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By Citizen Agba Jalingo

When Dr. Francois Duvalier, better known as “Papa Doc” held Haiti with his notorious secret police, Ton Ton Macoute and voodoo gangstarism, when children in poverty stricken Haiti had become so plentiful and so cheap that mothers openly sold their kids for 40cents, it was Catholic priests who precipitated the social crises that snowballed into the fall of that brutal regime.

In Idi Amin’s Uganda, the voice of the church against that demented dictator was so loud that, Amin personally shot Arch Bishop Luwun dead; telling his aide, “He lost his temper.”

When the unbridled tyranny of Nicolas Ceaucescu of Romania was raging, the church courageously took the fight to him and consequently, priests and other preachers who criticized his handling of human rights were arrested and sent to institutions like the Dr. Petra Groza Hospital in Bucharest to be diagnosed and treated of bizarre diseases like political paranoia, senile dementia, persecution complex, neurotic behavior, delusion, self preservation drive, discordant character structure etc.

It was from the pulpit that Martin Luther King Jr. pulled the Negroes out of the pit and altered the contours of racial segregation in the US.

In the Old Testament, when Saul became King of Israel and began his vindictiveness, Prophet Samuel was a constant torn on his flesh. 1 Kings 22:6-14.

When David became King after the death of Saul, Prophet Nathan became the conscience of the nation.

Through the reign of Kings Solomon, Reboboam, Abijam, Asa, and Jehoshaphat in Judea and Kings Jeroboam, Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, Ahab and Ahazia in Israel, there was Prophet Ahijah, Jehu, Elijah, Elisha, Micaiah and others who were continually persecuted and even killed because they remained forthright in their watch over those making political decisions.

In the New Testament, John the Baptist had a brush with King Herod after criticizing Herod’s take over of his late brother’s wife. He was arrested, imprisoned and beheaded with his head on a platter for birthday.

Almost all the Apostles of Christ were dogged after, persecuted, locked up, and some executed not because they were common criminals but because of their unrelenting striving to hold power accountable.

In the days of yore, when the palace heard that the prophets were coming, the polished oak tables trembled.

Today the church and the shepherds seem to be reading another scripture. Rather than be the conscience, the church has either acquiesce or is busy hating.

Those who are vocal are either supporters of one side of the looters or the other side, either hating because their benefactor is out or supporting because their benefactor is in; none support the masses.

And it came to pass that even the laity, the congregations, are not in a hurry to ask for more than what they are getting from the pulpits.

Nay! they want more but more of same.

Wake up, wake up, PULPIT. Drop a pinch of salt on the tip of our tongue and let us feel the taste again.

Let the pulpits pull us again outta’d’pit.

Citizen Agba Jalingo is a Journalist, Author and civil rights leader.

Source: StreetReporters.ng