A Little Bit of the Other Side
By Veronica Nkwocha
Tis the nature of religion that the adherents must believe wholeheartedly, without a shadow of doubt, that only they hold, solely, the Truth on Life, Redemption and the Hereafter. The different religions are not agreed on this Truth, therefore, it is the nature of religion that adherents of the different religions exist in their own bubble, consumed by their own belief/concept of truth quite exclusive of other religions.
There is no meeting of minds, there are no grey areas or shadows for that will require diming a few lights on the absoluteness of their own truth. Those who find a middle ground must look beyond the integrity of their religion’s Truth, rising above it and clothing themselves with compassion for those of other faiths and their beliefs.The collective who rise beyond the ‘constraints’ of their own faith normally seek common ground on their shared humanity. This could be a conscious pursuit or a subconscious drift for some of religions adherents are unaware that in their daily interactions, they already find common ground in this sacred shared humanity by laughing, working and just living with others of different faiths.
It is when religion intrudes, consumes and overwhelms the discourse and interactions, consigning the outsider to an ‘otherness’ overtly and sometimes viciously that there occurs a retreat, every man to his cave. And a wall rises, impregnable and final. In this reality, weapons, whether they be verbal or physical become the choice for a coming together further widening the chasm, preventing a shaking of hands, a shared laughter and a building up of humanity.
From ‘A little bit of the Other Side’ by Veronica Nkwocha
p.s. Just pondering on the many sad conflicts, surely ‘Love is the more excellent way’?
Veronica 
Hi Vera nice thoughts here. However, I think it may not be religion that is the culprit here as much as an aspect of human nature, after all the “religion-less” society of the Soviet Union or Cuba suffers from ingrained intolerance too. I see religion as the completing of a person’s recognition of the truth that the human condition is a created thing. That as a result of the fact that we cannot make our own truth in this world, another being must be responsible for the truth we must live by. Religion then is the conscious decision to acknowledge this being in worship, nothing more. Since human nature is prone to evil, people use all sorts of identities to push forth selfish agendas. A person inclined to murder and violence can, in the guise of religion, politics, economic advantage or whatever, push his vice on others. I’ve run out of space, wish I could write more.
Thanks for your thoughts. Religion in itself allows one introspect in ways that can become seeds for a better character. There are countless examples of people who have gifted mankind with gems inspired by religion. Those who reflect the ideals the most are the ones who care for their fellow man. The problem lies in the interactions that allow for a deep entrenching of views that consign people of a different religion (or none) to an overt otherness using lenses of hate, suspicion and fear.This may be a ‘flaw’ of the individuals themselves but they form a powerful tool in controlling minds willing to cause mayhem on their behalf. That they choose to cloak it with doctrines of their particular religion is a sad reality. You are quite right, intolerance can rear its head even in the absence of religion, all people need is a watering hole where they can huddle together and draw inspiration. And a charismatic few to fan the embers of hate that seem to reside innate in some people; waiting, dormant…