KEEPING THE BALANCE: FAITH IN GOD CAN BE A FORCE FOR GROWTH, JUSTICE AND DEVELOPMENT—OR BE MISUSED AS A TOOL OF OPPRESSION

Faith in God can bring tremendous benefits to individuals, communities and nations. However, it can also be misused to cause suffering, hinder development and sustain oppression, depending on people's understanding, maturity, intentions and application of religious teachings.

The challenge is not necessarily faith itself, but how faith is understood, practiced and sometimes manipulated for personal, economic or political advantage.

HOW POLITICAL LEADERS, THE RICH AND THE POWERFUL MAY MISUSE FAITH IN GOD

There are people who do not necessarily seek to honour God but instead exploit people's love for God to advance their own interests.

1. Exploiting religious majorities: Some political leaders identify themselves with the religion of the majority, primarily to attract followers, secure political support and strengthen their influence.

2. Creating fear and religious divisions: Some deliberately create fear and suspicion between religious communities, presenting themselves as the only leaders capable of protecting one group against another.

3. Manipulating religious minorities: Others may associate themselves with smaller religious groups, including extremist elements, to create insecurity, advance political interests or establish themselves as indispensable leaders.

4. Justifying religious persecution: Some participate in or encourage the persecution of people belonging to different religions, portraying such persecution as a holy or divinely sanctioned responsibility. This violates the fundamental principles of human dignity, freedom of religion or belief, and equality before the law.

5. Presenting political decisions as divine commands: Certain leaders attach religious significance to public policies, making disagreement appear equivalent to opposing God. For example, a government might propose acquiring land and constructing religious facilities in every constituency using taxpayers' money, while discouraging citizens from questioning the expenditure, its fairness or its constitutional justification.

6. Using religion to conceal wrongdoing: Some powerful individuals publicly display religious devotion to repair damaged reputations or divert attention from corruption and misconduct. They may attend worship services across different religious communities, sometimes without genuine commitment to their teachings. While respectful interfaith participation is commendable, using religion merely for political advantage is hypocrisy.

7. Shifting responsibility for poverty onto religious communities: Some leaders expect religious organizations and ordinary believers to care for vulnerable people while failing to fulfil their own responsibilities. Public resources intended for social protection may be mismanaged, while wealthy individuals or institutions evade legitimate taxation.

8. Calling injustice God's will: People suffering because of corruption, poor governance, unemployment or mismanagement may be told that their circumstances are God's will and serve a divine purpose. Such explanations can discourage citizens from identifying and challenging preventable human failures.

9. Diverting attention through religious and cultural conflicts: Some political actors benefit when citizens remain divided over religion, ethnicity or culture instead of collectively demanding accountability, better governance and improved public services. The media should exercise professional responsibility by reporting these matters objectively rather than amplifying manufactured divisions.

10. Giving divine justification to economic inequality: Extreme differences in wealth and opportunity may be presented as positions permanently assigned by God, even before birth. Such arguments can discourage efforts to address discrimination, exploitation and unjust economic structures.

11. Discouraging political and social reforms: Legitimate demands for change may be dismissed with statements such as: "Your problem is neither political nor social. Go to God, repent and ask for mercy, and perhaps doors will open for you."

    While prayer and repentance have their rightful place in spiritual life, they should never replace the responsibilities of governments, employers and institutions to act justly.

12. Blaming the poor for structural poverty: People experiencing poverty are sometimes accused of laziness and told to work harder, even when they already labour for extremely long hours without earning enough to meet basic needs. Unfair wages, limited opportunities and exploitative working conditions can leave people with little time or strength to pursue education, participate in civic affairs or organize for positive change.

13. Overemphasizing rewards in the afterlife: Religious teachings may place excessive emphasis on heavenly rewards while discouraging concern for justice, dignity, health and prosperity in this present life. People may consequently be persuaded to endure exploitation rather than demand necessary reforms. Yet genuine hope in eternal life should strengthen, not weaken, our responsibility to improve life on Earth. If it will be good there, we can start having a taste of it now. Be it done on earth as it is in heaven, we pray. And if Jesus is the perfect ruler, demanding for good leadership is preparing people to usher in the perfect ruler.

14. Exploiting the generosity of poor believers: Financially struggling people may be pressured to give beyond their means, sometimes through promises of supernatural financial returns or rewards in the life to come. Meanwhile, the institutions and individuals responsible for addressing their suffering may escape accountability.

15. Using public officers to suppress legitimate demands: Security personnel and other public officers may be pressured to discourage citizens from demanding fair wages, better public policies, justice and government accountability. Ironically, many of these officers, particularly in developing countries, may themselves experience poor remuneration, inadequate working conditions and economic insecurity.

Such practices do not represent the highest purpose of faith. They demonstrate how religion can be manipulated to protect privilege while weakening the rights and opportunities of ordinary people.

THE NEED FOR FAITH IN GOD

Despite these misuses, faith in God remains deeply important to believers and can be a powerful foundation for wisdom, moral responsibility, compassion and human development.

