Freedom
from religious bondage A
review by Robert Katikiro Tanzania
Assemblies of God, Shangani-West Christian Centre, c/o P.O.Box 845 Mtwara,
Tanzania. East Africa Edison Macusi, as in his title Umasking
Evolution, is vying up to equip readers with principles and ways with which
they may be freed from religious bondage. Most people in this world have been
reared up in one form of religion or the other. Even in Africa, the continent
wrongly thought by most western writers, as dark, people had a form of
religion, worshippers of idols. Almost all people in the world have their own
form of religion, whether they live as individuals or as a group. They may deny
this but facts tell us that people tend to worship anything apart from a god.
It seems the heart of man have been fashioned to have a focus and that is God;
when denied this, it worships anything. The author has attempted to show that
religion by itself is evil, as it helps people get happy, joy and find
fulfillment. However, when this becomes controlled by those in authorities and
the righteous things are discarded and followers forced to turn to men’s
philosophies and aspirations, this unleashes evil. Edison has basically, enumerated on the
impacts of a religious oppression, of which it can impinge men from the light.
The bondage it creates has been shown to be the cruelest form of oppression
man has undergone. This is because, they always release the beast within men
and unleashes unholy desires. The impacts of these are seen, ranging from the
authorities to the family level. Selfishness occurs rendering people to do even
what is not proclaimed by religion. From these, the book shows that people need
to be redeemed and to come to know the truth that shall set them free as
it is written, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make
you free" (John 8:32 KJV). People need to know spiritual liberty. This
is what the author means here by being freed from religious bondage. Many may
have witnessed the good and the bad that religion has done in their lives, but
because of the death of Christ on the cross, this bondage of sin and captivity
to the devil needs to be ended and broken; people must trust in the atoning
work of Jesus Christ for this is the work that was finished, polished or
refined as He had said, "I have finished the work which thou gavest me
to do" (John 17:4b KJV). The book also paves the way for the
reader to take action and start treading to freedom. Much is written on how the
devil has impoverished men’s mind to net men, under the cloak of religion.
Religion then is seen by the author as the plans of men to search God. But God
has a better plan than men’s plan as in Jeremiah 29:11 where He says "For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares
the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a
hope." We need to understand the priestly teachings and
distinguish them clearly from the doctrines by man such as the Roman
Catholic church's holding to Mary as advocate. Many have been kept blind
in this and by reading this inspired book, the reader with the illumination of
the Holy Spirit will come out free and hence reach a good destiny from such
mediocrity. Freedom will not be there if men keep
mixing things up. The author embraces the ideas of putting away foreign gods,
as for example when treading from darkness to light. He has elaborated on what
revival is and showed that it is a tool to set men free so that they will come
to know the truth. Throughout the book, religious bondage are shown to lead to
anger, rage, malicious behavior, dirty language, misery and other troubles in
man’s life. Based on this, the core teachings of the book stand and
hence, we are hearkening to free ourselves from the bondage of religion, which
is kept by the devil. There is joy and freedom once men acknowledge their
darkness and come to the light of Christ Jesus. Those who do, come to the abode
of the eternal light. |   |
