Religion plays important roles in human’s life, activities and cultural practices. It restructures and influences his other endeavours including stress control. In Nigerian traditional ethnic groups, traditional religion plays important role in controlling the total life of the people. Today, apart from the traditional religion, Christianity and Islam are the two predominant religions practiced. Their cumulative effects of long patronage have continued to thrive till date with the active communities still practicing their chosen faiths. Religion appeals to the emotional feelings of members and uplifts their spirit, relax and relieve stress. It also serves as an outlet for other experiences of worship. Nwaike (1999) states:
For the poor and oppressed sectors of the community, frustration and stress are their most likely lot in life. From the point of view of social order, the way to prevent this sector of the society from resorting to violence and wanton destruction is through organized religious practices. These give expression to their emotions and relieve their tension.
In Nigeria, her large population that contributes to the national development is faced with many economic, political and social problems such as: non payment of salary, poor maintenance of the dilapidated roads which cause holdup, lack of good water supply, food, diseases, and lack of electricity supply and hike in fuel price. They have put heavy stresses on the citizenry with no hope, help and possible relief coming from the government. The people now take solace in religion which seems to have solutions to their distress. Nwaike (1999) explained
So sociologists believe that the great evils of want, ignorance and disease are the main things that make religion attractive to people as it affords them the means of controlling stress. That is also the reason for which old people and widows belong to
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