Religion: A Healing Balm For Victims Of Protracted/Terminal Diseases In Nigeria.

ABSTRACT

People who live with protracted terminal disease experience

stigmatization, abhorrence and hatred from people who once loved

them. It is not uncommon also for terminally ill patients to feel insecure,

hapless and depressed. The aforesaid supposition is most likely

considering the reaction of people in the other divide to others living with

protracted disease. In our traditional or contemporary Nigerian society

for examples, people who contracted diseases that seem never ending

like leprosy, loathsome sore, swollen, stomatch, HIV/AIDS are

stigmatized. Some who become hapless and do not think of religious

issues die in isolation through complications and other related causes.

All these result from the fact that these protracted diseases are

connected with the aforesaid phenomena from the patients, either

directly or indirectly. However, others who harnessed and activated

religion recuperated and got healed. Evidence abound in traditional

society, which suggest that religion sustained and was an imperative

solution to people living with leprosy, dropsy and other protracted

terminal diseases. Through personal interview, and dialectical

examination of some written works on some protracted / terminal

diseases it was observed that some who lived with these diseases and

relied on religion regained their health at the end. Besides, just like those

that were presumably healed through religion in our traditional society,

people who live with terminal diseases in our contemporary society are

consider religion as a viable antidote and therapy. In other words,

terminally sick patients especially those living with HIV/AIDS and sickle

cell would live positive and meaningful life if they consider religion as an

efficacious therapy. Good management of one’s sickness and total

healing may be possible if one harnesses religion and its therapeutic

tendencies. Viewed from the aforementioned positions and suppositions,

it is the trust of this work to examine what actually happens when

terminally sick people become irreligious and lose hope in the divine

healing power of the invisible reality. It is also designed to instruct and

help terminally sick patients to consider activating or re-activating

religion in their journey towards recovery.