Is spirituality the solution to everything in Africa? What about common sense
I decided to take a break from my normal Vlogging to talk about something which has pricked me to the bone marrow. The issue is all about spirituality and extremism. We live in a world where religion reigns and even furthermore, on a continent where everyone accepts their fate a long as it is matter of a spiritual nature.
Before I start, I wish to say that I am a Christian and this matter addresses not only Christianity but all other religions. So many atrocities have been committed in the name of religion, the worse of it all is when spiritual leaders go about abusing positions of power all in the name of religion.
Someone once said talked about how people sow their houses as seeds and end up homeless, it is good to practice faith, but even before Christ practiced his own faith and carried out his mission, he had a spiritual preparation.
I recently read of so many cases where religious clerics sexually abused people in their care, not only that, some went as far as killing such people for ritual purposes.
I sometimes wonder what fate befalls such members who don't even know what their God dictates of them. A cleric bargains with the devil to perform miracles and yet he doesn't even know that to each individual is bequeathed different sets of gifts, one man cannot get all gifts yet they want it all.
Man creates and misinterprets rules to live by and blame everything on the devil, in Africa especially Nigeria some people dislike Cats (that are pets in other places) because they believe they are possessed by witches.
If you hit your big toe, it is considered as an omen of bad luck.
While people in developing nations and developed nations are understanding the concept of rainfall as a result of evaporation and condensation, somewhere in Africa, young people are being told that God is having his bathe. Or is it the theory that lightning is the people in heaven taking your picture?
While in offices in developed nations, people get fired for skipping work unnecessarily, over here people give themselves a full day off to go and worship, leaving work undone, that makes me wonder why weekends were invented in the first place? If you run shifts, no problem, but if you are expected to deliver, then do nothing less.
Religious institutions see taxation as ungodly and tithing as compulsory, if you tax the people in the name of God, why not give unto Ceaser what is his?
We have so many mismatched couples you know why? Because somebody somewhere decided it's his duty to take away a gift God has given you (to choose your spouse) and has decided to do so for you.
While developed nations are launching rockets into space, we are busy calling it witchcraft. I heard Elon Musk is of South African origin, He just launched a rocket called Falcon Heavy headed for Mars with a Tesla in it, meanwhile he would not have done so if he simply prayed.
Prayer is good, however without hard work to accompany it, it would have been dead on arrival.
In countries like China, people study hard to pass exams like physics, chemistry and mathematics, in some areas in Africa people only pray and expect results.
Are they trying to call God a cheat? well my Bible tells me He is not.
Instead of trying to better our lives through advancements in medicine, science, technology, architecture and all, we bother ourselves with the hours of sourcing for sermons on making money because we believe the prayers alone will simply make it happen.
Someone said he wanted to get the amount of sp @ned or @thejohalfiles have and he is praying to get it. I asked him a simple question: Are you putting in half the effort needed to achieve it.
I know of countless cases whereby people die from simple sickness that could have been healed through medication simply because they resolved not to take drugs? Remember even Christ advised us to be wise. So many people discontinued life saving treatment because they wanted to test God. Remember that even when the devil wanted to test Christ by asking asking him to jump from the pinnacle of the temple that God had placed his Angels on guard over him (Christ), Christ responded that we should not put the Lord our God to the test.
Imagine people killing because of the promise of virgins in paradise, at the end of the day, why not start with the ones here first?
Anytime you want to go over board, remember Christ was not even a Christian, he was a Jew! Pray when necessary, and apply common sense when necessary too.
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Hahaha....... This post had me laughing hilariously. We are given intellect but we hardly exercise it. The rate at which people are becoming 'zombie ' followers is rather annoying and in the case of religion, people have gone overboard. What pains me is this practice of religion without an aota of morality. Are they not supposed to go together ? To me, I think people just hide under the facade of religion to perpetuate their evil and wickedness but do not have divinity at heart at all. Thank you Ehis for sharing.
Africans,mostly Nigerians wants to get rich by prayers and forgot what the Bible said "Study to show thyself approved;a work man that needed not to be ashamed"
Thank you @ehiboss for revealing some facts here! I shall do well to follow you @steemauto (better this way)
There is so much to say on this matter. But everything boils down to IGNORANCE.
Ignorance has led certain people to be subjected to violation and radicalism.
People need to be educated correctly and not fed with propaganda.
See ehn, this talk is deep as I type different things are coming to my head but as a Christian I remember that it was written in the Bible that all of this would happen. And all I can do is believe in God and trusting His will over my life.
Exactly! Great sermon/post boss. A word is enough for the wise
Oh yeah, our belief in religion sentiments superceeds this common sense of a thing.such that people invest more of their time in going to church than they are willing to commit to their work believing that is the way to get blessed whereas the Bible itself doesn't encourage laziness in any form of it.
Oh boss you nailed it there is real sense in this post,thanks for sharing this amazing post @ehiboss
Spirituality is not the key,common sense is the master key but not everyone can you it, great educative post @ehiboss thanks for sharing.
People have used church going to substitute spirituality for attendance. They deceive them selves. No amount of church going can make someone holy. Fact!
The word spiritual has been bastardized is Africa. We use it in every contest even when it's not needed.
People who are not qualified run for political offices and people say they will perform by the grace of God
I don't mean to undermine the God factor, but God has played his part, let's play ours.
The problem with Africa is not religion, but its practitioners. Nigeria, for instance, is not as religious as India, yet there are more bigots in Nigeria than there are in India. I made a post on my facebook wall sometime ago. In that post i asked this question: "Do Africans really love God as they claim". The truth is , our poor state has affected our state of mind in no small measure. Our econimically disadvantaged status has placed us in a state of subtle compulsion which we mistake for our love for God. Little wonder we overdo things in this part of the world.
I welcome you to Africa where prayer has become a substitute for the use of one's intellect. We pray to God for things He has given us the natural ability to handle. The truth is, God cannot do for man what man can do for himself.
If you fail to put your government on her toes through political apathy, you should not expect any less than bad from the society. And like we always do, we will run to wail at God in prayer.