TED Conversations

Gabe Ozoani

Engineer, Aerospace Engineering

This conversation is closed. Start a new conversation
or join one »

Is there a time to kill?

Nigeria is a country littered with thousands of religious establishments and dedicated followers of those establishments. However, for decades people have taken the law into their own hands by maiming and lynching "suspected" criminals (often by burning them to death). Most notably is the killing of four students by a small community who accused them of stealing a laptop and mobile phone. Many in the past have been murdered for much less. Often, it is in broad daylight witnessed by passers-by. Before you condemn this as lawlessness (which it clearly appears to be), innocent people are terrorised by armed robbers who's MO is to break into your house, rape, steal and kill. The police are non-existent and usually ask for a "fee" before conducting any kind of formal investigation. This longing for revenge fuels the "blood thirst" and often ends in murder. Can there ever really be a time to kill? How can a highly religious society be taught or "learn" to show compassion?

Topics: None
+1
Share:
progress indicator
  • thumb

    Wilbert Hunt

    • 0
    Jan 5 2013: "Can there ever really be a time to kill? How can a highly religious society be taught or "learn" to show compassion?"

    We humans have freewill. We can do many things, steal, lie, and even kill. And many believe that we can do these things without consequences.

    We can't.

    "As you sow you reap."

    The Rule is implacable. It doesn't care about motive, circumstances, or situations. It's always in force, can't be bargained with, or appeased.

    It's not judgmental, it doesn't tell us what's right and what's wrong. It doesn't condemn. It merely returns to us that which we sent forth.

    "How can a highly religious society be taught or "learn" to show compassion?"

    It's the role of religion to support certain values, among them compassion. If a religious body isn't showing "compassion," or following other values that identify it as a religion, then it can't be said to be religious, or a religion.

    But to your question: Teach people that We Are All One. Not only is this observably true, but existentially true. Tell them that what we do to the Other we do to the Self, that the Other is the Self.

    Hence if you kill, you kill yourself. If you rape, you rape yourself. If you lie, you lie to yourself, and so on. At some point in your human experience these things will become your reality, either in this life, or the ones to follow.
  • thumb

    Gail . 50+

    • +1
    Dec 20 2012: There is a verifiable link between disparity of wealth and crime.

    Unfortunately, unless Nigeria is willing to remove itself from the global economic marketplace - making money unlawful to use - I don't see a fix until the USA or another global power fixes the intentional disparity of wealth that plagues the globe

  • george lockwood 30+

    • 0
    Dec 17 2012: Nigeria is a country with a large number of poor people. That can happen without law and order. Our wages went down and our population density dramatically rose in America thanks to greedy business types. Look at the stuff that happens now. Also, we have politicians who make their goal to spread disdain for the government. Maybe our friends in Nigeria have better excuses for these murders?

  • greg dahlen 30+

    • 0
    Dec 16 2012: I think my first question might be, why do you care, since you live in London? How does it affect you?
    • thumb

      Gabe Ozoani

      • 0
      Dec 17 2012: Didn't realize that I had to live in a country to care about what goes on in that country.... hope that answers your question.

      • greg dahlen 30+

        • 0
        Dec 17 2012: Sorry, Gabe, I don't believe you have to live in a country to care about what goes on in that country. I guess my thought is that no matter where one lives in the world, there are problems right around one, local problems, that are going to bother one, and that one will want to work on. I think working on local problems is the most satisfying because they are the problems that affect your life the most, and because they are local, you will be able to see the fruits of your efforts to improve things.

        Therefore, I cannot believe life is perfect for you in London. Are there things in London that bother you, and that you would like to work on?

        I believe that when you make things better locally, the benefits radiate into the world. Thus, if you make things better in London, things get better in Nigeria, too.
  • thumb

    Robert Winner 50+

    • +1
    Dec 13 2012: Gabe, It is probally an error to use religion as a marker for compassion. In the history of the world more people have been killed for their religion or in religious wars than for any other reason.

    Answer: Yes there is a time to kill.

    Bob.
    Retired Aerospace engineer
  • thumb

    Feyisayo Anjorin 50+

    • 0
    Dec 12 2012: There is love and truth; religion approved by our maker. And there are demons masqurading as angels of light.
    If light shines, darkness flees. The good people should shine.

    • Zman Kietilipooskie

      • 0
      Dec 13 2012: What if good is to do "evil"?
      What is one persons good is another's evil?
    • thumb

      Gabe Ozoani

      • 0
      Dec 17 2012: Thanks Feyisayo.
      No question there are good people, the problem is, how can those good people shine when they are outnumbered by the "demons"?
      • thumb

        Feyisayo Anjorin 50+

        • 0
        Dec 18 2012: You are right. Sometimes I wonder how anything ever gets done in a place like Nigeria. It is so lawless, lawlessness has become a norm.
        But the darker the night, the greater the impact a bright light would make.
        Then again one wonders (as you have rightly pointed out) the impact a bright light would make in the vastness of night darkness.
      • thumb

        Ehis Odijie 10+

        • 0
        Dec 27 2012: If you bring it down to demons and evil spirit then it's no longer the fault of the individuals. By logical extension the solution falls down to prayers, a curer from heaven we all have to wait for. You are both Nigerians I suspect -Feyisayo and Gabe- and I suggest that the thinking you both exhibited is the problem with the Nigerians.
        • thumb

          Gabe Ozoani

          • 0
          Dec 27 2012: Ehis, thanks for your contribution. I however never mentioned the need for "prayers" or "a curer from heaven". Not sure where you got that from. People are accountable for their actions, not devils etc. I agree that it is a huge problem (no accountability) in the world - especially developing countries. But don't say "...the thinking you both exhibit is the problem with Nigerians". You cannot sum up a persons "thinking" (on a deep level) by reading 1-3 sentences they have made.
Showing all 13 comments