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Society for Research & Academic Excellence Aug.2018 Society for Research and Academic Excellence www.academicexcellencesociety.com Conference Procedings 9th International Conference Date: 27th to 29th August 2018 Venue: Princess Alexandria Auditorium University of Nigeria, Nsukka Contact 080634650 Conference Proceedings - University of Nigeria, Nsukka Page 1 Society for Research & Academic Excellence Aug.2018 In this Issue 2018 August Conference Persistent Faith-based Crises in Nigeria: Causations, Implications and New Management Paradigm Paulinus Okechukwu Agbo (Ph.D) & Christian Onuorah Agbo (Ph.D) Inflammantory Language: A Massive Inducement to Ethno-Religious Conflict in Nigeria George C. Asadu (Ph.D) Religious Differences and Conflicts In 21st Century Ehi Eze Augustine (Ph.D) Understanding the concept of Law in Matthew 5:17-20 and Its Implication to Nigerian Christians Prof E.A Ituma & Obetta Hyacinth Chikelu Business Mandate In The Parable Of The Minas (Luke 19:11-27) And The Response Of The Church In Nigeria Ituma, Ezichi Anya (Ph.D) & Ogidi, Chiemezie N. Ethno-Religious Conflicts in Nigeria: A Threat to the Quest for National Integration Idongesit David Udom, (Ph.D) & Ugo Chuks Okolie Hate Speech and Ethno-Religious Violence in Nigeria Moses M. Adagbabiri, (Ph.D) & Ugo C. Okolie, M.Sc, Effect of Role Play Method on Students‟ Academic Achievement and Interest in Some Selected Topics in Government in Afikpo Education Zone of Ebonyi State, Nigeria Ezegbe, Bernedeth N. (Ph.D) & Okeke, Jonas N. & Okocha, Kelechi Unya & Ome, Samuel Okechukwu & Ejah Adole Principla‟s Leadership Role In The Achievement Of Excellence And Quality Assurance In The Administration Of Secondary School Ikati Lawrence Ethno-Religious Hate Speech And Political Violence In Nigeria‟s Fourth Republic Ugo Chuks Okolie & Eseohe Glory Okoedion Conference Proceedings - University of Nigeria, Nsukka Page 2 Society for Research & Academic Excellence Aug.2018 Persistent Faith-based Crises in Nigeria: Causations, Implications and New Management Paradigm Paulinus Okechukwu Agbo Ph.D, Humanities Unit, Schoool of General Studies, University Nsukka [email protected] & Christian Onuorah Agbo Ph.D Humanities Unit, School of General Studies, University of Nsukka [email protected] Abstract It is to state the obvious that faith-based crises in Nigeria is endemic. The crises have snowballed into catastrophic loss of lives, properties and an ensuing psychic damage on a good number of the people. Several researchers have pointed unhealthy competition among religions, fanaticism, hate speech, poverty and ignorance as the cardinal causations of the crises. Various peace initiatives and efforts to either quell or put an end to the crises have been ineffective. Put differently, the crises appear unabated and have worsened. Inferentially, the religious consciousness and awareness of a people reflects/shapes their attitudes. And so far the conditions that fuel religious crises in Nigeria are rife, it appears herculean for such crises to be curbed or stopped. Nonetheless, this work tries to explore the effectiveness of orientating and guarding young Nigerians against religious teachings. The research employed quantitative method in analyzing the religious phenomena and data for the study. The findings indicated that non-teaching of faith-based subjects in school among other concerns, could encourage a generation inclined to empiricism than superstition thereby making religious crises unfashionable. Keywords: Faith-based, crises, bigotry, fanaticism, superstition Introduction There seems to be an endless search for potent solutions to the worsening faith-based crises in Nigeria. Researchers and laymen as well have suggested litanies of strategies and means to control or stop the crises. These solutions so far proffered have been largely unsuccessful. Part of the reasons is the fact that the conditions that fuel such crises are endemic/common-place in Nigeria The turn of events have influenced some authors and researchers to hypothesize an impending degeneration into conflagration and war if the crises are not checked (Duru,2018, Falola, 2010). Indeed, the causations and implications of the crises are well known and documented. The concomitant influences from ignorance, bigotry, poverty, unhealthy rivalry among religions, and related issues have fuelled faith-based crises in no small measure. Nigerians caught up in the violent crises recorded loss of properties and lives. Others have been maimed and terminally injured. The ensuing conditions of hopelessness, rife, mutual suspicion, suffering and so on, have not only become issues of national discourse that demand emotional response but a reality many Nigerians directly or indirectly have to grapple with.