for examinations and sick people who require serene environments in some of the homes around their churches?
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One reader who reacted to the story on the NewsDay website hit the nail on the head: “Most of these new churches have no respect for residents. This particular church makes so much noise that each time they have sermons the residents can’t just sleep.
Churches should appreciate that we can’t all belong to particular denominations and should give us enough space. Yes, they can do their thing, but please do that quietly and respect other people’s choices. Council must insist on soundproof equipment if any of these churches wants to erect structures in residential areas.
In fact, most of these preachers must be very ignorant and selfish because anyone with a little brain inside would know that preferences differ in this diverse world.” And the reader aptly signed off with the pseudonym Respect.
What is also irksome is that some of these noisemakers are known for presenting fake images of “good Christians” to coat their evil deeds in church apparel, as it were. We have noted how some of the hardest Bible-thumpers are the embodiment of hedonism, judging from crimes such as rape and sodomy they have been accused of.
Not everyone is gullible and those who see through the sham should be allowed their peace.
This un-Christian behavior of disturbing thy neighbour’s peace has become so prevalent that someone has to stop it. Why should noisy Christians be allowed to have their way? It is ironic that most of these people find it attractive to be loud and pious.
And today, the relationship between Christian piety and self-centredness has soared to alarming proportions.
Wouldn’t it be better for these holier-than-thou people to tarry a little and think thus: “If noise is cause of my brother’s unhappiness, I will never install a PA system again,”? But to expect such selfish people to think beyond their religious-inflated egos would be to expect too much from them.
That is why they build mega-churches with imported materials in high density areas reeking of poverty.
The irony escapes them. Or does it escape them or it is deliberate? Because some of these noisemakers, judging from the way they are accused of some of the worst crimes against humanity such as rape, are masters at being wolves in Jesus’ clothing.
In one of these churches I saw only two people — a pastor and a member of the flock and the later was shouting into a microphone to have his voice amplified by the powerful PA system.
The church is right in the middle of a high density area. Maybe that member of his flock had a hearing problem. How else could one explain the use of the PA system?
The sad thing about these noisy neighbours in high density residential areas is that they are now so many that they have to compete among themselves to be heard above the noise they create. Residents, of course, suffer in silence.
But knowing such people and their ilk, if you tell them of the evil in disturbing other peoples’ peace, they are likely to go through the Bible with a fine toothcomb to find a verse to justify their actions. Or simply dismiss you as a person possessed by evil spirits that outnumber the biblical Legion’s.
If they fail to find an appropriate verse, they simply look for one to distort to justify their anti-social behaviour. Since these people, especially their leaders, sell the idea that they are God’s representatives, they tell anyone who criticises their bad conduct towards other citizens as tantamount to challenging God. They forget that they are mere mortals like you and me.
Since it is too much of a moral task for them to understand that making noise and disturbing other people’s peace is immoral, I hope one day the laws of the country will force them to become moral beings by banning their noise- pollution antics.
Do I hear the words: “Hear the devil speaking”?
The tiff between residents of Ashdown Park in Harare and Heartfelt International Ministries Church whose members the former accuse of disturbing their peace typifies the way some modern-day Christians and their denominations think about fellow human beings.
These types of Christians are so self-absorbed that they do not see anything wrong with stamping on other people’s rights in the name of Jesus.
Their world outlook is informed by the “my-religion-is-better-than-your-religion” type of reasoning that does not embrace diversity. But why should everybody be a Christian?
It is an immutable fact that the world is diverse and nothing can change that. We all found it like that and we will leave it like that. History has shown that those who try to fight diversity end up—at worst—as proponents of genocide and other such ills.
Ask Christians what is central to their teaching and they will tell you it is the love for thy neighbour as taught by Jesus in the Bible. But what kind of love is it that makes one install a PA system in the middle of a residential area, disturbing the peace of others through ‘worship’ or so-called all-night prayers? Is it love that drives one to disturb a neighbour’s peace?
Do these people ever consider that among residents there are many who do not believe in Christianity, but who want their peace? Do they know that there would be students studying for examinations and sick people who require serene environments in some of the homes around their churches?
One reader who reacted to the story on the NewsDay website hit the nail on the head: “Most of these new churches have no respect for residents. This particular church makes so much noise that each time they have sermons the residents can’t just sleep.
Churches should appreciate that we can’t all belong to particular denominations and should give us enough space. Yes, they can do their thing, but please do that quietly and respect other people’s choices. Council must insist on soundproof equipment if any of these churches wants to erect structures in residential areas.
In fact, most of these preachers must be very ignorant and selfish because anyone with a little brain inside would know that preferences differ in this diverse world.” And the reader aptly signed off with the pseudonym Respect. What is also irksome is that some of these noisemakers are known for presenting fake images of “good Christians” to coat their evil deeds in church apparel, as it were. We have noted how some of the hardest Bible-thumpers are the embodiment of hedonism, judging from crimes such as rape and sodomy they have been accused of. Not everyone is gullible and those who see through the sham should be allowed their peace. This un-Christian behavior of disturbing thy neighbour’s peace has become so prevalent that someone has to stop it. Why should noisy Christians be allowed to have their way? It is ironic that most of these people find it attractive to be loud and pious. And today, the relationship between Christian piety and self-centredness has soared to alarming proportions. Wouldn’t it be better for these holier-than-thou people to tarry a little and think thus: “If noise is cause of my brother’s unhappiness, I will never install a PA system again,”? But to expect such selfish people to think beyond their religious-inflated egos would be to expect too much from them. That is why they build mega-churches with imported materials in high density areas reeking of poverty. The irony escapes them. Or does it escape them or it is deliberate? Because some of these noisemakers, judging from the way they are accused of some of the worst crimes against humanity such as rape, are masters at being wolves in Jesus’ clothing. In one of these churches I saw only two people — a pastor and a member of the flock and the later was shouting into a microphone to have his voice amplified by the powerful PA system. The church is right in the middle of a high density area. Maybe that member of his flock had a hearing problem. How else could one explain the use of the PA system? The sad thing about these noisy neighbours in high density residential areas is that they are now so many that they have to compete among themselves to be heard above the noise they create. Residents, of course, suffer in silence. But knowing such people and their ilk, if you tell them of the evil in disturbing other peoples’ peace, they are likely to go through the Bible with a fine toothcomb to find a verse to justify their actions. Or simply dismiss you as a person possessed by evil spirits that outnumber the biblical Legion’s. If they fail to find an appropriate verse, they simply look for one to distort to justify their anti-social behaviour. Since these people, especially their leaders, sell the idea that they are God’s representatives, they tell anyone who criticises their bad conduct towards other citizens as tantamount to challenging God. They forget that they are mere mortals like you and me. Since it is too much of a moral task for them to understand that making noise and disturbing other people’s peace is immoral, I hope one day the laws of the country will force them to become moral beings by banning their noise- pollution antics. Do I hear the words: “Hear the devil speaking”?
