Don calls for establishment of Min. of Religious Affairs

By Mustapha Aleem

A professor of Christian Studies, Prof. Afolorunsho Dairo, has called on the Federal Government to establish a Ministry of Religious Affairs, to look into religious crisis in the country.

He made the call while delivering his inaugural lecture at the fifth Inaugural Lecture of the Redeemer s University, themed: “Postmodernism and Contemporary Understanding of the Biblical Interpretation: A Reflection of African Biblical Hermeunitics.”

Prof Dairo, said that the country had coped with a high degree of religious crisis over the years and had not been able to eradicate the imbroglio because the government was only adopting fire brigade approach each time there was an attack.

He however said, it was imperative for the government to set up a ministry that would look into the issue in order to find a lasting solution to the gruesome religious crisis.

According to the academic, “Biblical interpretation of the be done contextually and independent of our own opinion. European interpretation is definitely different from ours because of their cultural and historical experience. Taking our culture into consideration should be the order of the day when teaching the scriptures to the people.

“Government should establish Ministry of Religious Affairs that would be there to look into religious crisis in this country instead of applying fire brigade approach in times of distress. A ministry that would have a standing workforce, ready to always right the wrongs of religious leaders and followers.

Also,  the Vice Chancellor of the Redeemers University, Prof Debo Adeyewa, ascribed the religious crisis in the country to the sentiments of some religious leaders who pulled the wool over the eyes of their followers.

He added that religious leaders took joy in misinterpreting the holy scriptures prompting unaware followers to engage in genocide.

According to him, “Some religious leaders have misinterpreted the Quran in order to allow their followers kill other people. This is very unfair and ungodly. Just because of our own selfish interest, we leave other people’s lives to our mercy.”

He added that the manner at which religious leaders propagate their teachings could as well be likened to hate speech, emphasising that such act was only peculiar to the country.

He however heaped encomium on the media for maintaining a neutral position and ensuring stability in the country, despite pressure from the government and some individuals.

The VC said, “The press have come of age and they have been level headed in the disposition of their duties. The state is already in the festival of politics and they have made sure that the peace of the state is not severed. There has been a lot of forces trying to truncate the tranquility buy you have stood firm.”