by Seye Ken

For the past few years, religion has become a major catalyst or tool for driving people’s thought, action and behavior. As a result of this powerful medium and it imperative nature, it manipulative power has no bound. The perception of people towards religion varies, many sees it as an ingredients for moral development while some perceive it as an easy means to perpetuate indoctrination and radicalization. Also, a way to promote fanaticism (extremism).

However, irrespective of how people feel or see religion, everybody is entitled to an opinion. For me not to bore you, let me hit the nail at the top because am not putting this up to juxtapose between religions but instead to lend my own opinion on what I tag “the major social sin of every church”

It being a while I have been horny to let this out. As a Christian I became overwhelmed by the impunity we called doctrines that virtually every church now celebrate today. I cannot but purge out this fact.

Every believing Christian will say I belong to a church, I love my church, my church is my pride, my church is the best and so on. But I keep asking this question, is church a legacy? However, before you start seeing this as an atheist handwork, follow this piece to the very end.

Back to why I asked that question, I have evaluated the depth of division in the Christian faith, without mincing words it is urge. Authoritatively, this disparity was caused in the name of church faction. What do I mean by this? I was speaking with a lady recently and I ask her to give me the prerequisite her dream man must possess, amazing to me, she said such man must be a member of her church. I became inquisitive to know where she drew this inference in the bible and when has it become a spiritual tenet for a successful marriage to marry member of the same church, her explanation and defense depicts indoctrination.

This phenomenon of church fanaticism is now on the increase. It has now become a norm for churches to preach and teach their members doctrines that has no biblical configuration. To further define this menace, many church leaders have fed members with uncritical ideologies which has resulted to religious schizophrenia, where Christian see their church above Christianity, what an eyesore. It is dirty the way today’s Christian see their fellow Christians. The sober fact is that Christian now love their neighbors based on the church they attend, what a shameful norm. However, the gullibility of today’s Christian is surely rooted in the framework and structure developed by some general overseers or better still the model pastor. I won’t be overstating the fact that Christ’s intent for his church has definitely being diluted, polluted and corrupted by spiritual umpires anointed and saddled with the responsibility of leading the sheep.

This division was diagnosed and remediated by Apostle Paul when he wrote to the church of God in Corinth. Paul Noticed this kind of division and unhealthy competition among the then Christian when they think Christianity is a product of human philosophy. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:4-6 “When one of you says, “I am a follower of Paul,” and another says, “I prefer Apollos,” aren’t you acting like those who are not Christians?

“Who is Apollos, and who is Paul, that we should be the cause of such quarrels? Why, we’re only servants. Through us God caused you to believe. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us”

“My job was to plant the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God, not we, who made it grow”.

What is even more shameful is the extremist orientation the present day Christian have, a pathetic situation where Christians see a fellow Christian as pagan because they attend a different church. A cause that has really impeded the culture of oneness among the Christian faith. However you all know who to be blame for this.

As I draw close on this short epistle, I will remain guilty if I refuse to divulge my main point of concern. I have exercise my God given impetus to analyze and reflect on how some churches propagates evangelism, you will all agree with me that it’s shrouded in hypocrisy. Someone might be thinking this make no sense, but let me break your heart. The main purpose of evangelism which no one can argue is to lead sinners to Christ “Abi”? But a situation where a Christian is trying to lure another believer to her Church in the name of evangelism, then what do you call that? “My church evangelism”?. I have continued to wonder why will a Christian be hunting for a follow Christian instead of looking for sinners to lead to Christ. However you all know who to be blame for this.

The main purpose of every Christian is to preach Christ and live a life of Christ, but if i may ask, are we still on course?

The perspective of most evolving Christians have been shaped by unhealthy church philosophy because of spiritual laziness. Christian must behave like the then Berean Christian who went back to search the scripture to ascertain and affirm the truth after being thought by the apostle. Oh apostle of the 21st century, please guide thy followers right, teach them the love of Christ not the love of church; enough of this division.

Our diversity must be handled with caution in order not to truncate our generic purpose as Christians. The church we attend should not be seen as legacy but instead Christ should be.

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Op–ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija