'Materialistic' Christianity a national security threat – expert

A security analyst Dr. Nicholas Okine says the materialization of Christianity is ‘gradually becoming a national security threat’.

"Right now [Christianity] is about materialism and the more we materialize Christianity, it is going to be a very serious security threat", he told Adom FM’s ‘Dwaso Nsem’ Wednesday.

According to him, pastors are whipping up the desire of Christians for the finer things in life which could lead to frustration once their material wish list is unattained.

Dr. Okine who lectures on peace-keeping at the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Training Center was discussing a terror alert revealed by Nigerian mega pastor T. B Joshua. The pastor had indicated a possible attack on Ghanaian soil last week.

But this week, the popular Nigerian pastor with considerable Ghanaian following ‘cleared’ Ghana of the threat, saying the security apparatus had stepped up its preparedness, discouraging any attack.

While not discounting the role of spiritual ‘intelligence’ in the fight against terrorism, Dr. Nicholas Okine pointed out that Christianity can itself pose a national security threat.

He pointed out that just as some parts of the Islamic religion has been radicalized resulting in terrorism, Christianity can also in a way be radicalized. This happens when pastors focus on material possession as an indication of good Christianity.

“Christianity is gradually becoming a national security threat, the way it is being packaged…the salvation component is out”, the expert lamented. He described this brand of Christianity as "Nigerian theology".

Car stickers that announce financial breakthroughs and prosperity such as 'my year of expansion', tend to conscientise Christians to expect a life of wealth, he preached. The security expert who professed to be a Chrisitan said, a greater focus of the religion should be on encouraging Christians to 'store up treasures in heaven', the unexpected sermon continued.

"Your enlargement is about your attitude towards work," he said and asked Ghanaians to "connect the dots" of hard work and any expectation of God's blessing.

Otherwise, a Ghanaian frustrated that his Christian faith has not produced material results will begin to blame the state for his lack of progress in life.

"Human beings as we are, we make demands on the political system....when you have a religion that is pushing, hyping people to go for material things which they are not realising, it becomes a problem for the state and that is where you have this security threat coming up," he later explained to myjoyonline.com.

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