Christianity and Islam, two Abrahamic religions largely practiced in Nigeria. Many Nigerians have killed and died as a result of practicing those two religions. The burning of churches and gruesome murders of bible-believing Nigerians in the northern part of the country where Islam is more prominent are evidence of that.
Open the religious books of these two religions and you will see how virtues of love, forgiveness and acceptance take centre place in the books. And yet, hardly will you see a Nigerian Christian or Muslim maintaining a lifestyle that is 100% based on the precepts of these books whose words are believed to be direct from God, written by men who were inspired by God. It all goes to show that Nigerians practice religion rather than godliness.
Instead of living a Godly life as a Christian or Muslim, many Nigerians are more about living religiously. You see them:
Taking Religion As A Family Tradition
Many Nigerian Christians and Muslims are only carrying the bible or the quran because it was handed down to them by their parents. They have not read the books in their hands to fully understand them. They are led by the preaching of their parents and their religious leaders rather than by the total content of what is in those holy books.
Equating Godliness To Going To The Place Of Worship
In Nigeria, church or mosque attendance is often made to seem like a ticket to heaven. Say you believe in God but stay at home every Sunday or Friday and you will be seen as the devil himself. You are a saint or holy being if you are always seen carrying a bible or Quran and going to church. Church or mosque attendance overshadows ungodly behaviors.
Showing Kindness To Only Those Of A Similar Religion
An average Nigerian Christian is ready to spend a huge amount of money on an acquaintance who attends his/her church than put breakfast on the table of a neighbor they see every day. You are selected for a job position simply because of your religious affiliation. Helpful information is hidden from you because you don’t wear hijab or profess in the name of Jesus. You are only qualified to be shown kindness if you practice a similar religion to them.
Never Questioning The Words Of Their Religious Leader
In fact, many Nigerian Christians are more interested in the specific doctrines of their churches than in the bible. They twist the bible to suit their doctrines. Rather than use the bible to crosscheck and weigh their pastor’s words, they find a way to make the bible adapt to their church’s doctrines. Instead of worshipping God, they worship their pastors, general overseers, Imam and so on.
Religious leaders are immortalized—they cease to be humans who can never do any wrong. That’s why you’d see a throng of Nigerian Christians defending a man or woman whose evil deeds are apparent to all, all because they have Pastor or Evangelist attached to their names.
May God help us all!
