I have always followed Ghanaian International gospel singer and Pastor Sonnie Badu until a few weeks ago when I had to unfollow him on Instagram because of the nature of his posts. I had a very disturbing interaction with him on Instagram where he ended up writing to me that ‘poverty was a choice’. I had been finding his posts discouraging because he always seems to post bragging about the expensive cars and labels he wears, something I don’t expect from a leader of a church whose music I really used to enjoy.
I asked Sonnie Badu why as a man of God he felt the need to pose in expensive brands and put hashtags of Louis Vuitton, Movado, Mercedes and Gucci to his followers, who are mostly black African people who in all honesty, are mostly poor people. It’s fair enough if you want to wear expensive brands, but why feel the need to put all the emphasis on the brands and highlight to your followers that you are wearing Louis Vuitton when you know that your followers who look up to you as a ‘spiritual father’ are mostly poor black people.
Sonnie Badu replied to me by telling me straight that being poor was actually a choice.
I find it very shocking that a man who owns a church that is full of black people, tells black people that they are ‘poor’ because they chose to be poor.
According to statistics, in the USA, where Sonnie Badu is based, white people are five times richer than black people. 45% of young black children live in poverty, compared to 14 % of white children who live in poverty.
In South Africa, according to statistics, more than half of all South Africans are living below the poverty line.
In the United Kingdom, unemployment rates are higher for ethnic minorities at 12% compared to the 6% of white people. Black workers with degrees earn 23% less than white workers.
It’s not rocket science that black people remain the poorest people in the world. Wealth and power is controlled by the other race. Africa has the poorest countries in the world. If you happen to be among the few black people who become excessively wealthy in this world, (especially black pastors) it’s not for you to gloat and show off to your poor fellow brethren.
Africa is the poorest continent in the world
Sonnie Badu says poverty is a choice
Sonnie Badu’s mentors include false prophets like Zimbabwean Pastor Uebert Angel and his wife Beverly Angel, who make a living from the vulnerability of black people.
Personally, I think black people love prophets, spiritual fathers and pastors because they are mentally and socially vulnerable, which allows them to be taken advantage of by men who pose as ‘Man of God.’
I think it’s beyond disgraceful that an African man who has formed a black church tells his followers on social media that poverty is a choice whilst posing in Gucci and Loius Vuitton.
I have come to believe that God is the one who makes people poor, he is the one who makes people rich too. The devil also has the power to make people rich.
The bible does say God is the maker of the poor and rich. The bible also says its hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom.
Life is such that some people are born poor (mostly black people) due to the curse, some people are born in privilege (mostly white people). To gloat over the poor and blame people for being poor is something I find shocking, especially coming from a Pastor who seems to be living the life. Poor people are poor because they were born in poverty, not their choice.
Shame on you Sonnie Badu. I hope you remember the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus. Lazarus never chose to be poor, he was just born poor. I hope you remember that as you read your bible.
Mary-Tamar was Jean
