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It is a matter of trite observation that due to the great variety of human beings, their education, culture, and experiences, there will be a disparity of religious faiths. Practically every person develops a "philosophy of life", because of these experiences. Many of such philosophies are the "teachings" of the so-described "messengers of Almighty God", found in pure (or not-so-pure form) in the world's great "faiths", or "beliefs" or "religions", (for the want of a better word).
Because of this diversity of faiths, it is adduced prudent for governments to be neutral in matters of religious persuasion. Thus there have evolved "separations" between the "state and the church", whereby political, economic and routine issues are not swayed only by religious persuasions. However, the diversity of religious faiths notwithstanding, many religions teach the necessity of consideration for one's neighbour, of "life beyond the grave", and of man's responsibility sooner or later, here or hereafter, for his actions and inactions."
A university is an institution that has arisen in society for "the pursuit of knowledge", and for vocational and professional training. It is a place (or marketplace) of ideas, theories and hypotheses. Its lecturers and professors pass on their acquired expertise to up-coming generations. The University of Ibadan, a so-called "premier university", (one of the earliest to be founded in Nigeria), has churned out hundreds, it not thousands of eminent professionals. Therefore any declaration by this university (Ibadan) will be taken "seriously."
Because of various acts of campus violence (including murder), which have been adduced to be the fallout between (certain) campus "organisations" (variously described as "campus cults"), it is likely that the university asked its students to "renounce" or "denounce" the various "organisations" it felt were remotely or distantly contributory to such violence. But The Grail Movement of Nigeria cannot be one of these!
Because of all this it might be pertinent to investigate the concept of "secrecy", or of "association" and "dissociation." In normal society, (as in nature), "birds of a feather flock together." People aggregate according to their choice and convenience. Many persons live within a household of related or unrelated people, which household has a maiguard, or security that watches the gate. He only gives admittance to known persons, or to those who identify themselves and their missions.
Many individuals have a "secret" as well as a "public" side A man's medical records and his banking transactions are normally kept "secret." Banks are also secretive. They do not give admittance to "unauthorised" persons. They move funds in siren-blaring bullion vans manned by machine-gun toting mobile policemen! They have account numbers, passwords, and referrals. Therefore the banking industry by lame or ignorant classification can be termed a "secret cult or society".
In the legal profession, the "distinguished members of the bar", the "learned colleagues", etc, have studiously learnt law, and are free to partake of its privileges, (whereas others are not). The elevation of a deserving lawyer to the status of Senior Advocate of Nigeria can be regarded as promotion within the ranks of a "Secret Society." Thus every activity in which persons associate due to a commonality of their interests runs the risks of being labelled a cult of secret society, even when such activities are harmonious, humanitarian and perfectly lawful. And so it goes on!
These characterisations are commonplace, pathetic, but dangerous, and can fan the embers of bigotry and hatred! Did Adolf Hitler not make an eloquent case against the Jews, that they alone were the cause of Germany's problems And did he not embark on the extermination of six million of them, while the rest of the world was powerless to intervene There is too much suspicion, and derogatory "classification" in society. Every person is so sure he alone is "right", and every one else is "wrong"! There is too much bigotry (the hatred of another person's beliefs).
The University of Ibadan's desire to limit campus violence is laudable, as nobody gains from any aspect of criminality! But the inclusion of The Grail Movement of Nigeria for "renunciation", or "denunciation", lacks any logic, sense, or common sense for that matter! A university is not able to make dictations on the faiths, beliefs or inner persuasions of any members of a free public that apply to it for education. Any attempt to do this is intolerance, and contrary to the notions of freedom and even free will that are a sine-qua-non in any democratic society!
The teachings of the Grail message (mediated by Abd-ru-Shin) are contained in the published work In the Light of Truth (contained in three volumes). Every person has the freedom to examine or not to examine these works, and to embrace or not to embrace them. Every individual must decide this himself. But the university cannot do this for its students! Such a hazardous attempt at mass-censorship runs counter to the very essence of erudition or scholarship. Furthermore, no person has adduced that any statement or practice advocated by the Grail Message is contrary to the laws of the land, as the author (Abd-ru-Shin) is in consonance with the great dictate of Jesus Christ: "Render therefore into Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are Gods' (Matthew 2:21) furthermore Abd-ru-Shin discloses his intention in several parts of his writings, stating in one of his "lectures", (Believers merely out of Habit): "With my words I lead to God and also to Jesus! However in a more vital way than has been known in the past, and not as people have trimmed it through their propensity for spiritual comfort" (The Composite Grail Message, pg. 917).
The classification of The Grail Message as a secret society by the university has stirred the hornet's nest, and given out a very wrong signal. A rectification by the university cannot be too hastily done. Otherwise the university might laboriously have to prove its wild-card statement in a court of law, which is normally un-influenced by "hearsay", opinions", or any other subjective indices. Such an exercise should serve as a reference point for coming generations in the law of defamation and slander.
This discourse has only advanced the elementary notion of a society's freedom of worship, association and speech, ideals that any university should hold sacrosanct. Persons in authority should be careful about matters they attempt to judge. That such a proclamation could come from such a citadel of learning, with its extensive facilities for investigation, research and verification, shows that there has perhaps been not too much progress in search and research since the time of Jesus Christ, and that we are still battling with the vexatious poser of Pilate: "What is Truth (John 18:38)"
* Aluko is an adherent of The Grail Movement.
