Fake pastors and false prophets rock churches in South Africa - BBC Africa

Mbulelo Mtshilibe
BBC News Africa
March 13, 2019

Rape and fraud scandals involving fake pastors have prompted calls for regulation of churches in South Africa.

There have been a number of high- profile cases in recent months involving disgraced pastors and self-proclaimed prophets. President Cyril Ramaphosa has even got involved, urging South Africans to come together to curb bogus pastors.

Victims of alleged sexual abuse have detailed their experiences to the BBC and criticised the invulnerability of so-called men of God who use their position of authority as a cover for abuse.

Video journalist: Christian Parkinson

Indonesia sees rise in number of self-proclaimed prophets promising to save the nation

ABC News

March 13, 2018

By Erwin Renaldi

 

It is a time of purported visions and miracles for tens of thousands of Indonesians, as the world's most populous Muslim nation experiences a rise in the number of self-proclaimed prophets thanks to social media.

Key points:

·        Many self-proclaimed prophets claim they have received revelations directly from God and angels

·        The rise of social media has increased the prominence of new religious groups

·        Many are being persecuted under laws against blasphemy pushed by conservative forces

But the emergence of new religious movements claiming divine connections, which often draw on elements of Islam and Christianity, has been highly controversial in the increasingly conservative Muslim nation.

Several new religious leaders and their followers have already been prosecuted and imprisoned under the country's strict blasphemy laws.

Al Makin, an Indonesian expert in new religious movements at Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University in Yogyakarta, said the movements had gained traction mainly due to increased exposure on social media and people seeking answers during periods of economic and political uncertainty.

"Their existence often stems from uncertainties surrounding an unstable political climate," he said, referring to the widespread social instability after the fall of former president Suharto and the 1998 Asian financial crisis, which caused job losses and increased poverty.

He said the emergence of a "prophet" often came from attempts to seek answers to social insecurities through new beliefs that retained familiar elements of existing structures, such as Christianity and Islam.

Professor Makin estimated about 600 Indonesians had claimed to be the recipients of "divine revelations" since the the colonial period ended after World War II.

But despite Indonesia's traditional religious and cultural diversity, the emergence of conservative Islamist politics in recent decades had seen many new "prophets" face increasing persecution.

'Give us permission for our UFO to land'

The belief structures of each group varies wildly: one believes the angel Gabriel will return to Earth in a UFO, while others claim to be replacements for the Islamic prophet Mohammed.

One of the most high-profile cases of the phenomenon dates back about 20 years.

Lia Aminuddin — also known as Lia Eden — a former Jakarta-based florist, has over the last 20 years claimed to have been appointed by the angel Gabriel as the reincarnation of the Virgin Mary, ostensibly to save people from the day of reckoning.

The now-70-year-old established the cult Eden Kingdom, encouraging members to wear white to maintain their purity.

She once wrote to Indonesian President Joko Widodo asking for permission for a UFO to land to collect her followers.

"We hope that President Jokowi will approve and give us permission for our UFO to land," she said.

 

Under Indonesian legislation, blasphemy, or any public expression of hostility, hatred or contempt against the five recognised religions of the state — Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism — is punishable by imprisonment of up to five years.

In 2006, Aminuddin was convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to two years in jail following her calls to abolish official religions in Indonesia. Three years later in 2009, she received another two-and-half-year sentence for a similar offence.

Professor Makin said given Indonesia was historically built on a diverse set of beliefs that spanned the archipelago nation, criminalising anyone on the basis of their religious beliefs was wrong.

"This phenomenon of fake prophets should have been seen as a test as to the extent of Indonesia's respect and tolerance towards other religions and beliefs," he told the ABC.

"Unfortunately, we are not that tolerant — many of them were dragged to court, jailed, and even accused of insanity."

 

Notable examples of the laws being used and causing uproar include the cases of a Buddhist woman in North Sumatra who complained that a mosque was too loud, and the imprisonment of former Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama over comments he made about the Koran.

