Religion Not To Blame For World Terror – Bishop Kukah

His Lordship Most Rev, Dr Matthew Kukah

The Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Rev. Mathew Kukah, has said religion is not to blame for the woes of the world, in spite of the increase in the religious-linked global terrorists activities.

Kukah made this known in Abuja at the weekend while delivering his message at the eighth edition of the Festival of Praise with the theme: ‘Let Everything That Has Breath Praise the Lord.’

He said though some people are of the opinion that either religion has failed, or it is the architect of the atrocities being witnessed in the world today, he maintained that neither of the position was right.

According to him, “Amidst the pain, injury, war and death, really what can we say today, some people think that religion has failed and others think religion is to be blamed for the woes in the world, neither of these positions is correct, but we as Christians should have understanding of the position as to what our faith tells us about life, death, war, suffering, pain, about wealth, about poverty.

“I believe the greatest challenge that faces Christianity today is what I call the crisis of identity, who is Christ? What does Christ demands of us to do? I mean we might pose a question, why are we Christians? What is our duty in the world today? These are difficult questions, and each of this can be a subject of a thesis in a book, and many books and thesis can be written.”

Casting his mind back, Kukah described the Madalla bombing in 2012 as an event that marked the high point of the country’s national tragedy, and the beginning of the baptism of fire in this country.

He stated: “I issued a statement, which titled ‘Be Still’…barely two weeks after the incident, in that statement I had drawn attention to the fact that we as Christians must learn to appreciate that God is in charge, and God does not require our assistance. I also tried to show that it is not everything that has an answer, and that Christians must always believe that we are children of the resurrection, and that the God we worship has created for us a template about how we can cope with everything in life. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most crucial identity that separates Christianity from any other religion.”

He stressed that people are desperate in seeking answers to almost every question.

“We have witnessed the emergence to a multibillion naira, and $20 billion industry of divine alms sorcery; diviners, sorcerers, buddhists have now become part and parcel of divine industry today.”

Kukah stated: “Over the years we have watched our so call men and women of God who have become engrossed in many criminal activities from running baby factories, abortion clinics and other numerous activities in the name of God.

“Today, as we speak, there are Christian pastors who are not only standing trials, but are serving various prison sentences. This is because we are living with a Christianity that has now provided answers, and believe that they can solve every problem, and there will be an answer to every question,” he noted.

He emphasised that though there is blood and sorrow everywhere in the country, this is the time for Christians to stand erect because the Lord they worship has conquered the world.

“Our duty as Christians is to turn to Christ for answers rather than erect false gods to cope with the corruption and criminality. We must point our people to the cross of christ, because somehow amidst the difficulties of life many of us behave as if the cross of Christ was somehow a mistake. The challenge that faces us today is for us to think more clearly about what I call the grammar of faith,” he concluded.