Nigeria’s Per Capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP): Religious Attendance and Belief Perspectives

Abstract

By Dr. Ed Efionayi (info@thewordstillworks.org)

Conference on “Africa in the 21st century: The promise of development and democratization.” Tennessee State University

Several research works have been done on the subject of the religiosity of citizens with respect to their country’s economic development and the effects these have on their standard of living. For instance, it is believed that economic growth responds positively to the extent of religious beliefs, especially beliefs in heaven and hell; and that higher religious beliefs stimulate growth since they help to sustain aspects of individual behavior that enhance productivity. There is therefore the expectation of a vibrant economy (either measured by the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or by the effect of a spillover of religious moralities) based on the knowledge that there is a relationship between the economic and political health of a nation and the religiosity of its populace. So that if there is a correlation, then appropriate questions can be asked to the extent of (1) where does the country stand in terms of the religious attendances of its populace? And (2) what effect do these attendances have on the people and the economy?

Nigeria as a secular State has many religious bodies representing the many religions that exist throughout the country. Majority of these religions are either tribal, ethnic and or region based. Whatever their location, they seem to all draw participants from across the country at one time or the other hence, a very high percentage of Nigerians see themselves as religious. With the proliferation of these religions and their different denominations, one would expect a Nigerian society blessed with abundance of moral people and devoid of or with influence to the reduction of societal ills (theft, armed robbery, fraud, etc.).

This chapter focuses on the understanding of these research works to determine whether they correlate with the conditions in Nigeria. If they do not, what then are (1) the factors militating against the Nigerian citizens from benefiting from the seemingly high level of religious participation and an expected economic growth as a result of religiosity?(2) could these factors be related to a lack of ethics and moral decadence that are not available as a result of immaturity of religious teachings from the different religions? (3) are the expected dividends from religiosity only perceived and not factual? (4) On the other hand, is it just that the religion sector is using a larger and expensive portion of the available economic resources, meaning the economy is burdened with a high social capital associated with higher religion attendance?

The Church, Family Head, and The Pandemic

One thing that has come off the corona virus pandemic to the church is the issue of Head of Household or family head. The Bible is explicitly clear on who the head of each household is. Guess what, it is not the Pastor of your local church! The head of each household is the HUSBAND (1 Corinthians 11:3, Ephesians 5:23, 1 Timothy 3:4, Genesis 18:19).

So who is a Pastor? A pastor is the shepherd or overseer to a local congregation. His duties include to be a teacher to his flock and provide discipleship so that his flock can live like Christ. It is not the duty of the Pastor to head another man’s home. Every home already has a head in God’s scheme of things and that head is the man or husband. The Bible talks of three types of Pastors - the wicked Pastor (Matthew 24:48–51), the wayward Pastor (1 Corinthians 3:12–15), and the wise Pastor (Matthew 24:45–47). The wise Pastor is God’s true example to the Church.

The current corona virus pandemic has revealed a big flaw to how the Church has neglected the family head plan of God. Church leaders have for long tended to entrench the church leader or Pastor as the head of families. Hence, the confusion in many Christian homes where the wife respects the Pastor more than her husband. Every religion seem to recognize this divine arrangement except Christianity where we have perverted it. The head of each household is the lord, the husband, the father, etc. of that household. The Pastor has his wife and children to whom he is the head of and not the head of another man’s home.

If the Church leaders had entrenched the man as God intended, the present debacle of churches having problems on how to continue to collect member’s “giving” would not be. If we had taught the man that it was his duties to lead Bible studies within his household; anoint members of his household; lead prayers in his household; and even lead communion. Then the church will only need to send bible study materials to the man, asks that the man lead his home along the general online services, collect offerings as the church would and remit such to the church and administer communion along with the general online service administration.

Had we taught it right, churches should be sending worship patterns and guide by email to family heads. Sending bible study materials by email to head of the homes. Doing communion at the same time but with family heads administering them in their homes. The church is not about miracles or unusual miracles. It is a place of study and general worship for believers so that we can grow into a matured church for the return of the groom. The church cannot grow when we upturn the plan of God for our individual and personal benefits. All what we done so far is perfect the teaching of tithing, offering, first fruits, etc. Things that necessarily line our individual pockets against preparing the children of God for the return of the groom.

Men must perform these aspects of the service in order to restore order to Christian homes. Otherwise, how can there be a difference between father, mother and children in the home. There is a huge difference and you can only claim it by doing what God expects you to do. No wonder many Christian women naively call their Pastor daddy, a title reserved for her husband. Just as the Pastor is daddy, honey, lord, etc. to his wife and Christ is to His bride (the church) so is every man daddy, honey, lord, etc. to his own wife.

God has at different times in the Bible changed the functions of priests and pastors but the function of the family has never changed and it will never change. God put the family in place at creation (Genesis 2:18) and He told them to be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth with children (Genesis 1:28). He has always reiterated this plan from time to time - after the flood to Noah and his sons (Genesis 9:1), when He chose Abraham (Genesis 21), and down at the fullness of time (Galatians 4:4).

Church leaders must go back to the beginning and restore homes to Gods plan before He does so himself. Christianity is not about the needs of church leaders but about the plan of God. We are currently more involved in ceremonies than the actual plan of God because we are in the end times. Every part of a religious service or program that can be cancelled, put on hold, or postponed is a ceremony and ceremonies do not take us to heaven.