By Douglas Anele
Although our discourse today involves a critical examination of religion as one of the most significant causes of Nigeria’s underdevelopment, we shall begin with a few comments about Christmas.
This is because Christmas fever (some cynics say madness) is already upon us, and given the universality of the occasion, it would be awkward not to discuss it albeit in passing. All over the world, a few weeks before December, people start engaging in frantic activities connected to Christmas. However, the attitudes of individuals and groups to the occasion differ. Whereas countless number of Christians look forward to the event, millions anticipate it with apprehension.
Yet, inspite of the difficulties and apprehensions associated with Yuletide, celebration of the purported birth of Jesus Christ on December 25 is the most popular festival in the world. According to Awake magazine, the celebration has spread to non-Christian lands. For example, in Japan these days most families celebrate Christmas, not in commemoration of its religious significance but purely as a festive occasion. In a largely atheistic country like China, the red cheery face of Santa Claus is emblazoned in shop windows nationwide, to the extent that, as documented in a report by The Wall Street Journal, “Christmas fever is gripping China’s newly rising urban middle class as an excuse to shop, eat and party.” Predominantly Muslim lands such as Indonesia, Lebanon and Turkey are increasingly under the gravitational pull of Christmas. People in these countries have adapted the event to suit them, and do not necessarily adhere to the December 25 timeline. Hotels and shopping malls sponsor festive events in which children dine with Santa or pose for photographs with him.
In Nigeria, as in other countries all over the globe, extreme commercialisation of Christmas is a major economic boost for transporters and businesspersons who deal in all kinds of commodities such as foodstuff, clothes, shoes, fashion accessories, household and items, and so on. Meanwhile, there is increasing realisation by enlightened individuals that purely economic factors connected to Christmas celebrations are obliterating the spiritual essence of the event envisioned in Christian theology, namely, the birth of a God-ordained and chosen messiah who offered his life in exchange for the emission of sins.
For most Christians, the fancy and intimidating shopping malls filled with gift items and resonating with Christmas carols constitute a new form of idolatry. It is well known that, as Christmas approaches, power and wealth intoxicated “men and women of God” mobilise different strategies and tricks to collect more tithes, offerings and gifts from gullible Nigerians who naively believe that they are genuinely serving God by so doing.
In financial terms, this translates into billions of naira for the general overseers of churches such as Lord’s Chosen Ministries, the Synagogue of all Nations, the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Living Faith Ministries, Daystar Church, House on the Rock, Christ Embassy and so on. It is ironic that an event, which supposedly commemorates the birth of “our saviour,” has gradually evolved into the highest celebration of the best and worst in human beings.
Christmas, no doubt, is a period of joy, giving, sharing, and merrymaking. Yet, in virtually every country, especially in poorly governed and backward societies like Nigeria, the grossest debasement of the human spirit dominates as men, women, and children indulge in all manner of immorality to outdo one another in celebration of self-indulgent materialism. Hence, even if the originators of Christmas (a celebration cloned by Christians from ancient Roman festivals held in December around the time of winter solstice) had good intentions, over the centuries the event has become an excuse for licentiousness and debauchery. That said, during Christmas (or at any other time of the year for that matter), people hardly meditate on the impact of religion on their lives. Indeed, the average Nigerian takes it for granted that religion is a good thing, that without it the country would have been torn to pieces by the devil, and that religious devotion is far more important in nation building and personal development than the attitude of scientific reasonableness. Disagree with the popular approbation of religious faith.
Hence, this Christmas offers a fresh opportunity for re-examining how religion has affected peoples’ lives and the country generally, based on my conviction that periodic intellectual auditing of our practice of life is extremely important because human beings are fallible and pone to error.
Moreover, we are presently living in a rapidly changing and globalising world, with new challenges and anxieties that demand utmost mindfulness, or else people would continue to repeat errors of the past and take decisions that might lead to unprecedented manmade disaster. Bringing to public consciousness the Socratic dictum that “an unexamined life is not worth living” is very appropriate at this time of religious festivities; at least it would encourage people to keep a watchful eye on how they celebrate. From another perspective, commentators on national affairs have failed to notice that uncritical dogmatic adherence to the teachings of Christianity and Islam constitutes a serious obstacle to genuine national development. Therefore, to fill that lacuna, I have deliberately chosen to analyse some of the ways, sometimes insidious, by which religion has contributed to Nigeria’s underdevelopment as a counter argument to the almost unanimous belief in the goodness of religion. Over ninety-five percent of Nigerians accept without question that it is good to be religious and that unbelief, or atheism, is a terrible thing – that is why religion is the fastest and most lucrative business in Nigeria right now.
Interestingly, if you ask most of them to justify their unhesitating approval of religion, some would tell you that they have never really thought about the matter whereas others might cite passages in the scriptures that prescribe religious devotion as the best solution to human problems and guarantee of eternal life in heaven. However, as an unrepentant sceptic, I believe it is just not good enough to assume the goodness of religion because the vast majority of people think so or because the scriptures stipulate that it is the right thing to do. We have to examine the facts as dispassionately as possible to arrive at a position robust enough to withstand the searchlight of rational inquiry. For starters, let us clarify what religion is all about, because some Christians deny that Christianity is not a religion but “a way of life,” as if such a verbal manoeuvre would automatically erase the weaknesses inherent in Christianity and elevate it spiritually above other religions.
Etymologically speaking, the word ‘religion’ derives from three Latin words, namely ligare (to bind), relegere (to unite or link), and religio (relationship). It follows that ‘religion’ connotes a relationship between at least two persons, a human being and a supernatural being. Religion is essentially a bi-polar phenomenon: at one end are human beings or adherents of particular religions, at the other is God, who is presumed to exist and is worshipped by believers.
To be continued.
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