Anyone Who Thinks Sitting In Church Can Make You A Christian Must Also Think That Sitting In A Garage Can Make You A Car.

— Garrison Keillor

Religion is a very volatile topic

I have written a number of religious posts in the past:

Hypocrisy Is A Part Of Religion

The Immorality Of Hypocrisy!

AMEN , The Magic Cure To All Mishaps?

Religion, Politics, Business… The Siamese Triplets

Someone posts,

Can My Muslim Friends Help Clarify What The Quran Says About Marriage In Paradise And The Giving Of Virgins In Marriage?

And that’s when the fight started!

A fight which culminated in a common position.

Your religion (or better put, way of life) is your personal decision. Your own conviction.

You are expected to live by it. Allowed to talk about its goodness BUT prohibited from forcing it on anyone else. There should be no compulsion in religion.

You do not need to attack any other faith to live by the goodness of your own conviction. Your goodness does not also prevent others from living by the goodness of their own conviction.

Stop The Madness. Stop Attacking Other People’s Faith…

It is a sign that you are not deep in your own conviction

The person who feels attacked in his religious beliefs goes further :

Why should a Christian who admitted he has not read the Quran be asking a question above the Quran he is either too lazy or afraid to read? Why are Christians always trying to attack Islam?

Why do many Christians treat their religion as a “product” that needs to be marketed using all means possible (including de-marketing other religions)?

My own position on this :

My mentor says , don’t relentlessly teach (unless you are a teacher) in the right location (school , conference room, worship center) where people have voluntarily come to listen.

This is not limited to religion alone… tribal /ethnic / race and social/economic class bias, and politics are the other highly polarizing factors.

It is actually considered a sin in the Oriental Religions to weaken the belief of others. If your religion (your preaching of it) happens to lead someone else off his life track, the karma is on your head.

Because not everybody has strong unshakable personal convictions on many issues (including religious ones), I believe most people need to be treated like babies where religion is concerned- gently, even if they are delusional in their beliefs .

Religion is foundational to the existence of many.

But then, the “madness” is not likely to stop, although we can appeal . Like the Android versus iOS eternal supremacy war, most people come up in arms when their position, religion (or aspects of that religion) are questioned.

As a matter of fact, I don’t feel anybody could ‘attack’ my religion. He is either voicing an opinion, asking a question, or out to deride.

Unless someone does not have personal convictions, an ‘attack’ should just be waved aside.

How does a religious non physical attack affect anybody who is sure in his ways?

We need more tolerance and mutual understanding. Religion a way of life that people opt into when they are led by their own self-conviction.

Each should live his/her religion and simply allow the light that shines through its practice invite others to his/her pathway.

Unless in instances I just want to mischievously ruffle feathers among friends, or listen to minds I consider enlightened / unbiased beyond what commonly subsists, I generally paddle my religious canoe.

Religion is often touted as being ‘a way of life’ , I think a better way to put it is that it ‘SHOULD be a way of life’.

If our religions are a way of life, Nigeria would certainly not be the way it is!

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