(JollofNews) – I have heard a lot about an Africa, about a side of Africa- the dogmatic side, the faith filled, blindly believing Africa. There has been an overwhelming focus on the magical, ‘witch-bound’ African continent.
A lot has been said about an Africa that makes sense and can only be understood, in its ancient and modern forms, through the lens of witchcraft, mysticism and superstition. This notion of Africa looms large, but it is partial and one-sided. It ignores and overlooks so much. It leaves out a lot from its image and impression of Africa.
Interestingly, there has been a lot of attention paid to the religious-Christian, Islamic and traditionalist Africa even though the word religion is an English, not an African word. The byword for Africa has incidentally become piety or better prayerfulness. Religion has mistakenly become the only prism for understanding this region and its peoples.
However, I am interested in another Africa, the questioning Africa or better the critical and inquisitive Africa. This is the Africa that thirsts for explanations, answers and truths. The Africa that is not contented with received wisdom and seeks to understand the source and credibility of the said wisdom. I am fascinated by the debating, questing Africa, the Africa that doubts and disbelieves; the Africa that challenges claims and demands evidence for claims.
Indeed, this Africa that is of interest to me exists. It has always existed in some form or another. But it has often not been highlighted by Africans and non-Africans alike. Instead many have largely taken the one sided view, the magical Africa, as a complete picture, as the essential Africa. The typical Africa.
To correct this imbalance one should not deny or refuse to acknowledge that the magico-religious Africa exists. Yes, the superstitious African society is there, and visibly there. But it is important to recognize that it exists alongside the other, the counter magical and magic-critical Africa. For instance, many across Africa believe in God or gods. The notion of a theistic Africa is a fact that cannot be disputed. At the same time, there are Africans who doubt or disbelieve the existence of some gods, and of all gods. Such persons may not identify openly and publicly as skeptics. They go about their daily business as if they are believers in all respects. Such persons do not take the idea of god or religion seriously.
In addition, there are Africans who think that faith healing is fraud. There are those who think that the idea of witchcraft is nonsensical.
In all, doubts underpin these views and perspectives.
Africans who doubt especially religious beliefs have largely been invisible because of the price placed on such exercise. Critical examination of religious claims is a dangerous undertaking. In some cases, it is a matter of life and death. Questioning religious and superstitious claims could lead to overt and covert sanctions from individuals and the society. In muslim majority communities where sharia is implemented, comments that are critical of Islam or of Allah could lead to violent reactions, prosecution, and execution.
It is important to note that there is more to dubious claims than religion. There are questionable cure claims, dubious or biased media reports. Some companies use false and misleading information to advertise and market their products. So skepticism is important in navigating through life.
To enhance the cause of skeptical inquiry into paranormal claims in Africa, an online face book group, the African skeptics, has been created. It provides a forum for skeptics in Africa or skeptics who are interested in African issues to share their thoughts.
The African skeptics’ forum on Facebook encourages the application of critical inquiry in all areas of human endeavor. This forum is open to all who entertain doubts about issues whether religious or secular. This includes those who are critical of other people’s criticisms; those who are skeptical of other persons’ skepticism. Those who demand evidence or question what people present as evidence.
The African skeptics’ forum will feature posts, news and reports that are of interest to skeptically minded people. So, are you one of such people in Africa or elsewhere who entertain some critical thoughts? Do you have issues with the claims and activities of African faith healers, medicine men and women and other peddlers of fake claims? Do you have some doubtful news?
Then come on board this ship of African skepticism and share your ideas with us. See you there!
I thank Mr Igwe for a thought provoking piece, not least since I have always been a proponent of more critical thinking on the shores of our continent. Without devoting more and more time on it not least in this day and age when the whole world (Asians, including the Middle-East), Europeans, Americans and jihadist (disguised as true Muslims) is preying on Africa’s abundant natural resources, our experience in the hands of foreigners during the days of colonialism would look insignificant compared to the new aggressive predators. Hence the need for critical thinking cannot be over-emphasized as they come in different guises.
Europe and the rest of the western world would not be where they are in terms of development had they chosen to do away with critical thinking in line with the tradition started by their philosophers of the age of enlightenment on the continent. Had people in the Middle-East been prepared to do so in their part of the world, they would have been just as enlightened as the Europeans and North Americans. Instead, they keep on increasing taboo topics that are no go areas – thus restricting the development of critical thinking in their culture. We can all see the all-embracing repercussions of this policy in their part of the world – arguably the most intolerant culture in the world when it comes to accepting cultural differences (including religion) among the peoples of the world.
In conclusion, let us cultivate the culture of critical thinking by setting question marks against received wisdom – many of these have no scientific basis at all. Hence, the need to challenge them constantly with the abundant scientific evidence out there. Bravo and good luck with the noble endeavour!
