Martian: Yes. After slavery and violence, the most effective way to subjugate people is through psychological means and religion proved to be the most effective method. Since the white people had proven to be more economically powerful and much less ignorant of nature, they had already proven to the indigenous cultures that they were culturally superior so selling them the white version of god was easy. "if their god helped them conquer us, he must be the true god".....chinua Achebe expressed this sentiment in things fall apart when the white priest went into the shrine of a feared local god and destroyed it.

Even though we are in the "information age", black people still follow these mythologies blindly so imagine the ancestors who were a lot more ignorant. I guess it was like taking candy from a baby.
Now, some positives did come out of imperialism, but those positives could have come about in a more equitable way intead of all the benefits going to the whites.

The most damage is done by the religions they brought, because they aim for the "supernatural" while condemning the natural under threats of hell. When views like that are what forms these people's philosophies on life, how do you expect them to deviate from it? In an ironic way, these religions are what salves the people whose societies have been damaged by the imperialism and colonialism that introduced the religions in the first place. Gift and a curse.

Also, they really didn't do away with the old beliefs entirely, they just cast some of the characters as antagonists to their god. eg Eshu is now synonymous with the christian devil in yoruba christianity.

They did the same thing on the plantations. Take their religion and culture, give them white names and jesus. Also, tell them that Jesus says that slaves should obey their masters..........and you'll go to "heaven" when you're dead.

ayobase:
They didnt shove it down our throats.
It was a proposal and we bought it!

Martian:

What's your point?

AjanleKoko:
I guess he means, you can opt out. For me, I don't see any difference between the way Africans adopted Christianity or Islam, or the way Asians did.
Some people did it due to colonization, others used it to get trading leverage.

AjanleKoko:
In any case, Africa's problem has little or nothing to do with religion, no matter how people make it seem that way.

Martian: Yes. After slavery and violence, the most effective way to subjugate people is through psychological means and religion proved to be the most effective method. Since the white people had proven to be more economically powerful and much less ignorant of nature, they had already proven to the indigenous cultures that they were culturally superior so selling them the white version of god was easy. "if their god helped them conquer us, he must be the true god".....chinua Achebe expressed this sentiment in things fall apart when the white priest went into the shrine of a feared local god and destroyed it.

Even though we are in the "information age", black people still follow these mythologies blindly so imagine the ancestors who were a lot more ignorant. I guess it was like taking candy from a baby.
Now, some positives did come out of imperialism, but those positives could have come about in a more equitable way intead of all the benefits going to the whites.

The most damage is done by the religions they brought, because they aim for the "supernatural" while condemning the natural under threats of hell. When views like that are what forms these people's philosophies on life, how do you expect them to deviate from it? In an ironic way, these religions are what salves the people whose societies have been damaged by the imperialism and colonialism that introduced the religions in the first place. Gift and a curse.

Also, they really didn't do away with the old beliefs entirely, they just cast some of the characters as antagonists to their god. eg Eshu is now synonymous with the christian devil in yoruba christianity.

They did the same thing on the plantations. Take their religion and culture, give them white names and jesus. Also, tell them that Jesus says that slaves should obey their masters..........and you'll go to "heaven" when you're dead.

Fulaman198:

"... Why? Human beings are very imperfect, and will continue to be until they have truly and willingly chose to live their lives dedicated to God."

Billyonaire: Yet, African religion has not massively been hijacked for such killings like the days of Knight Templars, to present day terror wars et al

Martian:

What's your point?

Nebeuwa: Does that include the Coptic Church of Egypt and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church? Both of those Christian denominations are as old as Christianity itself. Ethiopians and the Egyptian Copts were Christians even before Europe was converted to Christianity.

tevinsolt: our traditional religions can be fascinating... but I believe in the only one and true God that created the heavens and the earth. God has sent Jesus to die for my sins and i have been reedeemed by the power in his blood. the veil that splitted into two at the temple when Jesus said it is finished confirms the essence of christianity which is God reaching for man. so that's why i will keep his commandments including you shall serve no other God before me.

tevinsolt:
point of correction there's a difference between an Arabian and a Jewish man

FXKing2012: Why shld a religion that promotes human sacrifice and the killing of twins not be replaced with one that teaches love? Thank God for Christianity.

binger: Christianity has come to stay..deal with it!what good did the ATR do us.Before the new religions came,wickedness like killing of twins,slavery,killing of albinos even before dey are 1 day old,amongst so many evils prevailed.What do you have now...Such things have become extinct and most importantly,we have received salvation and the promise of eternal life thru Christ Jesus

AjanleKoko:

I guess he means, you can opt out. For me, I don't see any difference between the way Africans adopted Christianity or Islam, or the way Asians did.
Some people did it due to colonization, others used it to get trading leverage.

