Religion in Nigeria plays a major role in the life of the people, to some it is their candlelight, it gives them insight, wisdom, and direction.
knowledge and faith is increased through the study of scripture, books, and prayers
In Nigeria, religions help us remain in line and stay focused.
A religious leader is feared, respected and loved. He could meddle in a situation that defies several means.
The advent of the Nigerian religion could be dated as far back as the advent of men in Nigeria.
Initially, everybody worshiped whatever they wanted until the introduction of Islam to the northern part of the country in as early as the eleventh century.
The Islamic religion in Nigeria has been well established in the northern state, with central mosques in most state capital as at the 16th century.
It grew popular to even the middle belt and several parts of Nigeria At some point, Usman Dan Fodio Had to establish a government based on Islamic Religion before the advent of colonialism when the government was infiltrated by the British
Christianity as Nigeria religion
Christianity is the most popular and most advertised religion in Nigeria. it was introduced in Nigeria in the middle of the nineteenth century by devote missionaries from British.
Christianity was one of the things introduced into Nigeria by the British among many other things.
The missionaries came preaching the message of Christ, ministering to the people and also healing the sick, this was what actually pulled the crowed to them in the first place.
They started from the eastern part of the country which is populated by the Igbos, they infiltrated the village councils and chiefs, who gave them lands to build local churches.
Before the 80s the Christian religion had spread to the southern part of the country, to the Yorubas and the middle belt (Benin).
There are over 50 million Christian in Nigeria, we have the Protestant which strongly believes in the power of the Holy Ghost as well as the catholic, Baptist and Anglican denominations.
The Traditional religion
Finally we have the traditional religion in Nigeria, as much as the message of Islam and Christianity have taken over the major part of the country, the previous indigenous worship could not be properly annihilated.
This indigenous religions are simply the worship of inanimate objects, the worship of rocks, trees, or some mysterious animals like lions or a huge python which they believe to be their source of strength or spiritual guide.
Before the advent of The modern religions (Christianity and Islam) These gods (as they are called) were seen as a guide and the sovereign authority.
They speak to the people through a mediator (Priest), they go by so many names amadioha, Iku, Urashi, Ogwugwu, Ikuku, and one thing so mind wrenching about Theses gods is the facts they can’t go without a blood sacrifice.
I am yet to understand the mystery behind it.
Christianity did a great work eliminating this kind of worship while building more churches, however, they are still secretly practiced in Nigeria.
There is freedom of worship except the kind the poses a threat to human existence, you know the weird and bazaar kind of worship.
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15 Comments
Go and read your history books well, no where in the entire Nigerian history were people force into Christianity. don’t wake up and go about misinforming people.
I find it hypocritical that you say not to insult other religions and then you say, “Christians forced people into their religion and also murdered people so don’t let the angelic face deceive you.” Do you not think that that is a little insulting? Especially since not all Christians force people into religion and murder (the ones that do don’t follow the word of God anyway). Besides, most of the, “spreading and murdering,” as you say, happened a long time ago and things are much different today. However, I do agree with you about how the author(s) should not be claiming that the other religions are bad.
There are lots of religions in Nigeria as of today, Outside the three major religions there are factions running into hundreds. Would you say that boko haram are Muslims or Sabatherians Christians?So what about those that don’t believe in God?
So what are Boko Haram exactly, since they are not Muslims? Anybody?
Sorry, I am A Christian! Christianity is not a religion, it is a way of life. Do your research. Thank you.
Wasn’t that a bit over the top? Calm down!!!!
Weeeeel I’m an atheist and don’t care what it says about other religions but WOW ‘John’ don’t you think that was a bit over the top, or maybe it was… you know… just me?
Respect all religions. The problem starts when people say mine is better than yours.
But truth be told, some are just plain menace to our society. You don’t just same all religions are equal because they are not
Funny how we have taken foreign to be supreme.
I strongly believe that the religion practiced by our fore-fathers only needed more insight but wasn’t wrong (the use of human sacrifice was where they fell short) The foreigners handed their own religion to us in exchange for our land and people to serve their own interest. This foreigners never taught us about God this we knew before they came. Their religion that is not commonly practiced by them was used to facilitate dealings.
Whoever wrote this is an idiot who has refused to at least check facts about African Traditional Religion before saying “they worship inanimate objects like rock, trees…”. What the heck??? Must you be that stupid? Who told you they worship things?
“And the mind wrenching thing about these gods is that they can’t stay without blood”. So does Christianity stay without blood? What’s up with drinking wine and calling it blood of Jesus and screaming the blood of Jesus every minute of the day?
And how did Christianity start if not by human sacrifice? Not to talk of Islam that keeps sacrificing humans everyday. So why is the one of ATR specially “mind wrenching,”?
You need a brain.
What I have written, I have written.
Religion….. If you can question everything and arrive at some rational conclusion, founded on facts, you are home dry.
However, when a way of life is predicted on unfounded basis and open ended, you are going into uncharted territory and what come may.
To those who wrote this, you don’t have to put a foul play of words into an older religion. They may have done horrible things but don’t praise another religion that’s also in the wrong. Christians spread and forced people into their religion and also murdered people. So please do not allow the angelic face deceive you.