Parental Curse: The Effect on Church Growth and the Way Out
Chapter One
AIMS OF THE STUDY
The major aim of the study is to examine parental curses, the effect on the church growth and the way out. Other specific objectives of the study include
To examine concept of parental curses and church growth
To examine the biblical perspective of parental curses and church growth
To examine the effect of parental curses on church growth
To examine the relationship between parental curses and church growth
To examine the way out of parental curses and effect on church growth
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
The African neo-Pentecostal belief in generational curses
There are various strands of the ANP belief in generational curses, just as there are many different prophets who teach the doctrine. At the centre of the doctrine is that ancestors pass to their descendants their unfavourable spiritual conditions such as the guilt of their sins, ill-luck, poverty and undesirable personal characteristics such as shorttemperedness and sinful habits like stealing (Biri 2018:83–84; Meyer 1998:324–327). African neo-Pentecostal prophets teach that Christians remain under generational curses until they undergo special deliverance services under spiritually gifted (anointed) prophets (Degbe 2014:255; Makandiwa 2018b). African neo-Pentecostal prophets derive the basic substance of their teaching about generational curses from biblical texts such as Exodus 20:4–5, Numbers 14:18 and Deuteronomy 5:9 where God promises to punish the children for the sins of their fathers to the third and fourth generations (Degbe 2014:255). Emmanuel Makandiwa (2018c), a Zimbabwean Pentecostal prophet, says a generational curse is ‘going through problems because of what your parents did’.1 Makandiwa (2018b) argues that some of people’s present suffering results from the sins committed by their ancestors. Makandiwa says a man from a polygamous father has polygamy in his genes that works against his desire for monogamy (Makandiwa 2018d). Therefore, generational curses are ‘[negative] events from the past that affect the present in negative ways’ (Asamoah-Gyadu 2004:390). In addition to the guilt of sins, to ANP churches, generational curses include evil spells cast on people to bring negative conditions such as poverty, sickness, failed marriages, inability to find a marriage partner and vagrancy within the family line (Makandiwa 2018b). Ideally, this view of curses epitomises witchcraft. This view of curses ultimately means that they are Satan’s evil work against believers. Makandiwa (2018f) further states, ‘when the blood [of a person] is cursed, it ceases to operate well’, which means that according to generational curses people inherit a damaged operational system from their ancestry. In essence, situations like intergenerational poverty, operational evil are attributed to evil spiritual conditions inherited from the family ancestry that hinder people from attaining prosperity and good health (Makandiwa 2018a, 2018b, 2018c, 2018f, 2018g). Sometimes generational curses are explained in terms of inheriting demons in the family line, or being possessed by what they call territorial spirits, which are particular evil spirits that are believed to control geographical locations, so that those areas are rife with particular social evils such as murder and sexual immorality (Mahohoma 2017:8–9). A critical assessment of the ANP belief in generational curses reveals the incorporation of African traditional religious concepts. In African traditional religions (ATR) occurrences in life are often attributed to spiritual causes (Mbiti 1990:1–5). For example, traditional Zimbabwean Ndebele people believe that there are ancestral spirits that cause poverty, amadlozi obuyanga. Traditional Shona people do consult traditional healers to fortify their children against the spirit of vagrancy – urombe. It is common to hear traditional people seeking cleansing of ill-luck (umnyama) that is hindering them from obtaining success. It is also believed people who practise undesirable acts, such as witchcraft, pass these evil traits on to their descendants. Among traditional Zimbabweans, the fear of the consequences of the guilt of the ancestors can be seen in the fear of the avenging spirits, uzimu (in Ndebele) and ngozi (in Shona) (Taringa 2006:199). The belief is that the consequences of the ancestors’ actions and their spiritual condition spread to the descendants, hence people live in fear of the consequences of the guilt and condition of their ancestors. Therefore, a problem with the ANP belief in generational curses is that Christians seem to replicate the same worldview of generational curses found in ATR. The point of contention is that