_By_Martins Chiedozie Ugwu
_Johnmartinsworldonline@gmail.com_
"Attitude or the best of people are not shaped by religion, they are shaped by events, deep understanding of life and their experience including wide knowledge on affairs of life. It takes only the people who are in touch with reality of life to act well and not religion or the type of church the person attend."
Here in Africa, we are awash with a whole lot of idiosyncratic belief or impression maintained despite being contradicted by reality or rational argument, which is a typically symptom of mental imbalance and a reflection of our out of touch with the realities of life.
Most, if not all religions, have some thematic principles that make them similar to one another, namely concepts of god and love, honesty, altruism, miracle workings and peacekeeping. However, every religion has elements and ideologies that set them apart from the other. These ideological differences may not be overt and easy to discern, but they are present and account for a lot of disharmony and discord most of the time. This is mainly due to irrational and distorted deductions of religious scriptures by some followers which go against the fundamental principles.
Moreover, coexistence of diverse religions in a single community or nation is a comparatively recent trend. From time immemorial, sacrifices and wars in the name of religion are not unheard of, with some of the significant examples being The Crusades, Sati System, Buddhist Burma, Jihadists and the Witch Hunt, which ended thousands of lives. What is even more mind-boggling is the dichotomous function that religion seems to serve, where it imbibes compassion and kindness towards all, but also instigates religious hatred, violence and religious martyrdoms, especially in radical believers.
If really Africa and Nigeria in particular Reflects their religious faith in their affairs of life, I dont think if there is any continent of the world or country that will be better than us. A lot of people are brainwashed into believing that once you goes to church or mosque every sunday or friday that you automatically a child of God and well behaved. This seems to be one of the if not the greatest misconception of man especially here in Africa. It has gotten to an extent that we are judged by our religion. Is not uncommon to see so called christians asking 'which Church do you attend' 'Are you a born again' and all that, as if going to church or the type of one's church or religion defines how good or bad a person is. Experience and Research have proved clearly that the best of people wasn't so because of their religious but their understanding and experience about life including parenting.
The hard fact remains that nothing about Africa’s deep in religion reflects in our way of life. It seems we are even more akin to worshiping individuals than God himself. 99.9% of religious people in Africa have no fear of God and the outcome is the ups and down in the continent. I mean the level of wickedness and inhuman treatment including insincerity and distrust in our private lives and collectively as a society, don't show a place where there is a single believer. We pretend a lot and seems like pretense is turning to norms here. If not how can one explain the high religiosity in Africa and yet out of the 55 countries in Africa none can be described as a developed Nation while we are the ones ruling ourselves but we talk so much about religion even pretend it. Where there is peace in Africa is less compare to where there is crises and greater percentage of these crises are fought along religious line. What a shame to religious leaders.
If truly religion is agent of development, Africa and Nigeria in particular would have been the most peaceful and developed in all the continents and countries of the world but surprisedly reverse is the case.
This is not the time to ask a lot of questions but to look for answers or solution to issues and questions glaring on our eyes and minds but who cares because they said you shouldn't question the Priest or Imam or question anything you read in the bible or Qur'an, same bible we were told that a lot were omitted and a lot smuggled in to suit the selfish doctrine of the early Christians.
If we must solve our problem as youth, we must first keep religion aside and confront the issues in line with the reality of life.
May God Take The Lead and bring love upon Africans
Together as Youth, we can build a new world in Africa soil.
……. Join the revolution.
*Fellow Martins Chiedozie Ugwu is the Former International President of All African Students, Former Country representative of World Students Assembly,
Facilitator, Students for Change Initiative and Chancellor - Noble Youth Organisation of Africa.
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_Johnmartinsworldonline@gmail.com_
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