Interplay of Religion & Politics
In this week's column, I want to go a little religious. Maybe it is because I am writing this piece on a Sunday morning as I am preparing to go preach at a church in Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State. I have been greatly annoyed by the apathy of some Christians and the wrong teachings coming out of many pulpits. Thankfully, there are some of us who proselytize that your beliefs should permeate all areas of your life - work, family, business, social, politics.
While some of us prefer to talk about a relationship with God as opposed to religiosity, it is beyond cavil that religion plays a major role in people's lives, especially politics. As 2015 general election approaches, only a fool will ignore this aspect. It is the atheist that the Bible refers to that 'The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God.' (Psalm 14:1 & Psalm 53:1).
All humans are tri-partite. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 makes it very clear that we are three-part beings, made up of body, soul and spirit, when Apostle Paul states, 'Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.' You cannot be all spiritual and ignore your body or things that pertain to your body (flesh).
In fact, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Islamic organizations will do well to understand that holistic preaching mandates getting your congregation involved in politics, government and community affairs.
One of the driving forces behind evil and terrorist organizations like Boko haram is a warped concepts of religion, including the expectations of the after-life and rewards. While many eastern and Asian religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism believe in reincarnation, Christianity and Islam do not. We believe in the biblical mandate that 'it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment'. (Heb. 9:27). So, you don't get a second chance. Well besides the African belief in Ogbanje, which is rather a negative marine spirit concept of an evil child, there is no really veritable African traditional belief on reincarnation. We may sometimes talk about a child being the reincarnated version of a mother or father based on appearance or similarity of character traits, but rarely do we actually hinge a person's success in the after-life on how well they lived the former life, unlike the Indians and Chinese.
During the last Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) election, one candidate campaigned ostensibly on the basis that he was a Christian while his opponent practiced the traditional Urhobo 'igbe' religion. Research has shown that Muslims tend to register to vote and actually vote more than Christians. They are more patient and likely to stand in line to vote on Election Day. It is based more on the indoctrination they have received from the Imam or Islamic cleric, rather than on financial inducement (mobilization).
In many past American elections, the issue of Christian religious world-view was significant. The Christian Coalition of America, galvanized people of faith to vote for candidates that aligned with biblical views and vote against candidates that were clearly antagonistic to Christian values. For example, they printed voter's guides educating people on where candidates stood on issues such as abortion, gay marriages and stem cell research. The American Christians did not just pray but actually put their faith in action because they believed the words of James where he is unequivocal in his admonition as follows, 'But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?' (James 2:20). The point is that there is a significant interplay between religion and politics.
As 2015 approaches, this is a clarion call on churches to mobilise their members to register to vote and make sure they actually vote. Afterwards, Christian must ensure that they actively evaluate and monitor elected officials to make sure their behaviour and governance comport with Christian values.
The 2006 statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) puts the population of Nigeria at approximately 160 million. However, World population review on its websites states the following 'Last collected in 2012 by the Nigeria National Bureau of Statistics, the total population of citizens in Nigeria was around 166.2 million people. Today, it is estimated to have 178,571,721 people.' The population is broken down into 50% Muslims, 40% Christians. This means there are over 71 million Christians (40%), but approximately half are of voting age. It should be noted that some of us believe that there are actually more Christians than Muslims in Nigeria and disagree with the obfuscated percentages that is politically doctored to favor a segment of the population. Nonetheless, the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, states that there are 774 local government areas, with only 118 in the South-South geopolitical zone, where the current President is from. The Northeast and Northwest, where Boko Haram and Islam hold sway, have a larger attributed population of over 54 million, extrapolated from the 2006 statistics.
Christians have an obligation and mandate to lead and affect the way things happen in Nigeria. 'You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.' (Matt 5:13-14)
Go and register to vote. Please vote and hold your elected officials accountable. Remember that 'all that is required for evil to prosper is for good men to do nothing.' Furthermore, "The boisterous sea of liberty is never without a wave." Thomas Jefferson (1743 -1826).
*Akpodiete is an ordained reverend, author, Computer Scientist, Educator, Consultant, lawyer, Political Analyst & Social commentator. He has a Doctorate degree in Jurisprudence from the US, along with seminary education. He has lectured Law, Ethics and Security & Intelligence Studies at the University level here in Nigeria and US. He also writes for a state daily newspaper & national monthly journal. He currently divides his time between Nigeria and USA where he runs an international capacity building firm. Contact him on 08138391661 or [email protected],