"Even though African countries have achieved "independence," their own spirituality is still very much imprisoned by the cultures that colonized them. Outside influences have made people ashamed of their own traditions. They consider their own beliefs to be superstition." - Sobonfu Some, Falling Out of Grace.

About foreign religions:

"I believe that evangelism is not a good thing. It is most appalling to see that in the modern world there are still people going all over Africa, Latin America and other Third World countries trying to teach people that they should forget the faith of their ancestors." - Wande Abimbola, Ifa Will Mend This Broken World

DON'T FORGET AFRICAN RELIGION AND BELIEF ARE NOT DEAD!!!

EVERYBODY SHOULD AT LEAST GO OUT AND GRAB SOME KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THEIR HERITAGE! there is information if you just search!

Ask your family about your family history!

And if you are interested about it, people still practice their original faiths: (Dagara, Vodun, Lebu religion among others)

Yoruba religion for example is so rich in culture and is still alive! Yoruba slaves even managed to keep their faith alive in America, (Lucumí, Umbanda and Candomblé) are all based on Yoruba religion.

Well said my brother!

First came the slave ships, then the the [b]missionaries[/b], then the colonizers, and then the big Companies. Result of this mass genocide, mass rape, mass poverty, slavery and underdevelopment. We have ancestors scattered all over the Atlantic ocean floor, they fought to keep their faith, language and pride. Without that we are SLAVES, and that's what we will always bee if we allow the total elimination of our culture and beliefs.

Rome was Christianized by Constantine, his mother was an early convert. Before, Christians had been a mistreated sect witch the empire had basically seen as a threat.

Now when Rome was Christianized, many uncertainties about the religion appeared. There was no agreement whether or not Jesus was a human being with divine qualities or God in a human shape or the son of God. Constantine decided that Jesus should be the son of God and Gods form on earth. He also decided Sundays to be the official day for rest among Christians.

The bible has changed a lot over time.

The differences between the oldest versions of the bible found and the modern bible are evidence that changes have been made. In the original bible there is two parts that do not exist in the modern bible, also the text is slightly different, words and sentences has been added and taken out.

One important thing is that in the old bible is that Jesus never rises from his cave and never "return" to heaven.
He also never express the words -"Father forgive them for they know not what they do"
And in the old bible the Jews are held accountable for the death of Jesus.

This means the modern bible can not be the direct word of god so for fundamentalists this may be a bit uncomfortable to read.

The old bible: http://codexsinaiticus.org/en/
Article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7651105.stm

You people need to update, we did not evolve from apes. We share a common ancestor BUT that ancestor walked upright and was more like a human thus apes evolved from humans!

I believe in evolution. The creation in the bible for me is pure fantasy, or it could be a codified description in metaphors not to be taken literally. The theory of evolution and big band does not exclude the existence of the creator!

The sort of Christianity the colonizers and missionaries brought with them to Africa is poison. There is no reason for West- Africans to practice this Alien religion. If you want to be a true Christian, look to Ethiopia and the orthodox church, or read original scriptures that did not undergo the Roman censorship and alteration.

The only true religion for Africans is their traditional religions and beliefs, without that we will never free ourselves!

Secondly If you want to know what religion to turn to, ask yourself "what is the true religion of my people?" If you are Yoruba for example, its Orisha!

Do not adopt the religion of your colonizers and oppressors. The ugliest thing is corrupt religion. Few see re racism in the fact that you can go to church after church and when you walk inside black Africans are always praying to a white Jesus! I do not know how it is in Naija but that's a fact in many west African countries. That mental and spiritual slavery.

First of all, its wrong to say a religion is violent, a religion is nothing more than the people whom it consists of and their faith. Of course Muslims are generally not violent at all, Muslims are normal people just as Christians or Hindus or other religious people, some are violent but most are peaceful.

Islam does not preach violence, however mainstream media is violently portraying Muslims as natural evil and violent fanatics. THAIS IS A BIG RACIST PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN! with USA, France and many other west-European countries on the fore-front.

I live in Europe and they talk about Muslims today like they talked about the Jews before Worldwar II. To put a label on different peoples of different faiths or ethnicities and then fasten certain characteristics and behaviour on them, defining who are good and who are not, is the perfect definition of bare RACISM. The Muslims are the big scapegoats today for everything bad in the world. my point is don't believe in CNN BBC AL-Jazeera racist propaganda launched out by the imperialist, capitalist white elite. Its all politics

A true religion should be based both on faith, reason and purpose. A true religion must come from the people and their devotion to their beliefs, It upholds and strengthen the community, that relies on the history, culture and values of the people.

The religion must be a way to maintain the continuance of the people and their heritage. It is an institutional system with people of different roles and positions who fill their specific function and use their skills to govern the health and well being of their community. And who keep a sense of order and coordinates rituals for events like births, marriages, deaths, worship and such. While the regular person govern their personal spirituality and tries to live up to the morals and standards of the community and one self.

A true religion comes from within not from outside! Within Africa, within ones culture and heritage

Ase!

