- By Tunde Kolawole
It was meant to be a night of fun garnished with roasted meat; suffused with vintage wine and laced with old school blue and pop music which later turned out to be a night of intense debate and controversy on African beliefs. The course of events changed dramatically when the host strayed into discussions about religious beliefs and the African world view. In the opinion of the host; most of the guests at the gathering were polytheistic in their private religious practices but monotheistic in open religions activities, like most other Africans.
Incidentally, this debate and controversy, took place at a time the writer’s mind was in turmoil that had been provoked by the annual lectures of the Fountain of Life Church (appropriately tagged “Word Explosion Conference”) which he had attended. The lectures; to say the least; re-ignited in the writer, the very old debates as to whether African traditional religions qualify to be described and called religions or religious beliefs in the real sense of the word? To put the question otherwise; as was once done by a Western philosopher: whether Africans that have been categorized as savages have the cognitive ability to comprehend the phenomenon and philosophical concept said to be “God”?
Why was African traditional religions not codified from inception? It’s simply because the written word and formalized system of education did not develop in most African societies until the intrusion of the West into Africa. As a result or consequences; the practices; rituals and nuances, of most African religions, were not codified or put in written form but merely passed by words of mouth from generations to generations; just like their literatures, such that a great deal may have been lost in the process.
And it could be said that it was the refusal or failure of Western thinkers, to look beyond the surface on the issue of invention; evolution and development of the written word and codification of practices that made some western thinkers to jump into the conclusions that black Africans had no religions. That the deity was in fact a philosophical concept; that savages like Africans, lacked the mental acumen to comprehend.
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The question now is: how has black Africa fared in the codifications of their traditional religious worships or practices since some of these Western thinkers made their judgments?
Most unfortunately, it could be said, that not much has been done for so many reasons. First is the onslaught of Islam and Christianity on African societies in terms of their widespread embrace; renunciations of African religions by Africans due to mass evangelism by the West; crucifixion of traditional African religions and the open destructions (such as stealing and burning of religious objects and shrines) and wars that were waged and are still being waged by the two most popular religions and their adherents on African traditional religion.
What is therefore to be done if these religions were not to be lost just as African languages are rapidly being lost and predicted to go into extinction within another 50 years or so? Since it is difficult to speak for the whole of Africa given the diverse religions being practiced in very vast Africa, it may only be save to hazard some suggestions for a people one belongs to and who one is most familiar with: the Yoruba race.
The Obas, traditional religious institutions and schools, etc., would have a massive role to play in the revival and if you like, renaissance of traditional African religions. The Obas like Ooni of Ife, Alafin of Oyo, Orangun of Ila and Alaketu of Ketu and Onisabe of Isabe, will do well, to gather together, people who are knowledgeable in African traditional religions; medicine; magic; culture and saddle them with the responsibilities of gathering and codifying the different Yoruba religious practices. Since the Yoruba language comes with different dialects and varieties, there will also be the need not only to codify in the main stream Yoruba that is spoken but also the different varieties in which the language is spoken. The codification should also aim to come up with a standardized book that can be used by all Yorubas (no matter what dialects they speak) as well as those who may be interested in their religion.
In this respect, any Yoruba person who is not ready to practice only the Yoruba religion should no longer be made a Bale or Oba in Yoruba land as having one leg in and one leg out does not help the cause of the race.
With respect to the schools, the work will be on different levels: research, invention and development. The children in the schools at the different levels and who may be interested, as matter of urgency and importance, should be allowed to say their prayers and do their worships in the traditional ways without let or hindrance just like Muslims and Christians are allowed to do. Places of worship should equally be made available or built for them, within the school premises, for the school children to practice their traditional religion.
It will equally be necessary for the local government chairmen, Obas and Bales to facilitate the building of monasteries, seminaries, shrines, Ogboni conclaves, schools and other centres where traditional Yoruba religions will be taught and practiced. If the practices of traditional religion in Japan, South Korea, China, India, etc., have not retarded their scientific development and growth, there should be no fear this could affect the Yoruabs.
And even more importantly and where heaven and hell is real, what will be the fate of billions of people, who practice alternate religions to Islam and Christianity? Further, if it is agreed, that most the pillars common to Islam and Christianity are also to be found in traditional African religions, it would mean that no religion is superior to the other. In fact, humanity may be better-off if it would adopt the best practices in the different religions and practice them for man to be able to save man.
Where all these or some of these things are done African culture, religion, values and mores, will be on the path to revival and renaissance. A people without a distinct culture are on the road to extinction.
• Kolawole, Esq. is a Lagos based legal practitioner and a public affairs analyst.