We live in a country with diverse ethnic groups and cultures. Still in the same country, we have different religious denominations, each practicing what they choose to practice and calling it doctrine. Well, as much as I do not have issues with anybody's doctrine, it is also worthy of note that some church practices are like putting their members in bondage.
The little knowledge I have about the church is that, apart from the spiritual aspect and nurturing the spiritual well-being of members, the church is supposed to be a place where members find succor, especially in times of distress or hardship. But what is obtainable in some churches these days is quite pitiable. Some churches now tend to milk their members of their hard-earned money before conducting or officiating any event for them. And at this point, I ask myself, what is the difference between the church and the community?
Take for example, if someone loses their loved one, some communities will give the family a long list of what to provide before they can carry out the funeral. Still in this same country, some communities or cultures might not be so demanding. They will accept what is available and conduct the funeral for the family. Even when it comes to the aspect of marriage, some communities will give you a long list that might scare you away, while others might ask you to pay the dowry, do what you can, and take your wife home. All these things are tagged "tradition" by the village. I do not have any issues with that and that is not the focus of this write-up.
On the other hand, if you lose a loved one and go ahead to inform the church about the funeral arrangements, some churches will also give you an outrageous list of what you should provide before they officiate the funeral. Some denominations will even go as far as opening all the financial records of the deceased to check if he or she had completed all contributions. If not, the family will be asked to pay in full. The funny part is when they go as far as telling the family of the deceased that the deceased did not mark his or her tithe card up until the time of death. And I keep asking myself, was tithe not supposed to be a matter between the tither and God? Was it supposed to have a third party, or is it one of the criteria for judgment?
Even in the aspect of getting married, some denominations will give you a long list of what to give the church before officiating your wedding or child dedication. Some will tell you that you are supposed to get clothes for the resident pastor, tubers of yam, and chicken. And I ask myself, are we really for real?
Well, you might feel that this is an attack on churches, but no, it is not. It is just that we need to consider our actions and practices again. Because Mr A can give does not mean Mr B or C will also be able to give. Instead of us focusing on all these things called doctrine, why can we not focus on the Ten Commandments to see if we can even keep up to eight and trust that the Lord might choose to show mercy on the remaining two?
These practices are getting out of hand and at times, they make people wash their hands off anything related to church. Because if I cannot find succor in the community, I should be able to find succor in the church. But nowadays, the reverse is the case.
The question now is, if the community is billing you and they tag it "tradition", when the church bills you, what should that one be called?