THE INCREASE IN MORAL DECADENCE IN NIGERIA: A CRITICAL

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Implication Proliferation Of Religiow s Organization In Nigeria ....................... .. ......................................................................................... 10 CHAPTER FOUR: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION ..................... .,. ........................ 1 5 BIBLIOGRAPHY CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTlON 1.1 Introduction The major reason for increasing number of mushroom churches can be attributeted to quest for riches There is increasing a l m the overt emphasis placed on the message of materialism by Nigerian church leaders. As it is, it now appears all that Christianity i s all about is prosperity. Now many Nigerians attend church not to serve God but to 'lave their needs- mostly economic- met. Are you comfortable with the rate prosperity messages have grown in Nigeria The injunction is that we should "seek first the kingdom of God and all other things shall be added unto you". This is a basic condition to wellness, spiritual uplihent as well as prosperity and it is not automatic as man! of these pastors would want us to believe. In "seeking the kingdom of God", yo1 i have to live the life worthy of a child of God by fblfilling His wiIl as anchore 1 in creation. By being "saintly" everyday( not just on sundays) as if e~erybod:~. in your church congregation is watching you. We don't achieve this by going to church everyday to dancv and gyrate and entertain ourselves. It is by your everyday activity, by your dship with your fellow human beings. Some of us will go to church, ostensibly to pray for prosperity, and the next day they dupe someone or defraud their company or in the case of politicians, steal govt fhds and they will come back to church to give testimony about how the Almighty has helped them get rich. The Almighty cannot and will never be part of such richness. A man after rigging election and using thugs to maim and murder his opponents will come to church to give testi-nony and donate chunks of money stolen from public funds. Such wealth does not come fiom God. Seek to know and live accordina to the teachins of Christ Jesus. If that is done, where the story has it, a great empire was laid low by wicked ernrerors like Nero. CHAPTER TWO THE NATURE AND CAUSES OF MORAL DECADENCE 2.1 Sexual Immorality Moral decadence manifest itself in sexual immorality, and one of th : major causes of sexual immorality in our society today is television, The television programmes of today have deviated from process, enter ainment to sexual pewersion. The sexual behaviour youths watch on television today deemed pathological by its division fiom "normal" sexual desire. In fetishism, the object of sexual desire is either an inanimate object o - a congenital part of the human anatomy and this lead to youth voyeurism. Other forms cf sexual deviation include exhibitionism, incest, transvesstim, necrophilia, sadism and ma: ochism. 2 .2 Violence most youths today are turning into violent destructive, and hateful people. Youths are exposed to models throughout their environment including those on television. Research suggest that youth who view violent programmes on telel ision will behave more aggressively with peers. This violence in television programmes promote crime and agglressive behaviour in youth as they will like to imitate and repeat the behaviour they see or television. "A recent report porn the National Institute of Mental Heall h (NIMH) Pools evidence from Over 2, 500 studies within the last decade on over 1'00,000 subjects porn several Nations to shnow that the complied evidence of telerf kion intence on hehaviour is so over "whelming" that there is a consensus in the research community that "violence on television do lead to crime and aggr essive hehmior ". Given that the majority of Scientific Community agrees that the re zearchJindings of the NIMH publication supprt conclusion of a causal reh+ionship between 4 television viole~ce and crime and aggressive behaviour". 23 Corrupt leaders in the society Once the epitome of decency, the Nigerian Elder has become the notal-lle champion of our moral decay. Our Elder is the looting Politician, the crooked Staterman, the incompetent Technocrat, the rogue Tmditional Ruler, and tbe false miracle peddling Reli@ous Leader. All our institutions have become violated by corrupi Men, and the EIder is the towering symbol of dl our depravity. He is a thieving Pers In. Robbing tradition by demanding respect, and stealing the Country blind. The Elder is the reason moral decadence in the soceity. He ruined most of our traditional institution, damaged modern authority and order. A Nigeria11 Elder is a totally lawless character. Bribery is the tool he uses to defeat our values. Our t, lders brought the culture of "Chop I. Chop" upon us, colluding with the Nigerian Militatf to blunder our progress. h civilian rule, the Elder was even worse. He created politicd thuggery, and etectoral process theft. The Elder does not value Democracy. He is a cf auvinist of power. Elder by any means necessary! Our Elders