New 'prophets' now gaining thousands of followers

More recently, Sensen Komara from West Java claimed to be a messenger from God after receiving messages in his dreams, and he has since attracted about 4,000 followers.

As a part of his teachings, he changed the Islamic pledge to replace the prophet Mohammed's name with his own.

Komara was charged with blasphemy last year after his teachings were condemned as "astray" by the Indonesian Ulema Council [MUI], the peak Muslim body in Indonesia, but judges later ruled him unfit to stand trial due to mental illness and ordered he be sent to a psychiatric hospital for rehabilitation.

But due to a lack of funding, he has now been released to continue his teachings.

Ahmad Musadeq is a self-proclaimed messiah and the founder of Gerakan Fajar Nusantara (Gafatar), considered to be an Islamic sect with more than 55,000 followers, making him one of the most popular prophets in Indonesia.

The group has been banned, with members often victims of "worsening intolerance, discrimination and violence against religious minorities in Indonesia", according to Human Rights Watch, and thousands forced to flee after angry mobs burnt their homes in Kalimantan province in 2016.

In 2017, Musadeq was sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of blasphemy for "mixing religions", according to a district court.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-13/indonesia-sees-rise-in-number-of-self-proclaimed-prophets/10872342

 

ZIMBABWE: Act Against Self-Styled Prophets, Court Urged

Daniel Nemukuyu

The Herald (Harare)

October 11, 2017

The courts have been urged to act against self-styled prophets, who conveniently take advantage of desperate and unsuspecting believers to milk them of their hard-earned wealth through "seeding".

Opposing an exception application by United Family International Church (UFIc) leader Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa in a matter he is being sued for allegedly brainwashing businessman Mr Upenyu Mashangwa and his wife Blessing and swindling the couple of millions of dollars, Advocate Thabani Mpofu said the practice was now rampant and the courts had the duty to protect unsuspecting victims. Adv Mpofu, who is being instructed by Venturas & Samukange Legal Practitioners, said prophecies that never come true were a form of fraud and the courts should take action and deal with the scourge.

"It may be pointed out and the court is obliged to take judicial notice of the proliferation in the country of self-styled prophets. Those who prey on the religious, taking advantage of the negative economic conditions (sic). The time has come for the court to either interpret existing principles of law or extend them in answering the key question being, whether these prophets are immune from suit if they mislead their followers. This case is important for that reason," reads Mr and Mrs Mashangwa's heads of argument.

The couple -- former members of UFIC -- sued Prophet Makandiwa for millions of dollars alleging that the church leader in 2012 misrepresented that they would encounter a "debt cancellation miracle" and encouraged them to continue "seeding". However, the couple's house in Marlborough, Harare, was later attached and sold for $500 000 instead of $700 000. They are now demanding the $700 000 from Prophet Makandiwa.

The Mashangwas also want Prophet Makandiwa to pay them $1,7 million for recommending a de-registered lawyer, who later duped them. Prophet Makandiwa is said to have prophesied during a UFIC church service that Mr Tichaona Mawere was a brilliant lawyer who would never lose a case. He later advised the couple to engage him in their battle to recover a debt.

The couple was prejudiced of $37 000 in legal fees paid to the bogus lawyer, the court heard. In the heads of argument, Adv Mpofu said the UFIC leader must be man enough to defend himself from the serious allegations levelled against him. Adv Mpofu said the man of cloth should bravely defend himself and stop hiding behind curtains of legalism and subterfuge through exception application and other technical tactics.

"The power of God is undoubted and every believer would believe that God can do anything. The case brought, however, is that God has not spoken to the Makandiwas about debt cancellation and that they abused the name of God and took advantage of their congregants, who believe in the power of God and who were of the view that the "prophets had communion with him".

"A self-respecting and self-proclaimed prophet must react to these allegations and meet them head on. The defendants must plead. They are able to admit, deny or otherwise confess and avoid. The allegations made are not only clear, but have an undoubted legal basis. Whenever a claim is clear, same must be pleaded to," read the heads of argument.

