Will the police teargas and  shoot Christian fanatics?

As 2019 ended, one preacher said God had told him to proclaim 2020 a year for a remarkable ‘turn around’.

Even a child would laugh, because every year brings these turns in people’s lives; good or bad turns. 
A clever but fake prophecy. 
The ‘prophecy’ could work on a simple statistical plan: about 33 per cent of good luck, 33 per cent of bad luck, and the rest in between.
The lucky ones would testify and bring more money in gratitude. 

The middle fellows would also bring more money while waiting for their ‘delayed’ miracles. 

And the unlucky lot would be shown the success stories, before being whipped in the brain-bending mill where the devil, demons and witchcraft are conjured up and fought with the power of Jesus. More money, more power.

However, the prophet’s hype pointed to only good luck, with his Pentecostal followers fulfilling their dreams, especially getting richer. 

At the so-called end of year ‘pass-over’ (not to be confused with the Jewish Passover commemorating the sparing of the Jews during the systematic murder of Egyptian first-borns by a God gone amok; or, more likely, by an Israelite ‘guerrilla’ extermination squad directed by Moses), as we entered 2020, devotees sowed serious money with the preacher to reap a positive ‘turn around’.

 The written pleas in their cash envelopes were specific, and divine action before December 31 was assured; allowing that some miracles were promptly despatched but took long to arrive!

When Covid-19 delivered far more misery than good luck, the preacher swung his proclamation through 180 degrees. 

Of course! God had after all meant a painful turn around! The rest was theo-comical dribbling.
Another of the more self-righteous ones had his ‘P5’ permanent miracles floating away like dust.

In the early months of the pandemic, I noted how Covid-19 would perhaps humble some of our ‘holy’ men. Many are climbing back, and some of their old followers are cautiously returning to be fully brainwashed again. 

Preachers who tried other con jobs are also dusting their pulpits, their forte. By and by, you will even hear them claiming to ‘cure’ Covid-19. 

Meanwhile, as true Covid-19 rages on, they are plotting how to exploit the end of 2020. 

The preacher who peddled ‘permanent’ miracles is staging four prayer sessions every Sunday, emphasising that the sessions are not identical. He has probably calculated that because they fear Covid-19, many former followers and would-be recruits might not come.

 So, why not hold the fanatics who attend hostage? Lure them to attend all the four sessions; just like it is easier to make people pay for four different movies than for four repeats a day.

The preacher who proclaimed the dubious ‘turn around’ has a truly outlandish idea, stretching December 31/ January 1 into several days. Instead of a mammoth one day event, stage several smaller events lasting two or three weeks. Instead of catching God’s attention for one day, hold him hostage for weeks!

In America, Covid-19 has been killing more people following Thanksgiving Day than it killed following Donald Trump’s campaigns.

Even as a fake prophet myself, the way I understand God’s indifference, with all these people screaming and singing, the halleluiahs rising after getting ‘high’ on the Holy Spirit, plus the Christmas festivities in other faiths, Covid-19 is set to reap a rich harvest of victims.

 God will remain indifferent. And the police may find it hard to explain why it does not teargas and shoot our Christian fanatics the way it terrorises the politicians.

Mr Tacca is a novelist, socio-political commentator.
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