He said, “Are you Christian?” I replied, “Yes.” “Ensure you go to church for Thanksgiving once you get to church on Sunday,” he replied, as he robbed me.
Nigeria is a safe place to stay with the traditions and cultural values that bind us together. We have found a way to celebrate our culture and norms as many of us have blindly followed religious beliefs and socio-cultural mindsets. They shape the way we live, speak and think. In a Nigerian society, when an event is called a taboo, we all accept it. Whether the source of making it a taboo can be determined or not, in our hearts, we obey it without understanding the idea of a non-existing phenomenon.
In my 6 years as a Nigerian adult, I have watched people grow by inheriting these practices and norms. With them, they have built an identity.
In October 2020, the youth in Nigeria carried out a protest I would like to call a Revolt. The young protestors marched not only against the Nigerian government but any person who stands against freedom. At first, it began as an uproar on social media, then it became an event that led to a peaceful protest until the Nigerian government saw patches of young people here and there within the nation.
Surprisingly, religious communities actively participated. On the streets of Alausa at the Lagos State Government House, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, young people that I would like to call Christians gathered together and prayed extensively in a language called ‘unknown tongues’ – The Holy Spirit language. In a society where religious communities are known to avoid protests, gratitude was made for the presence of these believers in our generation even amid sadness, oppression, hatred, selfishness and violence. Everyone who watched the circulated videos of the religious activity prayed; it was a time of unification.
Unfortunately, the peaceful protest was halted by the massacre of young people at the Lekki Toll Gate. Following the deaths, insecurity increased featuring kidnappings, robbery, sexual harassment and assault in Nigeria. I have ascertained that the killings cleared the “benefits of doubts” the citizens have for the government. Everyone began to take laws into their own hands. Being a victim of an event that happened due to insecurity, I can see the frustrations and pain of those who lost their friends and family in pursuit for freedom. Not just that, I can see their abandonment of values and morals to opt for decadence as a means of revolting against the hardship and hopelessness in the country.
I was robbed three times. My belongings were taken, and my chastity was almost taken. During one of the robbery experiences, a statement the thief made before he started to hit me baffled me – He said, “Are you Christian?” I replied, “Yes.” “Ensure you go to church for thanksgiving once you get to church on Sunday,” he replied, as he robbed me. I thought as I walked with a swollen head injury on the streets of Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria, that this robber is aware of the normal activity that happens in the church – The pillar and ground of truth? Would he attend church to pay a tithe of my stolen items? What has he been learning in this church he has an idea about? Who was I to judge, right? But I was robbed by a robber that encouraged me to visit church. It was 11 p.m. now and tears were rolling down my cheeks as a stranger walked to me and rendered his help. Thankfully, the kindness of the Good Samaritan aligned me to not doubt my faith.
Even though my faith is strong, I would still like to question the religion we hold fast in our society. What are we teaching the attendees of our worship gatherings? To be people of good character or to intimidate our neighbors? People visit worship centers to venerate and they are taught how to be successful and get blessed. They pray loudly, render sacrificial offerings and pay homage to clerics not because they have faith, but because they selfishly hope to receive something in return. This is what drives religion among Nigerians – self-centered gains and not a sincere desire to make their hearts right. Crusades, revivals, worship services, festivals, sacrifices and religious attendance all amount to nothing in character? The bourgeoisie launch their achievements in the eyes of the proletariat as the Marxist theory hypocritically undermines the truth of the word of God.
Recently, I told a friend that every Nigerian prays. In Nigeria, we pray for everything – power supply, traffic, water, security, jobs and much more. I added that if an average religious Nigerian leaves the country and does not have to pray for light, he will certainly forget he had a community (religion) he belonged to.
So, the question is, what has religion been teaching? Which of the values that bind the doctrine and culture have been bastardized? Are people believers or merely religious? And yes, I would state that perhaps the root cause of corruption is due to an adulterated religion.
- Pat Buckley says, “I hold that religion and faith are two different things”.
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