Adv Mpofu questioned how a true prophet would wrongly advise his flock to engage a bogus and de-registered lawyer, Mr Tichaona Mawere. It is alleged that Prophet Makandiwa advertised Mr Mawere as a great lawyer who could never lose a case.

"Having thus trusted Mr Mawere, plaintiffs lost a fortune. They paid unearned legal fees and also lost what they sought to claim. Just how does one who calls themselves a prophet place such trust in a bogus lawyer?

"What is, however, interesting is that, when pushed to the ropes, the defendants (Mr and Mrs Makandiwa) have not sought the services of the great lawyer who has never lost a case. Why then did they want plaintiffs to use a bogus person?

"For this, they must give account and an exception is not the answer required by the court," argued the lawyers.

The court, Adv Mpofu argued, should deal with the so-called seeding practice that has financially prejudiced the believers.

"It requires the court to deal with the so-called 'seeding' practice that has reduced many a believer to penury. Can that kind of religious brainwashing be permitted by the court?

Should the prophets wear their sleek suits and get away with stealing from the tormented?

"These, with respect, are the questions which must be answered by the court. The court can only do so after hearing evidence . . ."

Prophet Makandiwa and his wife are yet to respond to the heads of argument.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201710110495.html

In Bucks County, monsters are real: John L. Micek

JOHN L. MICEK
PennLive
June 2, 2017

DOYLESTOWN -- The Stoltzfus family believed Lee Kaplan was a prophet of Jesus Christ and a dream interpreter. They loved him and respected him.

DOYLESTOWN -- When you think of Bucks County, you probably first think of friendly homes with wide, rolling lawns. Bucolic towns with warm streets and a wealth that its possessors probably thought would insulate them from the terrors of the wider world.

Or maybe you think of the working class neighborhoods in Levittown, where men in hard hats went to work at U.S. Steel in Falls Township, punching in and then punching out, making an honest day's living for an honest day's pay, before heading home.

But this week, in a courtroom in Doylestown, residents of this suburban enclave north and east of Philadelphia, were vividly reminded that monsters who prey on our children do walk among us -- even in Bucks County.

And sometimes, those children can't count on those they should be able to count on the most - their parents - to protect them from those monsters.

Because, sometimes, the parents are monsters too.

In chilling testimony, several children of a former Amish couple, one of them just nine years old, recounted the serial sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of Lee Kaplan who, gut-wrenchingly, they considered their husband.

The nine-year-old, a daughter of Savilla and Daniel Stoltzfus, was, disgustingly and mind-bogglingly, "gifted" to Kaplan by her parents as a future wife, prosecutor Kate Kohler said.

But as PennLive's Christian Alexandersen reported, Kaplan allegedly began having sexual relations with the couple's other children as well.

What parent "gifts" their child to someone else? What soulless calculus leads to that conclusion?

Well, money, of course. And a misguided belief that the "giftee" has a hotline to Heaven.

But even still, what parent doesn't step in to prevent what happened next?

In court, the 9-year-old Stoltzfus child testified that she was just 7 years old when Kaplan raped her anally on multiple occasions. She was eight when it stopped, she said.

The distance between those two points must have seemed an eternity.

"He told me not to tell anybody what she was doing," the child testified Thursday, uttering a refrain that is tragically all-too-common in cases such as this one.

Not that anyone would have listened. Her parents were already allegedly complicit in the terror.

Her voice barely audible, the 11-year-old Stoltzfus child relayed what happened when Kaplan led her to his room and closed the door behind him: He'd pull up her dress and rub his genitals on her buttocks.

What fear must have rose in that child? Did the door close in slow-motion as it does in those scenes in movies, signaling that some unspeakable horror was about to unfold?

Did she close her eyes and wait for it to be over? Did she blame herself?

The parent in me asks all those questions. I don't know if I want to know the answers.

As Alexandersen reported, a 15-year-old girl testified Thursday that she first began having sex with Kaplan when she was either 10 or 11 years old. That continued, happening a couple of times a month until Kaplan was arrested in June 2016, when she was 14 years old.

In court, the girl said she had sex with Kaplan because that's what wives do for their husbands.

