The Lords of Ignorance in Ethiopia
Meseret Media
May 28
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By Dr. Mezgebe Hailu (Pediatric Specialist) and Dr. Shimelis Hussein (Medical Researcher)
(Meseret Media) – Ethiopia's journey to escape poverty demands intelligent thinking and an understanding based on facts. However, a concerning trend is emerging (especially now).
Some pastors, appointing themselves as judges of truth, are spreading false information in the name of "the Lord told me"... This action of theirs is often supported (at least in silence) by a spineless government of the time.
This dangerous connection allows individuals like Yonatan Aklilu (whether pastor, prophet, or servant) to deceive the public with grand discourses that lack evidence (but are said to be "told by the Lord"). They are exploiting uneducated, poor people and weakening a society that questions based on reality.
We call individuals like Yonatan the lords of ignorance. These lords of ignorance present baseless discourses that contradict logic and scientific consensus.
We heard Pastor Yonatan, for example, say this: "Half of Ethiopia's doctors have fake degrees." This is a complete lie! It's nonsense! These lords of ignorance think medical professionals are like themselves because they mislead people. No one has verified that half are fake.
These pastors only want to appear holy by slandering genuine professionals. The truth is that Ethiopian healthcare professionals have studied for many years and work hard even in difficult conditions. To get into medical school, you have to be bright and have a good mind. It's not a field anyone can enter. For example, most students who enter medicine are those who scored 4.0 in their matriculation exams. Which pastor has a 4.0 matriculation score? Furthermore, this pastor has told his followers that they are healed from illnesses and by medicine not through doctors' treatment but because the Lord performed a miracle.
Saying "everything belongs to the Lord" is a dangerous and baseless discourse that can prevent people from going to the hospital when they need help. Doctors save lives; medicine saves lives. The hypocrisy of these pastors is astonishing. Even though they speak ill of healthcare professionals, people like Yonatan frequently seek medical services from the very doctors they publicly condemn.
If divine intervention is indeed omnipotent, why didn't he pray for his own bald head to grow hair back instead of going to a hair transplant doctor? Why didn't he anoint it with "holy oil" and make it grow? Perhaps the "holy oil" ran out? We say this because we know firsthand how much treatment Yonatan has undergone to grow his hair.
The worst thing is the way pastors like Yonatan Aklilu deceive uneducated and poor people. They use various methods to take the money of the poor and needy. For example, they sell "passports to heaven" and promise things like "miracle money will be deposited into your bank account."
Many uneducated and desperate citizens fall for this deception. These pastors become rich by exploiting people's ignorance. Their followers, however, remain poorer. Some, like Yonatan Aklilu, take government land in every city for their "church" and then sell it, trade it, and become wealthy.
This is not faith! It is theft in the name of faith! It is fraud in the name of faith! Pastor Yonatan has also said that the poor are lazy.
This statement itself is lazy! It only shows his ignorance and lack of understanding of the causes of poverty. People are not poor because they don't work hard. The causes of poverty have been studied by the best scientific minds in the world.
Their research shows that the main causes of poverty are related to bad political and exploitative economic systems. If the pastor were not lazy, he would have read the works of the following experts in his field and would not have been mistaken: "Development as Freedom" by Amartya Sen and "Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty" by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson.
It is scientifically known that the lack of critical thinking in the lords of ignorance leads them to superficial conclusions. This is called the heuristic fallacy. For the lords of ignorance, shouting loudly through a piercing loudspeaker is the truth. Science requires extensive reading, evidence-based analysis, and intellectual discipline. There is no scientific approach in the way of the lords of ignorance.
Instead, they cling to one book, distort its meaning to appear intelligent, and then fabricate things in the name of "the Lord told us." In science, evidence is needed. Many experiments, doubts, criticisms, data, and more experiments are needed.
But the lords of ignorance say whatever comes to their minds. This is pure ignorance. It is important to understand that science and religion are different. Pastors should focus on what they know (faith and spiritual work). They should leave science to scientists. If they want to talk about science, they must first learn science. They should not just make things up and say they are true.
Such mixing does not work. No country has ever become strong and developed because of pastors' discourses. This is the truth. Look at countries like Japan, Germany, Dubai Emirates, or America. They developed through science, technology, education, and new ideas, not because pastors made noise.
It has never had a serious place! Furthermore, the luxury goods these pastors show us are the result of scientific inventions, not religious miracles.
Scientists and scientific people created the materials these pastors boast about. No pastor has ever created a phone, airplane, robot, or car by shouting "Hallelujah!" The times are corrupted, and the current Ethiopian government's clear support for these lords of ignorance is deeply concerning.
By providing public platforms and failing to exercise adequate control, it amplifies their harmful influence, allowing them to spread misinformation and exploit vulnerable communities without limit. This support undermines the efforts to build a fact-based, progressive society and poses a significant threat to Ethiopia's development.
In conclusion, the lords of ignorance, such as Yonatan Aklilu, often encouraged by a complicit government, represent a dangerous force in Ethiopia. They exploit the uneducated and spread ignorance in the name of faith and "the Lord told us." Their baseless and unscientific discourses, their unsubstantiated accusations against professionals, and their deceptive practices cause serious harm to vulnerable, poor communities.
Science and religion are different fields. The lords of ignorance lack the knowledge and critical thinking skills to comment on scientific matters. They should focus on their own field and leave science to the experts. Ethiopia's development will be achieved through scientific thinking and practice, not through the fairy tales of these lords of ignorance.
If possible, the police should intervene to stop the fraudulent activities of the lords of ignorance.
The writers are pediatric specialists, health researchers, educators, and consultants.