Uganda is among the countries in the world with freedom of worship at its highest peak.
Ugandans have the liberty to follow the beliefs of any religion that might have appeased them. It is in accordance with the wishes and desires of a given individual that he or she decides to be a follower of a certain religion.
Just like any other reality of life, the freedom of worship in any given country can greatly influence several social groups. Indeed, the religions to which people belong can greatly affect the values, relationships and behaviors of such people.
Among the social groups affected by the numerous religions in Uganda are the families. These religions tend to generate different views among family members as far as acceptable values and behaviours are concerned.
As such, members of the same family find themselves disagreeing on matters that are directly influenced by their differing religious values. It is, therefore, at this point that religious differences begin to cause serious conflicts among family members.
It should be noted with great concern and care that these religious differences are seriously loosening the bonds which previously existed in families. Before such religious differences came into play, the members of a given affected family co-existed in harmony with each other.
However, with the advent of numerous religions in the country, the bonds of some families have been loosened. As already noted, the main factor which has fueled up the loosening of such bonds are the differing cherished values that tend to dominate the lives of the members who belong to the same family.
In Uganda, we have witnessed conflicts between husband and wife, simply because one of them has converted to a different faith. In the long run, such conversion to another faith does not only affect the two spouses and their children but also their extended family.
In such families, father, mother, children, aunties and uncles find themselves in a state of confusion about the right procedure to take so as to resolve the religious conflicts that might be causing division among them.
In other words, they find themselves failing to establish harmony in a family having different members each one subscribing to his or her preferable religious affiliation. We have witnessed conflicts that arise from the side of the in-laws when a woman of one faith gets married to another man of a different faith.
A Christian woman marries a Muslim man and such an undertaking brings about conflicts over the religious values that should be practiced in such a family. At times, the in-laws get perturbed by the choices their children make and as a response to this, they decide to end such relationships.
Such differing views on the choice of a partner basing on one’s religious beliefs bring about several undesirable consequences which, when not harmonized, can affect families a great deal.
Whereas there are many things that bring about division in families on account of the different religious beliefs, members of the same family might be attached to, we can still bring forward those other issues that can keep families together.
We can point out the things that we share in common with our family members to whose religious beliefs we find ourselves opposed. In every religion, the teaching on love occupies a significant place; and so, it plays a key role in the reshaping of the behaviors of the people.
There is need to recognize this reality of love in the practice of any religion. Love for others is central to practicing true religion. Family being the first social group where the person learns all the values of a good religious person, it should be able to put love above everything else.
A religious person can truly be recognized as being good basing on his or relationship with the family members. Who can claim to be loving God, yet he hates his mother, father, brother or sister?
In every manner, let us do everything possible to say no to conflicts in our families that are caused by religious differences. We need to understand the motives of each other in as far as belonging to a certain religion is concerned. It is through mutual understanding that we shall be able to tolerate each other irrespective of our diverse spiritual convictions.
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