Pastors, prophets and other Christians, who do not want to commit sin and jeopardize their hereafter, should preach against polygamy for social, economic and health reasons.
Sina Adedipe
It is now 15 years (since 2003) that I have been writing in the Daily Sun that Almighty God is not against polygamy. And I have been doing so for ten years in this column which commenced eleven years ago, on Wednesday, December 19, 2007 with the comparison of this generation of Nigerian journalists and those of yesteryears, or ancient and modern.
But this is the first time that I am dwelling on the sins committed by some pastors preaching against polygamy, who include General Overseers and founders of Pentecostal Churches. An incredible situation, which makes me wonder if they had ever read the Bible from Genesis through Revelation. This is because what they preach is against God’s laws in the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. Giving me the impression that they think that the curses the Lord placed in Deuteronomy 27: 1 – 26 on anyone who will disobey His orders can be joked with or ignored.
The first sin such erring clerics commit is telling lies on the issue. As I showed in last week’s column, the Heavenly Father did not forbid a man marrying more than one wife in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20: 1 – 17). And in any of His other injunctions in the remaining twenty chapters in Exodus and the Books of Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
Neither did Jesus Christ say anything against polygamy during the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew Chapters 5, 6, and 7 or anywhere else in the New Testament. As I stated three weeks ago in the column of July 4 only a king in Deuteronomy 17:17 and a bishop or church elder in I Timothy 3:1–2 and Titus1:5–6 are told to have one spouse.
Yet, in their sermon during services in churches or elsewhere, or in write – ups in newspapers and magazines and programmes on radio and television, many a pastor will say that it was the Ancient of Days, Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit who told them that it is sinful for a man to be polygamous.
Be informed, I am not promoting polygamy in writing the series. In fact, I am against it. What I am doing is to let the priests and the Christian laity who preach against polygamy know that they are committing sin when they claim that it was God, Christ or the Holy Spirit who told them to inform people that multiple – marriage is unbiblical or divinely unlawful.
READ ALSO: Reactions to my polygamy series (3)
Whom did the King of kings punish in the Christian Holy Book for having more than one wife? Or told to send away his second or other wives because polygamy was sinful? Nobody in both cases, not even in the Abraham – Hagar affair in Genesis 21:9 – 21. I will come to this later.
Pastors, prophets and other Christians, who do not want to commit sin and jeopardize their hereafter, should preach against polygamy for social, economic and health reasons. Not on the ground that it is ungodly or unchristian.
Next week: The more serious sin anti-polygamy preachers commit against God’s law in the Holy Bible.
Ebenezer Babatope, the great (12)
I could not have told Ebino in 2015 that former Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Musiliu Smith, was from Ilesa because I knew his father very well and was aware he was a bona fide Lagosian. The old man, Alhaji Liasu Akande Smith (MON), a Licensed Surveyor, was the Chief Surveyor of the Lagos Executive Development Board (LEDB), at Reclamation Street in the Isale – Eko area of Lagos Island, when I did my vacation job there in 1966 and 1967.
I was then an undergraduate at the University of Ibadan and worked in the Estate Department headed by Chief Hope Harriman, an Estate Manager, and a professional colleague and pal of Chief Oluwafemi Akindahunsi, who facilitated my employment. He was the husband of my elder – maternal – cousin, former Miss Joan Adesokan.
I knew Musiliu’s dad belonged to the popular Smith family of Alakoro Marina and Offin Road areas in the Olowogbowo district of the Island. And I was aware that most of the people who lived in that environ and Isale – Eko are indigenes of Lagos Island.
Unlike the families of Lawyer Tunji Braithwaite, Barrister Ladi Moore, Pa St. Matthew – Daniel, Chief Adebayo Doherty, Dr. John Akerele, Alhaji Sule Agbabiaka, Alhaji Okunu, Alhaji Fasola and others. Who lived in Tokunbo, Bamgbose, Joseph, Igbosere, Campos, Campbell, Catholic Mission, Odunlami, Kakawa, Isaleagbede and Isalegangan Streets on Lagos Island, and were mostly immigrants from Ilesa, Abeokuta, Igbara – Oke, Ijero – Ekiti, Oyo and Ilorin.
For continuation coming week
Phenomenal matriarch of the Adedipes, Falaes, Ade – Ojos & others (11)
I would have been the fifth descendant of our Ilara – Mokin matriarch, Mama Fatile Atoosin, to be offered federal appointment, if not for inevitable circumstances. I had information in June 1990 that I was being considered for a ministerial position in the cabinet of General Ibrahim Babangida, Nigeria’s Military Head of State from August 1985 – August 1993. I got to know from late Ibadan – born prophet, Professor Godspower Oyewole who sent his assistant, Mr. Monday to tell me to see him at his residence in the Ketu area of Lagos Mainland.
When I did, he told me a friend of his, a Delta – born General in the Army and member of the ruling Supreme Military Council (names withheld by me) told him Babangida was going to reshuffle his cabinet in two months time, in August, and that I was being considered as a Minister to represent Ondo State. He therefore advised that I should go and tell my boss, Chief Moshood Abiola, the Publisher of Concord newspapers and magazines, to meet General Babangida, his bosom buddy, on my behalf.
I thanked Professor Oyewole, but told him it couldn’t happen, because Chief Olu Falae, the Minister of Finance, was not only from Akure as myself, but also my cousin and that General Babangida was aware of this.
Of course, I did not meet Chief Abiola to pursue the appointment for me to replace my big – brother in Babangida’s cabinet. I only saw my reported nomination as another manifestation of God’s blessings on our family as His anointed one. In the end, Chief Alexander Opeyemi Akinyele from Ondo town was chosen to replace Chief Falae.