Religious faith is no doubt an integral part of Kenyan society and culture. I like to believe our differences as Kenyans, is the very fabric that shows our beauty as a Nation. Our differences in ethnicity, tribe, race, age & sex.
For instance, I don’t practice Islam but I certainly felt the festive energy in Nairobi recently during Eid. Easter for Christians was just as glamorous I mean, thank God for multi-ethnic KE. As a typical Kenyan, I’ll take all the holidays I can get.
So clearly, our faith transcends personal belief, it plays a significant role in shaping our culture, values, and social practices as a nation. But where do we draw the line between blind faith and real faith?
Both seem to disregard common sense. Try convicing your fiancé that the unborn child came from God. That wouldn’t end well. Neither did Pastor Mackenzie’s followers’ leap of faith.
Mckenzie reportedly instructed his followers to quit their formal jobs, stop feeding on “worldly food”, and not to bother seeking medical attention when ill. All in the name of faith.
Investigations by the Kenya police led them to Shakahola, in coastal Kenya where 16 people were found. So famished and weak that four of them passed on while being rushed to the hospital. Now get this, while the search continues, some survivors of the ordeal still refuse to eat. Keeping their faith, they claim to starve to avoid damnation.
Kenyans React
Freedom of speech is a right exercised no where better and more than Kenya. The people had different reactions to this case with some attributing the same to cult practices and rituals that transcend human understanding. Others just thought this scenario was a lack of common sense and the effects thereafter.
What do you think? Is there a thin line between the real & the blind?
