Religion
has obviously failed to draw mankind an inch closer to God. It has instead
occasioned bloodshed which hasn’t in anyway benefitted any individual or group.
Can any statistician give the exact number of casualties during Russian
pogroms, the Reformation and the Crusades? Over the years, religion has proven
not to be a strong force for peace but in fact a barrier to peace. No wonder
Carlespie McKinney wrote: ‘Religion does three things quite effectively:
Divides people, controls people, deludes people.’
Read any newspaper. Listen to the radio. Turn on your TV set. What news reports appal you most and make you wish you were an alien living on the Moon? Likely they are those which speak of religious violence. Terrorism, which I believe is religion-motivated, has become a global trend afflicting modern society.
Almost everyday, the media inundates us with sickening reports on how extremists hide under the cloak of religion to commit heinous crimes against God and humanity. I was watching the news while preparing to write this post. Interestingly, the foreign scene segment of the programme broadcast a footage showing the wreckage of the US consulate which had been blown up in Benghazi, Libya. The attack was triggered by the release in America of a film which purportedly insulted the Prophet Mohammed. Four Americans were killed in the attack, including the US ambassador.
Fear of terrorists has made it real hard for us to walk in the street without suspicion. And believe me, such a fear is legitimate. The person beside you on board a bus or the train, at the bus stop, in the hotel lobby, at the amusement park, at tourist centres and other public places might be a suicide bomber. Statistics would even fail to quantify the bereavement terrorists have exacted on homes and nations.
Ironically, the more places of worship proliferate across the globe the more depraved humans tend to become. Yes, the more we seek to know the Creator through religion the more we actually alienate ourselves from Him through immoral lifestyles. Moral decadence has become a despicable hallmark of modern society. We’ve overcome our moral scruples and have begun to celebrate everything―music, shows, books, Web sites, magazines, cultures, ideas, lifestyles―which not only promotes immorality but also both heightens and glamorises it. Morally speaking, the 21st-century society is a chaos of crumbled walls. Society’s drift into the depths of moral depravity is proof that having countless faith-based organisations all around us isn’t a yardstick of godliness.
Over 55% of the world’s population are religious. These have established moral codes which guide their daily conduct. Still society today is steeped in vices. Can we say that religion has been able to keep humans on the straight and narrow?
In this country, we’re very religious but not godly. Churches and mosques dot the nooks and crannies of our streets. On Sundays, economic activities come to a standstill as Christians go to church. During the week they also hold several vigils. Similarly on Fridays, Muslims troop out in millions to worship Allah.
Despite our religiosity however, our attitudes towards one another are nothing to be proud of. Corruption and other vices have pervaded all levels of our national life. Sorry to say, our leaders, though very religious, are simply despicable. They generally are selfish, greedy, rapacious, wicked and insensitive to the plight of the masses. They stash public funds at the expense of the people.
The even more religious people are mere hypocrites. We’re unjust in all our dealings. We cheat, oppress, exploit and lie to ourselves. In summary, our evil attitudes belie our professions.
Read any newspaper. Listen to the radio. Turn on your TV set. What news reports appal you most and make you wish you were an alien living on the Moon? Likely they are those which speak of religious violence. Terrorism, which I believe is religion-motivated, has become a global trend afflicting modern society.
Almost everyday, the media inundates us with sickening reports on how extremists hide under the cloak of religion to commit heinous crimes against God and humanity. I was watching the news while preparing to write this post. Interestingly, the foreign scene segment of the programme broadcast a footage showing the wreckage of the US consulate which had been blown up in Benghazi, Libya. The attack was triggered by the release in America of a film which purportedly insulted the Prophet Mohammed. Four Americans were killed in the attack, including the US ambassador.
Fear of terrorists has made it real hard for us to walk in the street without suspicion. And believe me, such a fear is legitimate. The person beside you on board a bus or the train, at the bus stop, in the hotel lobby, at the amusement park, at tourist centres and other public places might be a suicide bomber. Statistics would even fail to quantify the bereavement terrorists have exacted on homes and nations.
Ironically, the more places of worship proliferate across the globe the more depraved humans tend to become. Yes, the more we seek to know the Creator through religion the more we actually alienate ourselves from Him through immoral lifestyles. Moral decadence has become a despicable hallmark of modern society. We’ve overcome our moral scruples and have begun to celebrate everything―music, shows, books, Web sites, magazines, cultures, ideas, lifestyles―which not only promotes immorality but also both heightens and glamorises it. Morally speaking, the 21st-century society is a chaos of crumbled walls. Society’s drift into the depths of moral depravity is proof that having countless faith-based organisations all around us isn’t a yardstick of godliness.
Over 55% of the world’s population are religious. These have established moral codes which guide their daily conduct. Still society today is steeped in vices. Can we say that religion has been able to keep humans on the straight and narrow?
In this country, we’re very religious but not godly. Churches and mosques dot the nooks and crannies of our streets. On Sundays, economic activities come to a standstill as Christians go to church. During the week they also hold several vigils. Similarly on Fridays, Muslims troop out in millions to worship Allah.
Despite our religiosity however, our attitudes towards one another are nothing to be proud of. Corruption and other vices have pervaded all levels of our national life. Sorry to say, our leaders, though very religious, are simply despicable. They generally are selfish, greedy, rapacious, wicked and insensitive to the plight of the masses. They stash public funds at the expense of the people.
The even more religious people are mere hypocrites. We’re unjust in all our dealings. We cheat, oppress, exploit and lie to ourselves. In summary, our evil attitudes belie our professions.
In a show of great ignorance, we
slaughter one another all in the name of religion. Muslims and Christians in
the country clash frequently and several souls are sent to early graves. The
more volatile North has earned a ‘reputation’ as the hub of religious conflict.
There Muslims kill Christians in their hundreds and vice versa. By so doing we
throw several homes into grief. Thus we practise what negates our beliefs and
true humanity. What a barbaric inclination!
Dear compatriots, it’s time we emancipated ourselves from the grip of spiritual darkness. Our religions are predicated on love, peace, tolerance, discipline, self-control, and above all, regard for the sacred gift of life. So let’s bury our religious differences, beat our swords into ploughshares and eschew violence. It’s only then we can record any meaningful national growth and development. Let’s remember that the maxim ‘United, we stand; divided, we fall’ always holds true for us.
Dear compatriots, it’s time we emancipated ourselves from the grip of spiritual darkness. Our religions are predicated on love, peace, tolerance, discipline, self-control, and above all, regard for the sacred gift of life. So let’s bury our religious differences, beat our swords into ploughshares and eschew violence. It’s only then we can record any meaningful national growth and development. Let’s remember that the maxim ‘United, we stand; divided, we fall’ always holds true for us.
All of us are caught up in a tangled
web of an inescapable destiny. Our religious differences are too weak to
separate us from this destiny. What affects one of us directly affects all of
us indirectly. A threat to an Igala man in the North is a threat to all;
whatever smothers the existence of the Ijaws in the South smothers our national
existence. Therefore, let’s learn to coexist despite our cultural and religious
diversities. Now is the time to realise that any religious service that’s
devoid of respect for the human life is absolute futility and will get us
nowhere as a nation. God bless our country.
Quotes on this subject
Men never commit evil so fully and so joyfully as when they do it for religious convictions
―Blaise Pascal
Quotes on this subject
Men never commit evil so fully and so joyfully as when they do it for religious convictions
―Blaise Pascal
Of all tyrannies that afflict mankind, tyranny in religion has been the worst
―Thomas Paine
The most heinous crimes have been committed under the cover of religion or equally noble motives
―Mahatma Gandhi
No comments:
Post a Comment