Sierra Leone's over 50 years of religious
harmony is under threat thanks to the bizarre
revelations of a young woman.
Sister Linda Ngaoja's ‘heavenly journey’ a few
weeks ago has turned her into the equivalent
of a movie star, but at the risk of destabilising
a country renowned for its religious tolerance.
The 28-year-old (some say 26) college student
claims to have "died" and gone to hell before
being taken to heaven.
While in hell, former Libyan strongman
Muammar Gaddafi told her he wanted the
mosque he built in Sierra Leone destroyed and
replaced with a church.
She also has a message from the late president
of neighbouring Guinea, Lansana Conte, who
wants all the mosques in his country brought
down and replaced with churches.
Sister Linda "died" after a brief illness. She
said because of her worldly crimes in her
previous life, she suffered a harrowing
experience in hell, where she met her parents
and a host of other renowned people including
a renowned Sierra Leonean lawmaker, and the
late US star Whitney Houston, “who are all
suffering in Hell.”
All of these people had messages for their
relatives and friends who are alive.
Sister Linda said if a “rapture” had occurred at
that moment only five people in Sierra Leone
could have survived it (meaning going to
heaven), and these included three of her
pastors and two other people.
While her audio tape comes across as a rich
blessing for cassette sellers, religious leaders
are left with the unenviable task of cleaning
the mess Linda`s revelations left in their wake.
Breeding confusion
“We take and consider this our responsibility to
judge every such revelation by the standard of
the written words of God,” said Bishop
Archibald Cole, president of the Pentecostal
Fellowship of Sierra Leone (PFSL).
He told a press conference on Tuesday that
since the young girl was purportedly speaking
from a Pentecostal platform, Catholics might
think her revelations were the views shared by
all Pentecostals “and so we consider her
statements.....will create confusion and breed
division among the Christian community in
Sierra Leone.”
According to Linda's revelations, all Catholics
and Muslims are going to hell.
She also had a message for President Ernest Bai
Koroma (a Christian), to replace all mosques in
Sierra Leone, which is a Muslim-dominated
country, with churches.
“We consider such statements to be
inflammatory among the Christian and Muslim
communities,” said Bishop Cole.
“The revelation has the capacity to undermine
the peace and security of this nation. We want
to maintain the peace and security that God has
given us, as Christ is an author of peace and
not confusion.”
But already Linda's "revelations" are causing
confusion as there are reports of bitter
arguments over them.
Two people stabbed each other over an
argument as to whether the revelations were
true or not, reported the Awareness Times of
Freetown, a daily.
But it is not just Muslims and Catholics who
have reasons to be offended.
Linda is critical of the "born again" pastors in
Sierra Leone who she said are more into money
than spreading the message of God.
Her story broke on a popular religious radio
called Believers Broadcasting Network (BBN),
with the aid of her pastor.
Custodians of Truth
A member of the Faith Healing Bible Church,
one of three churches that were endorsed in
the revelations, told Africa Review that there is
concern about her security because of her
testimonies.
The Church has cancelled a special open prayer
at the national stadium on this ground. The
intention was to pray for Sierra Leone in light
of the revelations.
They will be holding instead a 7-day fasting and
indoor prayer session. This, according to
sources, is backed by President Ernest Bai
Koroma, who is said to have met with the
young woman to receive his message.
A majority of pastors in the country see Linda
as “of the devil” and they say she needs
deliverance.
A few others express fear that her testimonies
could spark forth a new sect, with reports of
calls for a ban on the circulation of her tapes.
“The real reason is that Sister Linda had
threatened to go over the radio and expose
some of these pastors who refuse to change in
line with the message she brought,” said
Bernard Wilson, a member of the Faith Healing
Bible Church, obviously a staunch supporter.
“It could be why the pastors are against her,”
Mr Wilson said.
But others read into the whole thing infighting
among Sierra Leone's small but powerful
Nigerian-inspired ‘born again’ churches.
“We as Ministers of the gospel are called to be
watchmen and to be custodians of truth, and to
be sure that the integrity and accuracy of the
gospel is maintained… we are charged to
address this issue that has the potential to
bring distraction and obstruct the peace of the
nation,” said Apostle Akintayo Sam Jolly,
Secretary of PFSL.
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