WEKATI: How religion can destroy if misused

Literature continues to mirror society. In this article, we shall make reference to Segun Afolabi’s The Folded Leaf, one of the stories in Memories we Lost, an anthology of short stories approved by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development and used between 2018 and 2022 in secondary schools in Kenya.

Both mainstream and social media in the country are now awash with the revolting reality of the ghastly aftermath of extreme religious beliefs based on questionable teachings by unscrupulous preachers.

The Folded Leaf is a brilliantly woven short story about blind religious piety and how self-seeking preachers take advantage of strong faith to deceive their guileless followers for selfish gains.

Afolabi tells the story through the “eyes” of a 12-year-old blind girl, Bunmi. She lives in a religious society that has been conditioned to believe in miracles, which turn out to be delusional. These mistaken beliefs are based on unsound arguments.

Although the story is set in Nigeria, it bears an uncanny semblance to contemporary Kenyan society. Bunmi is in a conundrum. As a young sightless girl living in a brainwashed society, she is torn between self-acceptance and false hope created by some conniving preachers like pastor Fayemi, aka Daddy Cool. Together with others, she takes a long journey to Lagos, in search of healing.

Afolabi explores the mushrooming Christian practice of the gospel of healing and prosperity instead of reward for virtues and retribution for vices, which is the traditional Christian teaching. The adherents are blind to the fact that some deceitful preachers take advantage of their unquestioning beliefs to make themselves wealthy.

Pastor Adejola Fayemi owns a helicopter and a Gulfstream jet and homes in Florida, Switzerland and the Caribbean, and always looks flashy. He is also frequently featured on TV, in newspapers and magazines.

Pastor Fayemi says God does not like the poor and urges thousands of his churchgoers to give generously, claiming that giving is pleasing to the Lord. He cautions them that God can see into their hearts and they should not cheat him. The money collected is used to fund the pastor’s lavish lifestyle. In contrast, the inhabitants of Lagos, his congregants, have to endure bad roads, corrupt police officers, numbing traffic jams and abject poverty.

What’s more? Mr and Mrs Ejiofoh are given VIP treatment in church since they are rich and magnanimous. They donate generously to the church.

After giving away all their donations to the impuissant con artist masquerading as a powerful preacher and healer, Bunmi and company have to go back and face the local congregation who raised the donation money and explain to them why she and others are not healed, despite their strong faith and generous offerings.

The story is relevant to Kenyan society, where we are exhorted not to critique the church nor the clergy. Some sly con artists have taken advantage of this unquestioning conviction to dupe unsuspecting faithful.

They use mind control, a concept that the human mind can be altered or controlled by certain psychological techniques also known as brainwashing. The long-term effects of brainwashing have been linked with complex PTSD, depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. Victims of brainwashing often internalise their anger and are withdrawn from life leading to depression, anxiety and sometimes suicide.

The disheartening reality is that brainwashing can sweep through the whole populace regardless of the level of education, intellectual ability, level of success or class.

Sadly, politicians have also perfected the art of mind control. Today they use not only ethnic and class prejudice to control people, but also explore the dynamics of faith and religious inclinations.

They invade places of worship adorning the garments regularly worn by certain faithful and participate in their respective religious rituals and norms, with the view of convincing the flock to support their selfish political ambitions.

It is common knowledge that religion can influence cultural and economic outcomes by affecting such personal traits as willingness to work hard, honesty, thrift, altruism, integrity, meekness and love.

Therefore, when the country’s top leadership seems to support religion and activities of faith, it appears like a positive thing for society. However, that is not the reality on the ground in our country.

Ours is not a society that is guided by the Sermon on the Mount as espoused in Matthew 5:39. We do not abide by the doctrine of responding to insults without retort and allowing more insults. We do not know how to turn the other cheek. We are apt to smite back. We do not love our neighbours as we love ourselves.

This brings us back to the relationship between literature and society. The Samaritan by John Lara is a compulsory set text to be examined in secondary schools in Kenya between 2024 and 2028. It is a story about The Samaritan App, a platform for whistleblowing and sharing information and ideas with the view of improving governance and enhancing public affairs.

Its name is inspired by the parable of the good Samaritan that is documented in Luke 10:25-37. Lara's story is set in the fictional Maracas Municipality.

According to Lara, the Municipality leaders are like the Priest and the Levite who, despite being religious, ignore the injured Jewish man because of religious bigotry. Ironically, the injured man receives help from a Samaritan who does not share the same religious beliefs as him.

Our own leaders pretend to be so religious but they abandon us the same way the Priest and the Levite ignored the injured Jew who had been robbed, stripped, beaten and left for dead.

Likewise, they have turned their backs on the poor electorate who voted for them desperately expecting better standards of living, lower cost of common commodities and realisation of the promises made on political podiums during the campaigns.

The country is supposedly religious but characterised by runaway corruption, tribalism, prebendalism, grabbing of public land, inflation of costs of government projects, shoddy public works, assassination, drug trafficking and gang warfare among other evils. Yet our leaders claim that we are a prayerful nation.

Politicians make questionable donations in church to feed the avarice of some men of the cloth and their followers. Jesus does not teach us to bribe the faithful for political mileage. In Matthew 19:22-25, He teaches us that for anyone to have eternal life, they should sell all their property and donate all the proceeds to the poor and follow Him.

If you allow me, I will quote the words of the Son of Man, hopefully guiding some of the leaders who may be headed down the wrong path.

“Verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.”

In a country where politics is more lucrative than business and professional careers, and politicians are very influential, it is dangerous when they use a powerful tool such as religion to control the masses.

Before they tell us that they are men of God, they should set an example by selling all their property, running in billions of shillings, and donating the proceeds to the poor majority and following Christ unconditionally, instead of running for public office or running mega churches where they end up amassing more dirty wealth.

Isn’t it worrying that the country has more churches than schools, hospitals and small industries? Communities raise funds to build even more churches rather than schools or industries.

We are rich in faith but wallowing in ignorance, poverty and diseases. These problems have been compounded by the corruption and impunity of leaders who hide behind the veil of religion.

The basic premise of any religion is to advance the principle of rewards for doing good and punishment for misdeeds. Religion, like literature and culture, is a good thing. It brings checks and balances to society. A few unprincipled people have taken advantage of our religiosity to advance self-seeking missions.

Politicians must stop lying to the masses and using religion to advance their avaricious ambitions. We expect the appointment of qualified technocrats to run government departments and help solve the problems the country is currently facing rather than fallacious claims from leaders who, for example, pray for rain or sit back and hope that God will somehow solve the country’s economic problems.

Moreover, we should use educational institutions to advance social education and ethics where we teach morals and good manners rather than dogmatic religious rituals. Schools should not be converted into religious centres. The school programme can allow a few hours a week for guided religious activities.

Schools are primarily supposed to be centres of academic enlightenment. They should also inculcate universal human values, morals, discipline and orderliness in the learners. They should not be used as breeding grounds for religious extremists or for any sort of indoctrination.

We expect them to nurture visionaries, innovators and thinkers. It is the job of the church, out of one's own individual conviction, to bring forth meek believers who practise what they preach.

The Folded Leaf ends with Bunmi accepting her sightlessness as a gift or a sign from God. She accepts that her life has a larger purpose in spite of her disability. She also appreciates the fact that she has a loving family who do not expect her to give them money in exchange for affection. Ironically, a visually impaired girl can see what many people who have eyes cannot see.

Faith is a personal affair and this article is not in any way meant to sway anyone from their religious inclination. Just use your God-given brains and think before you leap.

Be wary of the Antichrist mentioned in 1 John 4:3.

English Literature teacher