It's no longer news that Nigeria is a secular state. In other words, everyone is authorized, under the law, to practice the religion of his choice as long as it doesn't pose any security threat to the general public.
There are three religions in Nigeria. The Islam, the Christianity, and the traditional religion. The Muslims are for the Islam, Christianity is for the Christians, and the traditional religion is for the traditional worshippers. These religions have, as their object of worship, the Almighty God. While the Muslims pray to God through the prophet Mohammed(SAW), the Christians approach God through Jesus Christ,while the traditional religions worshippers approach God through Ogun, Sango, Oya, Obatala, and so on. The Muslims worship in the Mosque, the Christians worship in the Church and the traditional worshippers worship in the shrines(Ojubo,in Yoruba). The Muslims, though do go to the Mosques everyday, their main day of worship is on Friday of every week. For the Christians, just like the Muslims too, they do go to the Church every day of the week for some special Church's programmes. However, they go for the Church' worship proper on very first of the week (Sunday),except a few of them like the Seventh Day Adventists, who observe their worships on Saturdays ( the Sabbath) according to their belief. The same thing with the traditional worshippers. Except that they do worship yearly depending on which of the deities they believe in. For instance, the Ogun worshippers, apart from the fact that they do worship on any other day of the week as the situation may demand for, they do worship on yearly basis. The same applies to the other deities.
The constitution of the country allows for the freedom of religion. That is, every Nigeria is free, under the constitution, to practice the religion of his choice without any intimidation from any quarters. Be that as it may, no religion is given the authority under the constitution to rubbish or castigating any other religion under whatever guise; either by preaching against their doctrines, disturbing them while preaching, or by inciting their members against any other religion different from hers.
Irrespective of our faiths,as worshippers, there are some obligations that are being expected of us towards God as well as our fellow human beings. Which means that, in a simple language, religion can be thought of as a way of life of people to make heaven after death as well as for mutual coexistence among people.
Gone are the days when people bothered less about one's faith or belief ! Nothing like, "he's not a Muslim, so I have nothing to do with him". Or that since he's not a Christian, " I just have to hate him". Or that he's a traditional worshipper, an idol worshiper, hence he doesn't deserve to live. When we see ourselves as one ! When we eat in the same plates ! When we sleep together in a place with our two eyes soundly closed ! When the Christians are not suspecting the Muslims. When the traditional worshippers are not treating the Christians with contempt ! When there was a real love among the people, irrespective of their faiths and beliefs. When people are being appointed into positions of responsibilities without minding their religious belief.
There's this general saying that, if a house is continuously enjoying peace, it then means that the bastards in that house are yet to grow to maturity.
Unfortunately, this issue of discriminating against one another on the basis of one's belief in Nigeria became more pronounced in the early eighties when there were cases of religion crisis in the Northern part of the country between the Muslims and the Christians. As a result of this unfortunate happenings, several thousands of lives were lost as well as some properties worth millions of Naira. Ever since then, the country has been continually witnessing such occurrence. As a result, the Muslims are beginning to see whosoever that wouldn't share the same faith as theres, as being an " infidels". The same thing with the Christians. The situation has unfortunately degenerated into the level that an average Christian sees a Muslim as a threat,each time he has an opportunity to have him by his side. So also a Muslim begins to see an average Christian as an infidel who deserve not to be alive.
There's no doubt that these attitudes between the Muslims and the Christians has in no small measure, negatively affected the growth and the well-being of the country.
It's true that our staying here on earth is temporary. Be that as it may, the kind of the relationship that we have here on earth with those that we came across with is a function of our making heaven or otherwise. Non of the two books ; the Qur'an or the Bible preaches hatred, let alone the taken of lives of whosoever that doesn't share our faiths. So,if any one would now hide under any religion to indulge in killings or developing an hatred towards whosoever that wouldn't share our religion's belief, doesn't worship the Almighty God, no matter how religious the people may hold him or her. Islam, according to the Muslims,is a religion of peace. So also is the Christianity, according to the Christians. Therefore, if either of the religions would engage in hatred or killings of anyone who refuses to share their faiths, then, such religion remains no longer a peaceful one as it may be claimed to be. If a man bought a new car,for example, or own a property, and he discovers that someone has damaged the car, or destroyed the property, such a man wouldn't be happy with whosoever that must have done that to him, no matter the reason. The same way with the Almighty.
I want to believe that God is more than sufficient to fight for Himself. No one can assist Him to fight against whosoever that's perceived to be His enemy.
Some of our selfish leaders have been unfortunately making use of this ugly situations to better their political fortunes. Some of us, during an elections, vote on the basis of religion sympathy and not on the competence or the qualifications of whosoever that's seeking for political office. "As long as he doesn't share my religion's belief, I won't vote for him, let him even be more than qualify".
Until we change our orientation away from what it used to be, our country, Nigeria, will continue to move backwardly instead of being moving forward.
A word,they say,is enough for the wise.
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