In any case, Africa's problem has little or nothing to do with religion, no matter how people make it seem that way.

Martian:

Who did it to get trading leverage?



Religion is just one of the symptoms of the problem but it could also be of help.

Revolva:

That's perfect truth they washed us saying we will go to heaven if we obey jesus and go to hell if we disobey well words from malcolm x - your heaven or hell is here on earth its just a state of mind -now check this every whiteman lives comfortable either in the westernworld even over here they are seen as first class people that's is to tell you that's their heaven and we blacks around the world are in hell we live a third class life style

The truth is the white people destroyed our history right from the days of the timbuktu and it pains me that we africans don't wanna come back to our own senses and leave the whiteman brainwashing system ,how can we manufacture a spoon when all we do is pray in church monday to sunday and some folks pray 5times daily , look at india and china and japan where they still maintain their indiginous religion they are improving economically

Fiveseventy:

While you may argue that African religions should be more recognised, you should also realise the negativities of their traditions (barbaric practices).

ayobase:

Someone said we shld overlook that, and concentrate on the good side....I think shymmex, the oracle of Ifa.
Im getting somethings him!
What about that other religion with a profound negativity, should we overlook?

emöfine2: Once again I appreciate your insightful contributions PhysicsQED and I agree with much of what you’ve written. I’m quite fascinated with the suggestion of using music as a tool to re-establish African faiths.

shymmex: @Physics

My question is about what you said on music being a tool to 'campaign' for African religions.. Do you think that's why some people are saying that 'Illuminati' is using signs and symbols in music videos to spread their agenda??

PS: I don't really believe in the illuminati thing, but it's always good to ask questions from people who're more knowledgeable.

ayobase:

I sincerely respect ur opinion without ambiguity!
Standing to be corrected, does it mean that don't believe in a system that punishes....hell fire!

PhysicsQED:

Thanks.

One of the reasons for suggesting using music to revitalize interest in indigenous religions is because of what I've seen just from looking at the Rastafari movement and the associated music. The main idea of the Rastafari movement - that one particular 20th century monarch of the Solomonic dynasty of Ethiopia is a deity - is something that would sound very strange to most people, but then again it's not really more bizarre than some of the specific claims in the Abrahamic religions which the Rastafari movement is tied to.

This is a movement which on the surface should never have had more than a few hundred adherents, being totally new and being in the western world surrounded by Christianity, but the quality of the music that often promotes the lifestyle and beliefs of the Rastafaris is so great that I wouldn't be surprised if more people became Rastas because of great reggae artists than because of the cannabis. They took the local reggae music and used it to promote their beliefs and to some extent they were successful. There may not be that many Rastafaris, but there are enough that one can say that their success is definitely out of proportion to the age of their movement and the amount of writings promoting their beliefs. The music really does seem to be a big factor.

redsun:

Ewu! As if christianity doesnt encorage human sacrifice. What was abraham going to do with isaec? And why was jesus sacrificed on the cross by his socalled illusive father,god?

Africans lost their intuitions,instincts and common sense and became zombie like as soon as they lost their culture,religion and language. They lost their ways of life and inturn,lost their bearings till this day.

musKeeto:
You do realise that Christianity's is based on the sacrifice of a human and belief in his blood?

FXKing2012:

This is the height of ignorance, where in the Bible promotes human sacrifice? Pls dont talk abt wat u dont know cos it only makes u look stuuuupid! Jesus willingly gave His life for us cos He loves us so much and does not want us going to hell. Pls dont talk abt wat u dont know.

FXKing2012:

This is the height of ignorance, where in the Bible promotes human sacrifice? Pls dont talk abt wat u dont know cos it only makes u look stuuuupid! Jesus willingly gave His life for us cos He loves us so much and does not want us going to hell. Pls dont talk abt wat u dont know.

FXKing2012: And if not for Christianity, Africans would still be living in caves doing hunting and gathering. So wat African institutions, instincts and common sense are u talking abt?

You see yourself now! Was Abraham a Christian? Was there even Christianity during Abraham's time? Why would u wanna expose your folly up in here? And besides, God was only testing Abraham's faith; God was never gonna allow Abraham kill Isaac. Dont be stupid u eeediot!

AjanleKoko: You guys are all arguing blindly.
If you want to serve Sango, is anybody stopping you? Go and worship the ancestral gods, you and your families, and let's see you get inspired to build nuclear weapons and microchips

PhysicsQED:

lol, you think the people who build nuclear weapons and microchips are mostly Christians or Muslims?

FXKing2012: But seriously, are u guys arguing that we wld have been better of if the missionaries never came? I mean, seriously, is that your stance?

FXKing2012:

And if not for Christianity, Africans would still be living in caves doing hunting and gathering. So wat African institutions, instincts and common sense are u talking abt?