Related articles and links |  1 of 6

Christian leaders rally behind Nigeria's decision to ban miracles on religious TV
While the FCC cracks down on "indecent" broadcasts here in the states, Nigeria is facing a broadcasting bust of a different kind. The country's National Broadcasting Commission recently announced that it would essentially ban the broadcast of miracles on network television.

Last week, Nigeria's Vanguard newspaper described the action as a "crackdown on those who carry unverifiable claims on radio and television, as such practices prey on the sensibilities of the Nigerian people." This week (as well as in an earlier article), the same paper describes it as a "ban on televised religious miracles," and notes that it takes effect April 30.

While some Nigerian pastors are decrying the act as an inappropriate invasion of the state into religious matters, leaders of large Christian bodies in the country tell the paper that they approve.

"I will support the ban," said Joseph Ojo, national secretary of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria. "The issue of miracles, I was saying the other day, that if not addressed quickly, will be worse than the case of the [fake drugs]." (Weblog isn't familiar with that case.) "I am not saying they should stop TV evangelism," he continued.

No, but let them preach the Word. Let them forget about this frivolous, 'this man was blind … ' I am not saying there is no miracle. I believe in miracles; I have seen many miracles. God has used me to do many, but I'm against the way they are using some to exploit the poor masses of this country.

"The miracle aspect is not the most important aspect of religion," said Sunday Mbang, prelate of Nigeria's Methodist Church and former president of the Christian Association of Nigeria. Many televangelists, he says, "use this miracle for something else [such as] popularity [or] money. Sometimes I am ashamed myself when I look at some of these religious bodies with a lot of houses. Some of their leaders even fly in private jets and they tell me that if Jesus Christ were here, he would have flown in airplanes. So this is my problem."

Gabriel Osu, director of social communication for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, told the paper that the rule was "good riddance to bad rubbish." He said, "I am not saying that I don't believe in miracles. In fact, my life is a miracle. But my concern is that it is being bastardized."

Newswatch, a Nigerian magazine, has a cover package with articles on miracles and the broadcasting ban, but they're only available to subscribers.

Indecent media:

• Wal-Mart sells anti-smut DVD player | The $79 unit features technology by ClearPlay and is manufactured by Thomson Inc. under its RCA brand (Reuters)
  
  
• DVD player to edit movies | Technology allows viewer to bypass offensive content (San Francisco Chronicle)
  
  
• Off camera, cashmere and crosses | Pornography figure Jenna Jameson's $2 million home is adorned with religious artwork (The New York Times)
  
  

Crime:

• Priest gets probation in $50,000 theft from Long Island church | A Roman Catholic priest was sentenced Wednesday to five years probation and ordered to make full restitution after admitting he stole $50,000 in parishioner donations from a Long Island church, a prosecutor said (Newsday)
  
  
• Priest pleads guilty to stealing millions | Singaporean Catholic priest pleaded guilty yesterday to stealing 5.1 million Singapore dollars of church funds during an eight-year crime spree (AFP)
  
  
• Church music director surrenders to N.Y. police | Michael Pavone, former music director of a Geneva Catholic parish, is in custody in Buffalo on charges that he stabbed and beat to death a man there in 1999, authorities said Tuesday (Chicago Tribune)
  
  

next page... |  1 of 6

April (Web-only) 2004, Vol. 48