Of Religion, Culture And The Divide Between

From before Christianity made its way to the African Soil, we have ultimately always believed in God, A Supreme Being, The Creator. Traditionally we believe that the souls of our departed ancestors (Midzimu) watch over our family, protect it from harm and intercede on our behalf to The Creator (Musika Vanhu)

The ancestral spirits also needed appeasement, family gatherings were held, a cow was slaughtered and traditional beer brewed. For some reason the ancestors live vicariously through us and develop a taste for traditional beer. I have always been curious what would happen if our departed kin were teetotaling vegetarians…… Regardless of the reasons it’s a great excuse for families to celebrate life and honour their heritage…..

And then missionaries came, somewhere somehow it had been decided we were lost souls who needed saving and that our ancestral spirits were evil and honouring them was a vile practice.  Granted some traditional practices were bad but we were made to feel that everything traditional was backwards, to be civilised we had to leave it all behind. Looking back I sometimes question their benevolence, because the role of missionaries is intricately tied up with the colonisation of African countries……….

Religion has a way of being warped into a tool that controls the will of its followers, sometimes with good intentions, but that’s what it’s paved with the road to hell……

Today there is massive rise in a new type of church, led by firebrand pastors who dress in designer suits, wear expensive time pieces and drive luxury cars. They tell you that your time of break-through is coming, in order to receive, you must first give, good lovers a cheerful giver, so give give give…

Miracles are performed some which seem suspiciously choreographed and are better suited for a magician or illusionist’s performance. People flock to see this demonstration of power and to buy anointed artifacts. The more controversial pastors even wind up in the news, some claim to have cellphones with a direct line to God himself or having visited him and took selfies together in heaven……

The end times are coming….. and then someone asks me why I don’t go to any particular church? I will read just read my bible and make peace with my conscience and be a good human being and hope he is a forgiving God.

~B

Day 10 blog everyday Challenge