I FOUND GOD NOWHERE NEAR CHURCH

Sir,

I have always had a complicated relationship with religion. I grew up attending church and Sunday school. There was definitely a foundation it gave me that I am grateful for. As soon as I was old enough to search for my own version of God, I read about other religions and the teachings of many spiritual leaders. I struggled for many years because I genuinely believe in a high power, God, the universe. Same thing. But interestingly, it was my own active search for a God that made sense to me, to my own experiences and reality.

Struggle

At times, it was not a struggle with God per se, it was the dogma of Christianity that left me with a sour taste in my mouth. The church is supposed to be a sanctuary, a place where we go to replenish our spirits and connect with a supreme being. But after many years of attending church, it became very apparent that it was not to be like that. It’s within the confines of the church where we see some of the flaws of our human existence shine through. The judging of fellow people and the uncanny ability to think that Christianity is better than other religions are glaring examples. This notion comes from the immediate reactions of Christians to Islam, especially after an attack.

Committed

The world continues to attach Islam to extremists, but the same so-called Muslim extremists are bombing Mosques, which as you can imagine, does not make sense. We cannot forget how, during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people committed horrific actions in the name of Christ. Any fanatical devotion to a religion is bound to create devotees who aren’t as critical and aware of the history of that religion. Yes, there are terrible Muslim people, as there are terrible Christians, but to then blame an entire religion is not fair.

Regardless of whatever religion one identifies with, they are still an autonomous individual, creating and performing actions according to their own perceptions of the world. What’s right for one is not necessarily right for the next person. We preach love and acceptance, but when opportunities to put that into action present themselves, we seem to always fail. I genuinely believe that God is on everyone’s side. Whatever you believe in, be it ancestors or Buddha, if it works for you, who are we to judge? It is also worth noting that the Bible and Christianity were brought to Africa by Westerners who came to colonise Africa.

Religion

Therefore, we, as Africans, may have lost sight of our true African religious ancestry. Mainly because colonialist’s ideas of religion were drilled into our psyche and our slaughtering and rituals portrayed as barbaric. Iyanla Vanzant once said, “God is love, God is power. You cannot judge the creation without judging the Creator.” Therefore, in our journey through life, regardless of what religion you believe in or even if you don’t believe in any, be conscious of the mere fact that we are all trying to navigate through these tumultuous waters of life as best as we can. You see, I found God nowhere near the church.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: