RELIGIOUS MADNESS ON CAMPUSES……ONYEJI DOMINIC

Religious activities are completely out of place when they become competitive in contemporary society. Churches and their various denominations are seen as something else when they operate like business establishments or profit orientated organizations. Close observation reveals that churches are now at serious war with one another on our campuses. They are now operating like rival bodies especially here in Africa. Worst part of it is that our school managements and authorities are not taking appropriate measures to check religious mania on our campuses these days. Higher institutions like University and Polytechnic in Africa have been overtaken by religious fanaticism  and school authorities are doing nothing to control the madness. One thing we seem to forget is the fact that religious denominations are not meant to have branches on any campus or school. It is quite wrong in contemporary world. School authorities should know that things like advancement and civilization do not call for fanaticism on any campus.


This is modern world where things are meant to be well organized, sticking to orderliness. Religions activities are expected to be central in schools. Civilization requires believers to operate as one body under one umbrella in every school. Terms like “Campus Fellowship” is quite abnormal in modern world. What operates in schools as recognized Christian body is chapel, not fellowship. If you ask the wise, they will tell you that anything outside central chapel on campus is downright out of place in contemporary society.

One ugly thing is that activities of the so-call Campus Fellowships are not doing students any good. It only tends to choke their academic lives to death. This means that the religious activities are both barbarous and a distraction in realm of academy. They are seen as distractions in disguise. If you doubt, ask sincere wise men like Apostle Paul in Bible. Go to the learned and pay heed to their candid advice  They will tell you that students are not meant to take active parts in religious activities. It is good for students to be involved in God’s work. But they should not allow it to choke their academic lives in make-believe. Active involvements in religion or Christianity are meant for the learned only (wise men of God). Students are neither learned nor wise. Man becomes learned when he has passed through several learning processes and obtained success at advance or top level in his profession. Bible describes such person as a vessel of honor and that is what God expects every student to become in Christ. He does not need your active involvement in his works until you become learned and wise enough to man or handle situations rightly. This was exactly what Apostle Paul meant when he asked young Timothy to study very hard in order to show himself approved unto God, a workman who needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the words of truth.

Religious fanaticism is not of God and Jesus is not known to anybody as a maniac. Too much involvement in religious activities is not doing students any good. Our campuses today are too crowded with rival groups (pseudo-forums) that are wrongly given official recognition. Students are now misleading and misdirecting themselves on our campuses, serving as heads, leaders or mediocre-presidents in the so-call Campus Fellowships. Most annoying thing here is that they do not graduate with good grades after all the devotions and active involvement. We have millions of them in cities roaming about with their mediocre-files of poor credentials. We see them graduating with shame and regret contrary to Apostle Paul’s teachings (…workman who need not to be ashamed…). If you doubt, go to labor market and see things for yourself. Consult employers and their agents. They will tell you that applicants who look religious and dowdy in appearance are marked or known for very low grades. You can never see religious maniac or fanatic graduate with high grades, not on this very planet called earth. They live in make-believe and lack what it takes to come out with flying colors. We have them everywhere wasting away in real life as downright failures

 

JD:I might not necessarily agree with what is said here because religious matters are matters of opinion.We would however appreciate your reaction to this piece!

11 Comments

  1. @Richard: UNN&UNEC holds the record for the highest number of these “campus churches”. They are so many you could easily get confused, and the competition is amazing.

    For example, girls are used as a tool of inducement. Back in school, I always asked the church recruiters why they never recruit ugly girls. BLW always had the finest ‘chics’ that wear tight jeans, Abiding World was for the ‘ajebutter’ and hip folks, SU, DL was the ‘hardcore’ types. It was always a running battle with those guys, they always rush the choice Jambites. To have access to them, you were made to agree to ‘put in some time’ in the fellowship.

    How will they pass exams when they don’t study? While others are at night class, they are busy ‘doing deliverance’ and night vigil. When its time for lecture, they are sleeping and trying to recover from the previous night. When its exam time, those who have read their books will be praying for retentive memory, they will be praying for ‘exam miracle’. Were they sent to University to study ‘fellowship’.

  2. I am very happy to these reactions (comments)so far. @ Public. Everybody spoke well. But my main point or concern contextually is that school authorities are doing nothing to curb religious mania on our campuses especially here in Africa. I mean, is it right to give recognition to Campus Fellowships (allow them to operate fanatically on campuses) in a contemporary world?

  3. I agree in some way with the writer’s opinion.Competition is not the basis of Christianity but soul winning,competition comes in with a dark cloud of mammonism,quest for promotion or honour;love of the world.Some churches now even compete within their ranks and have 3 fellowships on a single campus.I graduated froma school where a particular church had 3 different campus fellowships; I just couldn’t fathom the triplication. On fanatcism,the students need to know that their academics is paramount on campuses,in my fellowship back on campus,you are not allowed to be an exco if you fall below a certain grade point,this is where wisdom comes in. I personally served in one of the fellowships and joined even when my GP was below par,but came out with good grades at the end so I do not agree with the ‘mediocre president stuff’ I can attest to the fact that many who served in RCF unilag are doing so well outside there.If we are to be masters we need to learn and how do we learn by giving ourselves to what we believe in and that is where experience comes in. Campus fellowships are fine but the carnal proliferation is quite scary though.I think regulation is needed. But yet everyone has a right to form and be a part of an association. Is it not well stipulated in our constitution!

