If you ask me, I think we’re living in an age of irresponsibility. We’re living in an age where everything we do is always somebody else’s fault. If I craft a bomb, and blow up some people, it’s because of imperialist Western agendas and not because I’m a religious and moral bigot. If I hijack a school bus full of little children and demand ransom for them, it’s because of unjust resource allocation and not because I’m cruel and lazy. If I rape a girl, it’s because she dressed provocatively and not because I’m a cold blooded psychopath given over to perverse lusts. If I vote for a clueless, shoeless clutz, whose greatest achievement was not having shoes growing up as a child, it’s because the opposition party couldn’t get their act together to form an alliance and not because I base my choices on religious or tribal sentiments. And if I get swindled by a 419er, it’s because the other guy is bad and evil, and not because I’m greedy, wanting to reap where I haven’t sown. It’s called the blame game and we’ve gotten very good at it. The youth blame the elders, the elders blame modernization; the North blames the South, the South blames the British. Parents blame their children and children their parents. Men blame women, women blame soccer. Everybody blames Somebody and Somebody always blames Government.

Are you getting the gist? If my marriage breaks down, it’s his snoring and not my nagging about it. If I cheat at exams it’s because the teacher is lousy or the subject is boring (or both) and not because I spend all my time on Twitter and Facebook. Likewise, if I treat God like a babalawo, or like a money doubler, or like a slot machine and sow N1000 in order for God to give me N1 million, it’s because the pastor manipulated me and not because I couldn’t be bothered to search out the truth for myself. And if I let my pastor replace God in my life, well of course it’s the pastor’s fault but certainly not mine.

Somehow I find it disconcerting to read the numerous posts and tweets that abuse, curse, condemn and isolate pastors who take advantage of their flock and get rich at the expense of their congregation, without them making any mention of a complicit and even somewhat docile follower-ship; and there’s every likelihood this article will stir up a hornet’s nest. But before I’m totally misconstrued, let me say for the record that I empathize with genuine and sincere Christians who have gotten their fingers burnt by charismatic men in pinstriped suits and/or white flowing cassocks, whichever fits the bill. God is faithful, and there’s always a new beginning for you in Him.

Back to the matter at hand. Yes, there are many such pastors; yes, church has become a business for many – both for those who open shop and for those who patronize them (and by the way, if a business has no customers, will it survive?) and yes, they will all be judged by God.

But so will you and so will I, whether we are the deceived or the deceivers. Remember how Adam got all defensive in the garden of Eden when God confronted him and he tried to push the blame on both Eve and God for them to share? Well, if I read my Bible right, Adam (the alleged deceived) came under judgement and was driven out of the garden too, not just Eve (the alleged deceiver). However, Adam was judged because God knew he wasn’t deceived like he claimed, and Eve also, even though she was genuinely deceived by the serpent.

I find that really scary, that even though Eve was well and truly deceived, God still kicked her out of paradise. It’s rather frightening to know that God knows and sees everything, and is totally righteous and just when He judges a matter. Besides that, He knows the end from the beginning and knows the far-reaching consequences of our present day actions, and will act accordingly, whether we like it or understand it or not. Eve discovered that very early on. Wahala dey o.

Perhaps someone might think I’m writing this because I haven’t fallen prey to such “merchants of God”. But maybe I’m writing this as someone who needs to sound the warning bell. We will all give account to God, both the called many and the chosen few, both the manipulator and the manipulated, both the ones who market God and His Holy Spirit as money doublers, and those who buy into their pitch.

Remember God cannot be mocked; whatever we sow, we will reap. So if you are one of those pastors who prophe-lie, teach error and peddle half truths in order to get rich at the expense of your congregation, your day of reckoning will surely come. And if you’re one of those who are like sheep to the slaughter, following blindly, believing everything and testing nothing, know that you will give an account of your actions also. You just might discover that the excuse “I was deceived” does not hold much sway.

But hey, I’m not God… Fortunately.