Some Prophets ‘need psychiatric treatment’

A reverend minister has decried what he’s termed insanity in the country’s priesthood, saying a lot of the so-called prophets of God need psychiatric evaluation.

According to Rev. Albert Okpoti Botwe who is the Head Pastor of Mission to Nation, people needing psychiatry treatment are now parading themselves in our society as prophets of God.

“There’s a thin line between sanity and insanity. There are a lot of them who are excuse me, need some psychiatric treatment, and then they parade themselves as prophets,” he said on TV3’s current affairs programme, Hot Issues on Saturday.

Rev. Botwe was speaking religion and its full implications in our society vis-à-vis some prophecies by men of God, which raises questions as to their credibility and the genuineness of their messages.

He observed that there is so much ignorance in our society to the extent that “when people are not in their right frame of mind they use religion as panacea to all things.

“In the midst of this ignorance, people are being led by their own kind. Like Proverbs says, one-eyed person leading the blind; a bunch of ignoramus following ignorant people,” he said.

He said the prophecies and acts of some prophets, which are usually accepted by some Christians exposes the level of ignorance in our society to the extent that they don’t have the mind-set and ability to examine the messages by some of these prophets.

Rev. Botwe said Christians are supposed to have a relationship with God so that “God will not by-pass you and speak to somebody unless he has first spoken to you”.

He indicated that God didn’t create man to be robots but rather to be sensible wise beings because God himself is a wise God.

“…Following certain instructions, going to bath people’s wives and all those things. Those are the things that I call them mere insanity because the state of mind is not matured, educated and grown.

He underscored the need for Christians to set their “spiritual barometer right” in order to prove every spirit by distinguishing between real and false prophets.

“Be watchful, use your senses well. God gives wisdom and wisdom is a spirit so if you have it you will be able to crosscheck with what somebody is telling you about the spirit.”

Although he admitted there are some prophets who are gifted, that must even be situated within the context of Father and son relationship so that if someone ignores God’s message, “God can prompt you through another person”.

He said in prophecy, God speaks to both parties in order to synchronise and harmonise the message “so that you believe.

“It is for us to find out who God is, relate to Him and get the Bible well digested and then u can check it against any counterfeit display or counterfeit message. But if we continue to live in dark they’ll sell us anything,” he added.