Nollywood versus Magical Religions and the Rise in Ritual Murders and Poisoning.

Nollywood versus Magical Religions and the Rise in Ritual Murders and Poisoning.

The Nigerian society is currently awash with increasing cases of ritual killings and maimings of people through one form of occultic violence or the other.

Here, the good deeds we have been doing so easily in the past become really difficult to do. You find that you no longer have the strength to pray. And you see yourself falling into sin and running off to confession frequently.

Nollywood versus Magical Religions and the Rise in Ritual Murders and Poisoning.

The Nigerian society is currently awash with increasing cases of ritual killings and maimings of people through one form of occultic violence or the other. It is still a mystery how these things work, but one needs not underrate the reality and power of demonic forces. The troubling thing is that the phenomenon appears to be fuelled by our movie industry, Nollywood, and our Pentecostal type religiosity, healing and adoration centres.

As a matter of fact, Nollywood started life with an occult-type movie and largely has continued to thrive on this genre of movies. Even though these movies are largely directed to the critique of the occultic practices in the society, the attraction of most viewers to pleasurable things they offer seems to be greater than the messages they impart. The type of society we have is attracted to quick wealth and success without much toil. Any source or power that provides such is very much embraced.

However, one must acknowledge the fact that Nollywood is a success story and has many positive sides, but the over-emphasis on the occult and magic-type religious casting and binding has done more harm to the psyche of our people and the image that outsiders have of our African society. Everything is now seen with the binoculars of the occultic and magical deliverance.
The young people have gone berserk because of the images and brain-damage they have been subjected to. Rational and sociological analyses of issues are no longer fashionable. What reigns is the magical ritualistic transformation.

We need a cultural reingeneering. What we call religiosity today needs to be subjected to greater critique. Unfortunately, the facile approach to issues and the effervescence of sentimentalist religiosity have created a more ungodly environment than we have ever witnessed in our history. Most of our younger generation are literally worshipping Satan and Mammon. May God save us!

Fr. Luke Ijezie, CIWA, PH.

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