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I received a WhatsApp video in which a person (name and place unknown) is seen giving a talk. This provoked my thoughts and inspired me to share my reflections for the introspection of the readers. The content of the talk is given below: “A true man of God helps you depend on God and not on him. But a man of greed wants you to depend on him so he can extract money from you. A lot of so-called preachers charge people money for their ministry. The more you pay, the more they pray. Today many churches and prayer camps charge money for what they call prayer and healing. If you give 50 dollars, you get a prayer. If you give 100 dollars, they will lay their hands and anoint you. If you give 500 dollars, they will fast for you. And if you give 1000 dollars, they will prophesy and see a vision for you. Nonsense! Anybody who charges you for prayer or healing is in error. A day of judgement is coming on the fake pastors and preachers of this land. They tell you, “Buy this anointing oil. Buy this holy water. Buy this prayer cloth.” Do not be deceived. Jesus never sold any miracle and neither did the apostles. We have to get back to the original place today where we depend on Jesus and Jesus only. The cult of celebrity pastors and preachers must end. Here is the mistake we make today. We think that if a preacher speaks words that come to pass, well then it means that he is a true man of God. We think if a preacher performs miracle signs and wonders, then, he must be operating in
Fifty-five days have passed since Manipur started burning. To this day, there has been no effective response to stop the violence. Caught between the silence of those who should take action and the helpless of the people of Manipur and those sympathetic to them, shouldn’t we be reflecting more and acting in unison? Why the deafness? The nine-year-old Manipuri girl who has sent a video message to the Prime Minister, the 550 concerned citizens who petitioned the premier, the innumerable prayer sessions, petitions, the human chain that went unreported in the mainstream media, the number of appeals by Christian leaders and others, all these raise the same question, ‘Why are they who should act responsibly, so deaf?’ At times, there is the ‘selective hearing.’ For instance, one of the senior journalists in India pointed out how the violence in panchayat elections in West Bengal got such national media coverage, while Manipur had minimal or none. The deafness and selective hearing become all the more painful when informed citizens say that the violence could be controlled within a short time, if they want it. For instance, Vibhuti Narain Rai, the former Director General of Police of Uttar Pradesh state, who has studied communal violence extensively, tells us that if the political leadership wishes any violence can be brought under control within 48 hours. So, one cannot but conclude that the deafness is purposeful. They just do not want to hear the cry of the people i
Christians in general and religious orders, in particular, lay great emphasis on the obedience the subjects owe to the superior. In this context, it is insightful to reflect on the bias this obedience may carry with it.Compliance with orders issued by a higher authority is considered obedience. An actual example of obedience is when a child complies with parental instructions. Another illustration might be a soldier obeying orders from a commander.The phrase “obedience to authority bias,” popular in business ethics and behavioral psychology, refers to the tendency for people to support those who they believe to be authoritative leaders. Even if the individual thinks what they are doing is immoral, this is still true.This submission to authority is viewed in psychology and ethics as a bias with unfavourable outcomes. People frequently agree to do things that they otherwise wouldn’t do on their own as a result of obedience. It only takes one person’s authority to persuade someone to make a poor decision.The propensity for people to appease those in control is known as obedience to authority. This could also signify a readiness to carry out unethical directives. According to psychological research, people often have a tendency to respect and obey those they believe to be in legitimate positions of authority. If people fail to utilize their own independent ethical judgment, this could be problematic.Most people are able to foresee their superiors’ ne
In May this year, the Jesuits had their Procurators’ Congregation in Loyola, Spain – a meeting of 88 representatives from all the provinces and regions. In the meeting they deliberated and discerned on the status of the Society of Jesus, the ways ahead in the Mission of Jesus and whether a General Congregation/Chapter should be called. Overall, it was a fruitful time of collective self-examination, prayers and deliberations for a renewed religious life. As a participant, while walking within the vicinity of Loyola, the birthplace of St.Ignatius of Loyola, I saw a huge building on a hillock, a convent. In that house which could easily accommodate a hundred people, now hardly twenty live. All consecrated women above sixty years. It is only a question of few years, when the building would be sold and the few remaining will move to some old age home. Many of the Catholic religious congregations, both men and women, are struggling. Some are dying. So the question remains, how will the consecrated religious life survive? Granting that this mode of life is fundamentally faith-based, the ultimate answer is of course, it will survive, if God wants it to. Meanwhile, what can the members of such religious congregations do on their part? Lessons from Vatican II The answer that was given by Vatican II remains valid even today: “The appropriate renewal of religious life involves two simultaneous processes: a continuous return to the sources of all Christian life and to each com
M L Satyan, Bengaluru, Matters India