are also prodigal. The Elders does not create industry, he ru ns it. Once ruined, he carts his spoils to foreign lands. Our Elders are spoilers. The.! have rubbished the moral decency of the youth, and damaged our National pride. The F lders have no interest in National development nor the youth. They loathe a prosperow Nigeria. Our Elders are also debtors. Huge debt was never a way of 1 ife for us. 7 hey owe the International community billions of Dollars, most of the money borrow XI at a period of economic prosperity. These shameless men are now asking for debt for ;iveness. Our Fomfather never asked for debt forgiveness. Our Elders now live in fea -. They forgot that they will suffer from the blights of moral decadence they brought upon the youth. Today the youth are loose and dangerously effected the unhealthy lifest yle of our elders. our elders are the major cause of moral decadence of our youth. 2.4 Crisis of Morality Another major cause of moral decadence among youth is global crisis o ' morality to some, the world exists in a state that appears to be improving. Great achi wements in science, technology, medicine and economics have led to advancements ~f every kind imaginable. As problems arise, we seem unlimited in our ability to solve them. But are we really solving them? Are the inevitable wounds of advancement being healed by technology? It has been said that the total fund df human knowledge doubles mual y. Does all this information improve society? Does it allow us to make better choices? b e we, as ''informed" people, better off than the "ignorant and uneducated" masts of previous centuries? One area in which knowledge has flourished is that of sex. A plt. thora of information-and instruction-is now available. But has it allowed us 1'1 make better choices? No doubt you can see the depth to which sex permeates society. One catl no longer turn on the television without finding a program that has sexual undertones. Magazines are filled with stories, photos and features that would shock those of past gt nerations. There is now also the Internet, offering a veritable buffet of perversions. But are these things really having an effect on society? Is this pc blic fascination with sex actually changing how we act, think and live? What about chil, ken? Does the explosion of sex-related material taught in schools and presented by the media have positive or negative effects on them? Psychologists have suggested that children need the "seeds of tolerance' planted in them at an early age, to aIlow them to blossom into well-rounded, tolerant ad1 Its. In this vein, many school curriculums have been altered to allow alternative lifestyle'; and viewpoints to be expressed, oftentimes without the parents' knowledge. Will such seeds of knowledge sprout into a better, more tolerant society ' Or is there a price to be paid for the "re-education" of our children? Society has embraced the concept of political correctness. It allows all p mple to live their lives however they choose as long as "it doesn't hurt anyone else." The "PC" attitude has spawned an era of tolerance that, before our time, was unknown. Everyc ne and everything is now tolerated-+r is it? Pleasure and betterment are the main goals and hopes of many. Some wl luld argue that, if they are doing something to themselves, they should have the right to ex 3eriment and enjoy whatever they please. After all, they would theoretically hurt no orle but themselves. But is self-pleasure actually leading toward betterment? The world is filled with many avenues of recreation-escape-esp8ciaa ly in the western world. Television, movies, dance clubs, bars and the Internet allow peode to escape their daily lives or meet others who share similar interests. The most enablin : of these is the Internet. Never has it been so easy for so many to reach those who shar : similar interests-no matter how extreme. The Internet literally has "something for everyone." For instance, if you are interested in rock climbing and have recently moved to a new city, the Internet would allow you to find others who share this interest. But, with the click of a mouse, one can just as easily find people who WE interested in pedophilia!The Internet is the ultimate form of full-information access. 3ut how the Internet is used, and how sex has dominated this medium, will shock yclu. Never before could someone who was "curious" about same-sex relationships find a partner to explore that curiosity in such an open and encouraged forum.And in the same u ~ y , children are now exposed-aften without their parents' knowledge-to predators of every kind. These types of windows into society exist. But where does society itseli'now stand? Collectively, what does it believe? The State of AfYairsA statistical picture reveals the s e x d state of the world. Although it will not supply you with answers, it will show you the dire straits in wh nh we live. In today's world, it is common to lose one's virginity by age 16. Howeb 3, this is tame in comparison to the problems across middle schools in America. Instead c f learning math and english, reports regularly appear about students caught having oral sex in