Monday 23 February 2009

On the Church




Okay, I know this has nothing to do with Nollywood or Arts. Thinking about it, perhaps it does as the noise pollution caused by the church is affecting my creativity.
I wonder if life in Nigeria has not been made difficult enough by the government , that the citizens should choose to make it harder. There’s barely any electricity as such there is no water as it can’t be pumped(that is for those of us privileged to have boreholes).A friend of mine says each compound in Lagos is a local government; you provide your own power supply with a generator, your water supply with a bore hole or well depending on which part of town you live in, your own health care by self prescribing your own drugs: headache? Grab some paracetamol and if symptoms persist after three days, try agbo. So you are lying in the heat worrying about water to have a bath in the morning, being feasted upon by mosquitoes and then the church piano starts humming. It’s 12am and so you think it must be the rat that accidentally touched some chords, but you start to hear voices, softly at first then as if suddenly determined to sing louder than the angels, the voices increase. You get up, your hope of getting any sleep completely gone.
There is a church beside me driving me crazy. There is always one service or another, day and night. If it is not women’s fellowship, it is men’s assembly. In January, they had service every evening. Not only do they constitute such terrible noise pollution, they take up the entire parking space made for occupants of the street as it is a small street and the church happens to be big. Now they are building a church three times the size of the present one just across me. They have taken up more than half the road with gravels/sand making parking and driving through very difficult and of course some driver bashes my parked car. I have finally had it and complain to the church, they blame it on the contractor and offer to pay for the damage. That’s a laugh isn’t it, Like I employed the contractor. I don’t take their money.
My question is this: This blatant disregard for the next being that is often exhibited by these churches , is that not in itself sin? How do they stand there before an altar and raise supposed holy hands in worship knowing that the blasting noise is causing many people despair? Is the core of Christianity not love, love and love again? The government would do well to ban all churches from operating in residential areas but I doubt it would be President Yaradua or Governor Fashola as that would probably cause a religious war. It would have to be when a Christian is in power , let’s see who the fanatics would have to say about that.
Two of my neighbours attend the church and by so doing have endorsed them so I fight a lone battle.

8 comments:

Zayzee said...

churced shouldn't be in residential area but industrial area. there they have parking spaces cos other offices are closed on sunday.

its wrong to disturb the peace of others.

that phrase of every compound is a local government of its own is so true

Rita said...

I felt guilty after praying that our new house will be far from a church. I wondered, "if one day my husband has to open a church, maybe only residential areas will be available"

I believe in live and let live. i guess the churches have no other option.

As for every compound being a local govt, you can say that again. And we pay tax.

tobenna said...

Good luck with your solo quest.
That can be a real nuisance and I do not envy you.

THanks for dropping by mine.
Will visit regularly. Hopefully :)

LG said...

hmmm n i tot it was only in my area *sigh* d only gud thing is dat i dont nid an alarm or a cock to tell me its 6am :)
*lolll @ every compound is a lg


Thank for dropping by

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Ayodele Alofe said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ayodele Alofe said...

It's only in Nigeria! I think someone should suggest to them that they use sound proof windows and doors if they must have their church in a residential area.
You are not alone and I think you should have taken their money :)

SOLOMONSYDELLE said...

this reminds me of my Big Uncle's old bookstore in Palm Grove. It ws stuck in between a Mosque and Church. At 5 am, the Mosque speakers would blast 'Allah u akbar' and then at 9, the Church would blast their calls to worship. It always seemed like a battle to see who could make the most noise. Kai.