Abstract:
This essay argues that the inherent value of Indigenous African Religions
(IARs), which ensures that the belief in different gods does not eclipse the fact
of common humanity might be of importance to contemporary Africa plagued
by ceaseless conflicts. The IAR ideology contrasts, for example, with that of
Christianity which views the Christian God as the one true God and regards
those who worship a different God(s) as pagans and gentiles. It also contrasts
with the ideology of Islam, which views Allah as the one true God and regards
those who worship different God(s) as infidels. The essay claims that social
orientation in contemporary Africa is mostly influenced by the divisive
ideologies of these two foreign religions that have come to dominate. These
divisive ideologies are to a large extent, indirectly responsible for some of the
violent conflicts on the continent. This divisive religious orientation bifurcates
humanity into in and out-groups that are extended to the social sphere where
people from different religious, ethnic and linguistic groups are treated as
outsiders and are made targets for attacks like in South Africa and Nigeria
today. Further, if we interpret such violent conflicts as evil and consider its
source in light of the perennial problem of evil, what would be our response?
Using the conversational method, the essay argues that both good and evil are
part of the universe, and that if we want more good, then a change from a
divisive to a complementary orientation based on the relational values of the
IARs is imperative.
