RELIGION: AN ERA OF MISUSE, CONTRADICTION OR RECREATION

Religion. A contradicting effect on our way of life or a misuse?

Our religion is one thing that holds us together and brings us closer to our maker. Whatever religion you find yourself, it is with such means that we commune with our maker, the one whom we believe.  A religious life is naturally attractive and has its own laid down principles which we imbibe but how we react, behave and interpret our religious beliefs is one challenging factor facing the world today.

Being a Christian entails that you behave “Christ-like” as well as the Muslims and every other religion.

How we interpret our religion matters a lot because everyone is watching.

Our religion is gradually becoming a hide-out where people who do not believe hang-out just to stake a claim, maybe because of their way of worship, dress-code, public perception or norms.  I know most girls who wear hijab, guys who keep beards and wear jumpers and turbans but are not Muslims.

The question now is: “IS our religion becoming a contradicting effect to our normal way of life”?

This is a million dollar question that needs serious attention. The manner in which people misinterpret their religion and beliefs leading to controversies all around is becoming a trend.

Let me share with you this true life story.

I came across an accident a certain time during my stay in a village in the Northern part of the country. This Fulani woman on her very long hijab was stuck with her head on a bike wheel; her husband was trying to drag her hair off together with the hijab which was stuck on the wheels of the bike forcefully.  Fortunately for him, I and my colleagues with some other persons were passing by on a bike, seeing the scene, we decided to stop and render help. 

We removed the woman’s hair from the hijab first, letting her roll over her head whilst on the ground, after which she was free from the shackles. Thereafter we rolled the bike backwards to remove the stuck hijab off the wheels of the bike. 

How did this accident happen? The man told us that her hijab which was extremely long got stuck on the wheels of the bike and the bike couldn’t move which prompted them to fall off the bike to the ground with the bike turned upside down moving the woman’s head to a 60 degree turn. The sight of the incident wasn’t pleasant, if not for quick intervention, that woman’s head would have broken off the 60 degree mark.

Do you put yourself in an avoidable danger because you have to exhibit your religion?

It is right to practice your religion in an attractive way bar putting yourself in danger or making your religion look stupid before the eyes of people. I bet that woman will be castigated by some of the passers-by who helped during the incident. 

The hijab is one of the finest outfits I admire in the Muslim religion but the way and manner most Muslim women mis-use it is becoming appalling. The makers of the hijab made available different sizes and length that will suit the person wearing it on the several occasions required.

If you’re the type that likes jumping bikes, please it is suitable you wore a short hijab that will not coil into the wheel of the bike. The hijab is not something you use to sweep the ground; it is a ‘sacred’ veil that covers the upper region of a typical Muslim woman. 

A Muslim girl looking gorgeous on her nice hijab

Recently, another interesting story that trended over the media was the case of a young girl who wasn’t called to bar because she was instructed to remove her hijab before wearing her wig. Funny enough, the young girl blatantly refused and that was how her 6years struggle and educational career hit rock bottom. Others were called to bar including fellow Muslims but she was left out. It raised huge controversy all over TwitterNG and Twitter Worldwide. 

Several Muslims are Barristers, Lawyers and SANs, they do not wear their hijab in court or during official duties and that has taken nothing away from them in terms of their religious belief. There is a certain Christian religious group that forbids wearing shoes, there is also another that forbids their women from putting on trousers but how do they cope?

The ones that don’t wear trousers, will they not wear trousers when they serve their country during their National Youth Service Programme? The ones that don’t wear shoes will they go bare-footed to their offices? Shying away from the truth because you want to be a good carrier of your religious beliefs does not give the room for regrettable actions. Religion is not a foolish thing, even the Qua’ran and the bible taught us about wisdom and how to apply it.

In all thy getting, get wisdom.

Do not forget or fail to apply the right rules at the right time because we are trying to become too religious. Apply wisdom in whatever you do that falls in line with both your religion and the socio-general norms. 

Most Christians will say, I will not let my child go for her National Youth Service because she will put on trousers. Hello, dad, be ready to set up a business/company for your child! The NYSC certificate, no matter how terrible the scheme is; is one of the most required certificates in the country when applying for jobs especially in large firms and companies. Even the other part of the world calls it Internship. It is everywhere.

We cannot become too religious that we forget to do the right things at the right time.

It was recently, I boarded a bus with some certain Muslim men; we were headed for an 18 hour journey. We got to a point where the driver felt we should buy fuel and let others ease themselves, lo and behold; the five Muslim guys in the bus left us and went to the close-by Mosque to pray. We had to wait for another 20mins before they all came back.

Going to pray was not the issue; the issue was you’re on transit with other people on the same car with several religious beliefs and what if the driver didn’t stop at that point to fuel his car?

We took the first occurrence as a part of the brotherly love because the day was still bright and we have covered atleast 8hours of the journey so far. We were on transit till the dark night met us on the way; unluckily for us, our bus had a break pad issue as at 1am in the morning and the driver stopped by the next police checkpoint and pleaded with the policemen there to let him fix the fault.

What happened next? This time just one of the 5 Muslim guys jumped off the bus and went to the corner of the road to pray. The driver had finished fixing the car and we started looking for one of the passengers, only to be told by his neighbor that he is there praying.

The whole passengers were infuriated and arguments started, for the next 10minutes, we were all waiting for the man to finish and come back. In the late hours of the night and the early hours of the morning in a lonely, bushy road.

It got to a point the policeman flashed his torch towards his direction signaling him to be fast and come join the bus.  The man returned and that was how people argued in the bus till we got to our final destination.

What do we make of this? The question one passenger asked was “Do we please you to displease ourselves”?  This is not a religious battle but a mis-use of our own belief, religion and religious norm.

Imagine the scenario if there wasn’t a checkpoint close-by. Do we all stand and wait for him to finish in a lonely, dark and bushy area?

This does not apply only to the Muslim; some Christians also become too religious thereby leaving themselves with lesser options that make them looks stupid at the end.

No matter the religion we find ourselves, we should not also forget the law, social and moral behaviors that cover us. Doing the right things at the right time is WISDOM and our various religions teach us that.

You won’t tell me that an ATRist will come out in the broad day light to perform his spiritual incantations. A Buddhist will bath with his cloth on; a spiritualist will conjure in the open. Our religion has its rules and norms so do our social rights, norms and behaviors therefore we should not do anything contradictory or controversial to hamper/violate our social rights in trying to express our religion.

Overt religious at some point will become a prison and thereafter attract castigation. How do you win people over to your religion if you’re failing to do the right thing at the right time? Even now, the “Christianity” as a religion is not a dirty one. Christianity has evolved, there are rich Christians, and there are digital Christians who serve God whole-heartedly and keep his commandments.

You don’t have to look haggard, dirty and shabby because you are a prayer warrior, evangelist or preacher. 

A Celestial Church Pastor

Reform yourself! Do not contradict your religion with doing the right things. 

Do not tell me that you won’t watch television because it is a sin.  How then do you get to know what’s happening in your surroundings? You can curtail what you see on your TV. If you can’t see any other thing, then, there are religious channels, watch the preaching and movies. 

My point is: Whatever religion you find yourself, do the right thing at the right time whilst trying to exhibit or practice your religious beliefs. Know this: For every religion preaches about Wisdom, because it is the principal thing. 

By Williams Prince Chibuike : Writer, Speaker, System Analyst

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Tags: Religion, Christianity, Muslim

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