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Commentary on Emmanuel U Obi's “Understanding The Okija Shrine Phenomenon And The Art Of Mental Poisoning: Just Before The Rush To Judgement” By Charles
N. Okeke The article ‘Understanding The Okija Shrine Phenomenon And The Art Of Mental Poisoning: Just Before The Rush To Judgment’ by Emmanuel U Obi, was interesting. My interest in the article has more to do with the author’s emphasis on some superficial commonalities shared by the Catholic faith and the traditional religion than with the Okija imbroglio, which is but a tip of the iceberg of ritual genocide going on in various parts of Nigeria. This commentary is an attempt at clarifying those aspects of the Catholic faith and to show that there is indeed no common ground with traditional religions. It is better that the various religions understand and respect one another’s faith across the fence than mixing up things in a potpourri of abtuse and clever language, which engenders ignorance. For the sake of clarity, the author’s various statements, in bold and parenthesis, are followed by my comments (MC), point per point.
1).
“The common grounds that traditional religion have with
Catholicism include belief in a Supreme Being, (Chukwu, Allah, Olodomare)…” My Comment (MC): The Nicene Creed, which is a concise statement on the Catholic faith, starts with ‘We (I) believe in one God…then continues…in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son…and then…in the Holy Spirit, etc. Thus, the Catholic Church believes in the Trinity of one divine nature of three persons: the uncreated Father, the begotten Son and proceeding Holy Spirit (in igbo: Chukwu Nna, Chukwu nwa, na Chukwu Nmuo nso). The chukwu of the traditional Igbo religion is simply a chi-ukwu, a big spirit, which should not be transliterated into the Christian God. Likewise, Olódòmaré, god in Yorùbá belief, does not represent the Christian God unless it is explained, like Chukwu above, in Christian terms other wise it remains a local Yoruba deity. In the Muslim faith, Jesus Christ is not recognized as divine but as a prophet. In this sense, Allah differs from the Christian God, Who cannot be accessed except through Christ, Who must be believed to be true God. Thus, the purported common ground is an illusion.
2).
“In the church, this sacrifice is commemorated by the celebration of
the Eucharist by using the Bread and Wine to symbolize the body and
blood of Christ; again symbolism.” MC: In the Catholic mass, the consecrated bread and wine DO NOT symbolize the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ but are indeed His true flesh and blood. This is our belief in the Holy Catholic Church. 3).
“In the shrine of Catholics it is common to find sacrifice made
to the saints urging them to intercede on their behalf to the supreme or
urging them to do some favors for them much the same way the
traditionalists asks the arusi or orisha for help.” MC: In the Catholic Church, we seek the intervention of the saints, in our behalf, not by sacrifices but through prayerful pleas. We do not pray to the saints as if they were gods. It is normal for one to ask a friend to wish him luck or to pray for him, why not ask a saint of God? Any Catholic that offers a sacrifice at the shrine of any saint is either ignorant of the faith or is a syncretist neopagan. 4).
“An arusi could also be a representation of a being on the
celestial hierarchy much like angels e.g. Amadioha.”
MC: As explained in the Catholic mystical Theology, the angels of God are organized in hierarchies: Thrones, Cherubim and Seraphim, Powers, Dominions, Principalities, Archangels and Angels. The devil, in his quest to be like unto God, also organized his fallen angels, the demons, along the same hierarchical, power structure. It is necessary to inform the readers on the specific hierarchy to which amadioha belongs. Does amadioha belong to that hierarchy of angels lost in blissful contemplation of the God Almighty of Jesus Christ OR to that hierarchy, which run errands for Satan, who boasted that he will set his throne up above the high heavens and be like the most high, only to find himself sent hurtling down to earth, where he delights in seducing and terrorizing frail humanity while awaiting eternal consignment to Hell? 5).
“Sacrifice in Christianity no longer involves blood, which was
done once through crucifixion. Today, sacrifice is done through burning
of candles, perfumes, holy oils, wine, grape juice, saraka etc.” MC: According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “sacrifice is the offering of a sense-perceptible gift to the Deity as an outward manifestation of our veneration for Him and with the object of attaining communion with Him. Strictly speaking however, this offering does not become a sacrifice until a real change has been effected in the visible gift (e. g. by slaying it, shedding its blood. burning it, or pouring it out).” Although the blood and the ravaged flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ are not seen with the naked eye at consecration of the Eucharist during the Catholic mass, they remain mystically present in the Holy Communion. On the basis of the above explanation, it is ignorant to believe that burning of candles or anointing with holy oils constitutes a sacrifice. 6).