  4. I concur entirely, except for a few choice of words. Simply because it fits my narratives for some time now. I spent 6 years in Unilag and I realize how overtly competitive campus fellowships could be. And I’m not talking about different religions here.

  5. The writer is not realy communicating to me. He should give examples and not vague arguements. Mention schools and fellowship and let us check them out, so as to decide. For fellowship on campus has it advantages when I was in school. Please do not quote the apostle Paul out of context ok. Stick to your believe and religious bodies on campus is not out dated. What would you rather see on campus? Cult groups?

  6. JD I dnt agree to his reaction also.I get what he is tryin to say to some point.moderation n wisdom is very important in very religion.xtreme moslems are terrorist and Xtreme xtians are misguided

  7. I have said it times without number, nigerian christains are a disgrace to their counterparts. Pls i have been asking this question, the whites brought religions to Africa. Is it thesame way we worship that they worship (Christain)? I want someone who has travelled and worshiped abroad to tell me. I had a frend back UNILAG, he not only had an extra year, he also graduated with a 3rd class. Why? While all of us wia always busy reading ourselves to stuppor at nyts(everyday and during exam period), he wil be busy wit christain fellowship and song rehearsals. I dont pity dem at all.

    • Failing exams, can’t be blamed on worshipping God. It’s the individual’s lack of self discipline. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 “For EVERYTHING there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…” Also, 2 Thessalonians 3:10 For even when we were with you, we used to give you this command: “If anyone is not willing to work, neither should he eat.” That some people failed to follow the scripture in this doesn’t give credence to arguments put forward. Yes the White brought Christianity to Africa, don’t forget that it was because they refused the very Bible. They rejected Jesus, Romans 11:11,12,15-end Europe accept gay a thing God hates, should we follow European then because they were used to bring the Gospel or should we follow the Bible? He who failed to study at time he should and failed lacks God’s words and wisdom and it’s not an opportunity for you to make a sport of or brandish the Gospel or its activities as bad. Overzealousness without considering their own need do lead to undesirable result.

      Mr JD, I wish I could call you on your take on Buhari, and your yearning for a young aspirant, I think you are being idealistic rather than being practical and realistic considering a lot of things such as, the general acceptability of such a candidate, the desired characters in view of the pit, cesspool of humanity, general depravity of people young, old etc. I opposed vehemently your idealistic position because it won’t happen yet it will kill other option that could give good result. Here in Nigeria, corruption is the main problem. We don’t need to be hypercritical about his limitations or what he did wrong in the past, having weighed its gravity and surrounding circumstances and if it was for personal benefits or not, this done, vis-a-vis his positive deed and characters (not unfounded accusations). Mr JD, see, you don’t need a Rocket Scientist and obviously we don’t need Phd Doctors likes Jonathan, Abati, Okupe, Okonjo Iweala, Allison Madueke, etc, Nigeria solutions is glaring. We need a man who have the fear of God, and so hates stealing because he believes God will reward all evil doer in Hell. That is the (mostly) only thing that makes one run from corruption, and a man with passion to do things right. Knowledge can be imported, you can’t tell me that Buhari is not exposed enough to know how to fix road, electricity, etc even you and I( I am a Chartered Banker and Chartered Accountant, 11 and 9 years respectively), but I can authoritatively tell you we both don’t know much on IT, etc. All we need is fear of God, passion to change things, do right. Old check Exodus 18:18-21. You mentioned, young people and compared us to US, Uk,etc having young leaders. I agree, I’m a young man, very close to 40. I should like young guys but we must not lose sight of the peculiarities in Nigeria, the young are equally very corrupt, eg Farouk, Otedola, Amaechi ($50m) for aircraft which was solely for his pride, Akpabio, Saraki (who borrowed N32billion from. Intercontinental Bank and Sanusi CBN Governor who allowed Mahmud Lawal to return the 4 houses used as Security for the loan to Sanusi because, Saraki ousted Soludo who withdrew Saraki’s societee General Bank licence which Sanusi has also returned to the Saraki. So, you see, corruption is the problem and only a man who hates bribery and corruption that can first put sanity back after which you may look for additional criteria. Please I want you to comment on this on Classic FM. Please please and please. Thank you, I do like most of your comments. See, Mandela was how old when he was South Africa ‘s President. Age isn’t first here but capacity to achieve the foundational desire. General Rollings of Ghana didn’t tolerate corruption. Please don’t go into argument that this is not military rule because a truth seeking person has God backing his actions.

        • Sure,provided it’s on what I’m conversant with and at a convenient time. Why not. Only that I’m a shy person in the public.

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