I am not necessarily religious. My spirituality is “deeper� than religion and the institution of the church. Having seen how many people have been ridiculed, judged, killed and subjected to all sorts of humiliation in the name of religion and the church, these two social institutions remain controversial in my sphere.

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However, like most Batswana, I come from a religious family and my late grandfather was an esteemed priest. I guess I am the black sheep of the family because the last time I walked into a church and sat through a service was probably six years ago. Some people think I am angry at God or the devil is playing tricks on me but don’t get twisted, my God has been good to me and my spirituality is even; I just have intense issues with dogma as it can be, frankly speaking, dangerous and self defeating!

Growing up as a sheepish starry-eyed young person eager to learn more about them, the world I exist in and life, it’s easy to gravitate towards the church as it offers some form of solid structure. However, one cannot help but note the financial aspect of churches. Some churches are a serious business. It is as if people are forced to part with money, instead of generously giving it away. The church could easily be the richest or poorest institution but it has been so commercialized so much, that it is losing its value. It doesn’t help that church money is not taxed. Nowadays, anyone feeling the ‘poverty itch’ can decide to open a church. While the word of God will be spread, one eye corner will be fixedly on the collection box, checking to see if money is coming in. These new age charismatic churches leave a lot to be desired, especially as there are so many of them. It is as if we didn’t know God before these churches! Their choice of worship is funky, relevant yet has its eye raising elements, not entirely about their over zealous and self righteous nature but the obsession with money!

I am a very economic person so parting with money is a well-thought out process. Forget politics, these churches are doing a great job at ensuring the rich grow richer and the poor grow poorer! The blessings are simple psychology; if you believe in something, it will become reality and this formula we use in prayer. Should God’s glory be reduced to money mongering of fake capitalists passing as genuine “men of God”. Most of the preachers and priests at these churches wear expensive clothes, drive fancy cars and live in big houses, even when some members of their congregation are dirt poor. They do not visit people at their places, people come to them and since ‘ordinary-thinking’ people are sold on the notion that these people are their “saviors”, they will believe anything they say and ask of them. It challenges my intellect that my God would leave all the many people around me and send me a messiah from another country to come and save me. Why can’t he one of our own people, like Kgafela to save us? Pun intended. While I do not dispute the spiritual powers of these prophets, preachers and priests, I have issues with the fact that I must open my purse at every turn in order to receive blessings and prayers.

A friend of mine was debating tithing with me and while she maintains that things are ‘looking up’ for her as she gives a great portion of her incomes to the church, I totally disagreed. If I can or want to only donate P50, why shouldn’t it be enough?

Besides, why can’t money be taken from people through honest means instead of promising miracles and buying blessings? I would give the money freely if I was told that my money would be used to satisfy the priest’s expensive tastes. I have developed expensive tastes too, so ke a tlhaloganya.

To commercialize the word of God and turn it into a multi-billion business defies the purpose. Yes, religion and spirituality makes room for prosperity, abundance and growth, but why at the expense of ordinary people? Someone may struggle to pay their children’s school fees, their medical aid or get themselves other needs but they will use their last money to pay off for blessings or buy an air ticket to visit a shrine in some country. Blessings can be free and should be free. I am all for God and spirituality yet cannot condone parting with my hard earned money to prove my spirituality; God loves me either way.

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