Religion was meant to bring people closer to God, and to one another.
Yet across history, it has just as often been used to command, to control, and to silence.
Daily struggles are dismissed with “It is the will of God.”
Suffering is explained away through selective interpretations of scripture, often delivered by leaders whose authority is rarely questioned.
But this pattern did not begin with modern religion or colonial influence.
Long before Western contact, traditional systems of worship also wielded unquestionable power.
“The gods have spoken” was enough to end debate.
Entire practices were justified in the name of the sacred
Virgins sacrificed to appease deities.
Twins killed under the belief they were evil.
People believed not necessarily out of ignorance, but because these ideas were framed as divine truth.
This reveals something deeper about human nature
A tendency to seek higher authority or construct it and then submit to it.
And in many cases, that authority reflects human fears, desires, and existing power structures.
With Western expansion came institutional Christianity, intertwined with colonialism, exploitation, and slavery.
Religion was not just spiritual it became political.
There is historical evidence that enslaved Africans were exposed to restricted versions of the Bible versions that emphasized obedience while muting themes of liberation.
The message was clear: endure, obey, accept.
Similarly, in West Africa, the spread of Islam carried both intellectual advancement and conflict.
The Sokoto Caliphate, for instance, expanded through jihad, asserting religious and political authority, often through violence.
Across time and culture, a pattern emerges
Religion can inspire but it can also be used to dominate.
As Karl Marx argued, religion can function as the “opium of the people” not only easing pain, but dulling the will to challenge it.
And today, we still see echoes of this dynamic.
In Nigeria, religion remains deeply embedded in both public and private life.
For many, it provides hope, meaning, and structure.
But it can also encourage passivity
Suffering is endured rather than confronted, because “God is in control.”
Leaders become unquestionable, seen as divinely appointed.
Violence is justified through distorted interpretations.
Poverty is spiritualized, making hardship seem virtuous instead of solvable.
Financial demands are framed as divine obligation even for those already struggling.
At this point, the issue becomes difficult to ignore.
The problem is not religion itself.
It is how it is interpreted, who controls that interpretation, and how easily people surrender their agency in the process