There is no God in Godfather

It appears that the 6th Commandment of the Bible, “thou shalt not kill”, is not well understood by some of the congregants of the Pentecostal Holiness Church in Zuurbekom on the West Rand.

Over the weekend, it was the scene of a dramatic shoot-out and hostage situation involving at least 50 people (clearly disobeying the lockdown regulations) and enough firearms to start a homemade war. Four men were found shot and burnt to death in a car while a fifth man, a security guard, was also shot dead in his car.

Though investigations are ongoing, it seems unlikely that the dispute was over biblical verses or, indeed, differing interpretations of the Word of God. It may be connected with something far more human, and unholy: greed.

Also read: Police probe Zuurbekom church factional feud allegations

The church is said to have a membership of three million across southern Africa and, clearly, who controls it has access to a rich source of revenue.

Churches like this have grown like weeds in this part of the world in the past decade as people willingly place their trust in religious intermediaries who, for monetary donations, promise to intercede with the higher powers and make congregants’ lives better. In this mafia-like world of religion, there is no God in Godfather.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.