I understand religious institutions can’t affect political decisions. Yet, in a real sense, they should be able to influence people to create the much needed positive change…. since they have the power to influence the minds of the people to believe whatever they teach.
Therefore I would like to start with the question:
What has been the positive influence of religion since it washed up on our shores? Has it made Africa better or is the outcome in reverse. Has religion actually helped to build better self sustaining homes or has it built a dependent family and nation?????
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The real positive influence of religion on Africa is the introduction of civilization, the method of religious governance was not followed. Instead, the same people who brought the religions came with another political system.
ReplyDeleteThe political system creates capitalist economy that makes the people in power self centered and greed that leads to level of standard of living, greed and love of money.
The religious leaders save few are not helping matters because their interest is in this worldly things. Most of Nigerian homes are nation dependent, yet nothing is forthcoming
@Sabith, I think people use religion as a guide to prey on others
Delete@Olajide, you do have a point. Take away someone's identity and all that is left is a souless individual.
DeletePeople really need to decide what it is they stand for
In Africa, to a large extent religion has taken a hypocritical toll on us and this has adversely affected our political system.
ReplyDeleteWhile the masses, who are majorly illiterates depend on religion to have a fulfilled life,politicians hide behind the veil of religion to sabotage the emotions of the electorates for election benefits.
The masses in turn would say because they believe in a religion which another politician believes in, they will cast their votes to support him.
This mindset among others have authenticated our stay as a third-world continent and Nigeria as a third-world country.
And a solid round of applause for this wonderful comment, Rashidat.
DeleteThe masses need to wake and stop living in blindness
Civilization and the reality of God. It's benefit is a 50/50 thing
ReplyDeleteNice grade. 50/50
DeleteIt has affected Africa 50% and it has also sustained a few homes. My view
ReplyDeleteI will take into Cognizance - a few homes
DeleteI think in a large mass, it has created a veey dependant nation of people. We have been conditioned to look up to the the heaven for virtually all things instead of looking within and were we plant our feet....politically, religion opened the doors of the homes for e ploitation by the politician...the view of the "daddy in the Lord" is determinat to one's believe in politics...true spirituality leads to a transformation of character, dependance on self, and the out flow of love...
ReplyDeleteTrue spirituality leads to a POSITIVE transformation of character.
DeleteI think people have manipulated the whole idea to suit their selfish needs
I think you can look at it both ways. For one it brought in education. And sometimes I feel people get so blinded by it that they refuse to reason for themselves.
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree with you on the blindness aspect. So how do you suggest they get their sights restored ?
DeleteReligion basically is a design by man to keep humanity in subjection. Religion as designed by man was to keep mankind in line in order for manipulative tendencies. The Word of God says, "You will know and professional the truth, and the truth shall set you free"
ReplyDeleteDeep!!!
DeleteReligion is designed by man to keep humanity in subjection .
Therefore welcome to Nigeria, a country filled with subjugated people?
And how do you propose freedom from this unknown enslavement?
Religion introduced Man to the intent and purpose of their creator. Man used the intent to bring about seperation. Religion has saved Life through civilization, dialogue and education ,(mostly). We need to understand Religion's original intent and move along it's lines. Religion wasn't for division but uniting Man with his creator.
ReplyDeleteBut religion has caused more division than ethnicity has
DeleteReligion is important to Man. It's meant to bring undterstanding between the spiritual and natural. It is Man that haus used it to bring separation amongst one another.
ReplyDeleteEthnicity was also meant to do the same but we also used it to seperate ourselves.
I really don't understand how ethnicity was ever made to bring unity ?
DeleteFor religion, probably at first before confused minds got attached
Ethnicity can brings unity even though it looks divisional in itself.
ReplyDeleteEthnicity brings unity amongsts tribes and clans with the help of Religion (Spirituality.)
When the said religion doesn't cause division in itself
DeleteReligion is not abour division. Religion is about a God: his belief and his Communion with Man. The moment a Religion pitches itself against another, it's not the Religion that is doing that, it's the people that is doing that.
ReplyDeleteReligion brings people closer to it's creator or benefactor. It brings an understanding of the unseen and seen.
It's people that makes Religious beliefs and use that to create division. Religions can be created to oppose an existing one and it's belief. That's Mans doing.
Still debatable
DeleteStill debatable
DeleteTrue. But it's clear every religion has his beliefs and tenets they keep to.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm. But pre colonial religion don't bring about division
DeleteDuring the period of colonising a nation or people, the emphasis then was to make the people follow a belief system. The system brought some measure of unity amongst people especially with something that is common in need to all.
ReplyDeleteStill argueable because with all the religious institutions around,the country should have been a better place. Or where did it all start to go wrong ?
DeleteWe always had religion, maybe not Christianity but we believed in something. I think somehow as humans we just had to believe in a superior being who we remain thankful to. I just think now, we have definitely become *more Catholic than the pope*. We expect God to do his part, and do ours too- this is not the case for other countries especially the ones who introduced modern religion to us
ReplyDeleteWe have over imbibed what was given to us .
DeleteMakes me remember the poem Vanity by Birago Diop that tells Africans to return back to their culture before they become a mockery admist other countries
Religion been brought to Africa isn't for the purpose of helping to build a new way of Social and Personal Responsibilities of Africans to create a better way of governance but to obey that great commission which has been passed by the Lord. Truly, religion has all what it takes to make ways of governance highly influencing on the citizens of a nation but, the deficiency of religion was caused by the colonials who brought it to us, they introduced methods of governing on the bases of tyranny and authoritarianism which has makes the uncivilized Africans leaders to feel that the way of governing ignoring the influences religion could have contribute
ReplyDelete