Songsoptok
SONGSOPTOK: «Belief is simple acceptance that a proposition is true,
without regard to reason(s) while faith is the acceptance of a proposition
rather than an epistemological (evidence-based) reason.” Does this reflect your
understanding of the two words? If so, why? If not, then how would you
distinguish between the two?
SILAS OLA ABAYOMI: Belief is
multi-dimensional; in one clime, belief may be what you hold sacrosanct,
something you can't challenge, because generations before you believe in it,
your society and community believe in it, opinion leaders, and those you
have respect for believe in it. And as a product of the
society, your are compelled to do same. In another clime, belief is premised on
a scientifically backed or supported matter; something that had been proven in laboratory; matter
decided by law, concern settled several
years ago, adopted and recognized by social and cultural institutions
as part of society framework. One
is bound to believe and live by it.
SONGSOPTOK: Each person can inherit, adopt or construct her own set of
beliefs and faiths, or it is a combination of the two. How would you qualify
your own personal set? Were your faiths and beliefs handed down to you by
someone? Who? Or were they acquired? If so, how?
SILAS OLA ABAYOMI: My beliefs come from a
combination of what generations before me passed down; what I learned, and what I see every day. In a general sense, my
belief revolves around everything or anything accepted as statement of truth,
fact, pass-down practices, culture, tradition and something that exists. Belief also includes transcendence, believe
in existence or experience beyond the normal or physical level. In most cases, if not in all case, majority
don't have choice over what they believe, because they're victims of age-long
practices, which societies impose on them because of accidents of birth.
SONGSOPTOK: In your own personal sphere, do you consider worship as a
religious act involving rites, rituals or other types of practices? Or is it
related to something that transcends religion? Can you explain your position
with some examples?
SILAS OLA ABAYOMI: Simply put, worship
should be a devotion, fidelity, constancy, and allegiance to Supreme Being
without fanfare and outward show, but rather through faith based on work and
service to humanity.
SONGSOPTOK: “Faith takes over where
reason leaves off” – do you agree? Can you explain your point of view?
SILAS OLA ABAYOMI: To a reasonable extent,
it may be so; at times, faith and reason may overlap; in another development,
faith and reason may be parallel lines that will never meet. However, these
three related concepts: circumstances, situation, and incident do give validity
to faith on one ground, reason on another ground, and both at a different time. Whatever being
the case, faith and or reason will always be major a determinant to
socio-cultural and political behaviors of people in a defined setting or
environment.
SONGSOPTOK: Did you ever face a conflict between your beliefs, reason and
knowledge? How do you react to such situations?
SILAS OLA ABAYOMI: Many a time, I had found myself between faith and reason
conflicts; always, I manage these conflicts within the confines of
circumstances, incidence, and situation.
SONGSOPTOK: Are you a believer? What do you believe in?
SILAS OLA ABAYOMI: I am a believer; my
believe revolves around one God, the creator of the universe and his son, Jesus
Christ. Even though, I had read and researched on many world religions-past and
present-I strongly feel most religions belie their claims. Blame the
congregations or adherents not much, but blame organized religions, their
different clergies for centuries of deceit, and for leading many astray. My
contribution to this topic titled: "In Search for God" detailed the
hypocrisy in world religions, which explains the crises mankind face today.
SONGSOPTOK: Do you think that it is essential to convince and convert others
to your own system of beliefs and faiths? Why? Can you please describe the
reasons for your answer?
SILAS OLA ABAYOMI: As said earlier,
majority of mankind today have no choice on what societies and accidents of
birth placed upon them as beliefs and faiths. When one sees the level of
confusion in the name of religion, the crimes and evils being committed daily
in the name of God and religions, then, mankind needs a rethink. Through
persuasion, however, someone may be helped to give a second look at his or her
beliefs and faith. However, anyone who forces a faith or an opinion on another
person acts contrary to the letter of law; therefore, his or her action becomes
illegal, whatever legal options available should be taken against such an
individual.
SONGSOPTOK: Do you think that each individual has some form of faith or
belief, whether related to religion or not? If yes, then what do you think are
the main reasons?
SILAS OLA ABAYOMI: Beliefs and faith should
not be anchored on religion alone. There some individuals, who practice no
faith, but subscribe to certain beliefs-they learned or acquired over a period
of time. Non religious beliefs adopted by many people today may be the
consequences of hypocrisy in world religions; more so, it could be a result of
failure in religions that fleece on adherents rather than feeding them
spiritually.
SONGSOPTOK: “A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship
Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on
the walls of his cell.” said C.S. Lewis. Do you agree with this view? Or do you
think that some form of worship is indispensable for humans? Why?
SILAS OLA ABAYOMI:: Even, if mankind refuses
to worship God, His creative works will do it. At least, the sun will
rise and set at the appointed time; the
moon will appear and disappear at agreed time;
the twinkling stars of heaven will come at dusk and go off before
dawn; the oceans, seas, might rivers
will not go beyond their set bars. The wildlife small and big will praise their
Creator instinctively. The water cycle will follow its course to give
precipitation; The symbiotic relationship between plants and animals will
continue; earth re-cycling and cleaning process will never stop; the planetary
heavens with billions or trillions of stars, galaxies, clusters of galaxies
will continue to marvel man, a worship in literal and symbiotic ways.
SONGSOPTOK: You may or may not choose to answer this – but nevertheless we
would like to know who do you worship? Why do you worship? How do you worship?
And above all, in what way does it help you in your everyday life?
SILAS
OLA ABAYOMI: I
worship God, his name is Jehovah; I proclaim him to others. My faith in him has
been very rewarding; though, no ritual
and formality; faith centers on Bible, practice of worship patterned after
first century Christians, those that carried on evangelism where Christ
stopped.
ABOUT YOURSELF: SILAS OLA ABAYOMI IS A POET,
HISTORIAN, AND CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGIST; HE LIVES IN UNITED STATES.
We
sincerely thank you for your time and hope we shall have your continued
support.
Aparajita Sen
(Editor: Songsoptok)
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