( Agbo, 2017) The aforesaid destructions through violent confrontations are a testament of the ever expanding conglomeration of wrong use of religion which results into crises. The greater percentage of Africans holds tenaciously the beliefs and practices of their religious affiliations. Mbiti (1990) rightly observed that Africans are notoriously religious …The adherents of the three major religions- Christianity, Islam and African Traditional Religion are in constant struggle and in an unhealthy competition. Also worrisome is the manner of schisms and rivalries that exist among them. Each religion has various sects or denominations especially Christianity and Islam that seem to outshine the other mostly in a fashion that is crises imbued. Some Christians and Muslims treat with disdain the remnants of the dying and defenseless African Traditional Religion. Their worship centres, paraphernalia and other sacred objects are profaned, desecrated; burnt and sometimes carted away for reasons that bother on evangelism/conversion. More so, the Islamic sharia and its implementation in a religious competing nation like Nigeria, brews discordant atmosphere of crises. The deepening divisions among the religious groups were made worse by the introduction of Sharia (Sampson,2014). Besides, Nigerian membership in the Organization of Islamic nations Conference Proceedings - University of Nigeria, Nsukka Page 3 Society for Research & Academic Excellence Aug.2018 could be interpreted in the light of the edge Islam has over other religions in Nigeria by wielding greater power to include the nation in an organization that could mean that the country is an Islamic nation. No matter the interpretation, the inclusion of Nigeria in the organization has set other religions especially Christianity in a war of words and collision course with Islam. The members of the African Traditional Religion are not immune to crises. Like the Palestinian youths throwing pebbles and stones to the arm to teeth Israeli security personnel to drive home their perceived grievances, youth adherents of the African Religion sometimes will go on rampage to protest the bastardization of their religion by the worshippers from other religions. Several other beliefs and practices of African Traditional religion are in themselves source of crises to the worshippers and others that are not in their fold. From the foregoing, the thrust of this work is to investigate the reason for the incessant faith-based crises and their implications in Nigeria. Besides, there is the focus on exploring new ways that could put an end or reduce the incidence of the crises. Understanding Faith-based Crises and their Causations in Nigeria The adjective faith-based is concerned with “being or associated with religion or religious group (American Heritage Dictionary, 2016). The term crises are the plural form of the word crisis. It connotes „a time of great difficulty or danger …(Crowther:1998). Etymologically, crisis is derived from the Greek word Κριζις transliterated krisis. It explains any event that is capable of causing or leading to dangerous situation that affects the society; the individual, family, community and the nation at large. At this point it is fitting to affirm that faith-based crises are disturbances influenced by religion or religious ideas. On the other hand, there are various reasons for faith-based crises in Nigeria. They are: a. Religious Teachings as Impetus-Agitat There is the driving force or what actually ignite the obsession for crises associated with religion. The litanies of inciting statement of ambiguities expressed in Christian and Islamic texts and scriptures, and the belief system of African Religion are the flash points and impetus agitat to most, if not all the religious crises in Nigeria. It is not out of place to infer that the foundation of every faith-based crisis lies on the knowledge and interpretation of certain teachings and beliefs of the three main religions in Nigeria. Right and wrong interpretation of a particular text of a scripture could lead to devastating consequences. And as it is well known, scriptures such as Bible and Quran are read at the liberty of the adherents of Christianity and Islam respectively. Sometimes, the right meaning and interpretation rendered could lead to intolerance and crises. This is partly because of the fact that religious ideologies, symbols, teachings, belief etc are all coined by man and supposedly filled with imperfections. Religion as part of Culture is learned and not biologically inherited. Man creates all the myths; legends etc that are found in those scriptures nonetheless ascribed to God. No matter the origin of the writings of the texts, it goes without saying that some statements ascribed to God