the classroom. This is now generally considered to be at epidemic levels. Fifth grade graduation parties feature scores of children "fiteak" dancing -a form of dancing in urhich they simulate the sex act while keeping their clothes o x Thinking about being "sexy" starts even younger. The popular "Barbie" do1 1 has recently introduced a version called "Lingerie Barbie." Although Mattel stated tl- at this Barbie is for ages 14 and up, the average market for Barbie is ages 8 to 12. The pr jduct description shows how children are forced to confront sexuality issues: "Batbie exu Ies a flirtatious attitude in her heavenly merry widow bustier ensemble accented with inlricate lace and matching peekaboo peignoir,"ChiIdren are supposed to be childlike-in-locent- throughout childhood! Sexuality should never even enter their thinking Yet they are constantly bombarded with-force-fed-images and products that push them to be sexy. One market that seems to have no concept of childhood is that of fashicn. It seems that, if you want sex to sell, you must start with the very young, as this quote fvom ABC News shows: "A fake limd miniskirt.. .boots and fishnet stockings.. .If you tl link it's the wardrobe of a 20-something, think again!" It goes on to expIain that thi ; is the closet of a five-year old! The sexuillization of children has spawned a generation of adults who h we delved into every perversion under the sun. Relationships have also become twisted and perverted. This has devastated marriages, which are now mare likely to end in div .)rce than not. And the Internet has also had a hand in this. An American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers survey recently showed that in the last 12 months, internet-rel: ted issues caused 62% of all divorce cases. From meeting partners for affairs, to delving hto perversions once suppressed or addiction to pornography, families are being destrojmed by the immoral fiber that has become pervasive in our society. Studies show that over 80% of marriages in the U.S. have an unfaithful mrtner. Children learn by example. What example is being set? Children who are abused tend to become abusers. By extension, might chiIdren of openly prorniscuotls parents tal:e on these qualities as well?But there are even more extreme The twentieth cenw has made phenomenal contributions to science and technology and has been abysrlal for ethics and morality. "We have shrunk the earth, brought continents within hours ol each other and thoughts within seconds; we have produced unprecedented wealth and f ooded our markets with an unimaginable m y of goods; we have established demc lcracies on all the continents and resounded our commitments to human rights universally. Yet, the vast majority of humanity remains trapped in poverty; inarticulate, oppressed, and powerless to influence their destinies. Our social organisation negates our scientifir : and technological achievements by restricting their benefits to selected sectc rs of our people. We have established a world system that is generated by inequality dnd a;enwates inequality. we have created a materialistic soceity ... a monitised socei&. almost every segment of the soceity is rnonitized rangingfiom the church, the educat onaE system,the CHAIPTER THREE: PROLIFERATION OF RELIG IOUS ORGANIZATION IN NIGERXA 3.1Proliferation Of Religious Organization In Nigeria AI1 over the country there are different religious organizations sc: ttered in every street. The churches in Nigeria are cash cows as its weekly and monthly yields are astonishing. The weekly offerings alone (according to the budget - heet distributed in some church) atone for more than $30,000 and this is not inclur ive of the tithe that is taken every month. Given the amy of professionals in the ( hurches who earn hefty and appreciable sums, it is safe to conclude that tithe alme exceeds $100,000 a month-for some churches in Nigeria This is significant considering the fact that some churches started from a small rented rooms befor moving to big buildings There are many of these types of churches cropping all over the i mited plains of Nigeria. Invariably, Nigerian churches are scattered like mustard seed acr0.s the US. The growth of these churches in the last few years has tripled, especially, in major cities. They are popuiar amongst Nigerians as the songs are famili. !r and the services conducted in the true Nigerian style of worship. In these churches, one feel= ot hame xwith the dnmment nf natk ~lttir~c and fnmiliar rmi- ins T ilr~ thnc~ in Nigeria, these pastors have a variety of reasons bordering on fiwmcial, legal, material to spiritual for opening these churches. But while some c f them preach about love in the family, their own families are not intact. Some a-e separated fiom their wives and some are going through divorce even as the), offer marriage counseling to their members. 