“‘I am the brilliant and morning Star’ with ‘Anyanwu
ututu’ of the traditionalist to see if both religions could be
compatible.” MC:
The cultic organization, Holy Order of the Morning Star, describes
itself as a spiritual community and religious organization dedicated to
the Archangel Mikael. Members
of this cult believe that Archangel Michael is
the ultimate heavenly spiritual/holy warrior and the guardian of the
Mysteries. Mikael’s honor
day falls within the astrological sign of Libra, at September equinox.
The planet Venus, the Morning Star, rules Libra. Symbolically
Michael carries the double-edged sword and scales (I
am the Morning Star.).
This is a typical example of a spiritual allegory being given a
carnal interpretation by deceivers.
The ‘morning star’, which represents an embodiment of moral
qualities and other abstractions ascribed to Archangel Michael in
Christian literature, thus becomes associated with a physical quantity,
Venus that appears as a morning star at equinox.
Light has got nothing to do with darkness, and there is no
compatibility between the Christian faith and pagan religions.
7).
“The established Churches have a great challenge here, as it
appears some of their flock has lost confidence in them.” MC: The Catholic Church has always had great challenges for the past two thousand years: the challenge of persecution by the Roman Emperors, the early schisms and apostasies within the Church, medieval age decadence followed by the protestant confusion, the unbelief of the enlightenment age, the rationalism of the scientific and modern age, and the seeming ‘anything is possible’ and resurgent idolatry of the post-modern age. Catholicism has always survived and will be there at the end of this age. Those that have lost faith in her never really belonged to her, and it is in times like these that such faithless ones are winnowed out that the true ones may be recognized. 8).
“ Now they (the Ogwugwu Okija priests) are fasting and praying for
vengeance against the Police. Why not fast and pray for good government
and buoyant Nigerian economy?”… “The chief priests have only taken
advantage of the ignorance and superstitious nature of the people to
establish on a grand scale the biggest scam of the century by defrauding
people.” MC: This is a good question. Like dumb beasts, they become like what they worship. I have always asked those that espouse revival of worship of local deities: How many schools did such deities build in our local communities? Hospitals? Orphanages? It is a mystery of iniquity that humanity prefers to go through life like a mule harnessed to heavy ploughs of the devil instead of riding the golden chariot of Christ? It has to be pointed out that the veil of ignorance and superstition, which is rapidly spreading all over the world, is not the type brought on by illiteracy but that engendered by a mystical blindness that has affected the learned University Professors as well as the semi-literate petty trader. 9).
“The same way we have false prophets in Christianity, we have
false chief priests in traditional religion.” MC: There were false prophets in Judaism, as there is in contemporary Christianity. These St. Peter acknowledged and prophesied: "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies..." 2 Pet. 2:1. In Christian thought, all pagan priests are false, and any acknowledgment of authenticity among them presupposes recognition of false gods, gods of the nations, and this is a mortal sin. The current worldwide effort at bringing the Christian faith in alignment with other religions is doomed to failure. 10).
“These suspects and others yet to be arrested have desecrated our
traditional religious institutions, swindled their victims and if not
for Police intervention would have taken control of Government. While
some have become pastors overnight , the rest seem to congregate at
shrines.” MC:
The word ‘desecration’ presupposes a peculiar quality of sacredness
of the traditional religion, which was lost through devious machinations
of the “New-fangled-Priesthood”, confidence tricksters.
There is nothing sacred about paganism.
What happened at Okija, and is happening in yet to be revealed
parts of 11).
“Has Christianity failed in MC: Christianity has never failed humanity and never will; it is man that has failed to live up to the ideal of the faith: ‘Belief in one God and belief in the divinity of Jesus Christ; love of God for His own sake; love of fellow man for the sake of God in Whose image man is created; love of the presumed human enemy through prayers; hatred of the devil, his demons and all deeds of evil.” 12).
“The writer (Emmanuel U Obi) has done some studies in Christian
Mysticism, Christian Kabala and Traditional Religion.” There is Christian Mysticism but what is ‘Christian Kabala’? The Kabala Philosophy, which is of Judaic origin, includes a logical explanation of mind and its relationship to mathematics, language, and consciousness. The Christian faith is about a loving relationship between God and His creature, man, and loving relationship among men in Christ. It is not about futile inquiry into the mind and consciousness; for such, one is better off studying psychology, psychiatry or some pseudo-sciences. Thank you. |