Bishop Says Use Of Cell Phones And IPADs Insult God; Curses Priests Who Falsify Their Ages

By Gideon Njoku

For Christians who, in Church, prefer to use their Cell Phones and IPADs to read the Word of God, instead of reading from the Holy Book, the Bishop of Egbu Diocese, Anglican Diocese, Imo State, The Rt. Rev. Geoffrey Okorafor has a message for them. “You  are insulting God.”

In his Presidential address/Charge at the Third Session of the Eight Synod, with the Theme, Why Do You Boast?, the Bishop also lashed out at Priests who falsify their ages to stop their retirement from  active service.

Said Bishop Okorafor: “The use of such devices as IPAD and handsets for the reading of the Word of God in our Churches at any fellowship gathering is a source of worry. It is an eye sore to behold in Church services or burials, somebody, even Priests, using cell phones to read Bible passages. It is an insult on God, and an abuse of the Bible. We must not allow all these scientific and technological innovations to becloud our sense of reasoning.”

On the falsification of ages by Priests, Bishop Okorafor said it was absurd to see Priests telling lies about their ages in order to remain in the Ministry.

Okorafor: “Let us tell ourselves the hard truth. If falsifying our ages to remain in the Ministry is our stock in trade, we seem to be laying blame on God for bringing us into the world on that fateful day He allowed it to be.

“The day we got the real age, and claim not to be as old as that, is the day of our expiration. Any Minister, whether an Archbishop, Bishop or Priest of any rank or file who presents a false age, and goes to defraud God by remaining in the Ministry and receiving stipend or allowances of any sort fraudulently, that Priest has hit his expiry date, and will fizzle out without knowing it.

“If any Priest of this Diocese is in the habit of falsifying his age, I want to inform him that he is playing with fire, and fire burns.

“Parents would always tell their children whom their age mates are. If, inadvertently, because of the lies you tell about your age, you become younger than your age mates, woe into you”

The Synod was held at the Christ Anglican Church, Awaka, Owerri North, Imo State from October 31 to Sunday, November 3.