Back then in school, during the new academic session, the phrase “Catch them young” was the goal of the existing students as numerous religious body of the campus, clubs, and many other groups (registered or unregistered) come out en-mass to help the fresher’s in their admission process, accommodation and other ways they could be of help, from there they win them to their fellowships where the training or grooming happens. As a fresher then, in some religions, there are a lot of rules that were set in place that one needs to abide with, some of the most important things; the way the opposite sex should dress, observation of religious activities, how to handle
sex relations.
The center focus when it comes to religion is God. In Nigeria, the three main religion is
Christianity, Islamic and traditional worshippers. The Christian religion is the type of religion that believes in the existence of the trinity in divinity, that is, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, these guide the way and manner God is viewed and worshipped, the Islamic religion believe Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion teaching that there is only one God and that Muhammad is a messenger of God.
Other types of religion generally known as the traditional religions or traditional beliefs and practices of African people are a set of highly diverse beliefs that includes various ethnic groups. Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptural and passed down from one generation to another through folk tales, songs and festivals, and deity worship. The common beliefs of all these religions are shown on the name a child bears, they also believe that there must be a structure or building in a place where people must gather together to worship God and these have been passed on from generation to generation which has affected every age group majorly our youth.
Amazingly, a few years after, those that accept a particular way of life in their religion have revolutionized, some to the better part while some have made it become blurred. The better part of revolutionized religion has established a basis of their religion which is God’s love (the one truth that defines every other truth) also, this has helped to build a good relationship with God and by extension, to neighbors/ people they come in contact with on a daily basis.
For the bad religion, their kind of Religion is described by Jesus when he says who is that man (Thou hypocrite), that won’t first cast out the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. They criticize, blackmail, envy, and perpetrate many other wicked acts one could imagine. The role of religion in the life of Nigeria youth cannot be over emphasized.
Everyone believes that youth are the future of every family and nations, the leaders of tomorrow and the glory of the youth is in their strength, full of vigor and adventurous. The time of life when one is young, and often means the time between childhood and adulthood (maturity). Its definitions of a specific age range vary, as youth is not defined chronologically as a stage that can be tied to specific age ranges; nor can its end point be linked to specific activities, such as taking unpaid work or having sexual relations.
Religion plays an important role in youth behaviors, however, it is a complex social phenomenon that does not fit into a specific fundamental set of beliefs, and a manageable compartment of analysis. Religion is a faith-based process that is capable of impacting on governance and the behavioral attitudes of every believer particularly the youth.
And so parents are confronting a complex dilemma: While they may not be religious themselves, they were raised with religion, and they feel a nagging obligation to do the same for their children, in a myriad of ways and for a multitude of reasons the role of religion has diminished,
and people are becoming increasingly secular. Religion help the youth to have good standing and to hold the family in high esteem. A youth that consciously knows the belief without been forced to, act properly in the society and family, however, religion can significantly worsen family relationships — if it becomes a contentious issue. When there is a religious discord among families, or when some family members practice or believe differently than others, religion can do more harm than good.
Aside from cordial family and societal relationships, religious practice helps academic
performance, level of education attainment, charitable giving, volunteering to help one another without being biased, bedeviled, and egocentric, various forms of crimes will be reduced to the barest minimum if not eradicated. Increase self-esteemed, well-being among youth which will eventually promote one’s health, it enhance the way of life and curb the worst excesses of man’s instinctive, animal nature.
Most times when youth discriminate their belief to other religions and lead to the rivalry is because they tend to believe that their particular religion is the only correct one and all the others are false. Preachers and religious leaders can also encourage a culture of unquestioning loyalty amongst their followers. Fear and threatening about what lies ahead have led the youth to make wrong decisions and taken dangerous steps examples include internet fraud and cybercrime, kidnapping, violence to achieve their aims.
Good Religion has benefits the youth in the society by encouraging peace, kindness and love leading to a good life and hope for the future while Bad-Religion among youth causes more problems than it attempt to solve. What you see is what you will accept. Religion has been seen in several ways and over time been stereotyped, but with the advent of technology and its use to acquire knowledge (virtual reality), augmented and other alternate realities, we are understanding a larger way of religion that would help the belief system for clarity purposes amongst the youth.
Oluwaseun Deborah Lawal wrote in via arowolooluwaseun@ymail.com
