RELIGION IN MARRIAGE By; Ekeh, Jennbright

                RELIGION IN MARRIAGE
• Effects on the children 
• Advantages and disadvantages 

By; Ekeh, Jennbright

What is Religion?
Religion is a set of belief agreed upon by a group of persons. It is considered a belief in the existence of a supreme supernatural being that concerns itself with nature, the universe and the purpose of existence. The practice of religion involves daily devotion, observances, rituals and moral principles.
Since time immemorial, humans have shown  a natural inclination towards the worship of a supreme being, following;  Religion has become a major constituent in the society. There are over four thousand (4000) religions in the world ,with two (2) being the most dominant in Nigeria.
The Christian and Islamic religions  has its distinct modes of worship, symbols, religious days, practices etc. which has  to a large extent influenced our lifestyles, association and mind-set etc. Evidently, over time the differences in religious practices and doctrines have caused disagreements amongst members of the society leading to intolerance and insecurity.
The issue of religion in marriage is one of the major religious issues in Nigeria. Marriage which is basically the coming together of a man and a woman to become one body and bringforth offspring is considered the foundation of the primary institution in every society  (the family) because every child is born into a family. Before a child is enrolled into schools ,there are basic training he/she receives from home which would on a long run shape the formation and growth of the child, it is on this strength that children form the centre of marriage.
In Nigeria, men are recognized, regarded and, respected as heads of every marital union, as a major composite of Nigeria Culture; a woman is expected to move in with the man and subsequently adopt  his religious and traditional belief, after completing all marriage rites (except on grounds on mutual agreement )
The position of religion in marriage is not as important as roles of tolerance, understanding, support and effective communication. The absence of these would pave way for a biased and faulty religious mentality in a young child that would probably find him/herself in such a situation where he/she is compelled to join in the beliefs of one parent as against the other. Consequently, this would cause a misconstrued and disoriented understanding of both religion since both parents would fail to instil the required standard of his/her doctrinal principles on the child; even if they try, they may end up confusing the child thereby pushing him/her unconsciously into a state of unbelief, atheism or diabolism.
Just as there are two (2 ) sides of a coin ,there are also good and bad sides to every situation.
TWO ADVANTAGES AND  TWO DISADVANTAGES OF RELIGION DIFFERENCES IN MARRIAGE.
1. It equips one with an idea of the beliefs/practices of the other religion.
2. It contributes to religious tolerance
3. It usually gives the child wrong perception of things (if care is not put in place)
4. It reduces a child’s confidence and may affect his ability to make decisions.