THE CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AS A MEANS OF CURBING MORAL DECADENCE AMONG NIGERIAN YOUTHS

Abstract

This paper titled “Christian Religious Education as a means of Curbing Moral Decadence among Nigerian Youths”. The paper extensively discusses on the following sub-headings: Moral decadence and its causes; Effects of moral decadence; The importance of Christian religious education; The Christian religious educator; Biblical teaching concerning youths; and Possible ways to curbing moral decadence. The founds that all acts of indiscipline such as disobedience, disrespect for authorities and parents, arm robbery, human and drug trafficking, Boko Haram, ritual killing, examination malpractices and all manners of anti-social behaviours are moral decadence. Modernization, lack of social amenities, unemployment, poverty, family background and low income are causes of moral decadence. The Bible emphasized the need for parents to teach and discipline their youths by inculcating good moral behaviours and correct them when they go wrong, that Christian religious studies has capacity to reduce moral decadence and transform the lives of youths. The paper therefore recommends that: government should finance the education of Christian Religious teachers and should provide more job opportunities and with reasonable salary; within the school system, right values like hard-work, honesty, patriotism and national consciousness should be instilled in the youths via Christian Religious Studies which will make the youths better members of the societies and responsible future leaders; parents should teach their children good morals and have more supervisory responsibilities over their children; youths should obey their parents and other authorities by keeping the rules and regulations of the society; churches should also assist in the campaign to curb moral decadence through prayers and fasting seminars that create awareness among youths; all stakeholders should systematically rise and address the immediate and remote causes of moral decadence among youths in order to achieve the national goals and aspiration because the youths of any nation are the hope of that nation.