Some years ago, one of my young cousins relayed the story of how the Nigerian teacher in her Catholic high school was stumped by the following questions one of her White classmates asked him during Religious Studies class:

1. Why do you have an English name?
2. Why do Africans adopt English names during their Christian Baptisms or Confirmations?
3. Are there no African names that are Christian enough?
4. If God understands all languages, why change your African names to English ones?

Well, she said her teacher never answered the questions, became a bit irritated, quickly changed the subject and proceeded to give them a 5-Question Pop Quiz.

How would YOU have answered this student, if YOU were the teacher?

I would tell him it's a result of an age-long deceit perpetrated by his great grand fathers against Africans

I wont say deceit only but pure domination as overlords

Those with native names were deemed pagans

Those who converted to white man religion were given white names and benefits accrued from the colonial masters

purplesummer: I would tell him it's a result of an age-long deceit perpetrated by his great grand fathers against Africans

I would say the problem lies in the misconception of what's in a name. A white man might bear "Biro" because he actually invented the ball point pen(I'm referring to Michael Biro in this case) or his name might be Honda(Soichiro Honda). Africans tend to feel their names give them relevance whereas its the person that gives a name relevance.

When the white man noticed this, they decided to fill us with their fairytales of THEIR great men in the bible and told us if we beared those names, we'll be just as great as them.

Unfortunately the black man failed to realise that Sango and all other heros in our land achieved just as much right here

myads890: I would say the problem lies in the misconception of what's in a name. A white man might bear "Biro" because he actually invented the ball point pen(I'm referring to Michael Biro in this case) or his name might be Honda(Soichiro Honda). Africans tend to feel their names give them relevance whereas its the person that gives a name relevance.

When the white man noticed this, they decided to fill us with their fairytales of THEIR great men in the bible and told us if we beared those names, we'll be just as great as them.

Unfortunately the black man failed to realise that Sango and all other heros in our land achieved just as much right here

So...are you saying that Africans/Nigerians were gullible?

zboyd:

So...are you saying that Africans/Nigerians were gullible?

Yes. Its obvious isn't it? A Nigerian will travel to the UK for just 6 months and his accent will change completely. That's if he even comes back. Only Africans give testimonies in church about getting visas to Europe or other countries.

When the whites came to Africa they stole all our ideas, artifacts etc and TOOK IT BACK to their continent AND made it seem like they invented it. What knowledge have Africans brought back from abroad?

A Nigerian will be proud to boast that he travelled out for the country for medical check up. Something that should be acquirable in our own country. After travelling to Europe and seeing how clean everywhere is, they'll still come back and throw empty gala wrappers out of the windows of their cars.

Yes. We are gullible

myads890:
When the whites came to Africa they stole all our ideas, artifacts etc and TOOK IT BACK to their continent AND made it seem like they invented it. What knowledge have Africans brought back from abroad?

Abeg, which ideas?

Medieval ideas

musKeeto:
Abeg, which ideas?