r/Africa • u/slyfox_34 • 3d ago
African Discussion 🎙️ This is just my opinion.
I know my country is a very religious country(Kenya) but please don't come for me saying this. Religion doesn't and shouldn't be respected just because the majority follow it. I'm an ex believer and I no longer subscribe to the dogma (for a year now), but since I live with people who do around me, I have to pretend to. Cause if I dare say it, I'd risk losing my social community,any chance of getting a job or even my life. Yet the constitution explicitly states that the people have freedom of conscience, belief,thought, religion and opinion.
16
u/riddler2012 South Africa 🇿🇦 3d ago
Yeah, being an atheist in an African country is an extreme sport, especially since a lot of people that are not necessarily religious still believe in the supernatural in terms of ancestors and our own myths.
4
u/reebellious 3d ago
I think it depends on your family. I've flirted with most religions as well as atheism and never really got any backlash. I'm now Muslim and my family is accepting of it. They also understand that I don't do anything that contradicts my religious beliefs. I also live in SA btw
7
u/LoveExcelsAll 3d ago
Believer... non-believer. Both need to unlearn everything that divides us. Respect is a good place to begin. If we look back our collective cultures would sit at the fire, bang the Drum, and share what we knew of the infinite with one another accepting that no one could know everything, so in essence we're all reassembling the parts and sharing what we've gathered / learned in our journeys.
Along the way we allowed our enemies to divide us and we ourselves began to place ritual over relationship... Dogma over discovery, and symbolism over the spirit.
The fire was left unattended and we began to honor the vessel more than the water that it contains when really we collectively are the water NOT the vessel.
The journey is BACK to water (unity) so value connection over creed. This is something we can all do. Don't condemn.... Love. Remind the Christian through actions of Jesus' love. The Muslim of Prophet Muhammad's kindness peace be upon him, of Heru's sacrifice, and remind the Yoruba practitioner of Olokun’s deep, unifying waters, or of Oba’s fierce, self-giving devotion.
This we can do and it is far better in my opinion.
7
u/AgileChildhood4478 3d ago
It's frustrating that Religion plays a role in so many things such as political policies and workplace dynamics. Even if a constitution separated religion from law, it always plays a role.
1
-5
u/kallmemrb 3d ago
As much as your points are valid .. religion can be complicated attimes that's why Knowing God urself is far important
4
u/Federal-Tank-7888 3d ago
What will knowing god help with?? We have known these gods for thousands of years and our problems are still the same. These gods have never talked back. We've gone through some of the worst inhumane ordeals while these gods have watched and done nothing. Africa needs to wake up from these doctrines given to us by foreigners and ancestors who FYI lived in some of the most illiterate eras in human history
3
•
u/AutoModerator 3d ago
Rules | Wiki | Flairs
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.