Africa is allegedly home to the most religious people in the world, with deeply ingrained beliefs, rituals, and customs. Religion is believed to be one of the earliest forms of human culture, predating even agriculture and cities. In his book “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind,” Yuval Noah Harari argues that religion played a significant role in the development of human civilization. Religion provided a way for humans to create and maintain shared beliefs and values, fostering cooperation and social cohesion. Additionally, religion gave a sense of meaning and purpose to people’s lives, offering explanations for the natural world and human existence, and providing a sense of order and stability. Furthermore, religion created and reinforced social hierarchies and power structures. Thus, religion played a crucial role in providing a framework for shared beliefs, social cohesion, and meaning-making in human societies throughout history.
However, what role did religion play in the abandonment of African culture and how did it aid in promoting racism and the inferiority of the black race? During the pre-colonial era, when missionaries arrived in Africa, their mission was to Christianize the black people with the presumption that their ways were primitive and their beliefs heathen. The missionaries believed in the biblical account of Ham, one of the three sons of Noah, who was allegedly black and cursed. This belief, coupled with the popular 19th-century pseudoscience that used dubious scientific methods to prove the superiority of the white race over the black race, led to the justification of slavery, colonization, and Christianization of Africa.
Christianity in itself is neither bad nor racist, nor is religion in general. But it was used as a tool to systematically lead Africans to abandon their cultures and traditions, most of which were good. The indoctrination of the continent has led to the vast majority abandoning the values of hard work and sacrifice for beliefs in prayer and miracles. As a result, there are numerous churches all over Africa where believers flock to and give their last dime to get a miracle.
Religion, in my opinion, did not set Africans free, but rather bound them to belief systems that left them vulnerable to exploitation. Africans quickly forgot that the promised paradise was what they were already living in. Instead of moving at the same pace as the rest of the world in terms of development, they were reduced to ethnic and religious wars as the colonizers looted the natural wealth of the continent.
Should Africa abandon religion? Absolutely not. And replace it with what? Remember that religion was there long before racism and colonialism existed. Belief is the basis of the morals of society. Once beliefs are eradicated, the society starts to decay. The only thinkable solution, in my estimation, would be for everyone to start accepting and appreciating African cultures. People, including Africans, should educate themselves on the deep-rooted beliefs that Blacks are inferior to other races.
Where would you start? Do you really know how ancient African societies lived? Are there practices and customs that would have been helpful for modern society? How can we help Africans use their rich natural resources to develop themselves? Speaking of natural resources, could they be the cause of Africa being the poorest and least developed continent in the world? We will cover the topic of natural resources in the next blog.
jackmugoya 