3.2 Materialism As A Moral Implication Prolifemtion Of ?eiigious Organization Jn Nigeria It may not earn much respect or admiration to raise issues of moral challenge when the church appears to be active about its obligation to win 'ost souls. Yet, it is a sober reality that the church's evangelistic ministry has beel largely verbal. The commercialization of evangelism, particularly among the Charismatic/Pentecostal strand of the Nigerian church is distur'ing, to say the least. Consumed by the "doctrine of prosperity" the church has found the "symbolic platform on which to integrate the born-again experienl e of redemption with social mobility, conspicuous consumption, and the legitimatil )n of wealth in a time of scarcity."(55) It is, therefore, not surprising that expressic a s such as "My God is not a poor God" and Bible passages such as James 1 : 17: ' Every good gift and every perfect gift is fiom above, and comes down fiorn the "ather of Iights" are aIways on the lips of the "man of God."(56) This explains why in many of these churches, materialism is baptized. Unfortunately, it is only the leaders that are getting enriched while the nalve congregants get poorer each ime they attend church. The bold, radical, and even desperate attempts at becoming rich are out of bounds. In the process, the question of truth has been completel:r trivialized and the gospel itself robbed of its ultimate seriousness. Even the most elemental changes in human society for which the church has earned sock 1 respectability, such as building up morals and inculcating good behavior, have become lost by the inordinate greed of these ''modern day preachers". Today, it i; not considered extreme for prosperity preachers to postulate that Jesus himsell must have been very rich while on earth as he had a treasurer in the person of Jud; s Iscariot. This exploitation of the psyche of the people through prosper ty preaching has brought about criticism and even ridicule: As the world turns in Nigeria and as the economic situation de-eriorates further, it seems that the ministry is the only profitable industry that can srlstain a life-style of the rich and famous. It does not take much for one to be a pastor in Nigeria. One does not need a degree in divinity neither does one need to gc to Bible school. All one needs is a Bible, and he does not need to know all its con1 :nts, just enough to get by. If he can recite a verse Iike John 3: 16, "For God so lo;^ the world that he sent His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life", he will do just fine. He will also need a battery-powered micro-phone, a smiling face to give the impression that the Lord -1as been good to him, an eye catchy name for the church, something to the effect o '$'Give It All To Him Temple of God" or "Ask and It ShaII be Given Church of sod" and half a dozen to a dozen baskets several feet deep for the collectio~ of tithes and offerings. Once all this are in place, the rest becomes history and the pastor leaps to a higher tax bracket with immediate alacrity. Halleluia, isn't the Lord great?(57) Although the above picture is pathetic, nevertheless, it is the tmc description. No less than a towering figure in the Nigerian church, Anthony Olubrnmi Okogie, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Lagos makes this clear. According to him, "[tlhe quickest and easiest way to make money in Nigeria is to carry a Jlible on Sunday and start preaching."(58) Borrowing Bosch's astute observation, it is appropriate to say thi t "[tlhe Jesus af @entecostalism] appears to have more in common with t1.e Chamber of Commerce and the entertainment world than with a simple cave ir Bethlehem or a rugged cross on a barren hi11."(59) Today, the genetal dictum is "if you fail at a business, start a church." What we find, therefore, is that the church like the .- * 1' L . a. - -I._*.__ __:*__-- --_:_I ----A- -t:l:L. ^&.> cL.. morality of redemption at the altar of conspicuous materialism. This is cause for alarm and an overdue call for serious moral stocktaking. If the Nigerian church ever desires to lift its battered image to I level that gives significance again to human society, the only alternative is I rediscovery of prophetic witnessing. That is, there must be a prophetic unders~ mding of reality that is based in the notions that the poor is incontrovertibly a mterid reality and that all such social reality ultimately springs from the Word that became flesh. In other words, if we introduce Matthew 25 into the teaching ant l practice of the church, we find that the poor are not merely ''the object of Ckstian love or the fulfilment of a moral duty; they are the latent presence of the cor ling Saviour and Judge in the world, the touchstone which determines salvation and damnation."(60) This can only happen by revisiting the redemptbe power of God and by applying the revelational classics of the gospel message constructively to those problems which press most for solutions in a pragmatic way (61) Unfortunately, the church, for too long has existed in a polarized climate that distinguishes between two different mandates, the one spir tual. the other social.