The conscience of society?

churches command or are at their disposal.
Despite this following of receptive minds, why then do churches not act as the conscience of the nation?
In the Middle East and North African countries, the political battle is whether religion or Islam, to be specific, should be the guiding concept in the lives of the ordinary people.
Many emergent political leaders in these countries are worried about the influence of decadent foreign cultures and morals that have a bad influence on the fabric of their societies.
Political parties that have embraced the Islamic way of thinking and moral authority have gained the upper hand in the recent elections. Here in Zimbabwe, the role of the churches is hampered by the lack of cohesion in the religious culture of the churches that is fragmented with no central concept or culture to guide the society from which they operate.
Many regard the emergent churches as business concerns where the issue of money is more dominant. It is like economists preaching or propagating the values of capitalism let alone the moral conscience of society.
I watched one preacher on television urging his followers to get rich since they had been blessed for converting to his church’s teachings. He could not understand why they were still using Kombis while those who had not received the blessing were travelling in cars. The moral teaching was that for turning to God they were blessed materially and they had to show that by possessing material goods lest other people may see them as poor as a church mouse. But, the established churches used a different route to serve the people and society at large. Yes, they were embedded in the politics of the day.
By converting people to Christianity or Islam, they built schools and hospitals. They became the conscience of society when some of the church leaders started to question the political orthodoxy of the day that blacks were born to be poor.
Today’s churches that have mushroomed all over the country do not serve the material needs of the people.
They do not build schools or hospitals nor do they speak out about injustice in society. Their mantra is to get rich. How do they expect to abolish poverty without providing the means for the people to uplift themselves, such as, the provision of schools and hospitals.
I came across a Jewish saying that: “Lazy hands make a man or woman poor but diligent or more resourceful hands bring wealth.” This saying is in the Bible, which is handed from generation to generation in the Jewish culture. The Jews are more practical that without wisdom, which comes from learning a trade, one can remain poor for the rest of their lives.
My Jewish friends always told me that working hard had eliminated poverty from the Jews while others today think it was just a matter of receiving a blessing.
Therefore, churches must not preach poverty, but churches must join Government in providing schools and hospitals. The donations churches get from their members and any other donors, are tax exempt but surely society expects these monies to be channelled for the benefit of society through the building of schools and hospitals.
Wherever possible the churches should support companies, which provide jobs for their members.
Many politicians frown on religion trying to dictate the politics of the country. Having said that, there is no reason why churches should not join hands with Government in serving society from which they derive their livelihood. A lot has been said about the present charismatic or Pentecostal churches that have built fat bank balances with their leaders living a life beyond that of an ordinary politician.
Surely, such leaders cannot serve or champion the conscience of society. It follows therefore, that if the churches combine their resources and wisdom and work towards up lifting people from poverty on Earth, they should work with Government, especially, local authorities, not only to obtain stands to build their churches but obtain land to build workshops and land to produce food for the people.
Where is the conscience of the churches when the poor give all they have to the churches without getting anything in return? It is left to the Government to worry about the poor amongst society.
There should be no poverty like the Jewish culture found a long time ago. Idle hands bring nothing to the table. It is the duty of Government and the churches to find the means to eliminate poverty and helplessness in society.
The people have hands to put them to the plough but not to fish out the last dollar from their pockets for a donation to the church but to help themselves by using their hands.
When a person is given a piece of land, it is because he or she must use their hands. When people are provided with education, it is a means to use their minds and hands to eliminate poverty.
The conscience of society is to eliminate poverty.
Whether you are a church leader or a politician, poverty elimination by use of hands is the goal that must be achieved by religion and politics.
This must be at the heart of our society.