Notions (Indoctrination)

Indoctrination is not necessary a good thing, especially when it comes to religion. That is why there are extremists and fanatics raving all over, because their ideologies are taught to them, not necessarily what they came to realisation on their own. We saw the case of that Boko-Haram boy shooting down a Christian. 

Or these people that don't have the most common sense to comprehend that restriction to churches is not against their faith, but to preserve their health. Afterall, It is someone who is alive that is serving the Lord.

I had been a victim, of indoctrination, when I was young. Having been brought up in an Anglican home, we were told that wearing Trousers is a sin. 

They told us that Deuteronomy verse quite alright, but because we've been taught not to question anything that was preached to us, I believed wholeheartedly that trousers were a sin.

I saw it as a big deal oo. I looked at those females who wore trousers with disdain, both young and older alike and I was of the opinion that those that wore trousers shouldn't taint our compound with their sinful self.

So one day, a friend of my eldest sister came knocking. I scrambled to the gate to open (it was more or less my duty, being the youngest and all) and lo and behold, girl was on jeans.

I didn't greet her, was busy glaring at her. She asked of my sister, I didn't say anything. I just slammed the gate shut and went back into the house.

I probably gave an excuse to my sister on the person knocking. What finally happened was that my elder sister later went to open the gate herself, and I was murmuring that "Chiamaka let someone that wore trousers to enter our compound"

I can't imagine doing that, but I did exactly that. 

So here's the thing, I'm currently lodging at my friend's house by the virtue of the  evacuation we were instructed by the school authority. I'm thinking, "So in a scenario whereby I went to the house, and the younger sister slammed the door on my face, how would I have felt?" Cos I wore trousers to the house.

Granted, when I did this, I was much younger, probably 9 or so years, but that is not an excuse. Indoctrination transcends age. 

You'd see a very learned person, acting out of logic and reasoning as a result of indoctrination. The thing dị very bad oo. Hapụ chakwa okwu...

It gives you no room for questioning, because it has been ingrained in you right from a young age. As such, it becomes who you are and how you act or rather, your perceived who you are or part of you. 

The above is not where my drama ended oo.

When I read that Heaven is real and Hell is Real, coupled with the other teachings in church, I had immediately thrown away my earrings, stopped applying powder and basically started judging people.

My rivalry with Catholic students was top-notch, both in primary and secondary schools. I was always ready to argue, "Anglican Vs Catholic", whether be it land mass and population of the churches.

In my head, I had calculated that all of those Catholics were going to hell, no other place and mocked the fact that they believed in the Purgatory. I was sorry for my close friends, (who btw many of them are Catholics) were on their route to damnation.

But I really didn't care

Cos indoctrination not only makes you act out of normal, it makes you selfish.

That is why suicide bombers will do so, because they believe their deeds are noble and that their reward is in afterlife

And Christian extremists do theirs because "In some preachings, you are told that if you didn't preach to your neighbour to repent, you'd be judged on their sake too" or "that the more souls you convert, the more gold your castle in heaven is"

I don't even want to delve into grasping how the castle will be enjoyed since allegedly, In Heaven, you'd be singing praises to God 24/7, without fail and without getting tired. It leaves me wondering (now), the time to enjoy the reputed castle.

So, at the end of the day, their actions are for their gain, not some selfless mission that they really love God. Cos they want some kind of reward for their actions and thus, are distateful towards people they believed aren't aligned on the same view.

I had thought that since my family were already Anglicans and "Christians'', our ticket to heaven is certified. More so, since we weren't wearing trousers, our names were the first on the list.

Infact then, Whenever they preach that heaven will only contain a few, especially the Witness doctrine of about 144,000 or so people, I'd already counted my family, then inwardly wondering who the other people that would make heaven were.

Another reason I was pissed then was that my sisters had friends that were wearing trousers. I had felt they would corrupt them, so In private, I'd pray for their souls not to perish and that they return to the right way.

Never mind that that part of the Bible never explicitly mentioned Trousers, but only male clothing. 

Never mind that, there are male and female versions of trousers.

I didn't consider these options because to me, there was nothing to ponder. We were told trousers was sin, and that is it. No addition, nor subtraction from the word put out by the anointed one of God.

 Like Anglicans would always say, "Otu Ọ dị na mbụ, ka Ọ dị ugbua, Ọ ga-adịgide otu a, rue mgbe ebighi ebi"

When my elder sisters finally erred (in my opinion), I felt the need to report. So, we'd write letters to my father then. In one of the letters, I recently discovered to my mortification that I added a NB to my scribblings.

After all my greetings and talking about my needs, I went thus,

"Daddy, do you know that Chiamaka and Ogechi use to wear trousers?"

For real though!!!

I did that

So while it's not an excuse for the actions extremists display on account of their beliefs, it should be noted that it's as a result of indoctrination.

Seriously, it is imperative that we think, reason for ourselves. It is not everything that you are told, that you swallow, you are not a goat.

Think!

Just reason!

Apply common sense!

If you're told not to question, but just believe, nwanne Ọ kwa scam ka ọ bụ, gbapụkwa from that place sharp sharp.

For your sanity mbok

God save us all