I have always criticised the concept of organised religion (including its adherents) and won't stop doing so. However, the main issue I have with religion is not with concept itself but the adherents. During my brief but productive time as an assistant lecturer at the Kwara State College of Education, I saw something I had never expected and I feel it is important to highlight it in line with the thoughts I am about to share.

I noticed the most awkward pair of friends at the English Department where I taught. It was awkward to me because I had never seen such bond anywhere else. A Catholic Reverend Sister had a Muslim Alfa has her closest friend on campus. They did everything together, walked everywhere and even visited my office together to discuss issues and problems. Apart from them, there were tens of friends whose religious beliefs never got in the way of their friendship. This surprised me because I was accustomed to the belief, by no fault of mine, that Muslims are generally intolerant to Christians and shouldn't be trusted. Although this view is shared by many and may not change soon due to the number of civil strife that religion has caused in Nigeria, I believe it is important to foreground my observation in order to show that intolerance is not a factor of religion but of the people themselves. Religion is never the problem. Even if your religion tells you to kill, it takes a killer to act on it.

Before my time at KWACOED, I had met Dr. Abubakar Sadiq Ibrahim, who I would describe as one of the closest friends I had in my NYSC camping experience. He introduced me to many Muslims on camp then, including the president of MCAN, and I was very free with him. However, my experience with Abubakar is in no way comparable to that of this Sister and an Alfa. My relationship with Muslims blossomed after I met Dr. Abubakar. In fact, some of my closest students at KWACOED were Muslims and religion was never an issue. Some of the Muslim students answered the many questions I had about Islam, some had been answered earlier on by Dr. Abubakar. Even when I openly "blasphemed" concerning Islam, I was never attacked but only made to see certain acts as a product of people and culture, rather than of religion.
Reminiscing on that experience now, I have come to the realisation that religious intolerance, terrorism, and bigotry should be seen as crimes and vices, devoid of religious coloration. There will always be people who will misinterpret religious doctrines to cause havoc and spark protests. These people capitalise on the illiteracy, fanaticism, and hate of the masses to unleash mayhem at innocent people. But they do not commit the crimes because they are Christians or Muslims but because they are criminals. I always complain of churches, mosques, pastors, and imams who disturb public peace with their rantings, cries, calls, preaching, etc, but there are also many churches, mosques, pastors and imams who are barely noticeable due to the calm, quiet and order with which they do their affairs. So these things I complain of are caused by people, not the religion itself. Even if the religion advocates for noise, it is people that act on it.

Intolerance is something that is learned, it is not innate. There are many false pastors and imams out there who spread propaganda, misinterpret scriptures, and preach hate. If we are to move forward as a harmonious nation, we must learn to treat each other first as human beings and keep our religious beliefs to ourselves. Christians shouldn't overstep their boundaries and attempt to criticise or change the traditional values of Muslims and vice versa. Let us take a leaf from the Alfa and the Reverend Sister. Religion is a personal affair and should remain so if we are to achieve peace. I am sure the Sister never made it a personal project to convert the Alfa to Christianity and I'm also sure the Alfa never attacked her for being a Christian. They never allowed religion get in the way of their humanity.

It behoves us then to identify, isolate and report false pastors and imams in order to free people of the hate they have been taught. For years to come, Christians may continue being persecuted but let us not attempt to make it a Muslim thing. It is simply a crime perpetuated by persons who happen to be Muslims. There are many Christians committing crimes as well and we have not made it a religious affair.

This issue of intolerance also happens within the various religions. Denominations and sects attack each other after learning and imbibing the message of hate. It even happens to agnostics like myself. Many agnostics and even atheists are intolerant of religious persons and vice versa. Everyone has the freedom to express their thoughts and live their lives the way they want. We should always respect that if we want peace.

As for me, I see no Christians, Muslims, Atheists, Buddhists, Taoists, Jewish, Zoroastrians, Hindus, Ba'hais, Eckists, etc. All I see are humans. Humanity comes first and every other thing is secondary and personal. Existence precedes essence!
If Kwara State taught me any lifelong lesson, it is the fact that Muslims and Christians can coexist in Nigeria without qualms. Those causing troubles should be treated as nothing more than criminals and indoctrinated bigots.

