NIGERIANS AND GOD

One of the very fist things that surprised me when I came to the “WEST” so many years ago was when a white boy said to me “I don’t believe there is God”! I could not believe my ears, no matter what I said to him he would not change his beliefs, he simply said “I don’t believe there is God, but I am not a bad person and I treat people right” This bothered me a lot because I came from a very religious country called Nigeria and my people love God so much that we mention his name in nearly every situation.

Yes Nigerians don’t joke with God, because he means everything to us. As a youth in Nigeria, if you want to know if someone is telling you the truth, you simple say “True to?  Once the person answers “GOD!” you know that person is telling you the truth so it’s no big deal to hear Nigerians use the name of God in basically everything.

Now as I grow older and re-examine our love for God compared with the reality of things happening around us, I begin to question myself. As Nigerians, do we truly believe there is God?  The share evil and wickedness amongst our people! The greed! The cold heartedness of so many,  Yet the name of God has never ceased from our lips. Armed robbers pray and call God before they go and wreck havoc on people’s lives. The politician loots the treasury to the tune of billions of dollars and he goes to church to celebrate and do thanks giving! In Nigeria a so called prophet was caught with a human skull and he said “Actually I have two professions, I am a native doctor and also a prophet”

We see share evil happening before us and instead of correcting it, we say “God day!”  . Meanwhile some of the pastors are not left out, most are now celebrities competing with the likes of Puff daddy and Young money. Yet the name of GOD is constantly on our lips, so I begin to ask and question myself, as Nigerians do we truly believe there is God? Not the God we make up in our minds, but the one we read about in the scriptures!  Honestly I truly can’t say we believe there is GOD because he doesn’t reflect in our hearts or lifestyles. GOD is just a name we love to mention because we are used to it. Saying “Baba God I praise your name” wont stop us from betraying our friends, It wont stop us from hating our fellow man/woman, It wont stop us from being jealous of our fellow man/woman, it wont stop us from lying against them, it wont stop us from back-biting and stabbing them in the back, it wont stop some pastors from coning out new theories everyday to enrich themselves at the expense of their church members, and it definitely wont stop the politicians from killing and looting the country dry.

Presently I don’t see any difference between the white boy (that said to me so many years ago “I don’t believe there is GOD”) and so many of us, the only difference is he doesn’t allow that affect how he treats his fellow man/woman. Maybe if we treat our fellow men/women right and stop calling the name of GOD every time we will be fine. Your action is more important to me than the name of God you call every single minute, because I truly believe Action speaks louder than words. Be the change you seek in this world.

Lenny,

Nice write up, very insightful and thought provoking only problem is most Nigerians would read this and move on without thinking about how they can make God who they claim to serve to reflect in their lives.

I think "God" is one of the biggest problems we have in Nigeria and I'll explain: Young, intelligent, active men and women in Nigeria today will rather "pray for God to help us" than actually take concrete and decisive actions to help themselves and others.

Billions are pumped into churches for fueling pastors private jets, tv programs, revivals, camps, and all sorts of economic sinks rather than invested in entrepreneurial activities that will gainfully employ people and contribute to the economy. If you understand what I'm saying cool, if you don't please don't preach to me, I can guarantee it will fall on deaf ears, 

religion is a problem in this country.

I concur with this.

el_cij:

I think "God" is one of the biggest problems we have in Nigeria and I'll explain: Young, intelligent, active men and women in Nigeria today will rather "pray for God to help us" than actually take concrete and decisive actions to help themselves and others.

Billions are pumped into churches for fueling pastors private jets, tv programs, revivals, camps, and all sorts of economic sinks rather than invested in entrepreneurial activities that will gainfully employ people and contribute to the economy. If you understand what I'm saying cool, if you don't please don't preach to me, I can guarantee it will fall on deaf ears, 

religion is a problem in this country.

Besides, the God of the bible is hardly an inspiration for universal love, altruism and oneness with fellow man, so worshipping him, by itself, is a huge huge hindrance to living a positive life. No wonder Nigerians find themselves in the moral quagmire of the moment when they try to fashion their reality to the image of such a bloodthirsty, vile and loathesome entity. Is it a wonder, hence, why there are so many people in the west who cannot accept that such a God exist? Of course, it is no wonder. Only unsane, as well as insane people will see such an entity as an inspiration to positive living, and religious Nigerians are totally insane and unsane people.

@KunleOshob
Thanks for ur response

el_cij:

I think "God" is one of the biggest problems we have in Nigeria and I'll explain: Young, intelligent, active men and women in Nigeria today will rather "pray for God to help us" than actually take concrete and decisive actions to help themselves and others.

Billions are pumped into churches for fueling pastors private jets, tv programs, revivals, camps, and all sorts of economic sinks rather than invested in entrepreneurial activities that will gainfully employ people and contribute to the economy. If you understand what I'm saying cool, if you don't please don't preach to me, I can guarantee it will fall on deaf ears, 

religion is a problem in this country.

very well said.totally agree

Generalizing about the overall effects of religion is a hazard of its own. Many, perhaps most, of the world’s greatest paintings, novels, sculptures, buildings, and musical compositions are also religiously inspired.

Religion is one of the greatest forces for evil in world history. Yet religion is also one of the greatest forces for good. Religions have put God’s stamp of approval on all sorts of demonic schemes, but religions also possess the power to say no to evil and banality.

