“I Am Not a Christian”: Actor Ugezu Shares Why African Traditionalism Is the Best Way
- Ugezu J. Ugezu has opened up about his true religious belief, distancing himself from Christianity
- The Nollywood actor, in a video, shared the reason for embracing African traditionalism as his religious belief
- Ugezu's explanation has also sparked conversation on social media, with some netizens criticising the actor
Nollywood director, actor, screenwriter and producer Jideofor Ugezu, better known as Ugezu J. Ugezu, has publicly declared his shift from Christianity, the religion of his birth, to African traditionalism, describing it as the path that best suits him.
While speaking on the KAA Truths podcast, Ugezu, who hails from Enugu-Ukwu in Anambra State, Nigeria’s South-east, where there is a high Christian population, explained that reaching maturity involved deep self-knowledge, which, according to him, is a core tenet of philosophy.
Source: Instagram
He argued that many people live and die without truly knowing themselves, emphasising the importance of questioning inherited beliefs and unlearning what no longer serves an authentic path.
The actor, who recently made headlines after withdrawing financial crime claims against Abacha's ally, stated that he embraced traditionalism because it does not discriminate.
"Traditionalism is the best way for me. Because maturity entails that you get to know yourself, and that is the whole essence of philosophy: that man should know himself. Now, there are so many people that lived this life, and they died; they didn't invent themselves, they didn't get to know themselves. So by the time you get to know yourself, you will begin to question things, and when you question things, you will stand a chance of redefining some of the things, whether there are things you have learned and need to unlearn, so that you can learn the real thing that you need.
So I may be a Christian by birth, but I am an African traditionalist as I speak, and I want to remain that way because it is the best way for me; it is the best way in the sense that it doesn't discriminate, it has no greed, it doesn't look down on anybody. It accepts everybody, because that is what godliness is all about," he said.
Source: Instagram
In related news, Legit.ng reported that singer 9ice declared his parents as his “God,” saying they deserve the highest form of honour in his life.
The video of Ugezu speaking about his religious belief is below:
What people said about Ugezu's belief
Legit.ng compiled some of the reactions; read the comments below:
Nnaemeka Okoye commented:
"What has Christianity truly done to Africa? An unbiased assessment & answer would explain why Chief Ugezu feels, says & takes a stand, as he does.."
Abba's Glorie reacted:
"Knowing yourself is important, but your feelings alone do not decide what is true. A belief can feel right and still be wrong. The real question is not, "Who am I?" or "What works for me?" but, "What is true?"
MaZi Ogbonnaya Nnamdi commented:
"Only the wise will understand."
Ugezu chides youth over insulting behaviours
Legit.ng previously reported that Ugezu lamented the way the youths in our present-day society respond to their parents.
He noted that some youths insult their parents, and those who do so find it difficult to become parents. The actor's comment also sparked reactions online.
Source: Legit.ng
