Seriously, the most bastardized nomenclature in humanity has to be the
name of God. How can an entity, phenomenon. Abstraction, deity (or
whatever adjective you may deem it fit to use), associated with
holiness, purity, justice, fairness and all things pure and holy, be
the catalyst for the most atrocious forms of crimes, genocides and
taboos committed on the face of earth? The name of God has been used to
perpetuate selfish aims and desires. These bastardly acts which assume
micro and macro scales, have had individual and collective
consequences, and are reflected in personal and generational
relationships. The slave traders came to Africa in ships with
christian names and missionaries who wanted to spread the 'gospel'.
The inquisition was propelled by a desire to subjugate people to the
worship of one God. The crusade and Jihad were Christian and islamic
wars driven by a desire to spread the gospel of an exclusive God. The
middle-east crisis started when the Israelis, backed by the british
dispossessed the palestinians of their land, claiming it to be their
God-given property. Terrorists are brainwashed into believe that their
killings are propelled by a desire to spread God's kingdom on earth.
On the micro-scale, individuals are hoodwinked using the reverred name.
Deliverances are conduct in inhumane manners such as flogging,
starvation or even sexual intercourse. Last year, a Nigerian pastor
was arrested in Ghana for claiming to use his penis to exorcise demons
from female victims. Poor people give to their rich well-to-do pastors
in a bid to tap into god's blessings. A self-proclaimed bishop
physically molested a female worshipper in public glare, claiming she
was a witch. A certain bearded reverend is currently in prison for
flogging and attempting to burn a member  of his church. In the united
states, Jim Jones, the leader of the people's temple committed the
largest suicide ever when over 900 people drank Kool-aid drinks laced
with cyanide. On march 26, 1997, 39 members of the heaven's gate
committed suicide in other to follow their leader Marshall Herff
Applewhite aboard a UFO supposed to accompany the Hale-Bopp comet.
The name of God has also been used to create alienation,
stratification and subjugation. The indian caste system is underpinned
by religion, re-incarnation and of course you know it. In
christianity, the jews are identified as God's people, above all other
races. As expected, the bible has been used as a basis to subjugate
blacks describing them as descendants of ham who have been destined to
a permanent status of subservience and wretchedness. This was the basis
for the apartheid regime in south africa. Even within those that share
the same religious faith, there are still rancours and divisions.
Acrimonious relationships exist among them. The catholic detest the
anglican, and it is a taboo for the Jehovah's witness to marry a
protestant. The sunni and shiite muslims shake hands with daggers
beneath their clothes.
It seems wherever the name of God is mentioned, it is synonymous with
fightings, massacres, pogroms and sheer stupidity. Whenever it comes
to the issue of the supernatural, logic is thrown out of the window
and emotions becloud our sence of reasoning.
Dangling the god-carrot has been an age long mechanism to serve
sectional and personal interests. This has strengthened the belief of
atheists that the idea of a father who lives in the sky and oversees
the affairs of men is the biggest scam of mankind. Judging from the
aforementioned, i would hardly fault their ideological position.
History has shown that the ascendancy of religion is directly
proportionate to a rise in violence and other atrocious acts. It is a
tool for inducing fear and preserving an elitist social order. It has
been used to subvert ideas and re-write histories and cultures. Those
in power have always used God as a transport system into the
psychology of people. The conquered and oppressed become bound, tied
and fastened to god and worship instead of freedom and liberation.
Individuals and personal relationships with super-natural deities take
precedence over group goals and agendas which form the basis of
culture.
Nigeria provides a perfect example of this where the people
rather than engage in critical thinking and take responsibility for
their fate choose to pass the bulk to God chanting "god-dey, God help
us or God would make a way".
This discourse is not about proving or disproving the existence of
God. The crux of my intentions are predicated on the blind acceptance
of whatever is shoved down our throats in his name. Until we
understand we arrived at where we are in terms of our beliefs and how
these beliefs perpetuate social impotence, we will continue to be the
bottom-feeders of the world. The meek has not inherited anything and
the last has not finished first. As long as the carrot of religion is
dangled in front of us, there would be fear, powerlessness,
dependency, separatism and delusion.
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