Christianity which is the way of life, is aimed at imitating Jesus Christ who suffered to redeem mankind from the power of death and gives us a second chance. This way of life which is called "Christianity" today is under threats in Nigeria as it's gradually losing its value and has kept us backward and unproductive as a result of some negative attitudes of believers such as archaic mentality, over spirituality, ignorance, foolishness, poverty, lack of common sense, etc
Many of us were brought up with so much negative beliefs which have uninstalled our common sense and have installed us with mental bankruptcy.
Without wasting time, I'm going to point out the stench of ignorance of many Nigerian Christians.
1. Disturbing People from Sleeping at Odd hour
Nothing is as annoying as when you return from work at late hour and then decide to take a few hour sleep and then someone comes with a megaphone at 4am and starts disturbing people from sleeping. Many Christians inconvenient people with this barbaric act but they don't see anything wrong in it because they feel any one that frowns against their preaching is an anti-christ. Some churches even compete with each other by the loudness of their megaphones. We practice Christianity wrongly and this is the height at which ignorance has taken us in this part of the world.
2. Jeopardizing their Lives due to over-spirituality
Many Christians have lost their lives as a result of over spirituality and ignorance. It amazes how somebody will be very ill and instead of the person to seek medical attention, he or she will decide to be too spiritual in treating an illness probably because they've been told that a good Christian should not take drugs but pray for healing. Although, it's God that heals one from every disease but that doesn't mean one should fold his arms watch himself die. The Bible even says that people perish for lack of knowledge. That is the level at which ignorance has taken ignorance to
3. Worshiping their Pastors
I have fine tuned my instincts in such a way that I know what's right and wrong, what to embrace and what to disbelieve. I don't see pastors as "perfect beings" because human are generally prone to imperfections, whether in statements or actions, so you can't expect these men to be right at all times. Sometimes, they view things from narrow perspectives and come up with ill-thought theories which I sometimes do not agree with but that doesn't mean they are fake or something. The truth is that they can't be always right but when you have a contrary opinion to a pastor's assertion, you're told to keep shut and that you can't know more than them. However, the way some Christians even worship their pastors and crawl at their feets is even more than the way they worship God Himself. The most annoying this is that these same people can't even take a bow for their own parents. They are people who disturb their pastors every now and then for things that can practically be solved with common sense.
4. Their Perceptions towards Female Trousers
This has been a very controversial debate for centuries even though there is no biblical law that specifically talks about who should wear a skirt or trouser except "Deuteronomy 22:5" that admonishes us not to live as a transvestite, and this has to do with more than just clothing, but a life that in every way emulates the opposite sex. In this part of the world, Christians bother themselves so much over irrelevant things even more than the heaven itself. We view things from the perspective of lack of exposure and then we use it to discredit any lady wears trouser as being unworthy of making heaven. I used to have a lecturer in school (Deeper Life Pastor) who doesn't allow ladies on trousers into his office for whatever reasons. In Nigeria, the stench of ignorance is so much that wearing of trouser as a lady is the only basis for making heaving that's why we pat ladies who wear skirts on the shoulders as "true believes" while we label those who wear trouser as candidates of hell fire.
5. Poor orientation about Weavons
Sometimes, I'm forced to agree with atheists each time they claim that over-religious people are the most ignorant people you can ever come across because these people will never admit they are ignorant and will always find a suitable Bible verse to back up their ignorance. To make matters worse, many religious leaders impose fear in members by telling them how weavons are from dead bodies. I mean, what's the difference between the N50 plaiting thread recommended to them by their pastors and weavon if not that we are suffering from ignorance in Nigeria? Are the two not the same object that passed through different processing ? Why should the one of N50 make both qualified for heaven while Brazilian hair will lead you to hell fire? That's why some of these ladies find it very hard to find husbands even at old age due to poor taste in dressing and fashion.
6. Attributing every Misfortune to Witchcrafts
People believe so much in witches and wizards even more than they believe in God. It's very evident that religious people in my country don't blame themselves for their misfortune but will always look for a way to attribute any human error to the devil. That is, when they fail an exam, it's always the plan of the devil for them to fail; when they experience accident due to lack of safety precautions, it's usually the work of witches, for their lives, when they are poor as a result of misplaced priorities, it's usually the plan of devil for them to be poor. In fact, ignorance thrives in the lives of many Christians in Nigeria that you will see them gather to accuse a sick woman that needs medication attention as a witch who turned to bird. The one that annoys me most is that erroneous animals that are stigmatized as witches. E.g, owl, cat, etc
7. The use of Electronic Devices in place of Bible
The rate at which backward and archaic thinking thrive in this part of the world is alarming to the extent that even the educated ones haven't found cure to their own ignorance. I have heard so many pastors advising members to desist from watching TV, Facebook, Twitter and BBM, if truly they want to make heaven. The one that annoys me most was when a man asked in my church if a good Christian can work in a Brewery and I began to shake my head. When you think you've heard enough, some christians will begin a moronic argumemt whether it's ideal for a Christian to use electronic device in place of a hard copy Bible, and the first thing you will hear is that how do one chase a demon away with an IPad? This stench of ignorance is usually common with Nigerians who can't afford these things, rather they condemn it just to feel they are on the right track to heaven
8. Doctrines of Men Vs Doctrines of God
Many of us will agree that many people use their own tradition, likes and dislikes to form doctrines in Nigeria which every member must abide. Take for example, just because someone was brought up by his parents never to wear gold or earrings, by the time this person finds himself pastoring a church, he makes it a doctrine and will find a Bible verse to impose fear in them. In fact, I know of two fellowships in my school who don't allow workers to wear jean trouser or keep teddy beards
. You can imagine the right of that ignorance?