When I mentioned racism I meant racism from the white woman's family, BUT be aware many of those white ladies seeking out black men are sick people with sick racist and stereotypical fantasies about black men. They see black people as a means to fill their sexual desire

White men can keep their women, we don't need them. Ugly or not, the point its another people from another culture why would anybody hold a white woman higher than a woman of his own kind, unless he is so conditioned by racism. Personally I think black women have the right to claim black men an the other way around. (And for the more traditional brothers that has a legacy to pass on through their children will find it a bit more complicated when the mother is white, many such children are less interested about their African side and they are more likely themselves to get with a white partner, your (Yoruba/Igbo/Nigerian/Malian an whatever) legacy will soon be faded out. ) At least this is the case if you live in the diaspora in for example Europe

Anyway people here just seem to think about dating, but you should think about it in the long run. If you plan to find someone for life think about the complications of such relationships when it comes to family, holidays, faith, traditions, racism and what not. Also think about the children, Its not always easy to be in between like that, not always fully accepted of any of the two sides. Are you prepared to struggle with those things? if the answer is Yes, then go on, if you don't prefer African women its your loss lol

What does the name Odumosu mean in Yoruba? - its common in Abeokuta

What does the Yoruba name "Odumosu" means?? Please can anyone tell mee!?

This is my story,
Im born in Sweden far away from my roots but got the name Odou. My father has the name Odou and so did my granddad and great granddad.

After asking my aunties I found out that Odou is short for Odoumusu or "Odumosu", and also that my Great granddad was a Yoruba man born in Abeokuta!
When I search for Odumosu on Google I get lots of hits on people from the town of Abeokuta.

So my question is could anyone help me to figure out what my name means?  I have been wondering all my life!

Please help me! 

I consider Obama to be black because his father was and his grandad and great grandad and so on, to our society and to ppl he is seen as a black person. For me any person with African heritage and visible African features is black. Even if you have one black one white parent and even if you have more white ancestry than u have black, if you look black I see u as a black person but by both European and African parents Welcome to tha club lol. I see them all as my brothers and sisters and I do not see them as white, White for me is when you are just white or have almost no other origin than European. tho Its very much an issu how u identify ureself

BTW I think people give Obama so much cred for nothing. He is the president of USA but he got selected before he got elected. What real power does he really posses? NONE! Even if had the will, he has no means, Its not much more than symbolic and the worst part is people are satisfied with this and think it is some kind of proof that all is good and the black struggle is over! He is a war president with a peace price WTF! And he is not actually ruling the country. A black president means nothing as long as the masses of black people r still catching hell! Still people go on like he is some kind of holy man.

Maybe the USA is not possible to change that much through democratic methods. I think they need a revolution, rather than Libya.

pleep:

The Africans in Europe are of majority Lower socio-economic class, am i right?

I think you r right.
In Sweden Africans are mostly the ppl cleaning the subway and driving trains, buses and taxi even tough many of them are educated lawyers, doctors, economists, and engineers. Recently I have seen more shops popping up owned by Eritrean ppl. Before It was Asians only who sold hair products aimed for Africans.

inked nerd When I went to my aunty in Gambia I was surprised to what degree the young boys where seemingly copying and acting like African-Americans. In the way they talked, dressed and they where clearly influenced by commercialized Rap music and looked up to these black rappers as role models. They changed the way they usually talked in favour to an African-American "accent" and choice of words when they where greeting their boys. I was like "how come u all know 2 pac but not Sankara"

lil virus lol

Well said.

I feel you I was bothered by the arrogant tone of many comments on this thread, lack of understanding and so on. Africans and African-Americans are not in position to judge each other in that manner and say which one is the better. Tackle the problems within your own group and then try to move forward as a unity. Both groups well being must be in both groups interest. As I said before its the same force that keeps us back, they killed Malcolm X, Nkrumah, Samory, Lumumba. And I think the positive people within both groups are doing their best. And when the positive forces take over, the masses will follow.

"As long as my brothers aint free, I'm not free"- Mohammed Ali

I agree with Ron Oneal Whats up with this bashing of rap music and Hip Hop?? How can u ppl say Rap is deviant? It depends on what Rap music u choose to listen to. Hip Hop has also been a major positive factor in the AA communities, promoting morality conciousness and self respect. Who said it has to be Lil Wayne?
The ones buying Lil Wayne and Jay Zs album is by large white youths. And as stated before, big white owned record labels has bought up and control the mainstream Rap scene, and they promote bull s** and gangsa rap cus it sells. This does by no means portray the majority of black Americans.

Hey Africans, why this arrogance? And for black americans being in prison, cmooon! Do you realize you have a higher risk getting imprisoned because the color of your skin regardless of what you have done or not done. Crime is naturally higher among people in low income areas and blacks are the poorest group. Do you really blame them? Its not like after slavery they where uplifted as brothers with the same chances as white ppl. Prison in the state is our modern day slavery where black people work for nike and microsoft for free. And the prisons are privately owned so they r make money by filling the cells. Its a big time business.