Reflections On Religious Crisis —isaac asabor

There is no denying the fact that the history of religion is as old as man himself. Even when man was primitive, there existed worship of some form. There never existed a time when people were not religious.

Religion exists in great variety and affects the lives of millions of people in various ways. The Hindus make coconut, flower and apple offerings to their gods while the monks of the Buddhism are usually decked in saffron, black or red robes.

In Christendom, worshippers put on their best clothes and congregate in chapels and churches to preach, fellowship, sing hymns and listen to inspiring and life-changing sermons. In Islamic countries, one can hear the voices of the muezzins – the Moslem criers who make the call from minarets five times a day calling on the faithful to observe the salat or ritual prayer.

Despite diversity of religious expression that have developed around the world, there is one common thread that runs through: the need to worship God and be acceptable to Him. For thousands of years mankind has had a spiritual need and yearning that many now worship God through various religious means that may not please God. Man in his quest to answer the puzzling questions of life has found religion the only solace on earth. No wonder John B. Noss points out in his book, Man’s Religions that “All religions say in one way or another that man does not, and cannot stand alone. He is vitally related with and even dependent on powers in Nature and Society external to himself. Dimly or clearly, he knows that he is not an independent centre of force capable of standing apart from the world.”

However, many of us cannot be blamed for accepting the faith we profess since religion has become a matter of family tradition. We usually follow the religious ideals and directions of our parents and grandparents because they are the first people to influence our religious inclinations.

On the surface, many religions in existence today seem different from one another. However, beneath their differences is the goal of love which many religions preach and which is the primary and ultimate objective of any religion.

The two monotheistic religions in our country are Christianity and Islam. That both religions preach love and unity is never in doubt. Almost all the historical narratives of the Koran have their biblical parallels. This writer has many Moslem friends. It is also a fact that many of us are known to have married from the Moslem families and vice-versa. We have been together as business partners. We have been together in offices as co-workers. We have also been together as lawmakers in the legislative houses. When the opinion of one of the residents of Madalla (the host community of the bombed St. Theresa’s Catholic Church) was sampled by an NTA reporter, the resident said that the people of Madalla have been living in peace irrespective of their religious and tribal affiliations. He said he was surprised about the bomb incident. As I watched him on the television responding to the reporter’s question, I was unmistakably convinced that the people of Madalla had been living in peace until December 25, 2011 when their peace was disturbed by the infamous Boko Haram sect.

In Lagos , where this writer resides, Christians and Moslems relate in every sphere of life without even thinking of their different religious affiliations. There are some families in Lagos that the members belong to different religious groups. This is the reason why I strongly believe that religious crisis cannot erupt in Lagos. In Lagos , Mosques and Churches are located side-by-side without any known misunderstanding between the worshippers.

The sponsors of the Boko Haram sect may have been testing the waters to see if Nigeria can split through religious crisis. To me, they are wasting their time. On the street where I live in Lagos , an open space opposite a Mosque is usually used for Christian crusades.

The bombing of churches on December 25, 2011 in some northern states of the country tend to portray the Moslems and the Christians as not being together. It is not true. Members of the Boko Haram sect are not driven by any religious obligation. To me, they are just a bunch of rascals. They are only hiding under the veil of religion. They are only validating what Blaise Pascal (1623-62) said, that “Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction”. Members of the Boko Haram sect should not give Islam in Nigeria a bad name. In most extended families, we have admixture of Christians and Moslems relating together without any iota of disagreement. Members of the evil sect should remove religion from their unpatriotic acts. Enough is enough. Given the timing of their emergence in the country and the pattern of their nefarious activities, it is very clear that the Boko Haram sect is politically motivated. They should stop hiding under the veil of religion.

This is not the first time that a bunch of rascals have gathered to do evil all in the name of religion. We have had Zango-Kataf religious crisis in the old Kaduna State. We have had religious crisis in Kwara state. I think we should let peace reign in our country. All those who are disgruntled for one reason or the other should wisely go to court to seek redress and stop being belligerent.

•Asabor wrote from Lagos