Veteran comedian and the father of Stand-up comedy in Nigeria,
Atunyota Alleluya Akporobomerere, popularly known by his stage name, Ali
Baba, has taken to his Instagram page to react to the comments made by
Lagos clergyman, Pastor Yomi Kasali, about comedians being invited to
churches to perform.
It was gathered that during one of his sermons recently, the
clergyman frowned at pastors that invite comedians to perform during
service and also at comedians making jokes using pastors and clergymen.
He had said the day a christian laughs at a comedian cracking a
joke abusing God or men of God, then such a person is no longer a
christian, while also berating other clergymen for organizing comedy
shows in their churches.
In a swift reaction, Alibaba on his Instagram wrote:
*********
“Show me where in the bible where the bible says anyone who
smokes will go to hell? Were there cigarettes and tobacco then? The
heart of some smokers is holier than some priests. The only vices some
people have is of not following the command of moderation. A little wine
is good for your heart.” These and many more lessons did I learn from
this man Monsignor Martins.
He told me, truly, human factor is always at war with the
spiritual standards, But that the greatest standards between man and
spirituality are human interpretations of spirituality. Thanks to Uncle
Emmanuel Ijewere… who took me to him. One time he sent Uncle
@iraborsoni to call me. It was during one of the harvest bazaars I
worked at.
He told Soni,… “tell him I am going, he should come and take
his knock on the head, I have been carrying it around for too long.
After today it will be more than one knock.” I went to meet him, and as I
approached him, he asked why I was smiling… I said I just sold a cow
to Chief Ojukwu (not #ikemba) 400k… and he said, “Ole ni gbogboyin and
you are smiling abi? Just bring your head here, I’m in a hurry.”
I lowered my head expecting a play play knock. My knees
buckled. As I was rubbing the spot, he said go and sell more, the parish
priest promised me 4 crates of eggs. And with that they drove off. When
I got back, there was nothing I did not start selling from N20,000.
Even a 25 litre of groundnut oil, I started at 25k.
The chairman of the bazaar had to ask kilode. You see, there is
nothing wrong with a sense of humour in the Christian environment. The
problem is allowing people who do not know the limits of hilarity to
desecrate the sacred institutions and it’s custodians. Humour is God
sent. That’s why God is the God of Isaac. The application is the
problem. The talent itself is not the problem. Having s-x is not wrong.
Having unapproved sexual activity is what is wrong.
So banning comedy from the pulpit is a tall order. Nearly
wrong. In fact a wrong way to go. Because, you can not, say no to comedy
in church yet say yes to tithes and offering from runs, prostitution,
bribery robbery and looting of government coffers… and so on and so
forth.”