PREAMBLE

One thing I love about Christian religion, unlike the Islamic religion, is that it is an open religion; you can reason with it, you can critique it, you can say your mind about it; the church will listen and if you should have superior arguments, the church will mend its ways and if not… the church will just ignore you as if you have no relevance. My peculiar background as a former student of Mayflower School tutored and disciplined by the great social critic and popular agnostic, Dr. Tai Solarin, often colorized my skepticism of religion- particularly the Christian religion as it is projected and exaggerated in Nigeria by Christian fundamentalists. The great emotional and devotional manner in which Christianity is presented by charismatic pastors is as though these Nigerians were present in heaven when the religion was sent down and when the Holy Bible was being written and complied. Interestingly, such skepticisms often lead me to a greater understanding of my environment and give me better grasps of things dear to us- either as individual or as collective moral agents. Needless to say, that I regard myself more as a Christian than either Muslim or traditional religious worshiper. Due to my "western" education and exposure, I feel more comfortable inside a church worshipping the same God than anywhere else for the same worship!

One of such skepticism is what occurs in my mind this day. The following exercise which I am embarking on is an intellectual challenge; a hypothetical subjugation of error, our collective perception of certainty- particularly about the ease with which we make God forgive our sins.

CONCLUSION

Let me start with my conclusion. What if we had been wrong all the while about our description of ease with which "we make" God to forgive sinners and criminals? What if unknown to us, God does not forgive- particularly in the manner we currently hold his forgiveness? If God does not forgive, what happens to our fear of hell- the kingdom of eternal damnation for which we seek forgiveness of sins and plead the blood of His redemption?

INTRODUCTION

When I posted my thoughts on "Who owns the church?" on the Nigerian village square website, I got responses that I did not realize would come. People reacted and while some praised the opinion, some rained fire and brimstone on my head for daring to suggest that:

Nigerians should become a little more sensitive when they go to churches because of the tens of different church collections as "offerings" in the name of God;

When church collections are made and hundreds of millions of Nigerian Naira are collected to build a church edifice, who owns that church when it is completed? Is the church owned by members of the public who contributed money to build it (some of who might have moved to other churches as consequence of relocation or re-definition of standards), or the pastor (with his wife, children and spouses) who brainwashed people into paying for the constructions?

No church challenges or rebukes Nigerians who do not pay taxes, but rain curses on those who do not pay church 10% tithe; and as a result, the Nigerian government should begin to consider collecting taxes from churches because they make enormous resource just by saying words that both blackmail and brainwash Nigerians.

That God, exists in the awesomeness of His descriptions and attributes by His followers- be they Muslims, Christians or Traditional African Religious Worshippers is undeniable, irrevocable and of universal truth. Conversely, that there is no phenomenon as described, worshipped and called God is also an approachable temptation of reasoning. These are two opposing views, each at both ends of the divide. Notwithstanding, either of these ones also demonstrate signs of beliefs when confronted with the fear of the unknown.

Those who believe in the existence of God need not use any argument to buttress their claims; their faith, the holy books and the numerous experiences of his awesomeness are proof enough that He is that which is worshipped. To fault this argument will require going into the faith world and denouncing the experiences of the faithful.

However, those who say God cannot exist, use all forms of arguments to justify their claim of His inexistence. To them, what is not logical, or cannot be proven in scientific or Darwinian ways cannot pass muster as valid arguments. For example; if they say, God is Alpha and Omega: The Beginning and The End, how logical can it be to further claim that God allows free will when the Omniscient already knows our end and what discussions we will take as free agents? It does not make sense because then God must have known what we will say or do before we say them or perform the act. And again, how can an Alpha and Omega create a world so imperfect and he sits on His throne watching destructions, epidemic, famine, genocides, war sufferings and agonies and he does nothing about it while angels sing his praise all day!

A middle ground for all the atheists or the skeptics is the acceptance and or proposal that either God does not exist or He exists but not in the magnitude of our descriptions of Him. The bottom-line here is either to deny or call for review, our collective illusions (or perceptions) of the attributes of god.

