Auguste Comte started a religion centered around love (religion of humanity) and predicted the death of religion. He said religion is rubbish (basically) and someday, it wouldn’t exist anymore but guess who died before religion? (This shouldn’t be funny but oh well, what’s life if we can’t laugh?)

He started the religion of humanity because he believed that love humans expressed towards God made less love available for humans to express towards other humans. In simple English, we’re not loving one another enough because we’re to busy loving God. (I believe this in itself is an insult to love and everything love represents but apparently, Auguste Comte and I have different definitions on religion). So this religion of humanity as its name implies is purely by humans and for humans (like democracy eh? Thank God we can all see how well democracy is working for us in Nigeria. Awesome stuff).

The religion of humanity has no supernatural or divine component. Just love and vibes. Way to go Auggy boo (I mean Auguste Comte). Obviously, August Comte was a not spiritual but he was very smart. I mean he propounded sociology. Like Auggy boo, I’m a very smart pancake but unlike him, I’m spiritual and I understand that: 1. Spiritual things can only be understood by the Spirit. 2. Love is 100% spiritual.

But to be honest, I understand where Auggy boo was coming from, religion was the cause of many problems during his time (as it still is now) so he didn’t bother to look at the pros and cons of religion, he just concluded that religion was a nuisance that should be done away with. He didn’t only throw the baby away with the bathwater, he threw the bowl away too. He threw every dang thing outside (away from me you evil phenomenon called religion).

While, I’d rather call myself a spiritual person than a religious person because who wants to associate with something as volatile and “e get as e be” as religion, I recognize religion as a system and like virtually every other system, it has its flaws. So instead of condemning religion to the gas chamber like Auggy boo did, I think Emile Durkheim was more practical (or should I say wiser) with his theory of functionalism.

Systems exist for a reason, flawed as they might be, they exist for a reason. Imagine killing all humans because there are bad humans. Auggy boo was quite savage and I totally get it, religion probably showed him “shege”. However, we must learn to look beyond our personal sentiments to the bigger picture and how other people are affected. Condemning religion, a majore source of solace to people and propounding something most people can’t relate with is quite selfish in the first place (so much for love). To be honest, I think Auggy boo wasn’t looking at the big picture.

Back to love being spiritual. For me, love is God and God is love. God is a Spirit and the things of the Spirit (like I mentioned earlier) can only be understood by the Spirit. Perfect love only exist in God. We can love others because we love God. As we love him by his Spirit, we’re empowered (because love is work) to love others. The reason why we have so many systems of reformation (such as feminism and anti-racism) is simply because the love (is it even love?) in the world is not the perfect love that exists in God. Hence, it has to be complemented by these reformation systems and other phenomenons like kindness. Love itself is a full package. You can’t have love or be love and not be kind. Love is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (that is, you can only have love by having the Holy Spirit) that manifests in various ways. Love is not good deeds. Love is not kindness. Love is a nature and love is God.

What exactly is my point? My point is that if we’re being honest with ourselves, by our natural strengths, efforts and abilities, we’re not as “good” as we think we are. We really do need God.