For Christians, creation itself testifies to God's existence, wisdom and power.

Just as a manufacturer provides guidance for the proper operation of a product, Christians believe that God has not left humanity without moral guidance. Through His Word, He teaches us to love Him, love our neighbours, pursue justice, show mercy and seek the well-being of others.

Proverbs 9:10

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding."

Genuine faith should produce wisdom rather than manipulation, love rather than hatred, justice rather than oppression, and responsibility rather than indifference.

At the same time, freedom of religion or belief must be respected. Every person deserves dignity, equal protection and the freedom to believe, change their beliefs or hold no religious belief without discrimination or persecution.

THE BIBLICAL EXPLANATION: FAITH MUST PROMOTE JUSTICE, MERCY AND HUMAN WELL-BEING

The Bible calls believers to practice a balanced faith that addresses both spiritual and practical human needs.

We should neither reject genuine faith because some people misuse religion nor accept every religious claim without examination.

God's Word consistently calls attention to love, justice, mercy, compassion and responsible conduct.

3 John 1:2

"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."

This verse expresses a desire for well-being in both physical and spiritual life. It reminds us that human health and welfare matter, All should work towards the achievement of that even on this side of life. It will never be perfect but we should keep going on that direction and demanding it.

Micah 6:8

"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

This is a powerful foundation for personal conduct, leadership, public administration and social responsibility.

All people should seek justice, promote the well-being of others, demonstrate mercy and respect human dignity.

When these responsibilities are neglected, believers should not remain silent.

They should unite peacefully, speak courageously and work alongside others of goodwill to challenge injustice and demand accountability. Glad that the Kenyan religious leaders and community leaders are realizing that while sex matter is a big topic, there are other matters destroying the community more - injustice, oppression and lack of opportunities and good will from leaders to seek the prosperity of all. They are no longer silent, they are demanding better.

Prayer is important, but prayer should never become an excuse for refusing to act against preventable suffering.

We must recognize that oppression caused by human decisions should be confronted through responsible human action. God should not be blamed for corruption, exploitation and injustice committed by people.

In Luke 18:1–8, Jesus tells the parable of a persistent widow who repeatedly approached an unjust judge until he granted her justice.

Her persistence teaches an important lesson: people should not abandon their legitimate pursuit of justice simply because those in authority initially refuse to listen.

Likewise, citizens should persist through peaceful, lawful and courageous means until public institutions fulfil their responsibilities.

Proverbs 31:8–9

"Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. (or the current structures and treatment cannot produce anything but continued destruction)

Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy."

These verses challenge believers to defend those whose voices are ignored, protect vulnerable people and demand fairness.

Faith should therefore inspire us not only to pray for the hungry but also to help provide food; not only to pray for the sick but also to promote access to healthcare; and not only to pray for the oppressed but also to confront the systems that sustain oppression. We help and confront those multiplying needy cases.

This understanding is consistent with the wider international commitment to human dignity, freedom of religion or belief, equality, social justice and sustainable development, reflected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Faith-based organizations can make valuable contributions to these objectives through education, healthcare, poverty reduction, peace-building, humanitarian assistance and the defence of human dignity.

THE CALL TO RECONSIDER: LET FAITH LIBERATE, NOT OPPRESS

We must therefore recognize both the great value of genuine faith in God and the serious danger of allowing religion to become an instrument of manipulation, exploitation and oppression.

Believers should guard against religious teachings and practices that enrich a few while keeping the majority in poverty, fear, ignorance or helplessness.

Equally, we should reject the assumption that eliminating faith automatically produces justice. Some who teach rejection of faith is actually to remove the guilt when Oppressing people and make people have no moral compass and concern for others. Oppression can arise under both religious and nonreligious systems. Human dignity, justice and compassion must be defended regardless of people's religious convictions.

For Christians, faith provides a powerful moral foundation for loving our neighbours, protecting the vulnerable, practicing justice and showing mercy.

We must never allow the promise of a better life in heaven to become an excuse for tolerating preventable suffering on earth.

Prayer is good, but prayer must be accompanied by responsible action.

We must have the courage to question unjust systems, peacefully confront oppressive leadership, demand responsible governance and advocate for fair wages, quality education, accessible healthcare, economic opportunities and equal treatment before the law.

Governments must fulfil their public responsibilities. Religious institutions must uphold integrity. The wealthy must exercise social responsibility. Citizens must remain informed, united and courageous in defending their legitimate rights.

Above all, we should understand that genuine faith in God should never be used to silence the oppressed, excuse corruption or deny people the opportunity to live in dignity, health, peace and prosperity.

Faith should help build a world in which human beings are respected, justice is upheld, opportunities are expanded and the well-being of all people is taken seriously.

LET FAITH IN GOD BECOME A FORCE FOR LOVE, JUSTICE, HUMAN DIGNITY, PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT—NEVER A WEAPON OF OPPRESSION.

ELIJAH MUTUA KIRIMA
Pastor and Social Worker
THE WORD OF GOD IS THE WILL OF GOD.