Nothing is more despicable than respect based on fear.
— Albert Camus.
Respect has absolutely nothing to do with fear.
You can respect someone that’s weaker than you, poorer than you, less capable than you are, or in so many other ways your inferior — as long as that person proves himself with traits that you hold in high esteem; be those traits noble, or vile.
And you can treat someone also with the least respect — even should that person be wealthier, more powerful, more capable than you are, or in any other way your superior; as long as you believe that person does not deserve your respect.
I have stood in the midst of lighting striking less than five feet away from where I was, stood up to a God that I still regard with the contempt that should be reserved for bullies — because He deemed it fit to try imposing His Christianity on me.
Even when the lighting became obviously meant to kill, I cried out only to my Creator, ever against The Church — even when the deliriously irresponsible Yoruba culture had one of its women laughing with the words,
“Emi o le je’yan ara.”
I live still, even today — testifying to The Glory of The Creator that is greater than all The Heavens, and not merely the earth.
Today, the delinquents that the God of The Church sends to impose that Christianity have to tremble in fear, even along with the stubbornness with which they even now strive to impose — for even they can see now the guilt, and the approaching judgment.
The LORD is in control. And to that God I repeat,
“Eleda mi ju E.”
The myth that you have to respect someone you fear is one of the reasons behind the lack of regard that I have for the Yoruba tribe — a nation of drinkspittles that will kiss the feet of absolutely anything with the least of more power than they’re privileged with.
— Ikoro Iyineleda; 29th of August, 2021.