Cool it, Sat

Like it or not, we live in a Christian age, the twenty-first century, marked by the death of Christ. After his resurrection to life, his followers had the power and authority to drive out all demons, cure diseases, heal the sick and also to preach the Kingdom of God. This is the “Great Commission” that was given to all evangilisers.

Thus the threat made by Mr Sat Maharaj, the General Secretary of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha to take legal action against the Government is baseless. He wants the Government to prevent Hinn’s visit, alleging that his healing ministry was in violation of the Summary Offences Act. Is he denying the ‘Great Commission?’

Let us now consider a recent case in Stockholm, Sweden, where an evangelical preacher was charged with inciting hatred. He was cleared by the supreme court in that country who upheld and defended the pastor’s right to freedom of speech and faith.

In so doing, the highest court merely upheld a ruling by a lower tribunal that affirmed the Pentecostal pastor’s right to preach his religious views even though many found them offensive. In its ruling the court even went on to say that “his comments could not be consider a ‘hate speech’ as they were made in church on a biblical theme.”

The court was also mindful that the European Court of Human Rights would likely find a conviction of the pastor to be against the European Convention on Human Rights.

From the foregoing, Sat has no right of action over Benny Hinn’s visit to Trinidad and Tobago and I would like to inform him at this time that the Christian religion is the largest religious body in the world. According to the recently published “World Christian Encyclopaedia” Christians outnumber Hindus two to one giving the Christians 1,433 millions as opposed to 583 million Hindus.

It is therefore time for Sat to cool himself and realise that he is living in a Christian dispensation.