What?

Savilla Stoltzfus, who also became one of Kaplan's "wives" insanely testified in open court on Wednesday, the first day of the trial, that she grew jealous of her daughters.

She even went so far as to write a letter to her legal husband, Daniel, to complain that Kaplan had stopped having sex with her, preferring the children instead.

"I looked at them more like other women than my children," Stolftzfus testified.

She later added that she thought the serial rape of her children was acceptable because Kaplan thought they were going about God's work or some such nonsense.

"I could see that as being a good thing," she said, adding she had no regrets because "we had a good life."

There's no way to give even adequate voice to the inherent craziness of that statement. There's no way to describe how profoundly broken the relation between mother and child must have been to allow Savilla Stoltfus to rationalize that away.

Remember again, this wasn't some Lifetime movie from Hell. There was no tidy resolution at the end of the hour. No break for commercial.

This was real life, taking place in real time, in a courthouse in a leafy suburb just two hours from Harrisburg and maybe 45 minutes, on a good day, with no traffic, from Philadelphia.

You've probably been there.

Turning logic even further on its head, Kaplan's attorney, Ryan Hyde, tried to paint his client as the true victim, claiming the Stoltzfuses saw him as little more than a meal ticket and coldly exploited him.

"Like a tick, they were digging in," Hyde said of the Stoltzfuses.

Maybe they were. Maybe they were just that mercenary. But that's never a defense for child rape. Especially child rape that results in children having children themselves, as was the case here.

Kaplan, 52, is faces 17 counts of rape, sexual assault and conspiracy charges relating to the alleged sexual assault of the Stoltzfus children.

There are a lot of words to describe him. Not one of them gets much past monster. Most of them are unprintable in a family newspaper.

There are a lot of ways to describe the Stoltzfuses. Not one of them is printable in a family newspaper.

Not one of them is "parents."

http://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2017/06/in_pleasantville_a_monster_wal.html

Columns Leave the Men of Gold Alone!

Michael Chishala
May 24, 2017
Lusaka Times

The Folly of Regulating Religion

We have reached an interesting situation in Zambia where we apparently need the government to “protect” us from crooked preachers. From Nigerian Prophet Andrew Egimadu (aka Seer 1), Malawian Prophet Shepherd Bushiri to Zimbabwean Prophet Eubert Madzanire (aka Uebert Angel) who was apparently denied entry into the country, the list of Men of God…, er sorry, Men of Gold that are being either thrown out of Zambia or blocked from entering is growing (Interesting how they are all “prophets”).

We are told that these characters are charlatans and we need to protect our “values” as Zambians by stopping them from preying on gullible unsuspecting citizens. I totally agree that most of these so-called “Men of God” are fake and often prey on the people they preach to. I however take issue with the way they are being dealt with because it is leading us down a very slippery slope towards a huge ditch.

Let us start with the essential question of who is the absolute judge to decide for us who is a fake or genuine preacher and what are the correct Zambian “values”. What objective standard is used to pass judgment on preachers? How different are the fake foreign preachers from some of our local Pentecostal and Charismatic preachers right here in Zambia who also peddle teachings about God rewarding you and making you prosperous when you tithe and give offerings?

If indeed we need protection from fake preachers who are conning us out of money, then we should immediately ban Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) and Radio Christian Voice (RCV) in Zambia since they regularly broadcast teachings from the same kinds of questionable preachers. We should not only ban TBN, but also TB Joshua’s Emmanuel TV and also block all channels on satellite TV that host these Men and Women of Gold since thanks to VISA and MasterCard, I can send my “love offering” to any TBN preacher from my living room after being promised an abundance of prosperity and healing from all my illnesses. I need protection from this scam!

Some American prosperity preachers who feature prominently on TBN such as Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Joyce Meyer and others have been investigated in America over the lavish lifestyles they lead (funded by donations often based on promises of healing and prosperity) without paying any taxes.

