Which God Immunized You For Killing & Maiming: When How & Where 

There is a universal doctrine among all religions that God created man in his image. God is also everywhere and can hear us in any language. It is therefore illogical that God can only hear us in certain language as Latin, Arabic or Hindu. Extremists in every corner of the world have hijacked religious, political and economic process, bulling us into submission with threats or by death. Many of us have submitted to them, not because we accept them but as silent majority.

Well, silence not only has a powerful meaning, it is also an admission or acceptance of religious and political views of extremists’ doctrines. This is so when we listen and understand what it will lead to and we refuse to exercise our right to stand up against them knowing full well that our interest will eventually be comprised even to a lesser degree than others. In short we sleep on our self-interests and rights because we are not at immediate and imminent danger.

Lately, religious fanatics have expanded into the social media spreading religious and political messages. It is their right to preach what they want but that right stops where they threaten others to spread their messages whether we agree with it or not. Otherwise certain calamity will befall those who refuse to spread their revolting messages. Most of this messages come in the name of God, Allah or Brahma.

Anyone that respects and fears God would not maim, kill or destroy those made in his image. But so many people have been indoctrinated that once they pray many times a day, God will immunize them and forgive their sins. The implication of that teaching is that any atrocity you commit you can pray over it, confess to God or his designate and you can go and sin no more. If you commit more sins, you have to go back and confess, pray and offer sacrifice to be forgiven.

If this is not an incentive to create more atrocities, some of us wonder what it is. Those that have the fear of God and will never lift a finger to hurt anyone or any creation of God. We are forced to pray as often as those committing atrocities asking for forgiveness on a daily basis. Many have been told they are sinners without realizing it and must pray for acts of commission or omission of their daily sin. Even those that cannot find a lady are promised virgins in heaven.

This writer had a girlfriend as a young man whose father built a Church near his house. Each time we see each other, she always asked that we pray. It is true that the father, a very nice and successful businessman gave generously to the Church. On school holidays, we saw each other almost daily. We could have agreed that Aiyelala or Nemesis reciprocate on evil doers. Finally, a question came out: how many sins did I commit in a day that we have to pray on a daily basis?

Since those days, while we pray for good health and bright future, one must wonder how many sins one has to commit to pray many times a day or if it is an exercise in disguise for pressing act or need than is acceptable to the naked eyes. It becomes even more of a suspect when we hear people who deny food from the mouth of children and the poor to donate their loot to the Church and Mosque. Even armed robbers pray every day before they set out to kill and maim.

Lately, those who claim to be men of God have been exposed as child abusers after gaining confidence of the parents to allow their children to spend long hours with them in prayers, serving in the house of God and learning the Bible or Koran by heart. These men bow down before God after each act and ask for forgiveness only to repeat the same act over and over again. Some of them even rise to position of authority that encourage the same act on others.

When these men of God cross into politics, they are unstoppable. They assume the positions they used to have in the dark ages as the head of Government and the Church or Mosque. If they are not in direct control of government, their support is crucial for winning majority of the votes over on their side. Even when some constitutions divide the role of Church and State, their mere endorsement send a message to the majority of their members.

It is not just by chance that the most conservative parties in the western and Arab world are highly religious with textual interpretation of the Bible, Koran and constitution. Not only do they limit the role of women in religion and politics, they make it harder for minorities to vote. They capture the hearts of majority by appealing to survival of their culture in “contaminated” environment and the aberration of sexual behavior between consenting adults while many of them are involved in worse closet conducts until exposed. Again, they ask for forgiveness!

As a result, we have extremist or totalitarian governments established and rising even in the so called “civilized” world. Their behavior and dictatorial tendencies, no matter which country they are is similar. They want radical change in the name of God and the people. Everything they claim is in the name of their chosen people, promising them heaven and earth. They blow up others’ shortcomings and failures while sugar coating easy solutions to every problem.

Behind their exaggerated claims and solutions to bring back good times and better economic prospects are messages of bigotry and stereotypes. Watch out for their religious and political messages, you will see similarity of intolerance of others’ religions, sects or political doctrines. Their way is the only way to God or Allah and the path to economic renaissance. They expose and criminalize their opponents’ mistakes and hide their own atrocities.

Usually the underlying bigotry of the majority is appealed to; asking them for support or lose their ways of life contaminated by minorities’ unbecoming cultures. Once they gain power, there is usually buyers’ remorse. But it is too late because it takes a couple of years or more to change course. In the meantime, silent majority have to live with the consequences of voting against their own interest and many to dejected to exercise their hard fought right to vote.

Some of the voters have rationalized their votes. They claimed that while it was not in their own interest, it was in the interest of saving their country from infidel, gays, women’s rights, immigrants and those they see as terrorists. They broaden the definition of terror which they exhibit to cover others they do not want around them or in a country shared with minorities.

No amount of prayers several times a day can confer immunity on killers, terrorists, armed robbers and treasury looters that deny innocent folks including children and women good life.