(62) The result is that the church has neglected and becor le indifferent to the basic duties of human charity simply because of its religious orientation. Yet a fully biblical paradigm of ministry is one that is responsive to hxrnm well-being, aspirations, and justice. As Carl Henry has argued, the social im 31ications of the Gospel are integral to evangelistic fulfillment, and social concern is an indispensable ingredient of the evangelistic message. Social concern cannot therefore be isolated and cornpartmentalized as a marginal or secondary consideration which the evangelist leaves to others because he has a special calling to evangelise." (63) It is undoubtedly within the boundary of the missionary mandate of the church to stake out programs aimed at empowering individuals to better mmage themselves and to make appropriate contribution to the progress of their s4 ciety. A usefid . .* . . - A - - . - A .LL ~ t - _-a* - r c c x A : - _ - - - L - - ~ - . n * - - - t - - - --AI? (MED). This has proven to be a poverty alleviation and value-b: sed development enterprise in other Two-Third World countries.(64) MED is not sharity, nor is it a subsidized program. Rather, it "involves providing credit and inancial services and related training to poor microentrepreneurs to enable them to enhance their businesses and create employment and income for them: elves and their communities." (65) This does not mean that the church will abdicate its evangeli: tic responsibility and become instead a "Microfinance Institution" (MFI). On the contrary, it is an attempt to blend the evangelistic and socio-cultural m,mdates int I one, so that the church's insistence on personal transformation finds leverage in "a vigorous application of Christian faith and values to sociopo~itical [and economic] concerns."(66) Perhaps no one captures this better than Makonen Getu. Re writes: The Church can and should play a significant role in enh; ncing the MED industry as part of its mission to facilitate transformational ch mge in people's lives. As an institution, the Church has a wide constituency and social influence. The more people become obedient to God and apply Christi~n principles, the better the prospects for best-practice MED. Through its Christi m teachings, the Church could create a stronger presence of good stewardshi1 , accountability, reliability, and integrity. These are important ingredients of best-practice MEI) because they promote financial discipline among clients (200 1 : 1' 7). In the final analysis, the church must recognize that although it may be the subject examining the socio-cdtural context, it is equally th2 object of that examination.(67) It is a serious sin, in itself, to remain morally ndifferent to the disenfranchised, let alone exploit them in the name of Gad. The P igher morality of the gospel, which should be the herrneneutical locus of our witr ess, is the Word that became flesh (Jn 1 :14). Jesus was not simply interested in telling self-contained s:ories about the I r L - A n - -+La- La Ilamnnn+mtnA tho+ tho 1 r ; n r r r l ~ m hoA n-rmrl in ~ r a - r mra&nel ways. In other words, his kingdom perspective "awakened f iith and brought wholeness."(68) For the Nigerian church, and even more so for the church of the %@re, this can only mean one thing. That is, missiological intel rity requires that "the deed without the word is dumb; the word without the deed is empty. Words interpret deeds and deeds validate words." CHAPTER FOUR: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIC N The problem is that here in Nigeria we are very religious but nr t godly, Nigeria has the highest number of churches per square kilometer than my country. Yet immorality is the order of the daywe have long lost our value sy: tern money is the only thing that COUNTS, the pastors are only latching on!! Christianity in Nigeria as far as i can see is really inches deep and miles wide ,it really has no real impact on moral life in Nigeria, these prosp :rity preachers are making a living off our misery, on core socio-political issues th :y are neither here nor there,they doulble speak and have a 'spiritual explanation' for everything, it's sad that my people can't see the light . the major reason for thl increase in moral decadence can be attributed to the materialistic gospel Obviously, materialism is attractive; there is no huma- being who objects to God as a giver of healing and financial restoration. These pc ople provide a false fabrication of God and then subject millions to it. The prosperity gospel is by far the worst manufactured gospel of our generation The gospel of materialism will continue to do damage to Christians and evangelicalism. It is imperative we equip ourselves with the understanding of its doctrinal and bib ical stances toward interpreting scripture. This might help to reduce the level o ' moral decadence in the society. A bel . S . ZOO6The Prolgemtion Of Nigerian Churches In me Us & The Increasing Divorce Rate Between The Pastors & Their Spous ~s NEW YORK: HUNTED HOUSE PUBLICATIONS Aulette, J.R 91 994). Changing Societies. Belrnont, C.A: Wad {worth Publishing Company. Basow, S.A. (1 992).sexuaE pervasions CA: Braoks/C( jle Publishing Company. Moser, P. K.; (2000)Quenching the Spirit: Discovering i b Real Spirit Behind the Charismatic Controversy, Newy York:Gosl )el Publishing Society, James R. Spencer, (1999) A Drfierent Gospel, California: 1 Iarvest House, 19%)

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