The
noise on twitter over a supposed rape by the pastor of a popular church got me
worried as is always the case when I hear stories of “men of God” who fell from
grace and got caught. The few people I tried to interact with on the topic
didn’t give me much so I decided to ask for the link itself which I got.
Knowing the way misinformation spreads on social media, I wasn’t
surprised to find that what actually happened was much different. Anyway,
that’s besides the point.
Whether the story is true or not is another matter, though it
certainly has a familiar ring to it knowing the kind of country we live in. Ese
Walter’s confession is a microcosm of what actually happens in many religious
organizations. Things are that bad now.
However, the tone of her writing had not an iota of remorse but
stinks of bitterness; the bitterness of a woman who feels used, not abused.
There was something very carefree and vindictive about her confession that
raises serious doubts as to the motive she declared. I saw a woman who’s heart
was torn to shreds and so desperately wanted to get her pound of flesh back
that she didn’t give a fuck about anything again – pardon my french.
Before I continue, I know someone is already saying, “Here’s a
COZA voltron!”. Wrong! I’m not a member of COZA, neither am I defending Pastor
Biodun Fatoyinbo. Didn’t even know what the COZA acronym stood for till this
evening. The name Fatoyinbo rang a bell but I knew nothing about him so I
visited google. I don’t even know what he looks like but I’ve heard of COZA
because I was impressed by one of their worship centers I happened to pass by
when I visited Abuja.
In fact, those who know me well know that I have never hidden my
distaste for all these “funky” new generation churches that believe the Bible
has become too old fashioned and needs to be modernized to suit the needs of
the newer generation…
Back to my analysis of Ese Walter’s confession.
I noticed in Ese, a similar trend of what I’ve always complained about in many Christian worshippers in Nigeria. How people transmute an unseen God into the form and image of the pastor has forever baffled me. A testament of what I call “god-objectification”. It is peculiar to christians who learn to accept whatever their preacher preaches to be the gospel truth, even when the Holy Bible says otherwise.
If this confession was written by someone who had no knowledge of good or evil, a status I can only ascribe to a baby, I would have believed her motives to be noble. However, she stated she was already doing a Masters program in the UK when this supposed “abuse” began which would mean she is was way above 21 age wise. How someone in today’s world can claim not to know “her left from her right” at that age is mind-boggling to say the least!
I noticed in Ese, a similar trend of what I’ve always complained about in many Christian worshippers in Nigeria. How people transmute an unseen God into the form and image of the pastor has forever baffled me. A testament of what I call “god-objectification”. It is peculiar to christians who learn to accept whatever their preacher preaches to be the gospel truth, even when the Holy Bible says otherwise.
If this confession was written by someone who had no knowledge of good or evil, a status I can only ascribe to a baby, I would have believed her motives to be noble. However, she stated she was already doing a Masters program in the UK when this supposed “abuse” began which would mean she is was way above 21 age wise. How someone in today’s world can claim not to know “her left from her right” at that age is mind-boggling to say the least!
A person her age ought to have known that having an affair with
a MARRIED MAN is like sailing through uncharted waters; the possibility of a
ship wreck is 99 out of 100. This is even more so when the man you are having
an affair with is your spiritual counselor. You just can’t claim that you were
“rolling under the sheets” consensually with a man and say you were afraid or
even suggest that you may have been in a trance-like state while you both had
sex DAILY for over a week. Its absurd! She wasn’t kidnapped or forced to visit
or stay in his hotel room. If she really had a conscience attack, she would
have fled after the first bout and never returned. This is where I break it to
you all that read her confession that she ENJOYED every bit of the encounter.
Her story brings to mind a video that went viral on social media
early this year, the “power-enter” video. If she’s as educated as she would
have the world believe, then she couldn’t have fallen for his charms if she
didn’t want to. Her confession tells me something, she’s a dumb bimbo.
#MonicaLewinsky alert!
The aim of this rejoinder of sorts is not to attack her person
of course. Its just to point out what a good story it is…too good to be taken
in its entirety as the truth. One thing I know is that you can never decide
until you’ve heard both sides. Unfortunately, the possibility of hearing Pastor
Fatoyinbo’s side of the story appears to be slim. If he indeed had an affair
with Ese Walters, the honourable thing to do would be to own up to his mistakes
and probably bar himself from representing himself as a minister of God.
Ese Walter’s allegation that he misled her is watery and not to
be taken seriously because she misled herself. What any rational woman worth
her salt would do after such advances have been made to her by a “man of God”
would be to flee the man and his church. She wasn’t rational which leads me to
only one conclusion; she was in love with him.
That being said, it is instructive to mention an observation. I
have noticed that is not uncommon to have male student pastors in University
Campus Fellowships flocked by women of easy virtue who claim to be in need of
one form of counseling or the other. These supposed counseling sessions usually
end up in another dimension when the threshold of self-restraint and discipline
breaks. This unfortunate occurrence now seems to have solidified itself as
rumours of pastors having sexual trysts with their members are rife.
The world is filled with all sorts of charlatans in frocks and
collars. Salvation is personal and even more so especially as the guide book to
a true relationship with God, the Holy Bible is still very much accessible. The
truth about God does not lie in the actions or doctrine of any pastor or
religious institution. Its in the Bible for you to see. As long as you are
mature enough to know the difference between good and evil, you WILL NOT give
in to any ridiculous doctrine peddled by swindlers in cassocks or more
recently, suits except you want to, or you are too weak to resist them.
If you worship in a church where a watered down version of the
gospel is preached, jump ship immediately. After all, variety is one thing we
do not lack when it comes to churches in Nigeria. Don’t blame your excesses or
weaknesses on the pastor who “betrayed” you because God gave you a brain to
think, so use it! On the last day, everybody go answer e papa name. Pastor will
not shoulder the blame for your sins because like you, he will stand before God
to be judged accordingly.
Do not be deceived. God is not mocked.
Oh, yeah “cheers to the freaking weekend”. I’ll drink to that!
Malcolm O. Ifi.
To read Ese Walter’s confession, click the link below.
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