Our mentality of religion goes a long way in our perception of God.
Many say religion is the spiritual way of communication between man and God. Some say it is a way of living effectively – living through the word of the spirit.
According to the advance Oxford dictionary, it says religion is the act of believing in a spiritual or metaphysical reality which often includes at least one deity, accompanied by practices or rituals pertaining to the belief.
Having said that, Nigerians believe in three religions which are Traditional, Christianity and the Islamic religion.
In the practice of these religions, the traditional religion is believed to be the oldest followed by the Islamic, and lastly by the Christianity.
Muslim believe in God and their prophets likewise the Christians.
According to Google, irreligion in Nigeria is measured at less than one percent of the country’s population. As in many parts of Africa, there is a great amount of stigma attached to being an atheist.
However, since we started these "new" religions in comparison to our forefathers’ own, what have we gained is one question we need to ask ourselves.
In comparing today’s religion and then, you will come to distinguish that the ancient religion avoided corruption and political activities unlike what today’s clerics do. The world of religion of today focuses on the face of the society and not the face of the holy book.
The ancient practice of religion gave peace and unity. They neglected time wastage, and cared more about the community and humanity.
Today’s religion has been metaphorically bastardized in the way of their practice.
Some, however, opine that today’s religion is better to the old in many ways such as: Money, Language, Short of Knowledge, Religion Bias, Ways of Practice, Mentality and Tribalism.
Tumbling them by turns:
Money: In regard to religion, people say money is the root of all evil, which I believe in, but disagree when it comes to religion. We are meant to practice religion with faith in God not to make money nor turn it to business enterprises which many clerics of today have turned it to.
Language/Religion Propaganda: The language the religion clerics preach today has driven out religion to the grave yard. The way some clerics misinterpret the word of the Bible basically to fit their own interest, not God’s own, has driven people to the wrong path.
Short of Knowledge: Most of the our clerics today are short of the word they preach to the people. This leads to the wont of misinterpretation of words among the people.
Religion Bias: Many religions think in today’s world that help should be rendered to their faithfuls alone and not humanity, consequently going against the rule to build humanity.
Ways of Practice: Religion has been splintered into different branches, offering diverse practices and beliefs to its people, thus, bringing divisions to the ideal unity that should be among people in the society.
Our Mentality: We, ourselves, are the problem of ourselves. We are religious but not holy. We hold to religion but not religious. We believe only religion can solve our problem of which is a fallacy.
Tribalism: Tribal difference is also one of the leading challenges. Many people feel favour can only be done based on tribe affinity, forgetting that even the Bible says, "Thou shall be thy brother’s keeper."
Having unrolled what I think beleaguer the religions of today, here are my hacks to solving them:
Love
According to the word of God, the Holy Book proves that love is God and God is love.
Sternberg suggests that there are three main components of love: passion, intimacy, and commitment.
Love relationships vary depending on the presence or absence of each of these components.
Passion refers to the intense, physical attraction partners feel toward one another.
The word "love" holds many meanings.
According to some proof in Corinthians 13
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Having referenced the Bible, we can truly see that religion is not the way of worshipping God but love is.
Our Mentality is also what we need to look into as the problem of religion and the solution to it. If we can change our mentality from being too religious to being holy, our religion state will come to a balance edge.
Adeyemo Taiwo is an ND2 student of the department of Mass Communication
