The depths of the developing world are dominated by religion.

Communities prioritise and worship that which they were taught from an early age is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent.

Like drug addiction, religion has reduced entire populations to zombies who follow sects blindly, becoming incapable of independent thought or consulting scientific evidence. In the end, they become victims of inexplicable compulsive tendencies imposed on them by some religious leaders.

Worse, entire populations fail to see the exploitation they are subjected to by religious leaders. They refuse to examine the superstitious loyalty that keeps majority of them in poverty and subjugation, under the promise of an unproven eternal afterlife.

Unbeknownst to many, religion perpetuates that which it aims to eradicate. Religion is the study of commands. Commands like: Thou shall not kill, lie, commit adultery and steal. Therefore, religion is the study of rules which are repeatedly rehearsed to followers since childbirth.

But when you focus and passionately engage in obliterating that which you do not want, the mental tendency of reverse psychology overwhelms the mind to achieve that very activity.

It is no wonder that obsessively religious nations are the poorest, most corrupt, deceitful, dishonest, and miscreant.

Religion instills a false belief in the afterlife that creates a complacent population that, instead of striving to fulfill its full potential and achieve its dreams, concludes its failures to be God’s will.

Religion stupefies the mind and reduces accountability and merit by validating and blaming fictitious characters in religious books that were created to captivate and control the minds of the people: God and the devil.

More like the flawless creative novelist does, the writers of religious books that are actively used today understood that for an interesting story-line, there has to be a hero and villain.

Whenever a religious follower is seen to stray beyond the commands, this is attributed to the devil. Whenever they succeed, the success is attributed to God. Therefore there is no taking responsibility for one’s actions.

Furthermore, the most devastating inheritance that religion passes specifically to the black community is a breakdown of self-esteem.

Devout people repeat to themselves that they are not able, only God is able, therefore instilling a disbelief in their abilities in their unconscious mind - a highly self-defeating activity.

White dolls

From a young age, we play with white dolls, we expect gifts from a white Santa Claus during the festive season and we worship a similar skin-toned Jesus as we grow.

We are unknowingly and psychologically programmed to cherish white and secretly despise black.

We go on to think less of ourselves, our abilities and our dreams. The slave and colonial masters understood this effect that religion had on black people and always quoted the scriptures to brainwash their subjects to conform to inhumane commands and negate their worth.

Religion manipulates the masses to abide by the masters’ mentality and helps compel and control them. Books like the bible are interpreted to suit the conniver’s desires.

When a preacher requires money from followers, he will artistically quote a tithe verse. When a parent loses his temper and hits the child he will quote ‘spare the rod and spoil the child.’

If an alcoholic gives in to urges, he or she will refer to Jesus turning water to wine. When a paedophile church leader is caught molesting a child, he will explain that the bible expects its followers to forgive and blame it on demonic temptations.

When a philanderer gets his mistress pregnant, he states that Abraham and King Solomon had multiple wives.

Manipulative preachers always find a new topic to convince the gullible congregation.

These religious shackles need profound self-introspection to break.

Mr Anthony is a writer and Kenya’s representative in Big Brother Africa 2 @jeffbigbrother