Pastor Tries to Walk on Water Like Jesus and Drowns

[Ralar]

Walking on water is not easy. Not too many people have the ability. Let’s see, there’s Jesus, and well, that’s about it. Unfortunately for one pastor on the West Coast of Africa, his attempt to become the second man to make this impossible feat a reality cost him his life.

http://allchristiannews.com/pastor-tries-to-walk-on-water-like-jesus-then-drowns-in-front-of-his-congregation/

DOH!

[doggie]

looks like someone pissed god off. about time god defended his name.

[fullmetalheart]

I thought surely this must be a satire. But it doesn't appear to be so. What the heck!?!

[Freed]

And a few of the comments sounded like they were suggesting that he and the lions' den pastor mentioned only died because they were doing it for their own glory, but if you were "led by God," you'd be fine. :wtf:

[maybeizfundie]

So sad.

Unfortunately there is a massive movement of "miracle" preachers in Africa, causing uncountable damage. The American health and wealth teachings (Benny Hinn, et al) are the hook, and these preachers use sleight of hand, technology, and manipulative speech to convince people of their powers.very successfully in developing nations where literacy and tech-savvy are still in the development stage. They are essentially taking the witch doctor role, only wearing fancy suits and pasting Jesus over it all. Then they set up expectations of the miraculous, with the "rule" that any medical or otherwise reasonable precautions are lack of faith and will ruin the miracle. I'm sure this guys congregation expected his head to pop up from the water at any moment and were trapped in their "faith" requirements until it was far too late to rescue him.

[lagenialester]

^^^

Agreed. I worked in a women's crisis center in the heart of Yaounde, Cameroon (big urban environment) and even the soundest of my friends/co-workers believed that kids with special needs had demons in them, and that I had some sort of special powers because of the color of my skin. This is nothing compared to the things I saw going on at night from the Pentecostal church next to my apartment. I could totally see this happening in Cameroon. Even my deeply Christian co-worker (who tried to convert me at every chance she got) was still very superstitious. There's an element of mysticism behind Christianity in Western/Central Africa. (And possibly elsewhere, but I only have experience in these regions.)

[FloraKitty35]

:lol:

[salex]

And a few of the comments sounded like they were suggesting that he and the lions' den pastor mentioned only died because they were doing it for their own glory, but if you were "led by God," you'd be fine. :wtf:

I suspect that there are people who believe this.

[holierthanyou]

I used to try to do that when I was a kid. Never drowned, just left bitterly disappointed in (what I assumed accounted for my failed attempts) my own lack of faith.

[Arete]

You will not put the Lord your God to the test, you will not put the Lord your God to the test, you will not put the Lord your God to the test........

[doggie]

You will not put the Lord your God to the test, you will not put the Lord your God to the test, you will not put the Lord your God to the test........

ya because he does not stand up for himself so it would be easy to find out he is asleep at the wheel.

[Palimpsest]

Is it possible to read that article and not laugh? I just love the commenters on that article who are saying that it might have been possible had he just had enough faith!

Eh, but . . . there may indeed be an element of overblown not completely understood Western Christianity superimposed on cultural norms to mislead the "quasi-converted" here but let us not try to go all "ignorant Africans" on this. Mr Walking on Water and Mr Lions' Den were ... misguided. And are now dead. Very dead.

I dislike the term "witch-doctor." Try sangoma, faith-healer, shaman, or alternative traditional healer instead. They are all, traditionally, powers for good. And many wouldn't claim to be able to walk on water.

And, before we pale complexioned westerners get too complacent and snotty in our superiority, there are quite a few Pentecostal serpent-handlers active (and actively commiting suicide by snake bite) today in the USA. And plenty of supernatural TV healers too. Think Benny Hinn.

[maybeizfundie]

I mentioned Benny Hinn. ;) I wasn't being snotty or superior at all. It's sad. It's sad when it happens there and it's sad when it happens here and I don't think Americans are less gullible. I was just commenting on the specific dynamic that led to this one. I used the term witch-doctor as that is the term I have heard from Africans, and not always in a negative context.

If it makes my post clearer, I am currently separated from my East African husband whose obsession with one of the big-name West African "miracle preachers" contributed to making our home unsafe for me and the children. He would flatly deny symptoms I was having in my last pregnancy, because admitting them was "giving Satan a foothold". When I was incapacitated with the effects of skyrocketing blood pressure, he would just give me a disdainful look and tell me I was overexagerating and just needed more water. He wanted me to walk out of the hospital in the middle of an induction for pre-e directly due to his beliefs influenced by this guy. I do not trust him to get appropriate medical care in the case of an emergency with the children due to these beliefs. I have miserable first hand experience with this, and tend to jump on stories about it because of that. I'm just as quick to jump on the Western charlatans.

[halfheartedheroine]

I was just walking on water an hour ago! Wait, snow and ice count, right?

(all flippancy aside, I do feel badly for the man and am concerned that maybe he had a break with reality? Whatever his mental state was that led to this, I hope his family and congregation are able to grieve his loss properly)

[Chowder Head]

(all flippancy aside, I do feel badly for the man and am concerned that maybe he had a break with reality? Whatever his mental state was that led to this, I hope his family and congregation are able to grieve his loss properly)

[bionicmlle]

I suspect that there are people who believe this.

If only he was vegetarian like Daniel, shadrach, meschack & abednego......

[coexist]

Patheos just did an article on this the other day. The pastor named doesn't even exist. Apparently it's been making its way around the interwebz since 2006, and at some point a Christian publication printed it without even attempting to fact check.

In the middle of last year, someone Facebooked me another gem involving an African man who had been born with only one eye. A certain pastor prayed for him while laying hands on the man and presto change-o, the eye grew in right on the spot because Jesus!

For both stories, I have just one question: Where's the footage? Even Bigfoot/UFO sightings come with grainy video! Not one person decided to whip out a cell phone?!

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyat ... -on-water/

[Sola]

I wonder if he will feature on this year's Darwin Awards.

[Mela99]

looks like someone pissed god off. about time god defended his name.

:lol:

Darwinism is alive and well.