Leo Igwe, Great to hear there’s a forum and a group of like minded People, whose minds are not locked in bondage by fear, hopefulness and outright lies.
Africa needs critical thinking, not only to disabuse our minds from myths and other paranormal beliefs, but to also seriously interrogate the political and economic doctrines that have been relied upon for decades, to harness and manage our resources for our betterment, with little success for the masses.
Paranormal beliefs and revealed wisdom, have no doubt been abused to influence, control and subjugate the masses or sections of societies, but a lot of good has also been derived from these phenomena. Critical thinking requires that we also recognise this truth.
For me personally, whilst the need to critically re-examine and question our relationship with religion and remnants of ancient cultures is important, focusing on that solely, at this point, will be a distraction, because only a tiny percentage of Africa’s problems today, can be attributed to the direct consequences of these phenomena.
Africa has had centuries of belief in revealed wisdom (religion) and the paranormal, but that did not stop progressive societies (by the standards of the times) emerging at various times of our history and building civilisations that are worthy of our pride.
Such civilisations gave rise to the production of wealthy individuals, like Mansa Musa, perhaps the richest man in recorded history; great military minds; great griots and great institutions of learning, as was found in the ancient city Timbuktu.
These civilisations were self sufficient: producing what they consumed and consuming what they produced; a far cry from the sorry state of so called 21st Century modern Africa, completely dependent on aids and handouts to just get by.
The point is, our problem is NOT religion and superstition (which no doubt have a part), but our failure to devise a system of harnessing and developing our resources, as well as, equitably distributing the benefits accrued from such activities.
Once we are able to do this, we will be able to invest in order to create a citizen who is lifted from abject poverty, is healthy, is well informed, through education, and unlikely to believe in myths and unsupported claims.
Our relationship with production (ie: producing what we don’t consume and consuming what we don’t produce) is not an accident and we must engage in critical thinking to get to the bottom of this problem. That is the task before the African Peoples, being the root causes of our problems, and anything else is a distraction.
Indeed focusing on religion alone in our quest for more critical thinking on African shores would arguably not only be unscientific but also irresponsible when our plates are already full in terms of other pertinent topics in this regard. However, I do disagree with Bax when it comes to the precise percentage of the continent’s woes that is directly attributable to religion. The converse could in fact be the case in this regard. Not least, because it could be argued that religion per se has the innate ability to prevent us from critically examining certain religious dogma – unquestionable truths if you will. Thus restricting the scope of scientific inquiry, and this applies to most, if not all, religions. Therein lies the root causes of the enlightenment movement of Europe some centuries back: These pioneers of their time persistently set question marks on the dominant Roman Catholic religious doctrine of their time in light of the advances made by science, and many of them have had to pay a heavy price in due course for so doing. Indeed, our religious believes have a tendency to restrict the scope of scientific inquiry in practice. Having said that, however, I do agree with Bax that the scope of our critical thinking should encompass all the challenges facing our dear mother Africa at present. The surest way to coming up with efficacious remedies to her numerous ills that can stand the test of time, thanks to art of an all-embracing critical thinking.
Indeed focusing on religion alone in our quest for more critical thinking on African shores would arguably not only be unscientific but also irresponsible when our plates are already full in terms of other pertinent topics in this regard. However, I do disagree with Bax when it comes to the precise percentage of the continent’s woes that is directly attributable to religion. The converse could in fact be the case in this regard. Not least, because it could be argued that religion per se has the innate ability to prevent us from critically examining certain religious dogma – unquestionable truths if you will. Thus restricting the scope of scientific inquiry, and this applies to most, if not all, religions. Therein lies the root causes of the enlightenment movement of Europe some centuries back: These pioneers of their time persistently set question marks on the dominant Roman Catholic religious doctrine of their time in light of the advances made by science, and many of them have had to pay a heavy price in due course for so doing. Indeed, our religious believes have a tendency to restrict the scope of scientific inquiry in practice. Having said that, however, I do agree with Bax that the scope of our critical thinking should encompass all the challenges facing our dear mother Africa at present. The surest way to coming up with efficacious remedies to her numerous ills that can stand the test of time, thanks to art of an all-embracing critical thinking.
Mr Drammeh, I think we may be saying the same things, albeit, from different perspectives. I agree with you about the innate quality of religion to prevent critical examination of dogma or even to question its teachings, but I don’t think this is true for all religions, particularly Islam, which often uses natural phenomenon to challenge man to ponder and reason about creation. In fact, history has recorded the gigantic scientific leap the Bedouin Arabs made, especially in statecraft, astrology and medicine, as a direct result of the Quran and Islam. So, there is no question of Islam restricting critical thinking and preventing a serious interrogation of its teachings and claims, because seeking knowledge itself, is a religious duty for all Muslims.
