RELIGION DISCRIMINATION

This has always been an issue I never wanted to write about because I know how people react when you talk about religion, most especially if you don’t belong to that religious group. 

So before I go into what I have for you, I employ you not see this as a religious criticism but as a kind of open suggestion or correction to those people that this may affect.

Firstly let me say we all know that in Nigeria we basically have two major form of religion which are Islam and Christianity and it is said that about 48% of Nigerians are Christians and about 50% are Muslim which basically also means that the Christians are a huge part of our dear country but that not where am going. For you to understand this write up better I have decided to quickly highlight the fact that we have several Christian bodies or should I say different types of churches in our country, many of which you are aware of but for the sake of understanding me let me mention a few. We have the Catholics, the deeper life, the White Garment and we also have those that attend Redeemed and Winners just to mention a few. Now all these forms of Christian bodies have their own way of worship which is different from each other and even sometimes by their mode of dressing you can distinguish members of these churches, for example when you see a deeper life or Jehovah witness you can easily identify them because of their mode of dressing.

Now to the many issue at hand, I was having a discussion with a friend who happens to be member of the Baptist church and we were talking about marriage and he said something that got me thinking. He said “I can never marry a girl that goes to a White Garment church unless she accepts to joins my church” and out of my curiosity I asked him why and he replied “I don’t like their mode of worship”. I wanted to ask what their mode of worship was but as he kept on talking about what and what he didn’t like about them I just kept quiet and listened.  Later that day I thought about what my friend had said, not that I was surprise because I have heard so many people say something similar to that. For me it understandable if Muslims and Christians discriminate among themselves at least they are not from the same religion so it is only logical that one will believe that his own religion is more superior or should I say that his own religion is the true religion. At least you all can testify to the fact that both Muslims and Christians are not always in agreement when it comes to which religion is the true religion. 

Now what am finding difficult to understand is why a Christian will discriminate or should I say disregard another fellow Christian mode of worship? Yes I know they might not probably belong to the same church but aren’t they worshiping the same God or let me say don’t they believe in the same religion. During the time of Jesus am sure there was no such discrimination amongst  his followers and even the Jewish who converted to Christians were see as one(please correct me if am wrong) but let leave that aside and face what is happening in our own society and in our time. Seen a Christian criticizing or discriminating another Christian because of their mode of worship is totally wrong, so what if she/he is a redeemer and you are a mountain of fire member, the fact that both of you are Christians should mean something, you shouldn’t have to say okay because this person is a Seven Day Adventist and you are White Garment worshiper then you can’t marry or even worship with her because I have heard and see situation like that most especially among the Catholics and the White Garment churches where they say they can’t worship in one another church.

To me I think what should count is the fact that you guys are Christians and you pray the same way because no matter what the mode of worship might be na still the name of Jesus una dey call and that is because you all believe that you can’t get through God without passing through Jesus unless you truly don’t believe that does people that attend a different church from yours are Christian like you but if you do I think is time you reconsider your view about them. I am not saying you should start going to other churches, I am only saying if you are going to criticize a fellow Christian like yourself then it shouldn’t be because of where or how he/she worship.