The New Dawn – Monrovia, Ahead of Thursday’s final judgment in the appeal filed by ex-Liberian president Charles G. Taylor in The Hague, a Liberian Clergyman, Bishop Isaac S. Winker has warned Liberians, ‘Super Powers’ and those sitting on the judgment throne that God would prove them wrong one day, if they don’t repent their sins, but continue to set their eyes on those they considered the worst sinners.
Delivering a sermon last Saturday at a one-day intercessory prayer service held in Monrovia for imprisoned former President Taylor, Bishop Winker contended that crimes were not transferable, arguing that Taylor did not physically commit the killing and atrocities for which he was prosecuted.
Instead, the clergyman said in his mind, one of the reasons that led to former President Taylor’s arrest by the super power countries serving as policemen, was because Taylor was one of the smartest Liberians that could not be pulled by the nose.
Secondly, Bishop Winker said Taylor was also arrested and confined by the super powers was due to his consistent refusal to hastily approve and put pen to paper in the oil business here- only because the former Liberian Leader had Liberians in mind.
“One reason for super power arresting and have him confined today is because of the oil business. Taylor was not thinking to hastily put his pen to paper to approve it, but he had you Liberians in mind,” he said.
But Bishop Winker noted that Africans are not animals to be treated by western powers in the manner they do, warning them to be careful as they were all God’s creatures.
“Africans are not animals; I want to warn the super powers to be careful; we are God’s creatures- they should be careful how they handle us. The same God that made them is the same God that made us,” he warned amidst cheering multitude.
Speaking on the theme “Repentance and God’s Mercy” from 2nd Chronicles 33:1 and Daniel 4, Bishop Winker urged those looking down on Taylor for his sins to take their eyes from him and let his sin be between him and his God.
“There are multitudes of sins you have committed; you are not working on them, and you are concentrating on Taylor. You better be careful- at the end of the day, don’t be surprised to see Taylor in Heaven, and you are gnawing your teeth in hell fire,” he assured.
Portraying the ICC as a medium used by Western powers to subject African leaders to “yes sir” governance and lack of control of their resources, Bishop Winker said with the conditions Taylor placed before the western powers in their quest to have their share of the oil here, they saw him as being too smart to deal with, but to teach him a lesson that landed him in jail.
Comparing the issue of Liberia with that of Ivory Coast when some 300 citizens reportedly protested in Cote d’Ivoire over the manner in which ex-President Laurent Gbagbo was being treated while being taken to The Hague, Bishop Winker wondered what mattered with Liberians for showing no patriotism, as there was no show of love for their leaders.
“Those Ivorian protested on behalf of their leader; but what happened to Liberians? Crucify him, so Taylor is considered the worst sinner in Liberia; then he deserves the love that brought Jesus Christ to die on the cross. Liberians need to repent; we need to work on our attitudes- the way we treat leaders,” he said.
The preacher, however, told the gathering: “Don’t be surprised, as Taylor said ‘God willing, I will be back’. Taylor had no factory to manufacture guns. The same nations that sold guns to him, the same nations that turned to policemen and arrested him, and then they turned around because he couldn’t bow.”
