Does African Traditional Religion Has A Future?

THE FUTURE OF AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION

 

      There are diverse beliefs and religious groups in Africa and they are traditionally unique, historians and anthropologist still find it hard to examine the real trace of where and when exactly it evolved it has been handed down from generation to generation but most of their traditional religion are orally and practically transmitted and there is no written evidence in its history of existence. Most of their religion of the past has a unique sensitivity and cultural distinction and characteristic. No founder or co founder has been recorded like in any other religion that even the African indigenous find it difficult to define its nature but their modern society believed that their tradition has come during the period of ignorance and uncertainty because of its classification and common practices that foreign historians, missionaries and foreign investigators believe that the characteristic of the African Traditional Religion are brutal, crude fetishism, vulgar, idolatry, paganism, cannibalistic, repulsive, primitive, savage and animistic because of their actions that they performed rituals, ceremonies and festivities in a sacred place and that they use human sacrifice for their gods which is the unknown.

      The religious objects that they are using are stones, symbols, songs and dances that have no participative relevance in religion but have been built and developed under ignorance. Most of foreign critics would say that they are performing illegal worship and that there is no god in their activities but purely superstition and deceptive belief and this concept has gained acceptance in its entirety. Missionaries and other African indigenous people who believe in their culture say African Traditional Religion totally disagree with these findings and defended their religious tradition. One of them is Father Richard Nnyombi concluded that there are simply differences in religion and that they are misunderstood by foreign religion who does not necessarily understand them because of their dogmatic doctrine faith in Christianity and Islam and other religion that they find it hard to believe that the African Traditional Religion is practiced in faith rather than written theories, their belief is practiced in living rather than preaching. Just because their religion is different from others does not necessarily imply that their religion is better than others they are not evil there simply is many religions in tribal and clan in Africa. The future of African Traditional Religion is declining at the beginning of the 20^th century because of the outside religion coming from the foreign land. They still believe that African Traditional Religion still exist beyond the statistic.

      Islam, Christianity and other religion has converted their land in this religion and has covered almost 80% of their people in their locations and more or less it is only 20% who still have participation in their African Traditional Religion, the young generation can simply neglect their roots because it has come to pass. The future of their traditional religion will continue to decrease as it may seems because of the modernization, globalization and international trade that are now overwhelming our world and Africa has emerged to become one of them. The modern technology and mentality of Africa is focused on growth rather than uncertainty and so they dwell into a more rational approach in their perception rather than the mystery of their past. The culture of the western civilization is a strong force that cannot be ignored because if offers so much changes in their society while their old belief will only be the history of the past, the future of their tradition will simply come to past according to foreign findings.

      But their followers continue to defend their rights that their belief and practices will continue and will still exist in 20^th century they also include that they will revitalize their strength to regain the future of their ancestral faith and religion much more than the foreign culture which is a falsehood and dominating that they uses their principles to delude people to their belief and may even use it for economic gain. The peculiarities that they have found in African Traditional Religion can also be found more on their religion if they continue to exercise their faith but low in morality. The future of African Traditional Religion will continue because of its worldviews and moral principles rather written rules, they adhere to good governance, the indigenous participation of the people through traditional practices is a part of their culture and it has a very strong influence in their people that have passed on over a century and it still exist. All this has a very positive conclusion to continue the old faith in the modern society rather than embracing the others and this will create an even more strength in the revitalization of their old African Traditional Religion according to their members.       

References:

http://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-378056.0.html               

http://science.jrank.org/pages/11046/Religion-Africa-Future-African-Religions.html  http://www.studiesincomparativereligion.com/uploads/ArticlePDFs/268.pdfhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_African_religion                                           http://www.africamission-mafr.org/atrgb.htm