Atheists and people of other faiths such as Buddhism, Judaism and Islam can probably make a strong argument that the entire system of Christianity that is based on promises of going to heaven is also just another big scam. Churches receive donations in form of tithes and offerings which they then use for their sustenance as they keep teaching every week that there is an afterlife in heaven.

Non-believers will argue that Christian churches are no different in principle from the Men and Women of Gold. The Men of Gold promise miracles, healing and wealth while churches for 2,000 years have been promising going to heaven and living in mansions there. Churches present themselves as being called by God himself to teach you the way to get to heaven by believing in and obeying the teachings of Jesus Christ. All churches get your money (based on promises) the same way the Men of Gold get your money (also based on promises).

Going a step further, what about churches that teach questionable doctrines? Should they be banned? Should the Mormons be banned since they teach that an angel called Moroni appeared to some guy called Joseph Smith and revealed some new hidden teachings, leading to the Book of Mormon being produced in 1830 that is treated on par with the Christian Bible?

What about the Seventh Day Adventists whom many in Christianity consider to be a cult, or the Jehovah’s Witnesses who do not believe in blood transfusions? Is the government okay with a person being prevented from getting a blood transfusion because their church forbids it and they end up dying in hospital? Isn’t this more consequential than people being swindled out of money by Men of Gold?

What has happened to all the laws on fraud and obtaining money under false pretences? If indeed the idea is to weed out the fake swindler preachers, why not plant undercover police officers in their churches and do a sting operation and then take the preachers to court for obtaining money under false pretences? Why not launch an education campaign against the scams?

Since we need Government protection from such confidence scams, let there be issued a Statutory Instrument (SI) to ban all adverts in the local newspapers and magazines by witch doctors, spirit mediums, Psychics and traditional healers that promise all manner of great outcomes such as passing exams, recovering stolen property, reclaiming adulterous wayward husbands, communicating with dead loved ones, getting a job or enlarging body parts. Surely the same logic must apply here.

As is evident by now, the stance taken against the Men and Women of Gold is patently absurd and untenable. Although not always, an absurdity is usually a sign of something not quite above board. We are now hearing whispers from Kachepa Kachepa suggesting that Uebert Angel is rumoured to have donated money to the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) which is allegedly why he was blocked from getting into Zambia.

This story was reported by Bulawayo 24 News in an article entitled “Zambia intelligence agency accuses Uebert Angel of ‘pumping’ millions into opposition” on 5th May 2017. The story was vehemently denied by the spokesperson of Angel’s church, Rikki Doolan. To quote from the article:

“Intelligence operatives of the Zambian Government have accused Uebert Angel of pouring millions into the opposition political party. Multimillionaire prophet and leader of the Good News Church, Uebert Angel was sucked into a political scuffle as the Zambian government accused him of funding the opposition party lead by Hakainde Hichilema.”

“Sources close to Prophet Angel say he was issued with a visa, however, the government operatives who met him at the airport listed a number of unreasonable conditions for him to follow should he opt to go into the country. But Uebert Angel refused to comply and he chose not to go into Zambia. However, a source in the prophet’s camp vehemently says it’s fiction.”

“‘Angel doesn’t know anything about the opposing leader in fact he has never met or seen Hichilema,’ said our source. Speaking to Onward Christian Radio, Rikki Doolan the spokesperson … said, ‘Prophet Uebert Angel is an apolitical leader, he is a Christian leader not aligned to any political party but God’.”

In yet another possible twist to this whole saga, Hjoe Moono suggested in his article “The Economics of Religion in Zambia: The Fight of the ‘Prophets‘” published in Lusaka Times on 18th May 2017 that all this might be just a sinister ploy to kill competition from foreign preachers for tithes and offerings after a lobbying campaign from local preachers. Who knows.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs and National Guidance has powers to register or de-register churches and religious organizations and apparently, they can get the Immigration Department to throw out any foreign person they deem to be a fake preacher. What happens one day in the future when the Minister at the time decides to de-register the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) or the Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) because they are judged to be getting too political?

