Editor’s Note: There is this thing about very religious Nigerians as they often claim things that are not as though they were. Sometimes it appears hard having a normal conversation with them. They infuse their faith into everything. For example, the person is sick and you ask how are you?, the reply goes thus: “I am strong.”

In this piece, Naij.com contributor, Chidi Okoye brings to light the absurdity of Nigerian churches and the brain washing that goes on.

Story Highlights

– The church is encouraging a false feeling of security.

– More Nigerians are hiding in churches while the society is burning.

– More Christians are blaming the devil for their woes.

– We need to take a hard look at the absurdity of some of the teachings by religious leaders.

‘It is well’ – a phrase that summarises the extent of brain-washing that goes on in most Nigerian churches.

The fact that some of our churches have turned into theatres of the absurd has never ceased to amaze and amuse. Recently, I was treated to a new scene of this absurdist theatre when a friend explained how his church abhorred negative self-statements. According to this well-educated fellow, being broke or ill is never stated literally. Instead, a ‘believer’, according to him, must say he is rich when he finds himself broke.

It seems that a variation of this same sentiment has driven that phrase that has become so popular in Nigerian Christendom – ‘It is well’. A phrase that has continued to gain grounds even as we continue to witness a deteriorating society that remains determined to break us. Has the church given up on its role of bettering society to instead console us on the irreparable damage that is the Nigerian society? Is it really well?

As Nigerians currently go through the pains of a failing economy, fuel scarcity, power problems and rising unemployment, the false feeling of security that the church is encouraging fuels apathy. This is detrimental to the civic requirements of asking questions and seeking answers. More and more Nigerians are hiding in churches designed to ‘keep its members comfortable and safe’ while the society is burning, as we fragment and abandon self-sacrifice for ‘comfort’.

We need to be jolted out of this feeling of false comfort. The church is arguably the most potent vehicle for societal development; and in the Nigerian society where our elected leaders have consistently failed to inspire, an ideology that makes us constantly believe ‘it is well’ encourages increased bad governance. It is not a coincidence that as the Nigerian society goes further downhill, we see a rise in new and bigger churches as citizens seek solace from their troubles.

The resultant effect is that more Nigerians are looking for a more convenient culprit to blame for their woes – satan. And this has also fuelled the search for a heavenly messiah, rather than earthly and practical solutions. We now witness, for example, more instances of Christians blaming the devil for ailments that were caused by poor hygiene and believing ‘it is well’ while swallowing pills in same unhygienic environments.

No, it is not well. We need to, as Christians, really immerse ourselves in the knowledge of the exemplary life that Jesus Christ lived. If your environment is untidy, get a broom and clean it up. If your government representatives are not living up to expectations, it is not well, put them on their toes and vote them out if they fail to sit up. There are millions of unemployed graduates, and an even greater number waiting to join the labour market this year, so it is not well for you job seeker, maybe learn a trade or skill.

But above all, we really need to take a hard look at the absurdity of some of these teachings by religious leaders that have benefited massively from the deteriorating society. If it is well, if it is well and truly well, would God bother to pay attention to our avalanche of prayers?

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of Naij.com.