Rwanda has been shutting down churches that it deems, noisy and unsafe. It is also targeting pastors who they deem uneducated and preaching a word of hate and not aligned with the Word.
According to the BBC some 700 buildings, both Christian (of which a majority of Rwandans are) and Muslim establishments, have been closed pending an approved inspection.
According to a proposed new law, all preachers must also have theological training before opening a church. Churches run by charismatic preachers claiming to heal and perform miracles have been spreading rampantly throughout Africa, but Rwandan officials are putting restrictions in place on both the pastors and where they hold church, many of which have been in parking lots and in tents set up in fields.
“Worshiping should be done in an organised way and meet minimum standards,” Justus Kangwagye, head of Political Parties and Civil Society Department at the Rwanda Governance Board, told the BBC. “Exercising your freedom of worship should not encroach on other people’s rights. They have been asked to halt operations until they meet the requirements.”
This is one of several progressive moves made by Rwanda recently. The nation, which is south of Uganda and west of Tanzania, implemented an open border policy at the start of last year allowing all visitors to have a 30-day visa automatically without application. In addition to opening its borders, Rwanda has also been at the forefront in implementing crypto-currency into its economy, even opening bitcoin schools.
But this crackdown churches has been seen by some as being too extreme and bordering on censorship. In a recent podcast, SiriusXM host Karen Hunter discusses this topic.
What are you thoughts?