THE ATTRIBUTE OF GOD

One of the greatest and perhaps most significant attributes of God to modern faithfuls is that of an All-Forgiving-God. God is Merciful and Forgiving. To New Testament Christians, the almighty God had sent his "only begotten son" whose redemptive blood becomes the symbol of atonement of our sins- even the ones not yet committed. Once the blood is pleaded on sinful act, forgiveness is attained, purity is added, candidacy of heaven and its bless is spontaneous and reigning with God is assured. With a simple act of approaching a priest to make a simple confession of a grievous offence committed knowingly (most times), or going to one of the Pentecostal Churches and confessing, a lift of the priest's hand (in the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy spirit) and forgiveness is attained and automatic! It used to be that with some down payments, the Catholic Church would write a certificate of forgiveness of sins to any congregation that wanted it. Now, it is not that expensive or tasking; it is only by confessing to sins committed at the confessional; that is all. Henceforth, it no longer matters that millions of money meant to eradicate poverty was stolen from public treasury into private bank account to eradicate the poverty of the person who stole it; or that people's wives were slept with; or that someone's life is destroyed because of one conscious act of the other person; or that an unimaginable and heinous crime to humanity was committed. Those sins/crimes were committed oblivious to anyone. Confessions are made only to God through the priests.

This, in ordinary view, does not make reasonable and logical sense. But then the argument is that things of God surpass all (human) understanding. This argument of things of God surpassing all understanding is the basis of remotely scaring people from critical thinking. But let us leave things as they are here and approach another fundamental issue.

THE NIGERIAN NATION

At different times of my everyday life, I have reasons to question why I remain loyal to this country, Nigeria inspite of all. There are so many things deliberately wrong with it and those who make them deliberate are anxious not to allow corrections. Apart from the dilapidating nature of all aspects of her infrastructures, Nigeria's current class of leadership is grossly inadequate. Nigerians, outside the ruling class are, on daily basis, making tremendous scarifies to the growth of the nation while an insignificant few, who have power, who are in control of social and political authorities, make a jests of out faith in the country. They embezzle money so flagrantly and openly that one begins to wonder if these characters have any morals at all or whether they were ever taught any decency of any sort. To think that President Olusegun Obasanjo and his deputy, Vice President Abubakar Atiku were busying saying to each other; "you were the one that stole the meat from mummy's pot…; no I caught you eating it first …" makes one imagine whether Nigerians truly fear God and His laws against sins. Both leaders were openly accusing each other of stealing money from the national treasury so shamefully that even some people are too petrified to read or listen to more of the accusations.

The accusations had been countless; the number of government officials who divert monies meant for public healthcare into private use while watching children dying of lack of adequate care; the number of accountants who stole pensions funds of retired public servants, create ghost workers and receive their benefits monthly; the number of politicians who receive bribes so that toxic wastes or hazardous things are deposited within habitable environments; the number of police officers who lend guns to hired assassins and armed robbers and make sure the attacked areas are not patrolled while they "operate"; the number of bankers who rape their female employees who are desperate to keep their jobs; the number of corrupt judges who lay bad judicial precedence; the number of government administrators who use state machineries to terrorize, commit murder and assassinate political opponents. Yet, Nigerians are one of the top most prayerful people in the world and at the same time, Nigeria is one of the top 3 most corrupt nations of the world. From private sectors to public sectors, there are disgust and extremely distasteful character of men and women camouflaging as prayerful, God-fearing, holier than thou and righteous amongst nations.

