How our Addiction to Religion Kills Us

It was a weird Sunday for me. I was so tired from a hectic work week and overslept last night.

And for the first time in many years, I woke up late and couldn't make it to church-unlike me.

I decided to use the time to do some clean up, personal devotion - with a little bit of personal praise and worship session (the type where I play danceable gospel music, sing along and dance to the tunes), plan my schedule for the week and wrap
it up with some study of one of my new books.

I got a call from a doctor friend of mine, who had requested for a medication for bed-wetting kids for one of her clients kids who resides out of town.

I had to hurriedly drive to her place to give her the medication interrupting my schedule of activities...but I didn't mind. It's my line of duty. Meet the health needs of doctors and patients with medication.

On my way back home, I chose to use an alternate route and came across two different batches of people carrying out processions on the roads - literally blocking some and causing unnecessary traffic jams.
  While waiting for one group to pass, I observed something rather weird: cheerful and excited worshippers were all kneeling reverently, saluting and waving supposedly at a statuette of Jesus Christ amidst billows of smoke from some canisters.

It was then I concluded that we Nigerians are addicted to religion. The same way we are addicted to politics, corruption and sports.
  We

would argue, fight, scale gates and even kill for our religion, football team and political seat.

We are among the most religious and church/mosque-going nations in the world, yet among the most corrupt with very high crime rate and disgracefully low social morals.
  I

have always opined that if all the churches and mosques in Nigeria were to be industries, factories, warehouses or small businesses, Nigeria would be the most prosperous country across the Atlantic.

We would have no need for imports, decongested prisons and a self-sufficient diversified economy.

I know I would be vilified for my opinion but just so I'm not misunderstood, I am a devout Christian-though "Protestant" or "Pentecostal" or whatever they call people who go to non-Orthodox Churches.

My point is, we should not be enslaved by our religion, but rather empowered by it. We should return to our value systems of old where we respected each other, lived in community, fought for the common good, loved our neighbors and worshipped our "Chi" with sincerity of heart and not for what we can get.

Enough said, now the critics can throw their stones and post their comments...

Written by Precious Nwanganga  © 2014
Follow him on twitter @Pmoney_Talks
Email him on buzzfizzle@gmail.com