Hivenaija weekly prompt: My opinion on religious violence.

Hello legitimate citizens of Nigeria, una good day. So I'll be straight to the point by answering the questions of this prompt thus submitting my own opinion about religious violence but firstly, I'll like to say;

"Religion or no religion, if you gruesomely take a life in order to prove a point to support your faith then you're no better than the devil itself". You totally lost the right to be addressed as a human being.

Source

My thoughts on religious violence

My own take on religious practice is solely based on one's belief and faith. I believe in one God, the maker of heaven and earth and I've asked for plenty things ranging from protection to food to shelter and even to goodwill which I've received in abundance.

That's my strong belief......

Now if we think I'm professing blasphemy, let's take a look in our dictionaries, the meaning of "god" (A god is a supreme being with power to make things happen). In plain English, that supreme being is called "God". In Arabic, it's called "Allah". In my language (Igbo), it's called "Chukwu"

What am I driving at with all of these? I'm simply saying, we're serving the same supreme being regardless of the name we choose to address that being as. It also all boils down to faith and belief; meaning when we sincerely seek that supreme being for help, we get what we ask because we have that faith to get a response to our requests.

And if that supreme being can provide all we need/want plus do all things, then I think it's a total waste of time to start becoming his execution panel here on earth. He should be the overall judge and executioner.

A line to be drawn about what is said about one's religion?

Well, I think there should always be a line to what is being talked about generally. Whatever topic is being debated about, I say; "apply caution to the words you say". We can get carried away by the things we spit out and it's totally normal to be prone to mistakes, we're humans and mistakes are always bound to happen. But appropriately addressing a mistake is divine.

About the late Deborah's case, I heard some people asked her to apologize for saying something wrong which she "bluntly" refused to do thus leading to her demise. I'm not blaming anyone, neither am I supporting anyone but the word SORRY can really go a long way in changing things.

Regardless of who's wrong and who's right, to take someone's life, a human being as yourself, is totally way out of line. Unacceptable and punishable to God.

My final words on this topic

These words, I'm addressing them to the killers of Deborah and to anyone planning to kill someone on the grounds of blasphemy, the supreme being (God or Allah) that you're fighting for, created that person you've killed/you're planning to kill and is capable of judging anybody involved in blasphemy or whatever offense. Stop fighting for God/Allah cuz you're making him seem like he's incapable of his duties.