Gen Miyanda Annoyed With Catholic Bishop Telesphore Mpundu

BRIGADIER General Godfrey Miyanda is disappointed with the Roman Catholic Bishop Telesfore Mpumdu for describing the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation ‘nonsensical.’

In his letter Brig. Gen Miyanda said the Bishop Mpundu’s statement against Zambia being declared a Christian nation was a direct assault on Christianity. “I am disappointed and downcast by the Bishop’s declaration and consider it a rather harsh and contradictory Easter message.

The Bishop is entitled to his opinion; but in fact I am not criticising his opinion but the language he carefully chose to use. For one who is known to be a professed Christian to describe the Declaration as “nonsense” is inconsiderate to all those who believe in it, and there are many; and its timing is also rather curious.” He said the Bishop’s retort while officiating at a Palm Sunday event a few days ago was untimely at a time when there were calls for reconciliation from high places in Catholic circles. Brig. Gen Miyanda said Bishop Mpundu’s angry comment tends to ridicule all those of other faiths other than his Roman Catholic flock.

“Christ is non-denominational and tasked his disciples to go to the whole world to evangelise, of course in His name. No one will be judged on account of which church they go to but on their faith in the one true God symbolised by His Son Jesus Christ. What did Dr Chiluba say that is not in the Bible? The whole earth, including Zambia, is the Lord’s, so says the Bible,” said Brig. Gen Miyanda.

He said as a teacher and shepherd Bishop Mpundu must have the patience and tenacity to teach and counsel and guide those he believed had fallen by the way side rather than despise and belittle them. Bishop Mpundu said only God would in the end judge who was his true follower, adding that the idea of teachers and preachers was to correct rather than to ridicule. “Christianity is meant to build and help all Christians to follow Jesus and love one another (if you love me obey my command, says the Lord).

Of course this is not easy because nowadays many Christians refuse to accept and follow Christ’s teaching unless you are a member of their church! As I see it Bishop Mpundu is rejecting those of other faiths as well as those who have sinned. Does the Bible not remind all of us that we are sinners and have all fallen short of the glory of God? Who was Paul? St Paul? Was this not the man who was persecuting and killing Christians? Many people have been made to focus on Dr Chiluba the sinner who made the Declaration,” said Brig. Gen Miyanda. He reminded the Catholic Bishop that criticising the late Chiluba was a direct attack on other non Roam Catholic faith, adding that Chiluba had never been the message but only a messenger. Gen Miyanda questioned Bishop Mpundu whether those that have declared to be Christians were nonsense.

“Criticising the sinner Chiluba is a disguised attack on other faiths. This is what requires recanting at this Easter period before talking about reconciliation. Unless this is done the call by ZEC will remain hollow,” he said. He said that he was disappointed because the Bishop’s message was divisive and separating Christians of different callings, especially Protestants. “Yes, Dr Chiluba may have been the vessel that was used to make the Declaration but many of us believed and still believe in that good and appropriate message for Zambia, which has set the goal towards which we must walk as it tends to change the heart of Man and is a better way of fighting corruption and sin than making endless laws that achieve nothing.” He said Christians should not be ashamed to be known that they were followers of Christ.

He said he did not subscribe to wearing the cross but would not oppose it as long as those who do so believed in Christ and were not doing so for commercial purposes. “Will those who do so be wearing “nonsense”? I say that instead of merely wearing a cross, Christians must practice what they preach by reconciling with and forgiving and loving one another,” he said. Gen Miyanda said it was shocking that ZEC had kept quiet on that divisive Easter message on the eve of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He said it was an unkind Easter message from such a high ZEC member and contradicts, if not nullifying, the message by the ZEC Secretary General. The Secretary General of the Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) last week called on Zambians to use the Easter period as a time for reconciliation and forgiveness. However, Bishop Mpundu labelled as “nonsense” the Declaration of Zambia as a Christian Nation.

source: Zambianstar.com

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