FLASHBACK: Stop frightening people with death prophecies - Otabil slams ‘so called’ prophets

“Some preachers are complicating the sense of inferiority, powerlessness and weakness that we feel with their doom predictions”. Mensa Otabil has said.

He made such remarks in a 6-minute throwback video recorded while preaching during a church service on March 4, 2018, at the International Central Gospel Church, Accra.

In the said video, Dr Otabil criticised most African preachers, saying they have succeeded in frightening and crippling a great deal of minds with their constant prediction of ‘fake prophecies’.

According to the ICGC General Overseer, coming up with such predictions coupled with the manner in which they spread unto the public domain continues to destroy the ‘already struggling ‘self-confidence level of these people adding that Africans naturally battle with inferiority complex and fear.

“… You listen to the church (and I don’t like criticising preachers) but unfortunately some of the solutions we put out there – frightening people with death, frightening people with prophecy and it’s just complicating the sense of inferiority and powerlessness and weakness that we feel.

“So, when will the African ever rise up and say: ‘I can do it’, when every time he feels there is something chasing him to destroy him?

“How can you ever be confident when somebody says he’s had a dream of you and you won’t survive a year, how can you plan for next year, how can you plan for 10 years, how can you have a long-range vision when people are trying to limit our ability to even think for 10, 20, 40 years?,” he established.



He went on further to urge the general public not to allow ‘fake pastors’ to ‘imprison’ their minds but rather find solutions to the African problem which is the ‘lack of self-confidence and a developmental spirit’.

“That’s your destiny. And if you’ll go for people to imprison you in their small mindedness, then you are the problem. Because believe you me, you choose what you eat and you should choose what you listen to’

So, here we are”, he said, “a people imprisoned by our own culture. And unfortunately, imprisoned by religion”. “So, how do you solve it? Some people say Christianity is part of the problem, and in a way, yes”.

“We’re here as an antidote and that is why you will never come here and hear me say anything that will make you feel that [when] you leave here, you should live in fear that there is a demon running after you.

“Who am I to hold your destiny in my hand? You are bigger than my hand and you are created in God’s image, you have an assignment from God himself, bigger than any pastor, bigger than any preacher. He stated.