In a message shared on his official Facebook page, Reverend Father John Chinenye Oluoma, a Catholic priest based in Abuja, took a bold stand against the practice of tithing and giving in churches by individuals whose actions directly contribute to the suffering and impoverishment of others.
His message, titled “Those Who Should Stop Paying Tithes And Giving Money To Churches,” calls out various categories of people who engage in unethical, criminal, or corrupt activities, yet continue to offer tithes and donations to churches.
Father Oluoma begins by addressing those involved in the manufacturing, importing, and retailing of fake and substandard drugs. He condemns them for causing countless deaths and health crises, emphasizing that their wealth is not a result of God’s blessing but rather the corruption and incompetency of leaders that keep them in business. “Stop implicating God’s name in your crime,” he urges.
Next, he calls out individuals involved in cybercrime, commonly referred to as “yahoo yahoo.” These people, he says, dupe victims out of their hard-earned money, leading to heartbreak, misery, and in some cases, death. Father Oluoma is clear that their success is not by divine favor but rather by the gullibility and greed of their victims. He strongly advises them to stop tithing.
Father Oluoma’s message does not spare kidnappers and armed robbers, questioning how they could ever believe that the success of their sinister operations needs God’s blessing. He attributes their success to the criminal complicity and incompetence of certain security agencies, insisting that they should not waste their money on tithes.
Employers who exploit their staff by withholding or underpaying salaries are also admonished. Father Oluoma criticizes those who, despite their wealth, fail to adequately compensate their employees, yet still find the means to donate money and collect titles. He advises these employers to stop contributing to churches until they raise their employees’ pay and ensure timely payments.
Government contractors who pocket large sums of money intended for public infrastructure projects are similarly denounced. Father Oluoma highlights the consequences of their actions—avoidable deaths, failing schools, and widespread hopelessness—and insists that such individuals should refrain from paying tithes or making donations in churches.
He also targets organ harvesters and human traffickers, whose reprehensible actions endanger lives for profit. Father Oluoma is incredulous that such individuals could even consider paying tithes, reminding them that God is allowing them time to change but does not bless their actions.
In his message, Father Oluoma does not overlook politicians, including governors, senators, and federal appointees. He accuses them of being the “agents of poverty and impoverishment” and criticizes their failure to implement good policies. Their wealth, he argues, is not a result of God’s blessings, and they should cease making donations to churches.
INEC officials, party delegates, police, and judges who accept bribes to thwart justice are also included in Father Oluoma’s rebuke. He draws a parallel to Judas Iscariot, who returned the bribe he received to betray Jesus, and advises these individuals to either return their bribes or follow Judas’ example.
Finally, Father Oluoma addresses presidents, vice presidents, and others in positions of power, urging them not to go near any church or mosque and to refrain from praying altogether, given the extent of their responsibility for the nation’s woes….Vìêw–Morê