Religion: Faith or blind submission?
GERMAN philosopher and economist, Karl Max said, “Religion is the opium of the people.”
Rightly so if you are to visit Madzibaba Mateo’s shrine in Budiriro 4, Harare and speak to his followers who have settled in the open. Mrs Maria Mnyamana (60) and her son have been living at Madzibaba Mateo’s shrine for three months, sleeping in the open with no running water or ablution facilities.
“I came here three months ago with my 27-year-old son after I had spent several months in and out of hospital with him due to his mental illness. He was admitted at Mpilo Hospital for four months, then Harare Hospital for nearly three months, and I even went to Karanda Hospital but still nothing worked out,” narrated Mrs Mnyamana.
Mrs Mnyamana said coming from Karanda, they boarded the same bus with a group headed for an all-night vigil at Madzibaba Mateo’s shrine. She decided to join them.
“Through chatting, one of them assured me that my problems would be solved if I could attend so I decided to join them for the prayer. I was fortunate to get a one on one consultation with the prophet the following morning and he revealed that relatives were bewitching my family.
“So I decided to call my pregnant daughter (24) who is also having problems of painful, swollen feet. We have been together here for three months under the care of the prophet; although we do not have proper facilities but our major concern here is getting a healing.”
Tendekai Chengu (26), who is seven months pregnant, came to the shrine to consult on the well being of her unborn child as she could not feel any movements in her womb.
“I believe am haunted by evil spirits, especially because of the bad dreams I always have and with the problems I have been having with my pregnancy. I believe ‘muteuro’ can only help me because I have seen many get help here.
“I had to sell my two-plate stove to get US$50 for a one-on-one consultation with the prophet. I will stay here because he said I will have to receive help until I give birth. He is also helping to bring back the man responsible for this pregnancy because he denied responsibility,” said Ms Chengu.
There are more than 15 people living at Madzibaba Mateo’s shrine, sleeping in the open while the prophet is in the comfort of his home. They are unfazed.
Such happenings raise questions about how far religion can have a hold on an individual. Does religion empower people to know the truth or it borders on cultism, manipulation and control? University of Johannesburg researcher Dr John Ringson says religion is the only tool that easily manipulates people into believing non-realistic phenomenon and constructing meanings for non-existing things.
“This is because the human brain suffers from cognitive shortcomings, not only in the way people reason but also in the way our own biases impact our view and perceptions of reality.
“The human brain as a machine that detects, analyses and follows pattern and whenever they have more questions than solutions the brain notoriously goes to seek answers and this is how people abandon their homes,” he asserts.
He explains that in religion, people want ecclesiastical powers or faith to bring answers and solutions.
“Culturally, Africans have a deep-seated need to believe in extraordinary things and surrendering their spirits to the universe when socio-economically or spiritually threatened in life.
“This follows people’s religious and cultural dogmatism and indoctrinations they may have received from childhood although others adopt as they grow. This then culminates in them being abused or manipulated because many of these healers have identified those weaknesses and therefore take advantage,” says Dr Ringson.
Living Waters Bulawayo campus co-ordinator, Dr Clever Gomba, concedes that some religious leaders use manipulation to control minds.
“These self-proclaimed prophets manipulate people by controlling their mind and environment. In so doing they shape their perceptions of the world out there leaving the subjects thinking that they entirely depend on them( prophets) for them to be healed.
“The group leader manipulates circumstances and information to create an impression of super natural wisdom or divine favour that they make people believe they possess.
“This is why you see most women become victims of abuse, they are abused at ease in the name of healing . Because they are in desperate situations they do not think straight hence these people take advantage of them,” he says.
He believes much of this is linked to African tradition and culture.
“This practice was common since back then and in the event that the healer or the prophet had it revealed to them that this person’s household was haunted or bewitched then they would come and stay under the care of the spiritualist.
“This provided psychological comfort zone to the individual but over recent times the owners of the shrine use a lot of stringent control rules and regulations to brainwash the participants so that they become heavily reliant on them diverting from the main purposes that this was done for back then.”
Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe Chitungwiza West Province pastor, Batsirayi Denga, says problems push humanity to extremes, driving many to do anything to find solutions.
“Under the influence of problems be they economic or even social, many can indulge into anything just because they are not thinking straight. However the issue of many leaving their homes to go and live in shrines is not a new phenomenon.
“It has dated way back and it was not only limited to white garment sects only but even in Pentecostals. In AFM we have a place called Rushanga where people stay after leaving their homes in search of healing.
“People leave their homes in search of healing but the issues of health are a huge concern hence should never be overlooked.”
Pst Denga says while some church leaders urge people to stay in these places so that they get maximum attention, issues of brainwashing arise.