Two things define Tega, a young newly married engineer who grew up in Warri but is now based in Lagos – the reality of God and the reality of judgement day.
He believes strongly that God can forgive and will forgive every sin. But there is a hard line that he will never cross and expects that everyone never crosses as well – abortion.
He says he’s never paid tithe before and doesn't give too much thought to how money is spent in church because God will judge everybody. He minds his business but now as a married man, he wants to draw himself even closer to God.
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This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
At what point did you find God?
Right from the beginning, from my mother's womb, I have known that God exists.
What religion do you practice and why?
I am a Christian. I attend the Catholic Church. Christianity is the best for me. I honestly don’t know what other people do in their religion, but I like the vibe I get from Christians and the church. I don't need to test other religions to rediscover my faith. I'm just very comfortable as a Christian.
Do you ever attend other churches?
I really don't mind attending any other church. If I’m invited I will go. However, I chose to attend the Catholic Church every week. To be honest, most recently I have not been regular at mass. I can’t even lie. But it’s a work in progress. I have the fear of God. I just need to get better at going to mass. I need to change my ways. But God is merciful.
Will God be merciful to a person who has an abortion?
We are not supposed to have abortions. Even if it will affect the mother, even if she will die, abortion should never be an option on the table. You just have to take it to God. Even in the case of rape, you also should never consider it. Even if the father is the rapist, you should always have the child.
Have you ever experienced a miracle from God?
There have been many times that I have experienced a miracle so much that I can’t for a second doubt the existence of God. There was this time I needed money urgently for something important and I had no means of getting that money. Somehow the money came to me. I knew instantly that it was a sign from God.
Did the money fall from the sky?
It was God. He brought a quick job that I did and was paid for. It must be Him.
Do you ever sin?
I fear God but the sin just happens. Sometimes I have no idea how I still go back and commit sin. It’s not like I'm doing something outrageous that connotes I don't fear God, but these things just happen. Every Sunday for instance I’ll opt to play football rather than go to church. I shouldn't be doing that. God should come first. I don't understand why I do this but the plan is to stop it. And I'm working towards that.
Do you pay your tithe?
I have never paid tithe, but I always pay offering. I have nothing against tithing. For me, I just have not become a serious person at the church. People don't even know me. I just attend and leave. If they knew me I might have been paying tithe. But they don't know me and I too am not that serious with the church.
Do you ever bother about how this money is spent?
They use the money for the church. I don't consider otherwise. I don't try to police how the money is spent. The money is for the leaders to handle. I will always pay my offering.
Do you always agree with the teachings in church?
Nope. I do what seems right to me. If the pastor says something I don't agree with I don't do it. But I always agree with the pastor. The pastor is always right.
Why do you think some pastors have gotten a bad rep?
I believe God knows best. I don't concern myself with that. God is the ultimate judge and I leave everything for Him. But even more honestly I don't have any pastor's time. I strongly believe in the reality of Judgement Day and it will come. My philosophy is everybody should do what they want. God is watching.
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So how do church members make pastors do better in the meantime?
You need to do good. Everybody just needs to be good and do things the right way. We are all supposed to do good. I have no base for this aside from that it is what God has said we should all do.
Some people use, ‘I am a pastor’ to cover up their activities and we must be mindful of them. Some are not pastors at all. They might be ritualists. Different things happen in this world these days. You need to be very careful. When you are in church be observant. Watch your back. I have never been to any of such churches but if you see a pastor hold a broom or sword in the church and all of those, you should be careful. All of these are not in the Bible.