Worship is man’s fundamental duty demanded by God. In heaven it is believed that the Angels most primary duty is also praise and worship. And according to the Bible passages the most valuable offering is praise and worship. True worship, they say brings down the face or presence of God almighty, and man has this consciousness from birth, and also practices. This belief according to his conviction and assessment of who he thinks God is, the practice of this belief is what is otherwise termed religion.
The New International Webster’s Compact Dictionary of the English Language defined it (Religion) as “A belief in a divine or super human power or principle, usually thought of as the creator of all things, “the manifestation of such belief in worship, ritual, conduct”, etc “Anything that elicit devotion, zeal, dedication etc. and undoubtedly, from creation till date, religion has spreaded across the face of the earth in different fashions. According to some estimate, there are roughly four thousand and two hundred religions in the world, with Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity as the world major religion. African is ranked top in the continent of the world and the most underdeveloped, the estimate further show that Thailand is the most religious country while China is the least with sixty-one percent saying they are aesthetic.
In Nigeria the case is not different as in the midst of the three major religions of Islam, Christianity and African Traditional Religion exist. Other sets of beliefs and ways of worship from observation, some religions now feel superior over the other.
Today, problems of religion has consumed the polity and influence individuals thinking and relationship against their neighbours without the greatest commandment of “love your neighbour as yourself” in view.
Gradually, religion has made people show much extremity and overzealousness in their attitude to other people, as a result of religious fanatism, and lack of morals and modesty, people no longer exhibit sense of brotherliness among themselves rather hatred due to several indoctrinations, the crisis in the country of recent time is not unconcerned with religious importance, this makes one to imagine if religion is a practice that leads to different Gods or different practice that leads to one God almighty.
Some believe that man is a social and political animal and also show political rascality in their religion groups, a self-centred habit that has left many instances. This leads to closing or opening of new centres just to make sure they are in charge in preference of been called by God, but the question in my mind is has God not call someone to serve as he has called Elisha, who served his master patiently? It is imperative to state that, politicsation of any religion is act to prove that man is a political animal rather it is a signal of inordinate desire for money, property and moral decadency in disguise of God’s calling or it is just an uncontroversial prove that in the last days. There shall arise many false prophets.
Consistency on the parts of religious leaders, is a point to ponder, religious leaders no longer observed the tenets and principles of true religion, it is also a common knowledge that most believers are not sure if their leaders do what they teaches, as some cannot demonstrate any example in their characters or deed, they twist the basic idea of religions to suit the circumstance they desire as such the result of good morals, love, peace etc that is suppose to reflect on the citizenry is replaced with deceit, hatred, lies, that can never support nation building, therefore many followers have also gone ruddlers as a result of insecurity and inconsistency of their leaders.
It is also a fact that the interests of members of religion groups most times clash, at the detriment of the Nigerian society, this interest has moved into the circular Nigerian politics made to elect anyone into office of responsibility. This religious affiliation is considered most paramount instead of credibility, and sense of patriotism, the Nigerian populace also suffers neglect and molestation often time, just because they are not a member of a certain religious groups, most youths are turn down at job interview, many adults are rejected from marrying from other religious groups, one cannot travel to certain parts of the county with a sense of safety because you are not a member of the dominant religious group. Religious in Nigerian society to an extent, seem like conferment from National or social interaction.
Globally and especially in Africa (Nigeria) religion has turned to area of business venturing, the concept has been commercialized. People come together to open churches for profit making, preaching more on tithing, offerings and other ways that can induce members to donate more to the “business centre”, they also have other mini programme all directly or indirectly about money to the church, therefore in most cases. You see churches fast growing and many new ones establishing. Pastors growing fast and members going malnourished, churches owing big and expensive schools that members cannot afford fees for their children, these have debased the sanctity of religion in the history of mankind and render it sacrillage, against what God arrange for the world – as human standard elevation. Truly, religion was proposed by God as the only institution of fellowship with him but man sense of existentialism has put mankind into agonizing danger.
Certainty, the world history must give a pause and make us wonder what role religion has played in the human devastating phenomenon – wars, hunger, political crisis, inter-religious conflict. Nowed Professor of Social Ethics wrote, “Religious war tend to be extra furious, when people fight over territory for economic advantages, they reach the point where the battle isn’t worth the cost and so compromise, when the cause is religious, compromise and conciliation seem to be evil” – Roger Shinn, professor of social ethics, union theological seminary, new York others also asserted that “We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another”, – Jonathan Swift (1667-1745).
“Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction – Blaise Pascal (1623-63), these are some of the many deep founded view of what religious can or has done to mankind in Nigerian society in particular, truly, the problem of religion in Nigeria is on the increase, we must all know that we are all created by God. So let be our brothers keeper. ###
Joe Maxims
