"To preach religion and simultaneously destroy human life is one of the most tragic contradictions a society can witness". 

Across Africa, the continent historically celebrated for its communal spirit, shared humanity, and respect for life, this contradiction strikes at the very heart of Ubuntu. 

Ubuntu, the Nguni philosophy meaning “I am because we are”, teaches that the value of a person is inseparable from the well-being of the community. It asserts that life, dignity, and interconnectedness are sacred.

To take a life while professing religious devotion is to violate the deepest ethical principle of Ubuntu: that no person exists in isolation, and that harm to one diminishes us all.

Religion, at its core, is meant to be a guide for moral living, a framework for compassion, justice, and empathy. Across Africa, the major religions—Islam, Christianity, and traditional African faiths—carry profound teachings on the sanctity of human life.

Christianity, for example, calls believers to love their neighbors as themselves. Islam emphasizes mercy, justice, and the protection of the innocent. African traditional religions often stress harmony with the community and respect for all life. The common thread is that life is sacred and that individuals have a responsibility to nurture, not destroy, that life.

Yet, in many regions, including parts of Northern Nigeria, the Sahel, and other areas of Africa, this sacred principle has been inverted. Extremist groups justify killings, kidnappings, and acts of terror under the guise of religious piety. They claim that violence is a form of spiritual or moral duty, turning religion into a tool of fear rather than a beacon of morality.

This perversion of faith is not a theological accident—it is a deliberate distortion of sacred teachings to serve political, economic, or personal ambitions. By weaponizing religion, these actors not only murder individuals but also erode trust, fracture communities, and betray the very essence of Ubuntu.

The irony is stark. Religion is meant to unite and uplift, yet these extremists use it to divide. They preach obedience, righteousness, and devotion while engaging in acts of profound immorality: killing children, burning villages, displacing families, and silencing voices of dissent.

In doing so, they invert Ubuntu: instead of acknowledging that each life is a thread in the collective fabric, they treat lives as expendable. Every life lost to such violence represents a rupture in the social and moral order—a rupture that leaves families, neighborhoods, and societies weakened, fearful, and grieving.

This contradiction also exposes a deeper societal failure. It is not merely the work of extremists; it is enabled by political complicity, corruption, and negligence. When elites exploit religion for power, when governments fail to protect citizens, and when communities feel abandoned by those sworn to serve them, the perversion of faith finds fertile ground.

In these conditions, young people—vulnerable to radical narratives—may come to see violence as a legitimate expression of religion. Thus, the destruction of life becomes entangled with the very institutions meant to safeguard morality. Ubuntu, in these circumstances, is not just violated; it is rendered almost invisible, as fear and hatred supplant empathy and shared responsibility.

The moral and spiritual cost is enormous. When religion is wielded as a weapon, the perpetrators themselves become spiritually impoverished, losing touch with the humanity they claim to serve. Ubuntu teaches that harming another is ultimately self-harm because every human life contributes to the whole.

In murdering others, extremists sever their connection to the communal life that sustains them. They may gain power or fear temporarily, but they forfeit moral legitimacy, social cohesion, and inner humanity. Communities, too, suffer long-term trauma, with grief, mistrust, and vengeance perpetuating cycles of violence that defy the healing intentions of both religion and Ubuntu.

Moreover, this distortion erodes the credibility of religion in society. When communities witness sacred texts invoked to justify terror, they lose trust in religious institutions and leaders. Young people become cynical, questioning whether faith is genuinely about morality or merely a cloak for ambition and cruelty. The broader social contract, which relies on shared moral understanding to maintain order and empathy, is threatened.

Ubuntu is not just an abstract ideal; it relies on the social reinforcement of respect, dignity, and responsibility. When religion is co-opted to harm life, the social fabric is rent, leaving communities vulnerable to further violence and moral decay.

Yet, the situation also calls for a reclaiming of both religion and Ubuntu. True faith is inseparable from the protection and affirmation of human life. Religious leaders, scholars, and communities have a moral duty to counter narratives that justify violence. They must re-emphasize that spiritual devotion devoid of compassion is empty and self-defeating.

Communities must re-anchor themselves in Ubuntu, teaching that each person’s well-being is inseparable from the collective. This approach does not merely condemn violence; it restores the moral vision that recognizes the dignity and sacredness of every human life.

Practical measures can reinforce this moral reclamation. Religious education must focus not only on rituals but on ethical living, empathy, and social responsibility. Civic structures should promote justice, accountability, and equitable protection for all citizens.

Grassroots initiatives can foster dialogue and reconciliation, reminding communities that religious devotion must align with the principles of shared humanity. In rebuilding both moral and social bonds, societies can create resilience against those who exploit religion to harm.

In conclusion, to preach religion while destroying human life is to commit a profound betrayal of both faith and Ubuntu. It is a rejection of the communal values that have sustained African societies for generations. It is a moral inversion that leaves perpetrators spiritually hollow and communities fractured.

Yet, Ubuntu and authentic religious teachings offer a path forward: a path where life is sacred, empathy guides action, and every person is recognized as integral to the well-being of the whole.

Only by restoring this alignment—between religion, morality, and shared humanity—can Africa begin to heal the wounds inflicted by those who have weaponized faith against life itself.