Religious palaver again. Is it not better we focus on how to survive this T-pain? One needs to feed well to worship God. But since the thick dust of religious intolerance has overwhelmed us again, let’s spare some time to discuss it.
Religion seems to have done more harm than good to Nigerians. This is not because religion is intrinsically evil but because evil people continue to disabuse religion and repurpose it for their selfish economic and political interests. Lies from pulpits, deception, fake prophecies and manipulation of religion by the clerical class have created doubt in many who now question the existence of God. This is the reason many Nigerians today have the temerity to say God does not exist. It is sad to note that statement like “I don’t believe in God” is freely uttered.
A good friend of mine reconnected with me, having lost contact for more than two decades. As one discussion led to the other, he later disclosed that he is an avowed atheist. I knew him to be a Christian. An atheist! I exclaimed. “Yes,” he said. He even bragged about it and told me he is enjoying his life as a free man—having nothing to do with religion and God. This is serious! But he is not alone. There are many like him. In this category is one so-called British-based Nigerian lady who just assumed the leadership of the British Conservative Party. I find her name too worthless to mention because she cannot be lumped together with a Nigerian like me who is from the North.
I think I should sympathize with the respected Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah—a northerner—who recently showered enconmium on this cantankerous lady in a column titled “… :Some thoughts and a prayer,” published in Premium Times last week (10th of December). I inputted the ellipsis (…) in the title of Rev. Kukah’s article for the name I consider too foul to write with my keyboard. Rev. Kukah congratulated her for what many considered an extraordinary feat and even prayed for her. This is expected of a reverend father who should indiscriminately celebrate Nigerian record breakers—whether from the North or from the South.
But the shameless and ungrateful lady would later cast Rev. Kukah in the same mould as Boko Haram due to her worrisomely unfortunate ignorance of the North’s composition and her pathological hatred for northerners. She is also too ignorant to know that atheists like her are in the North.
Anyway, I don’t blame her. I blame the Vice President Kashim Shettima who chose to fight pig (get down and dirty), rather than challenge his principal, President Bola Tinubu, to good governance. For before this foul-mouthed lady became wild and untamed, I don’t see anything wrong in what she said and for the grudges she holds against Nigerian government.
Since our rulers in Abuja cannot bury their heads in shame, they should have lampooned her with evidence of good governance. But where is the good governance? Instead, Mr Shettima gets down and dirty. This intoxicated the loquacious lady to categorize all northerners as Boko Haram. Nonsense.
The point is: the argument of whether Jesus is God or not should not make the news headline. But since it has been headlined and the discussion is gathering momentum, here are some observations and recommendations.
Though I know that the banner with “Jesus is not God” written boldly on it would be irritating to those who believe Jesus is God; I never new it will elicit such reactions. I thought it will be tolerated by those who would not be comfortable with it. I grew up in AJ City in Lagos (I mean Ajegunle). “Jesus is God” is a common inscription everywhere. Some replace “God” with “Lord” to read “Jesus is Lord.” You find “Jesus is God” on banners, signboards, posters, etc. You find it inscribed on buses, t-shirts, bags, etc.
To the atheists who do not believe God exists, saying “Jesus is God” is the height of absurdity. It is also irritating to the Muslims who do not believe that a mortal who eats, drinks, farts, defecates, and even captured by enemies and allegedly nailed to the cross can be God. But because everyone enjoys freedom of religion, people turn a blind eye to some of these irritating inscriptions. That is religious tolerance.
Well, I don’t know why, in an unusual manner, the Lekki Mosque decided to negate the affirmation in “Jesus is God” to “Jesus is not God” through inscription on banner. This could be a new method of religious propagation. The mosque has the inalienable right to change its merhod(s) for propagation. It should be noted that there is nothing new in the doctrine that Jesus is not God. Every Muslim knows this by default as article of faith. In addition, significant number of Christians in Nigeria and across the globe also believe Jesus is not God. In a report last year (2023) by The Bible Study based in the United Kingdom, 52% of Americans do not regard Jesus as God but as a great teacher. So, what is the hullabaloo all about?
Yet, I am of the opinion that Lekki Mosque should be sued for saying Jesus is not God by those who find it problematic. The case should be settled in a special court. High-powered panel of judges should be constituted to look into the matter. The judges should include learned Christians and Muslims in theology. It should also include learned atheists in atheology and experts of Nigerian legal system. To determine Lekki Mosque’s “trespassing,” the judges would have a lot of legal issues to deal with.
One, they should help to establish whether it is a fact or a fallacy that Jesus is God from the Bible (whichever version(s) they choose to work with). Two, they should help to verify whether the Lekki Mosque’s assertion that “Jesus is not God” is a Qur’anic doctrine or not. Three, another term of reference is to help identify the religions that have the constitutional right to express their doctrines on banner and those that do not. Four, they should also work around the clock to determine the religions that must tolerate others and those (religions) that should not tolerate others.
If Jesus is proven to be God by this high-powered panel of judges, they should not forget to explain when he (Jesus) actually became God. Nigerians would like to know if there was God before Jesus was born (to become God) since humans had existed on earth for thousands of years before the virgin and miraculous birth. If there was no God before Jesus, who created the world and directed world affairs before Jesus? If there was God before Jesus became God, what happened to that God? Did He expire or die or just disappear? When Jesus who is believed to be God by some Christians was crucified and died on the cross, which God took over the control of the world from him?
I believe Jesus is one of the greatest man (prophet) that ever lived. But because I am easily persuaded by sound evidence and logic, it is possible that the doctrine that says “Jesus is God” will make sense to me (and possibly to many Nigerians) if the above philosophical questions are satisfactorily answered to prove Jesus as the Godhead.
If Lekki Mosque cannot establish its claim from the Qur’an, and it is established that the Nigerian Constitution only grants one religion (not the one practiced in Lekki Mosque) the right to inscribe its doctrine on banner, the mosque should be made to face the wrath of the law. If otherwise, the court should encourage other mosques across the country to emulate Lekki Mosque by inscribing “Jesus is not God” on large banners so that those who find it problematic will get used to it the way atheists and Muslims got used to “Jesus is God” even though is against their beliefs without raising an eyebrow.
Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com