What happens if some preachers in Zambia begin criticizing the government more strongly and their churches get shut down for “meddling” into politics instead of sticking to religion? It is of great concern that so much power can be vested in a single office to make such decisions. At the rate we are going, someone one day may take the government to court over religious freedoms which are enshrined in the Bill of Rights of the constitution.

When the United States of America was founded in 1789, they were very strong on an important principle; Separation of Church and State. This was in large part due to many immigrants in America running away from state sanctioned religious persecution in Europe. The American founding fathers in their wisdom could see that when religion gets too much into politics, you end up with all sorts of nasty problems.

In conclusion, I contend that there is no person with the knowledge, skill or wisdom to make any definitive judgments on matters of religion on behalf of Zambians. It is not the role of government to protect people from their own stupidity as if they are little children.

Source https://michaelchishala.com/2017/05/24/leave-the-men-of-gold-alone/

https://www.lusakatimes.com/2017/05/24/leave-men-gold-alone/

The curious case of the prophets

Prophet Bushiri

Mwansa Besa

Lusaka Times
May 22, 2017

Prophet Bushiri prayed for all African nations and their leaders ‘to ensure that peace prevails on the continent’.

The last few decades have seen a massive mushrooming of churches and people claiming to be prophets sent by God. It is a common sight these days to see men of the collar doing miracles or lack thereof. Every other day there seems to be a new prophet on the block ready to perform mind-blowing miracles, like turning water into oil, or making women without wombs give birth. It seems like the more miracles one is able to perform the more one is revered by his followers. A friend of mine once told me a story of an acquaintance who was a seasoned illusionist from childhood, who is now swimming in riches, thanks to having reinvented himself as a “man of God” or “man of gold” depending on which side of the fence you are sitting on.

Just the other week the Minister of National Guidance and Religious Affairs Godfridah Sumaili exercised her powers and deported Prophet Uebert Angel, a man known for stunning miracles like enabling unearned monies to be supernaturally credited to people`s bank accounts by angels. In defending her decision, she said, “Only men of God, be it pastors, missionaries and prophets preaching the true gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ will be allowed in the country. My ministry wants to see sanity in the body of Christ. It is taking people for granted, especially those desperate for spiritual attention. Is the gospel for the rich people only? What about the poor Zambians? Some prophets just want to come and extort money and go back, which my ministry will not allow.” She was prompted into action after she heard that the Zimbabwean prophet was charging K2,000 for a “Millionaire Academy” meeting he was scheduled to conduct in Zambia.

Her decision attracted a backlash from his followers resulting in her being bombarded with a lot of unprintables. Prominent among the people who reacted angrily to the ministers decision was Malawian prophet Shepherd Bushiri who even went as far as threatening to personally sort out the minister, it remains to be seen if he will carry out his threats. Bushiri has carved out a niche for himself as a leading miracles man, chief among his recent miracles was walking on thin air, which perhaps explains his reaction.

I have friends and relatives who have tithed and given their all to their already rich pastors and are still wallowing in poverty 10 years after the tithing and the so-called planting the seed, while their prophets and pastors continues living it large. When they ask their pastors why their seed didn’t germinate they are accused of lacking faith.

Prophets with larger than life lifestyles have become popular these days. It is a common sight to see modern charismatic preachers and prophets leaving their big mansions while putting on their million dollar suits as they drive their super expensive cars on their way to the bank, to deposit money contributed by their mostly poor church members.

Godfridah Sumaili surely has a good case in her quest to protect the miracles seeking gullible masses who keep on flocking into churches run by Pastorpreneurs (entrepreneurs who sets up churches as a business venture), apparently spurned on by unemployment, poverty and diseases. But this raises a question; how easy is it to tell who is and who is not a false prophet? Please somebody tell me where the standard she used to arrive at her decision, before I become another victim of a money hungry conman using the bible to get rich. It seems like the hunt to perform the best miracle is the new gold rush. Did I hear somebody say, “go deeper papa?” I can maybe go deeper if you equally dig deeper in your pocket. When you pay it will show!

https://www.lusakatimes.com/2017/05/22/the-curious-case-of-the-prophets/