Of course, so called Islamic/Muslim States today are falsely using the religion and scripture to control, subjugate, exploit and dehumanise people for their own worldly gains, but this is only possible because Muslims have become ignorant and have lost the spirit of Islam.
You have cited, and rightly so, the renaissance of Europe, when the Roman Catholic Church was challenged through critical thinking, but this was only possible because the proliferation of centres of learning, including what became known as universities, has given rise to a certain type of European citizen, who was aware and enlightened and unprepared to accept anything at face value. And this again validates my contention that our greatest problem is our failure to devise systems of management that will generate resources for investment in the right type of education for our people, to create awareness, enlightenment and inquisitive minds, especially in the young. A rightly educated population will not fall victim to superstition and pervasive religious practices and teachings, but without the resources, which can only be accumulated through prudent and efficient management, we cannot create the institutions of learning that will stimulate the minds of the young and create awareness and enlightenment in the citizenry.
Bax, I think we need to sharpen out thoughts with a greater sense of history. I agree with you that Africa’s problems are not only religious but also economic. But no empire in world history had ever been made without exploitation of subject peoples in one form or another, including that of Musa Mansa, the Sokoto Caliphate, the Oyo Empire, etc. And almost everywhere human freedom had to be worn and genuine development achieved only when the draconian hands of religion had been clipped.
To me Africa’s tenacious attachment to superstition and religiosity seems to explain much more about the continent’s problems than most people think. Education is incomplete if it teaches you advanced engineering or surgery but forces you to go to a pastor or traditional diviner for “spiritual” guidance. Yet this is a mass phenomenon in Africa. It’s surely cultural backwardness to cruelly murder or ostracize poor old women on flimsy witchcraft charges or to hunt down albinos for their organs in ritual nonsense.
So we need to liberate the mind through critical thinking before you can really improve the material conditions of a people. If many youth in NE Nigeria know that Boko Haram is lying in its brainwashing, they’ll channel their energies to more productive ventures. If it’s poverty that allegedly pushes them into the insurgents’ camp in the first place, it must be realized it’s religion that preaches the virtues of polygamy and unrestrained procreation that is responsible for overpopulation in the region. “God will provide” is the mantra there, and there seems to be no God proving anything there. The result is more poverty and more instability. This is one consequence of seeing religion as marginal to Africa’s problems.
Furthermore, we live in an interdependent world, and it’d be wishful thinking to suppose that we can survive with a naive form of autarchy.
Indeed Gilbert, man has exploited man since time immemorial, and even Mansa Musa could not have been that rich without exploiting his subjects and fellow human beings, but I hope you will agree that exploitation, even if it leads to a certain level of human and societal development, cannot be right, just like mass killings to bring about democracy, cannot make mass killings right.
I have no issues with the historical facts of exploitation, though I do not believe that exploitation is/was a necessary prerequisite for human/societal development, but that’s a discussion for another day. And in any case, it is beside the point I was making.
My contention here is that Africa’s problems (of hunger, malnutrition, high infant mortality rates, illeteracy, poor public services, abject poverty, etc) are not the consequence of religious ignorance and superstition, and thus, no level of critical thinking aimed at understanding these phenomina will make any significant differences to our plight, unless it is accompanied by a search for the system of resource management, wealth creation and distribution that suits our African circumstances.
It is my conviction also, that at the core of our problems, lies our failure to develop systems of management that are capable of addressing Africa’s peculiar problems.
You have cited the Boko Haram phenomenon and its attraction to ignorant Nigerian Youths, but do you think the existence of Boko Haram is the cause of approximately, more than 50% mortality rate for the under fives in Nigeria, according to UNICEF 2016 estimates.? Would the mortality rate in that group improve if Boko Haram disappears today?
Do you think that Boko Haram’s presence in Nigeria determines whether the average Nigerian has food on the table; a roof over their heads or medical treatment when needed?
Do you think that Yaya Jammeh’s obsession with marabouts (spiritual guidance) was the cause of over 43% Youth unemployment under his regime; high cost of living; poor public services, etc?
Religious ignorance, superstitutions and all unhealthy practices and beliefs, no doubt, have their effects on the African Peoples, but they are not the cause of Africa’s problems. Moreover, these can only be combatted by awareness creation and enlightenment, through effective and relevant education, and relevant and effective education is inconceivable without resources, which cannot be generated unless an effective and efficient wealth generation and distribution system is created. Hence, our critical thinking should be aimed at interrogating what we rely on today for this purpose (which has definitely failed), in order to create one that suits us.
By the way, no number of engineering degrees can make one competent in matters of spirituality. Anybody who needs spiritual guidance must seek it from a spiritual guide, no matter how well educated they may be, unless if that’s in spirituality.
Obviously, I think officials who seek spiritual guidance in matters of governance are misguided, but if you are dismissing spirituality because of these ill advised actions, then that’s a completely different conversation.