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By Robert Kumwenda
Christians in the country have been advised not to believe in false prophecy in as far as the HIV/AIDS issue is concerned.
This has been said by the leader of Pentecostal and Charismatic church network in Malawi Apostle Dr Wille Chaponda at the workshop for pastors for Pentecostal churches in Blantyre.
Chaponda said the problem which most Pentecostal and Charismatic churches are having is competition to be number saying that is a person is really healed by prayer there is nothing wrong to take medicine.
“For instance in the bible Luke was a doctor but he was not told to repent by Jesus because he was practicing medicine. People should not just be over taken by people who just want to give testimony, if they are really healed they show also show papers from the doctor as evidence that they have really been healed,” he said.
He said we should not mislead people by giving wrong information because wrong counseling destroy people.
Chaponda added that the impact of taking medication when one is taking medication is as far as the issue of HIV/AIDS is concerned is that the person can function properly and take part in development.
Concurring with Chaponda, Lenard Mmangita Vice Chairman for National Aids Commission (NAC) he said they believe that religious leaders they take a vital role in praying for people who are sick including those living with the virus that causes AIDS HIV.
He said that it is wrong for religious leaders to tell someone that he or she has been healed without scientific proof because when one is physically healed is a doctor who says.
“No one should not stop taking ARVs until certified by doing the test because by telling people that they have been healed without scientific test we are deterring the fight against HIV/AIDS. Religious leaders should encourage their members to take medicine while receiving prayers,” he said.
Currently the Pentecostal and Charismatic churches in Malawi have over 120 church memberships across Malawi.