That said, I will continue in the task of criticising the many follies of religious adherents until they learn that we live in the 21st century and in a society where reason is important than blind faith. There is no space in this modern society for bigotry, fanaticism, dogmatism, violence, noise pollution, unwanted public proselytising, and many more peculiar annoyances caused by religious adherents.

- Iroro Orhero

Pastafarian:
just in case

annunaki2:
The OP obviously has no clue what true Islam is about, I can assure you that if you study the quoran and the sunnah of it's evil, you cannot but come to the conclusion that Islam is a religion off terror that is completely intolerant by it's very nature.

fratermathy:

In case of what sir?
Or are you booking space?

menxer:
"To the pure all things are pure, to the profane all things are profane" and it takes a human to do either.

... But what would you do if/when your God commands you to war against or hate a people you had/have no quarrels with?

Sanchez01:
You are very correct, oniovo.

My family friend in Lagos are a Muslim family, and I must confess, they are about the most wonderful ever! Simple, highly educated and liberal.

Unfortunately, the number of intolerant Muslims far outweigh the liberal folks. The same applies to Christians though, albeit, subtle.

While I am trying very hard to put in good words here, I cannot but emphasize that the Koran is filled with so much call for blood that most Muslims can't defend it. It is worrisome.

I stumbled upon some verses of the Koran the other day and I almost confess, I felt sick almost immediately. 'Kill this, kill that... spare no this, spare no that', and then you come to wonder if indeed the goal of the religion itself is just to war with the world.

Like you mentioned, most of these folks have the intent and will to kill and they only found the perfect excuse to do so in the name of religion.

I have so many wonderful Muslims around me and sometimes I just wish every Muslim in the world could be like them. The world would have been more reasonable.

Finally, we are humans before religion divided us. Religion can be a dangerous tool in the hands of the uneducated and misinformed folks.

Sanchez01:
You are very correct, oniovo.

My family friend in Lagos are a Muslim family, and I must confess, they are about the most wonderful ever! Simple, highly educated and liberal.

Unfortunately, the number of intolerant Muslims far outweigh the liberal folks. The same applies to Christians though, albeit, subtle.

While I am trying very hard to put in good words here, I cannot but emphasize that the Koran is filled with so much call for blood that most Muslims can't defend it. It is worrisome.

I stumbled upon some verses of the Koran the other day and I almost confess, I felt sick almost immediately. 'Kill this, kill that... spare no this, spare no that', and then you come to wonder if indeed the goal of the religion itself is just to war with the world.

Like you mentioned, most of these folks have the intent and will to kill and they only found the perfect excuse to do so in the name of religion.

I have so many wonderful Muslims around me and sometimes I just wish every Muslim in the world could be like them. The world would have been more reasonable.

Finally, we are humans before religion divided us. Religion can be a dangerous tool in the hands of the uneducated and misinformed folks.

fratermathy:


God will not come from his abode and ask any person to kill. If anyone says God asked him to kill, he must certainly be schizophrenic.

I do not deny the fact that people kill in the name of God and religion. However, I am advocating that those who do so should be treated as criminals and nothing more than that. It is not a religious affair. It is a purely criminal affair. It takes a murderer to kill another in the name of religion. Even if God himself asks you to kill someone, if you are not a killer, you won't heed that call.

Efewestern:
humans will always find excuse for there evil actions, today it's religion, tomorrow it's tribe, next it's race, so you see, that's how we are programmed.

Ishilove:

Your English is plenty

menxer:
"To the pure all things are pure, to the profane all things are profane" and it takes a human to do either.

... But what would you do if/when your God commands you to war against or hate a people you had/have no quarrels with?

Sanchez01:

Lol

So you will not contribute to the discourse, abi?

fratermathy:


Most of the die-hard fanatics who express their criminal intents in the name of religion are mainly from the North. I am not trying to tribalize this in any way but we all know the truth. The reasons are many and they include:

1. Illiteracy: Many Northern Nigerians plainly refuse going to school and they see western schools as a sin. Even the few that manage to get western education have already been brainwashed from childhood and it usually takes years, if not never, for the fanaticism to be corrected. It should also be noted that the teachers/mentors of the students also contribute especially when they give hate speeches, read controversial Koranic verses to the students, and make uncouth statements. The illiterate and brainwashed masses become willing tools for usage in religious attacks and civil strife. Many of the bigshots want to maintain this status quo for their own good and to always use the ignorant folks to cause havoc.

