THE IMPORTANCE OF IDOLATORY, POLYTHEISM, ANIMISM AND ETC FOR A HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIP WITH SELF, OTHERS AND NATURE.


The theology of the Yoruba is based squarely on respect for self, others, ancestors, orisa, nature and the other world. This respect, without mincing words mean worship or deification. Without respecting others, you would not expect to have a harmonious or beneficial relationship with them. That will not be possible but once you respect and worship them, you will be able to get anything you want from them, if they have it. This applies to the other world as well, to all the orisa, Eegun and nature forces.


To respect, deify and worship something does not mean they are Olodumare which is the Yoruba name for God. Anybody claiming to be Olodumare or at par with Olodumare is a megalomaniac fool. That is the Yoruba belief. People are always reminded that they are not Olodumare when they become power drunk. Olodumare has power over everything, is omnipotent and omniscient and the resources of Olodumare are there for all to use as we are all reservoirs of the ashe of Olodumare, all of us, including living and non living things.


So to us, Aborisha, when we see a Cobra and we bow down to worship it, not because it is Olodumare but because it is imbued with the Ase of Olodumare. Ase is the creative energy of God, the power to effect change, to make things happen and it is contained in everything.


Respect for others is central to Yoruba theology which is why people prostrate to greet their superiors, lying flat on the ground in worship. When Ilorin was captured by renegade Yoruba Muslims, the practice of lying prostrate to greet people was discontinued, being labelled as barbaric by Muslims who insisted that only Allah (whom no one can see) must be worshipped in such a manner. Till today, many Muslims carry themselves with arrogance, respecting neither parents, seniors or subordinates, since to them, it would mean worship and only Allah deserves to be worshipped. Such a frame of mind is a recipe for disaster.


How can worshipping only Olodumare be beneficial to humanity or Olodumare himself? How do you determine what is worship and what is not worship? And etc. So it should be clear to all that the caveat placed on worshipping things that are not Olodumare is not a caveat that makes sense. Our Yoruba land is unique, it is what it is because of what Olodumare put there. Without the water bodies, it would be a desert, without the hills, it would have been more accessible to invaders in the past, without the forests, no trees. So let us abide by the laid down rules of Olodumare, which is that we should worship everything for us to enjoy our lives with them. If we flout this instruction of Olodumare, any repercussion will be solely our fault. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.


Worship yourself, worship others, worship your ancestors, worship nature, worship everything you see, take time to bow down and be grateful to them all and it shall be well with you.


The Yoruba do not offer any sacrifice to Olodumare but Olodumare is venerated in incantations and etc as the owner of all ashe. Olodumare has never been incarnated but orisas have been frequently incarnated, so sacrifices are offered to them ritually but never to Olodumare which are sometimes made up of favourite foods of past incarnations of that orisa as directed by priests of the particular orisa.


So the caveat by Christians and Muslims against polytheism does not make sense unless it can be well articulated for us to see the benefits but there are a lot of benefits in worshipping, valuing and respecting everyone and everything. The main one being that it will enhance balance, cooperation and conservation in the world. That was the status quo before Christianity and Islam came upon us like a bull in a China shop.

great,I always respect the Yoruba's for their culture of respect and how they greet elders (am Bini though).NOTHING is wrong with polytheism and our African religions