By JOACHIM BUWEMBO

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Selective application of laws remains a major obstacle to Africa’s development. We are talking of all laws, not just legal ones handed to us by former colonisers. We conveniently disregard our cultural laws when it suits us and we cite modern laws. Worse still, we selectively apply the laws of religion adopted from Europe.

In Uganda, on Easter and a couple of Sundays before, we prayed so hard for the rising commodity prices to go down. We actually looked and sounded so pious as we begged God to bring down food prices. And because Easter and the last part of Lent overlapped with Ramadhan, we exhibited great unity as Muslim and Christian leaders joined voices to thank God for sending us a charitable foundation from the United Arab Emirates that has been alleviating our hunger by giving us millions of meals nicely packaged in thousands of food boxes.

But if after joining voices in praying we also joined hands in working on the fertile land, we would be the ones giving food to the people in the Middle East who do not have fertile land and lots of rainfall like we do in Uganda. For, doesn’t the New Testament teach that he who doesn’t work also shouldn’t eat?

The Bible is full of lessons on tilling the fields, planting at the right time and in the right soil conditions, storing food during times of plenty, accumulating wealth, exploiting talents. But selective application of biblical teachings is effectively stunting the minds of many African youth.

The biblical story of creation divided the working schedule in seven days, with the seventh day being devoted to rest, which we have been devoting to thanking, praising and spiritual refreshment since we adopted modern religion. But we also have the whole week to pray as we go about our lives. How then young, energetic and physically healthy people spend most of their waking time praying for miracles without “sparing” enough time for working to realise the miracles is baffling.

“God will provide” is a phrase becoming too common among the energetic young people who frown at those who spend more time working than praising overtly (assuming they don’t pray in private). Can someone tell some people that even if God wants to provide, you need to get up and go pick what he is providing! Even God cannot force you to lift your hands to collect the food he wants to give you, and force your mouth open to put it in and start working your jaws to chew it!

There is this other selective reading of the modern laws by citing the freedom of worship. This misapplied freedom of worship has affected the health and freedom of millions by denying them quiet rest when they need it.

Booming noise in the name worship from illegal structures also called churches for extended hours in many residential places is driving law-abiding citizens nuts. Do these worshippers know that when the word “alleluia” hits your eardrums so offensively 100 times a minute from loudspeakers it starts sounding quite vulgar? Yet there is so little the victims can do because of “freedom of worship” in total disregard of the laws on noise pollution.

Are the gods of today so deaf that people must shout and amplify the shouting with megawatts of sonic boom for them to hear? Who needs a god that has a hearing defect?

After denying the “sinners” who work hard at their hassles some peaceful rest, the loud worshippers then sit back and wait for people from naturally poor countries that are not endowed with fertile soil or good climate to give them food.

Since we are proving incapable of peaceful multitasking, would it not be a good idea to review our schedules and start observing seven days of work and no worship followed by seven days of worship and no work?

Joachim Buwembo is a Kampala-based journalist. E-mail:[email protected]