The Atlantic has published an essay offering a disturbing glimpse at the cultural conflict between Christianity and Islam in Nigeria, where the two faiths are competing for adherents. With a long history of government corruption and religious conflict (and sometimes oppression), it’s a murky and unsettling picture. Now, many Christians are trying to win converts by promising prosperity to believers:

“God isn’t against wealth,” Professor Famous said. “Revelations talks about streets paved with gold.” He added, “Look at how Jesus dressed.” When I appeared baffled, he patiently explained that since the soldiers cast lots for Christ’s clothes, they were clearly expensive. In Canaanland, clothes matter: the pastors wear flashy ones and they drive fast cars as a sign of God’s favor. They draw their salaries from sizable weekly contributions. On Sundays at some Nigerian Pentecostal churches, armored bank trucks reportedly idle in church parking lots, while during the service, believers hand over cash, cell phones, cars—all with the belief that if they give to God, God will make them rich. It’s said that if the Christian Prosperity churches disappeared, the banks of Nigeria would collapse.

Not a very encouraging article, but worth reading.