Degone Moretew,Pastor
Hatred is a feeling that can be both Godly and sinful depending on what it is that is causing us to hate. The Bible speaks of loving God and hating evil (Psalm 97:10) and hating the assembly of evildoers (Psalm 26:5) and hating falsehood (Psalm 119:116). The more we become like Christ and understand the love of God, the more we will being to hate hypocrisy, godlessness, and evil of the world. However, we are also warned over and over in the Bible of how hatred and bitterness can destroy us. God tells us in Scripture that hate is a heart issue and that someone who hates a brother is a murderer! (1 John 3:15)
Gudina Tumssa and his brother Baro Tumssa both were supporters of Mengestu Haliemariam until Mengestu turned on his comrades with in his circle by his infamous parable of the revolution consumes her children. Mengestyu gave credit for Baro Tumsa on his personal diary book as Baro was member of the Ethiopian oppressed people group along with Assefa Chabo who left and organized OLF and murdered by his Oromo comrades during his trip to Bale and Harar where as Assefa Chabo ended his legacy remaining faithful for Ethiopia unity.
Baro and Gudina departed as bare abandoned his faith and completely Marxist whole Gudina continued his struggle using the church structure that the senior in the church Amanuel Abraham who related by marriage of his daughter to the emperor grand son was critical about Gudina’s extreme involvement in the ethnic politics neglecting the church services while himself moderate politicians in the same career.
One of the victims of Gudina Tumssa was Amare memo who was secretary of the evangelical church terminated by Gudina Tumssa because of differences on political out look on Ethiopia that Amare was very unionist and Gudina rejected that especially the alliance of Ethiopian Orthodox Church with the Ethiopian government and made all effort of using Evangelical church for the promotion of his Oromo dream.
The issue of Oromo movement polarized to the Ethiopian status by the guidance of Gudina and lake that we see the very brutal immoral bloodshed in the birthplace of Guiding Wolega where the youth brainwashed to hate Amhara in particular and Ethiopia in general as enemy of Oromo that is completely false and divisive for Ethiopia.Most of Wolega residents mixed up with Gojam Amharas compared to other places.
The current Oromo diaspora pastors avoided the name Mekane-Yesus for the evangelical church assuming that Mekane-Yesus is an exploitation name by the ‘Amhara war -lords’ they call NEFTEGNA. The divisions by the fake request of worshipping in Oromo language in Addis Ababa for years was a continuation of Gudina’s vision that speed up for the establishment of Oromo evangelical church in Europe and North America where as genuine Oromo evangelicals use “Oromo Langage congregation or church” not to divide the house of God by race.
As the great civil right leader Dr Martin Luther Kingsaid it is wise we Ethiopians use his golden statement to halt this divisive ethnic politics in our beloved Ethiopia even on the most holy place at the church,
We should not use darkness to eliminate darkness but the light that is the love of God in Jesus Christ
A very interesting and insightful article. Great thanks for the information. However, I miss something, that is the role of foreigners in masterminding such kinds of figures to advance their divisive politics. Haselblatt, a German Pastor, and others have used Gudina Tumsa and others to expand ethnic politics to weaken Ethiopia as a Nation-State.
“Pastor Degonew Morete” sounds like a preacher of hate to me. 1/ Yes, Rev. Gudina and Baro Tumsa were brothers. Rev Gudina was Christian, whereas Baro was Marxist and not Christian. To identify them as one is a LIE. 2/ Rev Gudina was NEVER a supporter of either the Imperial or the Derg regimes (remember he was killed by the Derg). “Pastor Degonew” in his poorly written article seems to have not read Rev Gudina’s writings and theological teachings. Now the “pastor” (rather impostor) wants us to believe his brazen LIES that the current conflict in Wollega is the result of Rev Gudina’s indoctrination of Oromo youth over 50 years ago! Such LIES are only possible in the minds of sick individuals who exaggerate, are afraid of facts, and LIE to promote their ethnic agenda under the cover of defending Ethiopia! Zehabesha has become the vehicle for hate journalism in the pursuit of merchandising truth. Every one knows the current situation in Ethiopia was brought about by Tplf. Quick history lesson:
Fifty years ago over 200,000 from Tigray and Wollo region were resettled in Wollega region. When Tplf came to power the first thing it did was to identify Tigrayans in the region and set them up for its Grand PROJECT to dismantle the country. We all know Tplf’s target from the start was the Amhara! Tplf uses its (Tigrayan, Oromo, Gumuz, and Amhara) cadres/militia to attack the Amhara and guess what? The attacker then tells the world the Oromo are doing the attacking! Typical Tplf behavior! Sadly, the impostor pastor has no clue this took place at all.
Shukri, please don not be advocate for the un-advocatable evilacts of those racists I know both in the struggle against the consecutive Ethiopian regimes and at the church. I have many family members in the Oromo struggle who abandoned such divisive way of struggle targeting one ethnic group massacring innocents as responsible for the oppression of Oromo and others. Those OLF fighters were boasting and asking each other how many Amharas they killed in the field and I know very well how OLF using Evangelical MekaneYesus property and resources to promote the OLF agenda which has failure .From the begging the vision of Baro Tumssa separating from popular Ethiopian oppressed people movement was wrong and the cause of Oromo never succeed until it combined with all progressive forces including Amhara, Somalis Southerner Afar Somalia etc Get life brother #
You demonize a dead man who was once a preacher like you and still call yourself a pastor? What a world are we coming to? The person is dead and gone and he is not here to defend himself. He was murdered by the blood thirsty Mengistu in the most gruesome way imaginable. He might have erred in some of his utterances but he was strangled to a slow and agonizing death. It is very saddening to see how cruelty has managed to seep into some houses of holy scriptures of both religions. Very sad indeed.
Their dead speaking today! Gudina Tumsa Strong and Heroes Christian Oromo.. He play unrecognized role for us!