Beware of charlatans posing as religious leaders, TASUED don warns

A social psychologist and erstwhile dean of the College of Specialised and Professional Education, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ogun State, Professor Samuel Ekundayo Oladipo, has warned Nigerians to be wary of the exploitation, extortion, manipulation and abuse being perpetrated by some religious leaders under the guise of religion.

Professor Oladipo gave the warning while delivering his inaugural lecture entitled ‘Religion and Psychology: The (Un) Holy Alliance in Contemporary Times.

Oladipo, a director of the Directorate of Research and External Relations at TASUED, warned that “religion should never be used as an instrument to defraud, molest or abuse unsuspecting and sincere faithful; rather, it should be for their well-being and psychological balance.”

He said individuals could liberate themselves by embracing knowledge to break loose from the shackles of bondage and gullibility.

He said, “The truth is that majority of the present-day religious leaders who are supposed to guide adherents to enjoy the benefits of religion are mostly exploiting and using religion for personal gain.”

Oladipo advised individuals against believing their supposed religious leaders “hook, line and sinker,” but to rationalise every instruction or counsel before accepting them as the truth.

The lecturer also opined that women tend to seek spiritual help more than men, irrespective of their educational status and socioeconomic well-being, mainly on family problems, health issues, career, finance and perceived persecution.

He, however, noted that the ‘help givers’ in most cases are not professionally qualified to give the kind of help required but rather add to the agony of those help seekers.

On the role of women as the perceived ‘weaker vessels’, Oladipo encouraged women to get involved in roles that are predominantly regarded as male roles and desist from playing the second fiddle.

He also encouraged women to embrace “attitudinal change, behaviour modification, and cognitive restructuring” and reject the classification of being labelled as “entertainment materials.”

The lecturer recommended that stress management skills should be incorporated into students’ curricula so as to help them adjust better to campus life and cope better with pressure.

Guests at the inaugural lecture included the Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Abayomi Arigbabu.

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