Saturday, March 8, 2014

Why HOPCC Are Attacked So Vehemently

By Mollie Burton


There can be very little doubt that religion and religious movements continue to be powerful forces that can have a profound influence upon their communities and especially their members. There are thousands of sects and it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between them. Some sects have become targets with critics accusing them of a wide variety of spiritual and even worldly aberrations. HOPCC certainly seems to fall in this latter category.

Even a rudimentary online search quickly reveals that there is no shortage of complaints about and criticism of the House of Prayer Christian Churches. There are many critics that allege that they have become members of this church, only to be coerced into donating all their worldly possessions to the church, including their homes and cars. Some were even required to stop working at regular jobs so that they can dedicate more time to the church.

A number of critics are of the opinion that the House of Prayer recruit young people under false pretensions and then separate them from their families. This seems to be the case especially when the parents of such young people start to question the involvement of their children with the sect. Parents say their children show behavioural changes and they avoid their own loved ones.

Some of the people that have related their experiences with the church say that they have laid complaints to various authorities. However, according to them, the authorities are hesitant to act in a decisive manner. The right to enjoy freedom of association is an inalienable right and formal steps can only be instituted if there is clear evidence of a crime being committed.

It seems as if the House of Prayer Christian Church prefer to ignore the allegations made against them. The church maintains that it is Christian church that holds the core values of the gospel very dear. Their members are encouraged to spend as much time as possible attending services, prayer meetings and outreach programs. The church is also actively involved in missionary work.

On the official website of the church, it clearly states that they are running a seminary and that the rules applicable to the faculty and students are rather strict. No student or staff member are allowed to ponder worldly matters. Presumably that means that they may not own possessions or that they may not earn incomes from regular jobs. Instead, they are to focus wholly upon spiritual matters.

It is clear that some of the critics that launch regular attacks against the House of Prayer Christian Church are very angry and either embittered or outraged. The language used in some of the attacks is downright spiteful and rude. Perhaps level headed readers will know that it is often best to discard opinions on both ends of the spectrum.

Whether or not the House of Prayer is misleading its members or not is certainly not clear from the material that is available online. However, people have the right to decide for themselves and even to make choices that seem ill informed to others. Nobody can be forced to become or remain a member at any organization where they are not happy.




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