Many, perhaps most, of the world’s greatest paintings, novels, sculptures, buildings, and musical compositions are also religiously inspired. Without religion, there would be no Alhambra or Angkor Wat, no reggae or Gregorian chant, no Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci or Four Quartets by T. S. Eliot, no Shusaku Endo’s Silence or Elie Wiesel’s Night.

- Stephen Prothero, New York Bestselling author of "Religious Literacy"

I agree with dulcet7 with his transcript aknowlegding the fact about Religion having a positive and negative effect on society.

But dulcet7,if you permit me, you failed to address the immediate issue the poster is trying identify. Rather than focus more on humanity, we, in Nigeria (most), tend to focus more on religion as source of individual self-justification,and self-improvements. But i think we need to focus on our environment and work towards improving the quality of our lifes. Religion, should then,in my opinion, enhance our resolve to improve the ourselves and those around us.

We have abused God's name in Nigeria due to a lot of factors. It's funny how some Nigerians assert that the "White man" is godlless yet they are the most progressive. Yet they work together to build their own states and provide for their own folks.  Yet they keep moving foward whilst we are still bickring about blaming the "white man" for the ills of africa though they share a portion of the blame.

@dare2think
Nicely put! Thank you

Until Nigerians wake up and smell the coffee, these con men in suits will continue to smile to the banks at their very own expense. They have CAPITALIZED on peoples' genuine desire to serve and worship God and turned it into a business with pay to play options, seed sowing, tithe, you name it.

One's belief in God should be self-evident without any need to announce such but Nigerians for the most part now look at it as an "investment" because "you have to give to receive"

we all know how it is with religious nigerians.

May God have mercy on many of us cos some serve God as if they're serving the devil.

and who knows- maybe they are.

The problem most of us are having is that, we don't know the God we are serving, we think that going to church is just a waste of time or resources which is not, those that are worshiping(in spirit) and that really knows the God that are serving will never think or say what u guys are saying. The bottom line is that all of us must know that we are serving the Almighty God and those that must worship Him must worship Him in spirit coz he's in Spirit, and stop calling His name in vain or to commit evil.

@GBENGA_bonetalk
so what do you think about the post itself?

GBENGA_bonetalk:

The problem most of us are having is that, we don't know the God we are serving, we think that going to church is just a waste of time or resources which is not, those that are worshiping(in spirit) and that really knows the God that are serving will never think or say what u guys are saying. The bottom line is that all of us must know that we are serving the Almighty God and those that must worship Him must worship Him in spirit coz he's in Spirit, and stop calling His name in vain or to commit evil.

Which God did you know you are serving? Did you even know how to serve God? Who told you been a Christian is the way to serve God?

You Christians talk as if things are working out well in Nigeria, by saying it would have been worst, if not for prayers, why not prayer make it good?

Pastors are just using u people to make money.

This is a very good write up

My take is that even though some people do not believe in God, they actually practice God more than the so called religious people.

God is Love, whoever practice Love knows true God, and whoever practice religion but no love knows no God.

Most Nigerians are only practicing religion but not in tune with true God

Most Nigerians are only practicing religion but not in tune with true God

that exactly summarise the op write up, i can not agree more.
GOD is in our spirit not in the four walls of a worshiping centre.

Nice writeup, if only it could be printed in the dailies then a good majority of church-goers may read.

Nigerian is the world's 3rd largest christian population, you would think that would account for much in terms of God's Blessings

ode remo:

that exactly summarise the op write up, i can not agree more.
GOD is in our spirit not in the four walls of a worshiping centre.

  The sad truth is that even the so called pastors knows clearly that they are both taking advantage and manipulating the deluded goons they called members and congregations,,,The truth too is that I used to be manipulated in these same forms until God delivered me,,,
Any religion that tells you God alone is the one that is solely responsible for your actions and inactions is an IRRESPONSIBLE RELIGION,,,,,Penterascalism is the most devastating RELIGION that has bedevilled Nigeria, Sad and very Sad,,,,

Wether we want to agree or not God is still God and dre is no way an1 can dispute His existence.
Nigerians just play religion and think they serve God. IT is clearly stated in the Bible my peopl perish for lack of knowlege. If only we can TRUELY know this God we all profess our Nation would have been better for it.
We do lots of bad things under the cloak of religion.God is love and if we love Him we would do things right.

Before I started working with white men I had some understanding that they never cheat, lie and were very upright and loveable. Now I began to work close with them, i knew they could be corrupt and unjust. But wait is it all white men that exhibit this traits and character? The BIG answer is NO. The problem is not the colour of the skin the problem is with the man in the skin.

Our plroblem is not God, but we push all the faults to His corridor when even He is not aware of our actions. You will always know that the same Man that do not believe in God will commit the same crime with the man that says he so much believes in God. Then the error can not come from God. I can have 4 children growing under the same roof and all exhibiting different characters. Will you cause the father, or the child that had taken upon himself to be wayward.

You can be correct to write we use God's name for evil in disguise as Nigerians. And you should know that evil has no gender, country nor continent. The worst of all evils are also commited else where. The latest Cinema killing of 12 people never had anything to do with religion(God) but the devil in man exhibiting itself.

God has His ways, you either work in it or Work out of it.