By Oladunni Ilesanmi
Ado Ekiti.
Hell is often said as a place in the afterlife where condemned souls serve their penalties for the evils committed while on earth. Socially or in the casual sense, it can be used to describe serious physical pain(s), mental or psychological trauma or torments. It is usually to tell a situation where no one, no matter how strong or wicked would want to have an experience. The sorrowful heaven feared even by dreaded.
Many religions believe that hell is the kingdom of the devil (Satan) where evildoer are subjected to his eternal punishment. The much talks about hell are aimed towards making people desire the goodies on the other side, Heaven which is where religions claim God reside. Heaven, also connote, a joyful atmosphere, where aspirations are fulfilled, a place of abundance, no worries no anxieties, it is said as the place where every good thing is. No want, No need but everlasting joy.
Religions have used hell as an agenda to establishing uprightness, orderliness, morality, peace, sinlessness, holiness, respect, rightousness, etc in the society. By this, it is easy for one to interpolate that hell is an instrument for selling the claimed joyful heaven.
In Nigeria, there are three dominant religions, Christianity, Islam and Traditionalism. All of them acknowledge and profess the existence of hell and the existence of another kingdom of everlasting joy. Research has shown that Nigeria is one of the most religious nations in the world. Infact, it is the country mostly populated with churches, while there is a large Muslim followership.
Ideally, religions are supposed to drive souls away from hell, either herein on earth or thereafter at death, making peace and unity , love and honesty, truthfulness and righteousness, etc established for earthly heavens. Despite the various religions in Nigeria, the worse is the record of the country regarding the recounting and showcasing the elements of heavens.
Sometimes I wonder the rate at which preachers of various religions hammer and intimidate worshippers and people of another religions with hell, Is the Nigerian God different from the God in other countries where they talk more of heavenly heaven and make all efforts at establishing earthly heavens?
There are countries where religions are practiced and orders are established. United Arab Emirates, is an Islamic country with much development and orders. United State of America USA has its constitution established in Christian worldview even though morality is now derailing there. But in Nigeria that has large worshipper in both religion, orders are far from existence.
Or can somebody ask? Are we sure that we are practicing the right religion in Nigeria? Are we sure that we are learning what we are supposed to learn? Are we sure we are learning what we are learning from the right people? Are the people teaching in the right position to teach?
I try as much as possible not to join issues with religious bigots who in their superiority complex consider other religions and worshipers as the candidates or the souls for hell. One thing is sure, Every African is first a traditionalist before the other two religions imposed by the foreigners. I have no issues with anybody practicing any religion so far it is his/her own solution centre. Faith In guess is what is required.
Away from Religion, Most Nigerians are not to expect hell in their after death, not because they were righteous, not because they practice religion, but because they were naturally born as candidates of hell. Nigeria is a typical structure of hell.
No sector is working, anarchy is the order, for a pregnancy to survive nine month in the womb of an average Nigerian woman living in the county’s space, such child is a candidate of hell if not, it would have been aborted with the various suffering the mother must have passed through during the carriage.
Poverty, anxieties, diseases, violence, crime, criminalities, corruption and all the negativities in the land has not been dealt with by religion. It has only celebrated the evils and gave worship centres as the platfom to showcasing the hell’s gains.
To be a poor man in Nigeria is hell the rich will frustrate your life with disrespect and intimidations. To be a rich man in Nigeria as hell as hell as the poor people would frustrate your life with backstabbing and ingratitude, they will organized your abduction, assassinate and ruin your business with corruption.
Education, transport, economy, politics, health, Agriculture, etc are all hell in Nigeria.
Instead for our religions to save us, Oh! NO, They take us more and advertise more vacancies in the Nigerian hell. To be a devout religious person, holy and sinless in the Nigerian worship centres is hell, other worshippers will shrink you and send you to isolation where you continue to lament in your self imprisonment.
Let no one preaches fear of hell again, we already have one in Nigeria. Many ignorant preachers have through their lack of knowledge mislead souls to hell on Earth. They cajole and support their argument with verses without the deep understanding the ways of God are not the ways of Men.
Religion has failed and done brought more hell on souls rather than salvaging souls from hell.
Alas!. If religions are true about hell, I would not want to have another experience, after the Nigerian case. I would rather start building earthly heavens, fenced against all hells around in order to focus on the heavenly heaven. To good to others. Heavens start from you and earth shows the heaven.
Oladunni Ilesanmi is a 300 level Philosophy student, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti.