Religion in Namibia

“Namibia is hereby established as a sovereign, secular, democratic and unitary state founded upon the principles of democracy, the rule of law, and justice for all” – The first article in the Namibian Constitution. As a young person, 28 years old, I am concerned about a toxic and lie-infested environment reported many times in some of our churches in Namibia.It is true, the world we live in is very complicated - it is filled with so much influence and depressing episodes, but human beings should not be used just because of their chosen religion. Human beings were created to be loved, things were created to be used; the only reason why the world is in chaos today is because people are being used and things are being loved. One of my role models in Namibia, who is a legal practitioner of both the Supreme Court and High Court of Namibia, once said: “Only time will tell before a question arises in Namibian courts whether religious preaching by some church pastors on matters that are clearly fictitious, or patently false, should be accepted as in accordance with the law even when it is clear the preaching amount to fraud. This is also made difficult by the fact that there is a clear Pentecostal jealousy within the broader church community”.Seek helpFellow Namibians, let us try to answer the following four questions. Once we get them correct, Namibia will have peace with itself and enjoy the benefit of Article 21 of the Namibian Constitution without harming fellow human beings.Do the real prophets exist, and how do we differentiate between them?Can mental illness and medical conditions be cured through prayers alone?Is the existence of Pentecostal churches in Namibia legal or illegal?4. How do we differentiate between mental illness and supernatural attacks, curses, demons and witchcraft?As a qualified nurse who has five years of clinical work experience, the only thing I know is that I know nothing. But I would like to inform the general public that people should seek professional help, while praying for their loved ones. Depriving someone of professional help can lead to resentment towards religious institutions - or worse, it can result in other unintended consequences.I heard one pastor instructing his congregants during offerings ‘do not put coins, only notes please, God does not like noise’. Some prophets are reported to have instructed congregants to eat insects or drink toxic liquid, while others are told to carry their old cooking pots with them to church so that the so-called men of God can lay a hand on them and pray for them. We are told this is all part of one’s chosen religion. Fellow Namibians, let’s have a discussion about this!**Alfeus Lungameni Hamundja works in the health sector. He can be contacted at 081 816 8985 or 081 294 4860.

Religion in Namibia

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-08

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Religion in Namibia

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-08

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