Sunday, May 9, 2010

Why the No campaign could destroy the Church


From Kenya-

Are Kenyans notoriously religious? The answer is both yes and no. It is yes because poor people, which most Kenyans are, cling to religion. It is no because religion is not genetic.

But poverty explains why a majority of Kenyans are so devout. Even so, the Church has terribly misjudged the sway that it holds over its Kenyan flock. Kenyan Christians know that man does not live by the word of God alone.

That’s why, in a historic rebuke, they will defy the Church and vote overwhelmingly for the draft constitution. The vote could be a tsunami – a repudiation of the clergy – that irrevocably destroys the Church.

I will focus on two key clerics who are the faces of the No campaign. The first is John Cardinal Njue, the chairman of the Kenya Episcopal Conference.

He purports to speak for all Kenyan Catholics on issues moral and religious.

However, he has lately conflated – totally confused – his role as a religious guide with his rights as a citizen.

As a citizen, he can speak up on any political issue, but he cannot purport to order the Catholic faithful to take a political stand on any matter.

He can voice any political opinion as Mr Njue, but he is out of bounds when, as Cardinal Njue, he purports to dictate to Catholics how they must vote in the referendum.

More here-

http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/Why%20the%20No%20campaign%20could%20destroy%20the%20Church%20/-/440808/914652/-/1pmmr6/-/

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