Religious Crisis and Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria: Exploring the Hindu Concept of Tolerance as a panacea

Abstract

Reckless “massacre” of human beings and the unwholesome destruction of goods and properties all in the name of “religion” is not a new feature in Nigeria. Desires or wave on the lake of the minds otherwise known in the sanskrit as the vasanas, ignorance, the modes of material nature, cognitive deficit and unending daily stress have driven almost all Nigerians high and low to the brink of “religious” disaster. The media, gang, unemployment, poverty, drug abuse/alcoholism, denial of basic civic and human rights and pseudo – religiousity have contributed immensely to religious crises in Nigeria. At the stage when religion is practised under the checks and balances of authentic scripture, an exemplary anti-material mentor, and holy men or women, it creates cohesion, which engenders sustainable democracy and national development. Hinduism holds that there is another kind of tolerance, which is very positive and divine. It is accepting and respecting willfully the differences that exist in the world as part of God's creation and diversity. This paper therefore viewed the foregoing amongst others and proffered that if we repose unadulterated love on the supreme personality of the Godhead, automatically religious crisis becomes historical remains and sustainable democracy and national development will thrive in our nation Nigeria. The paper adopted historical and analytical approaches in its presentation.