PUNITIVE IN LAW

Generally, the idea behind creation of law (and the compliance of it) is because it is preventive, corrective and punitive. Law will never work if there is no punitive measure guiding its disobedience. (The eyes of the law, unlike the "Omni-eyes" of God, do not watch compliance of law, but once one is caught flouting an aspect of the law, punishment is assured.) No one will ever feel compelled to obey any law if they can interpret its meanings and subject its negations to their own character analysis and acceptance. If the law against over speeding for example is just to remind motorists that over speeding kills and not to over speed, then I know many people who will NEVER regard such caution. For example, I have a friend who constantly lights a cigarette under the federal government's announcement that "…cigarette smokers are liable to die young"! If after the violation of a law, a confession is made to the police and police commissioner, acting on behalf of the State, can forgive the offender, then I know two third of Nigerians (including this writer) that will gladly take up that challenge and break whatever existing law even if it is for the fun of it. In that case, even armed robbers, rapists, arsonists will not bother going to the police station to confess, they will send a signed letter of confession to the police with some percentage of their loots as gratuity for the forgiveness of their sins just as they embark on another theft. Child rapists will send voice recordings of confession of previous rape as they climaxed on top of another 9 years old girl victim. If there is no punitive measure in law, there cannot be any adherence to it by anyone beyond the mere boredom of repetition of the same crime.

However, the attractions to God and one of the most important reason for His worship, is because no matter how grievous the sin/offence, a plea of the adoring and forgiving blood of Jesus Christ, and the sin is totally forgiven.

Gone were those days when criminals and betrayals of societal trusts were outcasts from communities in Nigeria. Nowadays, there are chieftaincy titles for criminals who torment the poor people with their loots. In ancient times, churches were curious about and preached against stolen wealth. Nowadays, such stolen wealth receive Holy Communion from priests who arbor the looters and make them deacons and deaconesses in the churches. The assumption behind not preaching against crimes and stolen trusts in the churches, is because it is believe that the "healing power of the blood of Jesus Christ had set the criminals free." Everyone is convinced that a way out of guilty conscience is to go for confession and "buy" forgiveness of sins. That is all.

Does it make sense: that God's infinite laws are made so that they can be broken repeatedly? Is it really true that our own logic is not the same as God's logic? In our logic, it does not make sense to make a law so that it would be broken and no chance for punitive measures against its violation.

Arguments have been proffered that God has given everyone the "free will" to act as each deems fit. That free will makes one commits or abstains from sin. The argument went further by claiming that God recognizes only genuine and pure confessions and He truly forgives- like in the case of David- the psalmist. David in the Bible always went to God with powerful poetic repentance and God always forgave him. Perhaps, Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka must write a powerful poem of repentance before he dies so that his not going to church might be forgiven eventually. However, with every free will comes the punitive law of responsibility. An actor is responsible for every action taken- good or bad! Being responsible or taking responsibility for actions is in itself a caution against excesses.

There is no doubt that people deliberately commit sins because they know God will say; it's not right, but it's okay I forgive you! What if God uses another measure- in addition to the blood of Jesus Christ- to measure forgiveness? What if singing songs more sonorous than the Psalmists is not enough to guarantee true repentance and hell is looming high? It cannot be so simple that after former Inspector General of the Nigerian Police Force Tafa Balogun had helped rained untold horror on the public, stole 13billion Naira that God has written off his debt with fate just like that! There are some victims who are daily tormented by constant recollection of the day armed robbers came to terrorize them. There are people living with memories of heinous crime committed against them; some rape victims who are unable to move closer to any man again; some people who are psychologically damaged because of what other people did to them; husbands who watched while gang rapists climbed on their pregnant wives or impregnate their wives while they watched helplessly. The sinners had approached God and confessed and had been forgiven! It is either the concept of God's wrath and forgiveness is unfair or we misrepresent its interpretations. It cannot be right to destroy a nation knowingly and for God to say; it's not right, but it's okay I forgive you! Where is punitive?

Imagine a situation where at some point, God's wrath had been misconstrued and miss represented by the church? What if sins are not totally forgiven even after pleading the blood? What if truly, God does not forgive sins committed in full knowledge of its implications and consequences with the same ease as we think he does? What if God does not forgive, will our politicians still increase poverty rather than eradicating it? If we are aware that there are punitive measures in sins/crimes, will people still make money from spoils of war? Will people still endanger lives of the others knowing fully well that there is no refuge in God?

What if God does not forgive sins committed? Then we are going to rot in punishment unless like Michael Jackson sings; "look at the man in the mirror and then make a change!"