Africa Should Reconsider Her Beliefs In Religion If She Wants To Grow

They say that religion is the opium of the masses but of late, religion seems to be the cannabis sativa of the African continent. If the African continent will not rethink and reconsider her position on religion, then we shall continue staggering in the dark and wallowing in poverty, dictatorship, and diseases.

During the week, the president of Zambia, strongman Edgar Lungu, shocked the world when he announced a national prayer day to pray for the local currency. The Kwacha (Zambian local currency) had dropped 45 percent against the US Dollar.

According to the government of Zambia, the drop of the currency was demonic that needed nationwide prayers to cast out the demons that were making the Kwacha to receive blows from the dollar. People made fun of it but to me, this was the opium of the masses working at its best.

In South Africa, there is this “man of God” who forces his brainwashed followers to eat grass like animals so that they can get rich. There is another preacher in the same country who forces women to come to church without innerwear so that holy spirit can “pass through them.”

If you are still surprised, then you haven’t heard of one in Zimbabwe who forces his congregation to perform blowjobs on his biological tool so that they can “suck in blessings.”

Kenya has her own share of religiously notorious people. In fact, we are among the leading country of people who have claimed to be Jesus and even God himself through the likes of Jehovah Wanyonyi and the Jesus of Tongaren.

Kenya seems to be the only country where people call for prayer meetings to cast out demons of an accident on a poorly constructed road. Last week, religious leaders held a prayer meeting at the scene where a bus rolled and killed 58 people. They blamed the devil for the accident. This is not to mention that the bus was old, had no license and the road was narrow and with no specific marks.

Africa has over the time been made to think that many problems that the continent is facing are “spiritual” and not physical and therefore need a “spiritual intervention” and not working policies. How does praying help people dying with hunger? How does praying help take away drought in a country where people are clearing forests day and night?

Most poor Africans have been made to think that it is okay to suffer on earth and enjoy a good life full of milk and honey somewhere in heaven. The irony is that those who tell them are living like kings and queens, driving posh cars and in private jets.

African parents will celebrate and call it talent when a six-year-old knows how to pray and read the bible and even preach to “grownups” when other kids in other continents are busy being taught science, technology and how to solve problems.

For Africa, religion is our problem.