Just my 2kobo: Born this way?

BY OGHAYEI

The world over, there's arguably no other phenomenon that evokes deep rooted feelings of emotion and passion than the concept of religion. Many adherents of the various religions hold on tenaciously to their beliefs and guard them jealously and sometimes, violently!

Religion is widely accepted to be humanity's biggest unifying factor. Conversely, history has also shown that religion has also been the singular cause of countless wars, genocides, pogroms and untold destruction in different parts of the world...

Religion is defined as a collection of belief systems, cultural systems and views that connect humanity to spirituality and moral values. According to some estimates, there are roughly 4,200 religions in the world. Also, a recent survey by the Global Index of Religiousity and Atheism states that 59% of the world's population are religious, 23% are not religious, while 13% are atheists. To my mind, the widely recognised religions include Christianity, Islam, Bhuddism, Judaism, Hinduism, African Trado Religions (ATRs) and Taoism.

It is pertinent at this juncture, to state clearly and unequivocally that this piece is NOT an attempt to disparage or denigrate any of the known religions.
That said, one thought that constantly puzzles my mind, is how we all came to 'belong' to our respective religions... Didn't we start going for Jumaat Prayers at that tender age because our family members took us along? Didn't we start attending Sunday Services and Mass because our parents took us along to Church? Did we cry and throw tantrums just so we could go with our siblings to the Mosque, Church, Synagogue or Shrine? No? I thought so too! So, where lies the freewill in the religions that we so profess? I dare say, that our religious inclinations are directly linked to circumstances that precluded us from expressing our independent choices as to which of the various religions to profess! If it were the case that every person had to turn 10 years of age, go through a process of education about the various religious beliefs, before having the choice to choose. If only that were the case...

In conclusion, it is aposite to state, that Karl Marx' powerful thoughts, expressed in the quote: "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people", still rings true today!
Pray! What's that in the sky? "Oh! It's my Pastor's private Jet! NOTHING to worry about!"
(Oghayei is a Legal Practitioner based in Abuja)
Selah! (Selah is Aramaic for peace)