RELIGIOUS ISSUE IN AFRICA

Religious Issue in Africa

Religious Issue in Africa

Issue surrounding religion in Africa

Relationship between conflict and religion is actually a very complex one. When we think of religious and conflicts, Africa is most likely to pop-up in mind. Most religious issues in Africa are initiated because of the biasness that African religions involve, as religious and ethnic conflicts are inseparably knotted in most parts of Africa.

Conversion - a major issue

The conversion concept is as related to African original religion as it is to a number of other religions in the world. This might be surprising for some people as the original religion of Africa does not fall in the category of general religions which are referred to as missionary religions or universal religions. This religion is actually termed as traditional religion of Africa and it does not accept any change. It flourishes in homogenous and stable ethnic societies and said to be based on community. Traditional religion is inherited and forwarded in much of the same form from generations to generations. These are formed by the assimilation of religious practices and ideas that have been observed and held by the families and the communities. Against the conditions, the discussion done by the leaders on the conversion actually made some sense when it is encountered by the missionary religions. (Weigel, 1991)

Clarification of Terms

As far as religion is concerned, the conversion also includes the change in behavior and religious lives of the people. It involves a change in a person's morals, religious convictions and spiritual dedications from a circumstance of non-believer and weak faith to an ardent life. Conversion, thus, implies a change from one religion to another religion. Conversion could take place within the same religious system or it could be a change into another religion. While studying religious conversion, the scholars are also interested in cause and consequences of that change. There are different determinants which motivate conversion. Some scholars have identified three different phases of conversion: adhesion, mixing and total conversions. Even the traditional religions differ largely from one another on the bases of ecosystem, historical circumstances and language of the groups, but the idea of reality which they produce is similar. There is no dichotomy between super-sensible and visible worlds. Traditional religions of Africa are quite oral in nature. They are actually coded in the experience and oral communication of people rather than any sacred scriptures. (Weigel, 1991)

Conversion within the Original Religions

Differing from the general ideas created in number of existing works, many of the current studies have brought the attention to the inborn dynamism of indigenous religions of Africa. They have highlighted the factors and internal impulses that relate to important positive alternatives in the religious convictions and beliefs of group, as well as individual exchange of religious cultural forms and ideas among the people in traditional societies of Africa, prior to interaction and advent with other religious cultures and races. The major factors include acute sense of sacredness in people's initiation finances, special needs of ...