Dear Editor,

In times of need, hardship, pain and suffering people turn to God looking for answers for their prayers. I totally agree that God should be the one giving us direction in all aspects of our lives.

However caution is needed when one makes supplications to God through men. Recently I have been noting the expansion of one church in Guyana. The growth of this religious organization is phenomenal, boasting branches in many areas of our country and numerous broadcasts on the television stations. This growth is only possible with the monetary contributions of the many followers. If people believe that this church provides a genuine refuge for their ailments I support them.

It should be noted that caution should be exercised when one is making donations to religious development. One cannot give more than one can afford or one will be left wanting.

Sometimes people use religion to profit, like in the case of the famous Jim Bakker an American televangelist and a former host (with his then-wife Tammy Faye Bakker) of The PTL Club, a popular evangelical Christian television programme. A sex scandal led to his resignation from the ministry. Subsequent revelations of accounting fraud brought about his imprisonment and divorce and effectively ended his time in the larger public eye

In recent times Benny Hinn and five other televangelists: Paula White, Kenneth Copeland, Eddie L Long, Joyce Meyer, and Creflo Dollar have all come under investigation by the United States Senate Committee on Finance  to determine if any personal profit has been made from financial donations

We will agree that money is needed to run any church; pastors, priests and assistants are paid salaries so that they too can survive.

Investigations are needed to ensure that the founders of these religious organisations in Guyana are not using people’s plight for monetary gain.

Yours faithfully
K. Persaud