Religion is a social phenomenon. It is a religion that is confusing, not God. Man-made religions. God did not! God is merciful and not difficult to please. Therefore, the biblical phrase “Do for others as you would have them do for you.” Be kind, be caring, and be loving. Treat everyone with respect and understanding. Do not harm and do as your father teaches you inside your heart. Does he tell you that you should say mean things? If so, that is not god. That is religion.
The mere fact that there are so many religions in existence boggles my mind. How can followers attest that theirs is the absolute “truth” and that it should be followed? Religion is nothing more than a social construct, conceived by con men and administered by those who seek fortune and control over others.
As a pejorative term, indoctrination implies forcibly or coercively causing people to act and think based on a certain ideology. Some secular critics believe that all religions indoctrinate their adherents, as children, and the accusation is made in the case of religious extremism. Here it has been argued, contrary to the established view that delusional states of mind are epistemically problematic, that delusions can (at least under certain circumstances) exhibit a quality called ‘epistemic innocence’. That is, they may ‘[deliver] a significant epistemic benefit, that could not be obtained otherwise’.
According to Wikipedia:
Indoctrination is the process of inculcating a person with ideas, attitudes, cognitive strategies, or professional methodologies (see doctrine). Humans are social animals inescapably shaped by cultural context, and thus some degree of indoctrination is implicit in the parent–child relationship and has an essential function in forming stable communities of shared values. Because we have mirror neurons in common and are social creatures, humans can instantly and subconsciously match one another’s emotions. We share feelings.
Certainly, for sure, a delusion is a fixed false belief based on an inaccurate interpretation of an external reality despite evidence to the contrary. Delusions are false beliefs or judgments about external reality. Not all beliefs and judgments can be characterized this way, because even if calibration is incorrect then relative associations can still be consistent and true. This is why so much of physics is tenable despite the limitations of our access. However, many of our beliefs are delusional – and we are unaware of this fact until some frameshift occurs in our experience.
Characteristically, since the mention of God’s name became money making machine, every Tom, Dick and Harry wants a slice. Put differently, in our religious bigotry and manipulation, the African man just like our rulers (leaders), uses the devil as an excuse for his failures, rather than getting rid of the cankerworm called corruption that has eaten every part of governance system and the failure to keep the numerous promises made to citizens to get their votes, they are even asking us to pray. Some foolish ones would gather and starve themselves (fasting and praying), and what do they (leaders) do in return, they increase their looting, their lies, and their dishonesty.
Moreover, in life the moment you refuse to admit a wrong choice you made which led to your immediate condition, you will find it difficult to move past that stage regardless of how many days you spend praying, fasting, rolling on the floor, and knocking your head against the wall. In addition, the popular belief that religion is the cause of the world’s bloodiest conflicts is central to our modern conviction that faith and politics should never mix for any reason. Therefore, it is important to separate the two of them ‘faith and politics’.
Conclusively, It is very likely, that people get more religious if times are tough. As such, religious activities are in decline in the Western world where they originate from – not only in the Western world but in every developed country including Japan and South Korea. Religion is based on old scrolls, the modern world is based on science. It is not surprising that belief in old book scrolls is in decline. Whereas, it is a booming business in third-world countries where there is a trust deficit and deficiencies in governance and public policies.
Finally permit me to share with you the profound words of Matthew Hassan Kukah, the current bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto. Bishop Kukah characteristically posited: “We must be ready to embrace modernity and work out how to preserve our religions and cultures without turning religion into a tool for tyranny”
Richard Odusanya
