When it comes to religion, are the Yoruba
people of Nigeria the most tolerant race in the
whole world? It may not be wise to say yes
because of the absence of any endorsement of
such a position by a global body like the United
Nations. But having travelled to many parts of
Nigeria and some parts of the world; having
read books about several peoples of the world,
I can comfortably say that I have not seen or
heard of any country or people that tolerate
one another on the issue of religion like the
Yoruba of Nigeria.
As a child growing up in Igboland, I thought the
Igbo were the most tolerant in matters of
religion. For example, the only mosque in my
hometown Nnewi was built right at the gate of
the Diocesan Church Centre of the Anglican
Church, which was the central church for
Anglicans in the town when the head of the
diocese was in Onitsha. The mosque was owned
by the Hausa-Fulani community. Items like
sugarcane, carrot and kulikuli were sold beside
the mosque, and cobblers took care of people’s
shoes there. I never missed the sugarcane and
kulikuli any time I had cause to be at the
church. Christians never bothered that Muslims
(who were not sons and daughters of the
community) situated their mosque by the gate
of the central church of the Anglican
Communion in the town.
There was no Muslim in my primary school; in
my secondary school, there was a Muslim boy –
a boy whose father was a policeman posted to
the town. On Thursdays when we had our moral
instruction classes, the chaplain of the school
who was also the vice-principal, always
announced that the Muslim boy was the only
one exempted from participating in moral
instruction classes because the school had no
Islamic teacher. Other pupils must either be at
the Roman Catholic section or the Protestant
section. We all envied the boy for the
preferential treatment he always got as the
only Muslim boy in our school.
With this type of background, I grew up with
the assumption that the Igbo must be the most
tolerant in matters of religion in Nigeria. But
there were events that made me have a
rethink later in life. When I was growing up, my
community had two major Christian
denominations: Anglicans and Catholics. Almost
all the schools in the town were founded by the
two churches. Parents usually sent their
children to these schools based on their
Christian denominations, even after the state
government took over the schools. At the close
of school each day, there was usually a point
where pupils of the Anglican Church-founded
schools met pupils of the Catholic Church-
founded school. Preachers, church teachers and
parents had indoctrinated the children that
only their denomination was the one endorsed
by God. So at such meetings, taunting songs
would be sung and a fight would ensue
between Anglican and Catholic children.
But that was not all. Many young men and
women could not marry one another because
one was Anglican and the other was Catholic.
Especially from the Catholic community, it was
always an uphill task for a girl to be allowed to
be married by an Anglican or a member of the
Protestant Church. But one thing that was
shared by all the Christian denominations was
that no married woman was allowed to attend a
church different from the one her husband
attended. The few who insisted on continuing
with the church of their birth while in their
matrimonial homes either caused a deep rift in
their marriage or even lost their marriage
entirely.
Compare that with a typical Yoruba family. A
couple with six children could have a family like
this: the man is a Muslim; the wife attends the
Celestial Church of Christ; the first child started
as a Muslim but converted to Christianity and is
now a member of a Pentecostal church; the
second child is a devout Muslim; the third and
fifth children are members of the Methodist or
Baptist church; the fourth child attends no
church or mosque but prefers the Yoruba gods
whenever he has any spiritual needs; and the
last child is an Anglican.
One would assume that with this seemingly
cacophony of religions in this family, there
would be constant religious tension, hatred,
quarrels and fights in it. No. In Yorubaland, no
one disturbs the other because of religion.
Interestingly, during Islamic festivals,
Christians join their Muslim relatives to
celebrate. Also during Christian festivals, the
Muslims join their relatives to celebrate. For
example, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr.
Babatunde Fashola, is a Muslim, while his wife
is a Christian.
In the larger Yoruba society, the issue of
religion is not a factor while considering a
candidate for an elective post. For example,
Bola Tinubu, a Muslim, did two terms as Lagos
State governor and handed over to Fashola, a
Muslim, who is doing his second tenure in
office now.
Such high level of religious tolerance is not
even obtainable in countries that are known for
freedom and rights like the United States of
America and the United Kingdom. In such
countries, even though there is religious
freedom, there are certain social and political
positions that some people may never dream
of.
This wonderful trait of the Yoruba needs to be
publicised. If such a trait were from an
American community, several documentaries,
films and books would have been produced
based on it. If the Federal Government would
not publicise such, it behoves the Yoruba nation
to sponsor the production of such materials.
In addition, the Yoruba nation should embark
on a religious-tolerance campaign across the
federation and even the world. That will offer
them the opportunity through which they will
teach other races how they have mastered the
art of religious tolerance. There is no denying
that religion is a major threat to world peace
today. Nigeria is getting its share of violence.
Therefore, any effort that will help to reduce
the threat will be a welcome development.
http://punchng.com/opinion/are-the-yoruba-the-number-one-in-religious-tolerance/

wait, Let's make a research

The religious tolerability of the Yorubas is inborne! Traditionally, we have many religious denominations, Ogun, Shango, Oya, Egungun, Obatala, etc, all refrencing one supreme God, the Eledumare or Olorun. In a typical house, you can have the father as a Shango worshiper, while the wife worships Oya and some of his children may prefer Egungun.
Every Orisha/religion have their worship day and you will hardly see one clashing with the other.
All the traditional tolerability have now being brought to the mordern world

Larger thread

https://www.nairaland.com/1027284/yoruba-number-one-religious-tolerance