Brothers and sisters, the best we can do is obey God and follow his commandments. Let's not mentally enslave ourselves or out ourselves in boundage and think that is the essence of Christianity.
May God help us
I don't know if this makes sense
Many of us were brought up with so much negative beliefs which have uninstalled our common sense and have installed us with mental bankruptcy.
Without wasting time, I'm going to point out the stench of ignorance of many Nigerian Christians.
1. Disturbing People from Sleeping at Odd hour
Nothing is as annoying as when you return from work at late hour and then decide to take a few hour sleep and then someone comes with a megaphone at 4am and starts disturbing people from sleeping. Many Christians inconvenient people with this barbaric act but they don't see anything wrong in it because they feel any one that frowns against their preaching is an anti-christ. Some churches even compete with each other by the loudness of their megaphones. We practice Christianity wrongly and this is the height at which ignorance has taken us in this part of the world.
2. Jeopardizing their Lives due to over-spirituality
Many Christians have lost their lives as a result of over spirituality and ignorance. It amazes how somebody will be very ill and instead of the person to seek medical attention, he or she will decide to be too spiritual in treating an illness probably because they've been told that a good Christian should not take drugs but pray for healing. Although, it's God that heals one from every disease but that doesn't mean one should fold his arms watch himself die. The Bible even says that people perish for lack of knowledge. That is the level at which ignorance has taken ignorance to
3. Worshiping their Pastors
I have fine tuned my instincts in such a way that I know what's right and wrong, what to embrace and what to disbelieve. I don't see pastors as "perfect beings" because human are generally prone to imperfections, whether in statements or actions, so you can't expect these men to be right at all times. Sometimes, they view things from narrow perspectives and come up with ill-thought theories which I sometimes do not agree with but that doesn't mean they are fake or something. The truth is that they can't be always right but when you have a contrary opinion to a pastor's assertion, you're told to keep shut and that you can't know more than them. However, the way some Christians even worship their pastors and crawl at their feets is even more than the way they worship God Himself. The most annoying this is that these same people can't even take a bow for their own parents. They are people who disturb their pastors every now and then for things that can practically be solved with common sense.
4. Their Perceptions towards Female Trousers
This has been a very controversial debate for centuries even though there is no biblical law that specifically talks about who should wear a skirt or trouser except "Deuteronomy 22:5" that admonishes us not to live as a transvestite, and this has to do with more than just clothing, but a life that in every way emulates the opposite sex. In this part of the world, Christians bother themselves so much over irrelevant things even more than the heaven itself. We view things from the perspective of lack of exposure and then we use it to discredit any lady wears trouser as being unworthy of making heaven. I used to have a lecturer in school (Deeper Life Pastor) who doesn't allow ladies on trousers into his office for whatever reasons. In Nigeria, the stench of ignorance is so much that wearing of trouser as a lady is the only basis for making heaving that's why we pat ladies who wear skirts on the shoulders as "true believes" while we label those who wear trouser as candidates of hell fire.
5. Poor orientation about Weavons
Sometimes, I'm forced to agree with atheists each time they claim that over-religious people are the most ignorant people you can ever come across because these people will never admit they are ignorant and will always find a suitable Bible verse to back up their ignorance. To make matters worse, many religious leaders impose fear in members by telling them how weavons are from dead bodies. I mean, what's the difference between the N50 plaiting thread recommended to them by their pastors and weavon if not that we are suffering from ignorance in Nigeria? Are the two not the same object that passed through different processing ? Why should the one of N50 make both qualified for heaven while Brazilian hair will lead you to hell fire? That's why some of these ladies find it very hard to find husbands even at old age due to poor taste in dressing and fashion.
6. Attributing every Misfortune to Witchcrafts
People believe so much in witches and wizards even more than they believe in God. It's very evident that religious people in my country don't blame themselves for their misfortune but will always look for a way to attribute any human error to the devil. That is, when they fail an exam, it's always the plan of the devil for them to fail; when they experience accident due to lack of safety precautions, it's usually the work of witches, for their lives, when they are poor as a result of misplaced priorities, it's usually the plan of devil for them to be poor. In fact, ignorance thrives in the lives of many Christians in Nigeria that you will see them gather to accuse a sick woman that needs medication attention as a witch who turned to bird. The one that annoys me most is that erroneous animals that are stigmatized as witches. E.g, owl, cat, etc
7. The use of Electronic Devices in place of Bible
The rate at which backward and archaic thinking thrive in this part of the world is alarming to the extent that even the educated ones haven't found cure to their own ignorance. I have heard so many pastors advising members to desist from watching TV, Facebook, Twitter and BBM, if truly they want to make heaven. The one that annoys me most was when a man asked in my church if a good Christian can work in a Brewery and I began to shake my head. When you think you've heard enough, some christians will begin a moronic argumemt whether it's ideal for a Christian to use electronic device in place of a hard copy Bible, and the first thing you will hear is that how do one chase a demon away with an IPad? This stench of ignorance is usually common with Nigerians who can't afford these things, rather they condemn it just to feel they are on the right track to heaven
8. Doctrines of Men Vs Doctrines of God
Many of us will agree that many people use their own tradition, likes and dislikes to form doctrines in Nigeria which every member must abide. Take for example, just because someone was brought up by his parents never to wear gold or earrings, by the time this person finds himself pastoring a church, he makes it a doctrine and will find a Bible verse to impose fear in them. In fact, I know of two fellowships in my school who don't allow workers to wear jean trouser or keep teddy beards
. You can imagine the right of that ignorance? Brothers and sisters, the best we can do is obey God and follow his commandments. Let's not mentally enslave ourselves or out ourselves in boundage and think that is the essence of Christianity.
May God help us
I don't know if this makes sense
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