Faith, Culture—Action

No child takes up a culture that is outside of the medium or environment in which it is born into; it grows to come to know that that is the way of life on this side of the divide. Whether it now chooses to live by it when it comes of age of knowing to choose between the one and the other is another thing entirely. If anything is wrong with the culture of a people, it certainly should be dealt with and not destroy that culture by imposing another on the people because that is their life. If the culture of a people is perceived to harbor some impurities such that the child has grown these impurities, do you totally jettison that culture or do you separate the dross from the silver? Therefore since the culture of a people dictates their actions, I believe if almost everyone of that tribe thus behaves in accordance with the impurities in their culture, the ills of that culture should be dealt with and not ostracize such people or kill their culture else you murder them in cold blood. The culture of a people is their life and it is like the software, or rather the operating system that the hardware computer requires to function.

Likewise the faith of someone, is what makes him take the actions he takes and the rights of everyone must be respected, so long as the faith or culture of a people does not contradict the socio laws, the environmental laws, the political and it does not deny other people of their rights to justice, equity, fundamental human rights in general. But if the faith of a person propels him to act in a way that negates the rights of others, then should be called to mind what needs to be done concerning that person’s action. And if it is evident that the person’s action is rooted in his believe system, then what can politics do to bring a change to a believe system other than influence it to a change and expunge those gray areas causing people to take wrong actions, instead of make stubborn laws and pronouncement through politics to deny a people their faith and culture, using illegality to bring about legality all in the name of political interventions.

A person can choose to have a change of believe system if he sees a greater light but it would surely be totally wrong that a state should begin to act in a way that favors a section of the state with a believe system or culture the state considers acceptable to it while dealing harshly with others that are contrary. When political leaders begin to make people’s faith what needs to be legislated about or what they must direct how its pendulum swings, then there await ahead a deep crisis that would bring about blood birth.
The global leaders today seem to be missing it and going the way of King Uzziah in the bible in 2Chronicles 26:16-21 who mixed politics and religion and did not let his faith be his personal affair with God but sought to have control over what happens on the pulpit and eventually will dictate to the people which god to serve. In as much as value system, culture, faith has what it takes to change politics, politics on the other hand does not have that power to change value system, faith or culture but can only influence it. But if politics insists because it has all the power to change value system, culture, faith; it should thread carefully by seeking the consent of the people else it destroys everything by its overzealousness.

I am therefore happy that a man as President Barrack Obama who had been trained and prepared by God is in charge in the White House today, who knows to separate his faith from conflicting with people’s rights. My advice to those leaders in and around the world who blatantly favor one faith over the other, one culture over the other be it in America and around the globe should thread carefully and learn from this Modern Nigeria state with her religious and ethnic conflicts; for they have veered on that route. And I must at this stage make the Nigerian situation a case study for the world leaders. Almost all of the ethnic and religious crises in Nigeria today are political. It is the political actors who crept in a long time ago into religion for political gains along with the religious leaders who sold their soul for the gain of riches and had left the pulpit to the control and dictates of the politicians. These politicians therefore, easily brainwash the followers with whatever lies they feel will fulfill their personal desires and since the people are highly religious and ignorant, they can go even as far as killing people and bombing places around the world since they have been made to believe it is all pleasing to God. At first nothing was wrong with their faith, but now it has been infiltrated. All these therefore become a tool in the hand of the politicians to perpetuate their evils against their opponents.

I salute President Barrack Obama for declining to stop a Mosque from being situated by the WTC; this is the mark of a true leader who knows that he is a leader of all and not a section of the state, tribe or faith. A leader of a heterogeneous society in our today’s world is not just one of one faith and not of the other. Neither is he of one culture and not of the other nor is politics for one faith and not for the other or of one culture and not the other. But personal greed, emotions, pride, superiority complex and sentiments move global leaders to act the way they do today; therefore the perpetuation of the Middle East crisis which I believe could be well managed but I guess we have come to live in such a time as this in our world to live with and manage whatever comes our way.