MAN: SELF FRIEND OR FOE?

The Holy Book says that God created man in His own image, a beautiful and satisfying statement. The same Holy Book goes on to say that God is love. This means that since man was created in God’s image, man, therefore, should be loved or at least exhibit love character, which should be inherent in him. But what man exhibits is quite contrary to what is expected of an image of his creator.  The situation is so disheartening that the Holy Book once again says that the heart of man is evil and desperately wicked.

The question then arises-is man a friend or a foe to himself? The reality on the ground seems to suggest that man is more of a foe to himself than a friend. Man often pretends to be a friend to himself and his neighbour but the contrary readily manifests.

Going back to history, the human race is said to have emanated from one parent-Adam. By implication, the human race has one parent. This means love and oneness should lead. However, the contrary is the case. You see children of same parents warring against each other. Friends of long-standing fighting dirty against one another. What more, you see two persons who claimed they could not survive without each other before they went to the altar to announce to the world that they are going to be bound together for life. What happens soon after that leaves much to be desired? The question pops up again, is man a friend or foe to himself? This question will continue to beg for an answer.

A documentary monitored on 25th of May, 2020 from a renowned cable television channel-Curiosity Stream indicates that at the breakup of the then Soviet Union, a large number of Biological weapons was discovered. One will want to ask, what was it meant for? It is obvious that it was meant for the elimination or complete annihilation a fellow human being who may not have agreed with the ideology of the other man. That fellow human being may have been a citizen of the Soviet Union or other countries locked in battle during the cold war. So, what should happen to that man? They asked. Die of course was the answer. This goes further to show that man is an enemy to himself rather than a friend. The fiendish nature, which man exhibits towards a fellow man since history has continued to increase rather than decrease.

At this point, one will be tempted to say that unless man retraces his steps, he is the architect of the destruction of the entire universe. This is evident in the way man continues to develop and amass advanced weapons of mass destruction. With the advancement in weapon technology, what happened during the Second World War (WWII) will be a child’s place. Man, know thyself. Just thinking and I should be allowed!

Richard Akpan is Head of ICT, National Institute for Nigerian Languages, Aba, Abia State

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