Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has described religion as intrinsically culture-phobic.

While speaking at the University of Benin eminent lecture entitled ‘Culture at Risk’, the professor linked the risk our African culture is facing to imposed foreign religion threatening our cultural existence.

Soyinka explained that culture is not simply about literature, but an amalgam of social practices such as theological, metaphysical and artistic materials.

He asserts that he does not preach and practice antiquated culture, rather, that culture is an accomplishment of the people and should diversify as against cultural relativism practiced by absolutists.

The professor lamented that foreign indoctrination have succeeded in pitching our own folks against our culture, by calling the traditional culture idolatry.

Devotional sculptures are being label as idol and burnt down in villages by indigenous Christian crusaders while the fanatical absolutist Islamic groups have continued to destroy relics from historic sites.

“Christian and Islamic excesses were not condemned in the process but traditional devotional materials suffer in the midst of it all. Adding to the problem is the prejudice and fierce bigotry indoctrinated by religious leaders where dissidents are blacklisted and persecuted in the name of infidel, blasphemy, and so on, with no room for criticism. The culture of religion has turned “kill-ture” and the argument has changed from “I am right, you are wrong” to “I am right, you are dead”.

Professor Wole Soyinka, in his speech, said that cultural relativism is a bi-product of decolonization; he explained that the mind is thoroughly colonized and can only be liberated by another enlightened and independent mind.

Removing and destroying ancient statues, and devotional sculptures is reducing humanity to abuse since these objects are part of human way of life, he said.

Soyinka advice that these neo-barbarians called religious extremists must know that cultural tolerance and deliberate acceptance of doctrine will enhance humanity’s progress.

http://thebelltimes.com/devotional-sculptures-called-idols-religious-extremists-wole-soyinka/

Interesting

Very true, I was dancing to bata drum one day and a lady came to me and said, "So, you want to dance your way to hell abi?"


I was shocked, hell bawo?