By Bishop Prof. Rudolph Q. Kwanue, Sr., PhD
Father of Critical Thinkers
A Critical Analysis of Liberia’s Criminal Law: Are Churches, Pastors, and Even Jesus Christ Guilty of Receiving Stolen Money?
The answer is yes, including myself.
Society considers prostitution, stealing, and killing as sins, yet the Bible shows that Yahweh has been involved in situations related to these things.
There are thousands of Bible verses that support this argument.
Religious Hypocrisy and the Problem of Double Standards
All pastors, church leaders, members, and Christians including myself are criminals, scammers, and part of an evil generation.
We condemn certain actions, yet we secretly or openly benefit from them.
This is hypocrisy. And hypocrisy is an evil practice.
If we believe that stealing, prostitution, and murder are wrong, then we should not accept money from people involved in these activities.
Yet, churches gladly receive offerings and tithes from such people.
Liberian Law and the Accountability of Churches
According to Liberia’s criminal law, no pastor, church member, or even Jesus Christ is above the law when it comes to stealing and receiving stolen money.
This means that if a church receives money obtained through illegal means, it is guilty under the law. As a result, churches, pastors, and members would be unfit for heaven.
The Church and Tainted Offerings
Churches may not enter heaven because they accept dirty money in the form of offerings and tithes.
According to the Liberian Constitution, the person who receives stolen money is a bigger criminal than the thief who stole it.
Imagine a woman who sells her body for money (prostitution) and then brings that money to the church.
The pastor and church members accept the offering with joy, yet they later condemn her for living such a life.
Even Jesus Christ Himself would have been wrong for accepting money from Mary Magdalene, who, according to some interpretations, earned her money through prostitution.
Consider another example: Someone kills, kidnaps children, or sells human body parts and then brings the money as an offering to the church.
The church happily accepts it. Does this not make them guilty under the law?
Legal and Theological Implications
Under Liberian law, anyone who knowingly receives money from illegal sources can be prosecuted.
This means that churches, pastors, and even Jesus Christ Himself could face legal consequences for receiving such offerings.
If that is true, then Christianity itself is guilty, because even Jesus Christ accepted money from Mary Magdalene, who used her prostitution earnings to support His ministry, pay for food, transportation, and offerings. This is very wrong.
Final Judgment in the Court of Critical Thinkers
Because of this, Jesus Christ, all Christians, and I are guilty in the Court of Critical Thinking. We will not go to heaven because we have accepted stolen or wrong money in the church.
Conclusion
Liberia’s legal system presents a serious challenge to Christianity: If receiving stolen or illegally obtained money is a crime, does that mean the church and its members are criminals for accepting such offerings?
If the law applies equally to everyone, then no pastor, church member, or even Jesus Christ Himself would be innocent.
However, the Bible also teaches about forgiveness and redemption, showing that Yahweh’s justice is greater than human law.
Father of critical thinkers
Bishop Prof. Rudolph Q. Kwanue ,Sr. PhD.