2. Separation of people: In the core Northern States, Christians and strangers don't stay in the same areas as the Muslims. Many Christians inhabit the Sabon Gari section, usually far from the center of the town. This creates an estrangement of the Christians from the Muslims and enables the Christians to be easy targets for attacks in times of strife. How can you tolerate somebody or a people which you are accustomed to separating? If the North is to truly tolerate Christians as obtains in the South West and Middle Belt, that Sabon Gari system has to be eliminated. The population should be diluted with everyone (Christian & Muslim) seeing themselves as one.

3. Sharia: Sharia law creates problems for strangers and Christians in the North. Although they are exempt from Sharia, its existence means that Muslims can commit crimes against Christians and go scot free because they can defend those crimes using Koranic verses. Many of those who started attacks and civil unrest against Christians and strangers usually go scot free because they opt for Sharia courts. At worse, they are flogged in public and go scot free. This sets a very dangerous precedent to the criminals that perpetrate evil against Christians and strangers.

There are many more reasons I can list but I'm sure you get my drift. The problem with Islam in the North, apart from what the Koran may or may not say, is the Northern people themselves. They should embrace the modern world. Stop discriminating strangers and Christians and start going to schools. Their leaders must, of necessity, create laws to force everyone to attend schools. Arabic/Islamic education shouldn't come first but should start at the end of the primary school, so that children are not indoctrinated. Sharia should be limited to personal statutes and not made to oversee criminal matters. If all these are done, attacks against Christians in the North will gradually fizzle out almost entirely.

Ishilove:

No. I'm hungry

Sanchez01:

Tackling your second paragraph, God cannot command His own to war with others or hack them down. God in Himself is love. Whether within His fold or not, we all enjoy His love. Therefore, it doesn't make sense when we fight for God or think we are doing His work by killing or forcefully converting for Him.

It is not a question of 'when or if' as God would not command you to war with people you don't know, let alone have issues with.

menxer:


How does this your submission align with biblical records of attack on Jerusalem, Jericho, Canaan and other cities by the Israelites?
What issues did they have with those nations while they (Israelites) were in Egypt or prior?

That is just the Bible side of the equation, can you apply that your logic to the Koran side of the equation?

Sanchez01:

Still in traffic?

Ishilove:

Yep

Ishilove:

Yep

joseph1832:
Poor you. You know, you should think about relocating...

Ishilove:

Like seriously

menxer:


That does not tally with biblical and historical facts.

When the children of Israel attacked Canaan, Jericho, etc on their way to the promised land, what can you say was the quarrel between them, apart from the command from Yahweh that those lands were given to them (Israelites) as an inheritance?

Mind you, Jerusalem had existed and had always been a contested city even before the coming of the Israelites, why?

Are you saying, Joshua and his men that carried out that military campaign were murderers?

menxer:


How does this your submission align with biblical records of attack on Jerusalem, Jericho, Canaan and other cities by the Israelites?
What issues did they have with those nations while they (Israelites) were in Egypt or prior?

That is just the Bible side of the equation, can you apply that your logic to the Koran side of the equation?

menxer:


And we are told God created (programmed) us, right?

Pastafarian:


Sanchez is just talking crhap

Sanchez01:

And you must understand this, all these happened thousands of years ago. Christ came into the picture and showed that practices of the past should be done away with, by demonstrating what it means to be at peace all round. And even in the face of stiff persecution, he still demonstrated love by rebuking Peter who cut off a soldier's ear.

I wish I could apply the equation to the Koran but it doesn't work that way. So how then do you justify 'when/if God commands you to take up arms and kill in Islam'?

Pastafarian:

do you believe in the divine command theory?

Sanchez01:

To kill just anybody because I'm idle? Honestly, I'm just getting to know of the 'divine command theory'. Kindly do well to explain.