Pastor sparks outrage advising against marrying 'ugly people'

A Nigerian pastor, Prophet Apata Enoch, has ignited a social media firestorm with his pronouncements on marriage and physical appearance. In a Facebook post celebrating his wife's upcoming 50th birthday, Enoch advised his followers not to marry "ugly people," emphasizing the importance of beauty, particularly as individuals age.

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5th of August, this my baby will be 50 years on earth, many years, my sweetheart. I’m 54, my sweetheart 50. Don’t marry an ugly person because of old age. Open your heart and eyes.

Enoch, who is 54, described his wife as his "baby sweetheart" and urged people to "Open your heart and eyes" when choosing a partner, implying that marrying someone perceived as unattractive would lead to regret in later years. He recounted a personal experience where he believed divine guidance steered him away from marrying another woman, stating that she now looks "like someone I can’t take pictures with."

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The woman I wanted to marry before, God told me I wouldn’t like her in her old age. Today, she looks like someone I can’t take pictures with. I bless God. I hear from this merciful God who knows I like a fine and beautiful wife.

His remarks have drawn sharp criticism from many social media users who deem them insensitive and disparaging. One commenter, Dotun Jegede, argued that such posts bring reproach to faith and that all women are created with divine beauty. Jegede questioned the pastor's emphasis on physical appearance over inner qualities, citing Proverbs, and raised concerns about how his advice would affect women with injuries, illnesses like cancer, or those who have undergone surgery.

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Too often, some men of God make emotional posts that create further controversy and bring reproach to the Cross and to the Creator. Every woman is created in divine beauty. A post that mocks or reduces a woman is an insult to our Creator, who made all humans, men and women, beautifully.

Critics also pointed out that the pastor's statement violated principles of diversity and inclusion, being gender-based and discriminatory. The debate highlights a broader conversation about societal beauty standards, the role of faith leaders in public discourse, and the potential impact of their words on vulnerable individuals.

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Secondly, is physical beauty the measure of beauty? I used to believe, as Scripture teaches in Proverbs, that virtue and inner qualities are what truly matter. Outward beauty is not bad in itself, but it should not be the standard by which we judge worth.