Mind Restructuring: Africa, Religion and Hypocrisy – By Richard Odusanya.

Africa is the world’s second-largest and second-most-populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth’s total surface area and 20% of its land area. With 1.3 billion people as of 2018, it accounts for about 16% of the world’s humans. It, therefore, means that Africa is strategically placed and very important to the entire universe.

Africa has a good climate, natural and human resources, it has no reason to be stagnant, backward or divided. Although achieving unity to build one Africa trading block is not easy, it will involve us sacrificing some religious aspects, egocentric behavior, attitude, developing trust and embracing brotherhood. This is as we try to reawaken the African Renaissance.

Our humanity should even supersede every other consideration. If you, as an African is influenced by either foreign inducement or religious consideration to fight and kill each other in the name of jihad or any other religious beliefs, you have a responsibility to reject such, and consider the judgement of our heavenly father, the creator of the universe and think deeply.

It is, therefore, unacceptable for the blessed nations of Africa to continue with the downward spiral; even though, the real work isn’t trying to change people. It’s speaking your truth. It’s sharing your feelings and saying what you need. Because the purpose of being assertive and cultivating self-care isn’t to convince someone to be different or to try to achieve a certain outcome. It’s to advocate for yourself, regardless of how they respond.

Flowing from the above, it has therefore become absolutely important to note that, religion and spirituality are both rooted in trying to understand the meaning of life and, in some cases, how a relationship with a higher power may influence that meaning. … Religion is an organized, community-based system of beliefs, while spirituality resides within the individual and what they personally believe.

On the other hand, Hypocrisy is the practice of engaging in the same behavior or activity for which one criticizes another or the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one’s own behavior does not conform. In moral psychology, it is the failure to follow one’s own expressed moral rules and principles. Arise and shine my Africa.