ANP Christians use a similar worldview to the one in ATR adherents to interpret their lived experiences and struggles in life. Furthermore, the ANP prophets’ basing of their teaching on generational curses on Old Testament passages like Exodus 20:4–5 and Deuteronomy 5:9 where God promises to punish the children for the sins of their parents to third and fourth generation has several theological problems. Firstly, God’s command that children shall not be punished for the sins of their parents because each person must die for his or her own sins (Dt 24:16; 2 Ki 14:6), shows that passages like Exodus 20:4–5 refer to the effects of the sinful pattern of the parents, not that children pay for the sins of their parents. God is just. The verses emphasise that children walk in the ways of their parents resulting in the sins of the parents becoming the sins of the children. Secondly, a fundamental flaw in the ANP prophets’ teaching on generational curses lies in the prominence given to the mediatory role of prophets in breaking or reversing the curses that ultimately diminishes the role of repentance in escaping God’s wrath. Biblically, the way of escaping God’s wrath is repentance, which is the mending of a broken relationship with God; not the deliverance services of the prophets. Thirdly, the passages used to teach generational curses are often used without paying attention to the contrast they make about the differences of God’s wrath and mercy. The verses show God’s wrath as extending to the third and fourth generation while God’s mercy and love extend to thousands of generations of those who love him. The gist of the message is that God’s mercy outlives his wrath. Therefore the teaching on generational curses emphasises God’s wrath by diminishing his mercy that endures forever (Ps 118).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitutes of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried to examine Parental Curse: The Effect on Church Growth and the way out. Selected Christians in Uyo form the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain Parental Curse: The Effect on Church Growth and the way out. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of a Parental Curse: The Effect on Church Growth and the way out
Summary
This study was on Parental Curse: The Effect on Church Growth and the way out. Five objectives were raised which included: to examine concept of parental curses and church growth, to examine the biblical perspective of parental curses and church growth, to examine the effect of parental curses on church growth, to examine the relationship between parental curses and church growth and to examine the way out of parental curses and effect on church growth. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from selected Christians in Uyo. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).
Conclusion
In conclusion, the study advises the parents to stop cursing their children because it will affect their future. Since we are the church and our children are part of it. Cursing them will affect the growth of the church rather we blessed them
Recommendation
The study recommended parents to bless their children not to curse
References
- Keller C. A., Wehmeier G. ברך brk pi. to bless // Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament / ed.
- Jenni, C. Westermann. Vol. 1. Hendrickson Publishers 1997, p. 266-282. 29. Keller C. A. אלה ʼālâ curse // Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament / ed.
- Jenni, C. Westermann. Vol. 1. Hendrickson Publishers 1997, p. 113-115. 30.
- Kottsieper I. עַבָשּׁ šāḇa’ // Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament / ed. G. J. Botterweck, H. Ringgren. Vol. 14. Eerdmans Publishing Company 2004, p. 311-336. 31.
- Leuenberger M. Segen und Segenstheologien im alten Israel. Untersuchungen zu ihren religionsund theologiegeschichtlichen Konstellationen und Transformationen [= Abhandlungen zur Theologie des Alten und Neuen Testaments 90]. Zürich 2008. 32.
- Leuenberger М. Segen / Segnen (AT). Das wissenschaftliche Bibellexikon im Internet // http://www.bibelwissenschaft.de/wibilex/dasbibellexikon/lexikon/sachwort/anzeigen/details/segen-segnen-at3/ch/6b7c6c501f4b0b932a492a2e430c7043/?tx_buhbibelmodul_dictionary%5Btx_buhbi belmodul _dictionary%5D%5Barticle%5D=8653 / (May 18th , 2012). 33.
- Magdalene F. R. Curse // Eerdmans dictionary of the Bible / ed. D. N. Freedman, A. C. Myers, and A. B. Beck. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2000, p. 301-302. 34.
- McKenzie B. A. Jacob’s Blessing of Pharaoh: An Interpretation of Gen 46:31-47:26 // Westminster Theological Journal 45 (1983) 386-399. 35.
- van der Merwe C. A Biblical Reference Hebrew Grammar. Sheffield Academic Press 1999. 36.
