Prime
If the church can’t be the role model, where shall we run to?
What you need to know:
- Other religious denominations have not been spared either; the Muslims have settled for two factions one based at Kibuli and another at Old Kampala and the conflicts mainly center at management of resources including land and money.
As I interact with my six-year-old daughter, I find difficulty answering some intriguing questions about God; the obvious ones being who created God, the difference between Jesus and God, how many eyes does God have and so on and so forth!
All that I do is to plant into her subconscious mind a belief that there is a God, the omniscient (all knowing), omnipotent (all powerful) and omnipresent (everywhere).
I tell her that whatever she does, God is seeing her and that if it is wrong, then God will be unhappy with her. I also try to let her know that God can handle anything that a human being can’t do!
But as we build society individually and collectively, it appears the waves of sin, evil, selfishness, greed, deceitfulness and wickedness continue to overpower mankind, that there will be a time when God or Godliness is completely wiped out of our lifestyle!
The recent controversy in electing the next Bishop of Namirembe Diocese in which the process was deferred to a later time citing possible manipulation of the process by some candidates is a reflection of a deep rooted moral and ethical degeneration of our society!
If this had been the first controversy, it would be excusable and understandable, but having seen it happen in many other dioceses makes it appear to be the new normal.
The recent cancellation of the election of the Bishop of Luwero diocese, a controversy that hasn’t been resolved to date, incidences of bitter disagreements that happened in Kumi diocese for almost two years and earlier in West Ankole diocese to mention but a few, spell doom for our society!
Other religious denominations have not been spared either; the Muslims have settled for two factions one based at Kibuli and another at Old Kampala and the conflicts mainly center at management of resources including land and money.
The Pentecostal churches continue to split as most pastors disagree over money and accountability related issues while others harass and blackmail their fellow pastors in the name of competition for crowds! The other religious groups are not safe either, a lot of dirty things are happening!
When the religious institutions (or their management) gets characterized or captured by controversies surrounded by greed, intrigue, manipulation, selfishness, lack of transparency and dishonesty, then the society is headed for doom because they are the very institutions where we should find solace when all other things fail.
By the time the religious institutions start to dysfunction or to function by deception, then know that all other systems have collapsed. This is because whereas other institutions rely on constitutions and man-made laws that are susceptible to manipulation, religious institutions rely on the word of the most-high God who is a judge of justice.
And so it’s not a surprise that all other institutions have almost collapsed when it comes to holding values of honesty, transparency, accountability, service above self-etc.
The judiciary and Uganda Police top the list of the most corrupt entities, yet they should be taking lead in fighting corruption, the cultural institutions who are the custodians of our value system are shredded in controversies of corruption, selling Kingdom land, installing of wrong people as cultural leaders or Kings to mention but a few!
The NGOs who are watchdogs of the state are equally captives of the same evils they purport to fight, the academic institutions where knowledge is manufactured, only teach theories that they cannot themselves practice etc.
Opposition Political parties which are expected to offer alternative leadership are embroiled in controversies of betrayal and receiving “dirty monies” from the same person they purport to fight
With such controversies surrounding every section of our society, a country that is turning into a man eat man society, and sadly where men and women of values and integrity are being sidelined and put at the periphery, where shall our hope be?
George Muhimbise, Social and political commentator
