Nation
Revealed! Christianity in South East on the decline
… As Igbo youths opt for traditional religion
Anambra is an Igbo hub, showcasing the ingenuity, industry, and creativity of the Igbo people. The city of Onitsha stands as a vivid representation of the commercial and industrial prowess of the Igbo.
In the political landscape, Anambra has produced notable figures such as Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nigeria’s first indigenous president, alongside Chief Nwafor Orizu, the first president of the Senate. Additionally, Gen. Odimegwu Ojukwu, who famously sought to lead the Ndigbo in their quest for independence with the Republic of Biafra, hailed from Anambra as well. These are just a few of the influential personalities from the state.
Anambra often leads in various sectors, both regionally and nationally. However, recent observations from Business Hallmark indicate that the current generation of Igbo youths appears less focused on Christianity or church involvement compared to previous generations, with this trend being particularly prominent in Anambra.
They are rather going back to the traditional ways of idol worship. They claim the European missionaries who brought Christianity deceived their great grandparents. For this singular act, the youths have resorted to idol worshipping, always casting aspersions on Christianity and whatever it represents.
On Sundays, Igbo big cities like Onitsha, Aba, Owerri, Umuahia, Enugu, Abakiliki, Afikpo, and even the remote areas are replete with youths – boys and girls – who either engage in sports or commercial activities. These are students, artisans, traders, apprentices, and even professionals like teachers, lawyers, medical doctors, engineers, as well as journalists and ICT experts. They believe that the church is a scam and that Christianity is a fraud.
“I was born into a Christian home. My father was the catchiest of my parish. My mother was an executive member of the Catholic Women Organization (CMO). They showed us the way to the church. We attended catechism class for First Holy Communion and Confirmation. I was a mass server, and my elder sister was the secretary of the Mary League group.
“However, I can tell you that all the teachings I received from the church run contrary to natural laws. They are illogical and do not make any sense to me at all. As far as I am concerned, the European missionaries came here to deceive our great grandparents, whom they indoctrinated with their religion to get what they wanted. Let me happily inform you that I am no longer a Christian. I have been converted to African Traditional Religion. This is my creed as I talk with you because Christianity is a scam”, Nwauba Uchenna, a resident of Ishiuzor, Egbu in Owerri North, Imo State, stated.
Nwauba’s view aptly captures the stand of most Igbo youths of today. At the popular Ochanja Market Onitsha, Anambra State, a trader who identified himself as Igwe Okeke posed many rhetorical questions. He asked, “Christian missionaries came here and changed our names from Njoku to Jude, Anyanwu to John, Nwachukwu to Godson, Adaku to Mary Jane, Ulumma to Catherine, etc.
“Does it mean that God does not recognize Igbo names? Does it mean that God doesn’t know Igbo culture and traditions? Again, look at what Christianity labels as guardian angels; they are all European names – Mark, Jude, James, Philip; Agnes, Juliet, Margaret, etc. Does it mean that Ndigbo as a people have no guardian angels? I don’t understand.
“The Catholic Church has feast of St Michael, Immaculate Conception, Assumption, and generally, there are Easter and Christmas. However, they termed all our feasts as fetish, which made them look satanic. Again, my question is: the almighty God that created Africans never gave us a culture, never gave us guardian angels, and never gave us feasts to celebrate? I disagree. The European missionaries, alongside their explorers and colonial masters, used force and deceit to overpower our ancestors and handed the concept of Christianity to them”, Okeke enthused.
In about four months, the governor of Anambra State, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has been on the trail of dubious traditional medicine men in the area whom he labelled as “occultic”. These traditional medicine men, according to the official gazette of Anambra State, are those with occultic temples, shrines, and altars where the youths visit to acquire all manner of destructive powers through various means of ritual practice and worship.
“You see, most Igbo youths of today are gradually but steadily restoring the act of idolatry. That is, the worship of idols. This is why they are now attacking Christianity as a scam because the Bible does not support such ideologies and things like that. Since a part of Idol worshipping is ritualism and other occultic behaviour which in the short term guarantee security and wealth, the youth now tags Christianity a fraud. This is quite laughable because what comes wrongly also goes wrongly. The recent discoveries in Anambra State have proved that most of the people promoting traditional worship are actually cultists in African Religion attire,” Pastor David Obioma of Faithseed Ministries, Umuahia, explained.
Yet, the Igbo youths have more points to back up their claims. “When you read the Bible very well, you discover that the document is not actually from God. There is nothing godly about the Bible because the book has many irregularities and mistakes. God could not have made such childish mistakes or blunders.
“Furthermore, comparing between the way and manner Christianity and African Traditional Religion are structured, you discover that there will be peace, order and tranquility if the latter is applied than the former. There are armed robbers or kidnappers in the neighbourhood. Pastors will be praying for God to take control, while the African faithful will invoke the powers of the gods and ancestors to intervene. Of course, the pastors’ method will never produce any result. But, within days or weeks, you will see the positive result of the African Traditional Religion priests. In other words, the latter is more latent and more result-based than the former, Ngozi Ada Anyanwu, Ezenwanyi, noted.
Meanwhile, reasons have been given for the youths’ abandonment of Christianity for the African Traditional Religion. “To be sure, the traditional churches – Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, and few others, came with the gospel of repentance and salvation. In the beginning, the church was purely for spirituality, education, and social development.
“Alas, Pentecostalism emerged. Armed with revival and reformation crusades, and beautifully garnished with charismatic evangelization, the entire Black world sensationally caught fire, particularly in Nigeria! In the Orthodox churches, Bible teaching, preaching, and prophecy were carefully managed and controlled to avoid meaningless interpretations and absurd practices. However, in the Pentecostal movement, everyone was encouraged to carry the Bible, preach, and spread the gospel. Of course, you know, energy under control is powerful. But every out of control is dangerous.
“As everyone is allowed to speak in tongues, perform all manner of magical and mysterious miracles, heaven was let loose. Today, you can hardly separate churches from juju centres. You don’t know if it is a miracle or magic. Most times, it is difficult to practically distinguish between a pastor, reverend, evangelist, or man of God from a street man or boy! I am even surprised, and it rankles to state that some Catholic priests have joined this destructive trend of commercialization of church activities.
Taken together, the church has been playing significant roles in the growth and development of Nigeria, especially in the south, and particularly, in the South East. For instance, before the arrival of missionaries, twins were killed and sacrificed to the gods. The churches built schools, clinics, and supermarkets, some of which we still enjoy today.
“As Shakespeare noted, ‘The problem is not in our stars but in ourselves. ‘ The church, as a concept, as an idea, or as an institution, has no problem. The problem is the many fake men of God masquerading as pastors or priests or prophets/ prophetesses. To that effect, the young ones said they preferred the African Traditional Religion to Christianity since the former was not originally African. And that is where the confusion begins,” Peter Ukah, observed.