In 2018, two cases where people died in the course of baptism should serve as some food for thought to African believers. In fact, the two incidents should get Africans to rethink their faith in God, at least in the Christian god. Let’s examine these cases. The first case happened in Ethiopia. According to a BBC report, a crocodile jumped and attacked a pastor while he was performing a baptism in a lake.
The pastor was bitten on his legs, on the back and hands. He later died as a result of the wounds that he sustained from the attack. The report states that, but for the fishermen, the crocodile would have taken away the body of the pastor. The men used their fishing net to stop the crocodile from escaping with the body. In Ghana, no crocodile attacked during the baptism. In fact, the pastor was safe. It was the person being baptized who died. The pastor immersed the church member in the river on two occasions. The man emerged the first time but on the second time, he could not. The man drowned.
The two cases should provoke African Christians to take a critical look at their Christian faith. African Christians should start asking very pertinent questions. First, where was the Christian god during the baptism processes in Ethiopia and Ghana? In the Ethiopia case, why didn’t Jesus stop the crocodile from attacking the pastor? Africans Christians believe that Jesus is the savior of the world. They regard, revere and worship Jesus as the savior of humankind. So why didn’t Jesus save the pastor, his own pastor who was performing a baptism? In fact, it was the fishermen who actually saved the situation and prevented the crocodile from taking away the body of the pastor?
So what does that tell African Christians about the assumed salvific power of the Christian god? Are there such powers? Or are they a make-belief?
Look, what happened in Ethiopia is a typical case of a savior that could not save; an omnipotent being who was not powerful enough to stop a crocodile from attacking a pastor. Imagine, an ordinary crocodile, not even a shark, or a lion! A savior that could not save somebody baptizing in a river from being attacked or another being baptized from drowning, what kind of a savior is that?
African Christians expend so much resource worshipping the Christian god. They try to imitate Jesus by performing a baptism in a river and when tragedy strikes as it did in Ethiopia and Ghana, Jesus is nowhere to save them. Jesus is unable to come to their help. Is that not enough reason for African Christians to begin to question and to doubt the existence and power of this Jesus? So where was Jesus when the crocodile jumped and attacked a pastor during baptism? Was he sleeping? Did he go on a journey? Did he temporarily cease being omnipresent and omnipotent? Where was the Christian god when the fishermen were dragging the pastor’s body with the crocodile? Was Jesus unconscious? I mean how does one explain the fact that a cleric died in such a violent manner, and people still believe that there is an existing active god/saviour out there who deserves to be worshipped?
Jesus is unable to come to their help.- Too late to change minds
in the bible the great apostles who witnessed with their eyes the death n resurrection of jesus and testifield that he was really the son of God went through alot of tribulations at the hands of the authorities, most of these apostles were hanged but still belived in jesus whatever the situation they were in, ask yourself why?…..to live is christ and to die is gain
Please leave us the African Christian believers alone. We know what we are doing. Our goal is beyond this life of not even 150 years on earth. Our philosophy is more complex that what u may have adopted from your university professor as a result of indoctrination process.
Two incidents in Ghana and Ethiopia can not be used to measure the power of God. We have similary in medical science where millions are dying in hospitals, have we asked people to stop going to hospitals?? . We have planes that’s have catches like Malaysian Airlines where science has completely failed, have we asked people to stop boarding planes?. Why should we then ask people to stop water baptism because of two incidents in Ghana and Ethiopia. Why should we then measure God on two ocassions