A Dollop of Faith

Let us get one thing out of the way, no one deserves to be burnt at the stake for their beliefs. Although chances are that you would have gotten a markedly different reaction if you had told that to the Catholic establishment in 16^th century Angola. The Catholic went to this very extent to preserve the “purity” of their teachings as they endeavoured to grow Christianity in Africa during the sixteenth century. Perhaps we can speculate that the Catholic authorities had witnessed the bewitching power of religion and as such knew how potent a weapon religion was, especially in the hands of a populace that was reluctant to ask why or how and had deep superstitions well and truly entrenched in their ways of life. So they recognised that just as easily as they had used religion to gain control over the masses, someone else could use religion’s tendency towards communal thinking against the very purveyors of Christianity.

And so, on 2^nd July 1702, in the then kingdom of Kongo which is modern day Angola, a momentous occasion took place in the continued interface between Christianity and the local indigenous African religions. 22 year old Beatriz Dona Kimpa Vita was burned at the stake for heresy. Her major crime being making the claim that Jesus and Mary the mother of Jesus were Kongolese (Angolan). She had made the claim two years earlier when she declared herself possessed of the spirit of St Anthony. Surprisingly and much to the shock of the church authorities these claims led to her having enough followers to worry the religious establishment then. Accused of heresy and witchcraft, she was burned at a place called Evulu in modern day Angola.

Beatriz Kimpa

Back home, Alice Mulenga Lenshina (“Lenshina” was a bastardization of “Regina”) and her Lumpa church fought a bloody war in the lead up to Zambia’s independence in 1964. She too like Beatriz Kimpa had received her own version of “The Light”, amassed a growing number of followers and was soon planting churches all over the country and beyond. Initially tolerated by both the mainstream churches at the time and the state, she later earned their chagrin when it seemed that her supporters were pursuing a separatist agenda. Accused of practicing a strange brand of Christianity and seen as being aloof over their indifference towards the independence movement and the obvious popularity of their brand of Christianity, the Lumpa church was seen as a serious thorn in the government’s flesh. It wasn’t long before flashpoints began erupting in Lumpa strongholds, leading the government to destroy the Lumpa camps. The Lumpas would not take this lying down, leading to carnage at a scale not seen in those days as hundreds of Lumpa church members were butchered by government forces, while the Lumpas also gave as good as they received though using primitive weapons and a strange choice of bullet-shield (it has been reported that Lumpa church militants were told to smear their bodies with human excreta as a way of warding off the bullets from government forces). Eventually the Lumpa cells were ransacked, its members scattered or butchered and their Leader placed under house arrest in Chilenje, where she eventually died of back complications.

Drawing on the alluring and semi-hypnotic powers of religion, our political players have continued to spare no effort in tapping into religion in their sometimes desperate quest for votes and popularity. The 2016 election campaign period had more allusions to God than a Nigerian movie as political parties jostled for votes. Not surprisingly, God made his way into the campaign messages; I saw more than a smattering of posters bearing leaders of political parties affirming their staunch belief in God and topping that with a generous dollop of a Biblical verse.

As if that wasn’t enough, a flurry of the “accidental” sighting of political leaders leaving church or a carefully contrived photograph depicting certain political actors in one of those unquestionably pious postures while seemingly engrossed in deep prayer and reflection made its way into social media. If you thought this wasn’t a competition, well think again. Such images would only be beaten by a NEWS clip of the same politicians reverently muttering and mouthing words of praise while waving their arms in an unmistakable sign of pious adoration to the creator.

It was clear, that the political gravy train was in town, in church and it needed legitimacy and endorsement from men and women of the collar and their followers. Sensing an opportunity, the Christians responded by dipping their spoons, sometimes as huge as spades in the political gravy train (afterall, barring a serious eventuality, the train would only be seen five years later). For the gravy was brimming with money, influence and stardust. Prayers were instantly answered, visions hastily constructed and relayed much to the amusement of those of us that saw and continue to see through the charade.

A few years ago I wrote questioning the wisdom of declaring an entire country a “Christian” nation. My thesis basically was that the constitution guarantees us freedom of worship according to the dictates of our conscious and that in the grand scheme of things claiming an entire country for a religion was not only short-sighted but cajoled the rest of us, even though clearly in the minority into subservience towards this version of “truth” called Christianity. I also noted that state and religion are not very good business buddies ( as history has shown), and I have noted that many notable sectors and thinkers have since expressed more or less the same opinion now that the President has created a Ministry of National Guidance and Religion.

Now I understand the President’s eagerness to reward those that voted for the Patriotic Front for no other reason other than their visibility in church and the declaration of those frenzied days of fasting and prayer, but I have serious reservations about the operationalisation of a Ministry of National Guidance and Religion. Apart from calling for and presiding over national prayer events, I can’t see much that the ministry will be doing. I do not envy those that will be tasked with drafting the terms of reference of the new ministry. By “National Guidance”, are we to take it that this is the official propaganda arm of the government? Then there is the “Religion” part. Are we going to have religion inspectors, who will be seating in on sermons in church so that they affirm that the Christian religion is practiced as required by the Ministry? Kaya!

Interesting times. I am off to Livingstone for a week, hoping I can come back with some exciting tales. (Turns out I spoke too soon. The Livingstone trip was postponed)