The cost of religion to Africa — Victor Obeng Ofori writes

It is very difficult to break the yolk of indoctrination. When the rationale of our religious beliefs and practices is challenged, we tend to fight back and see the interrogator as an enemy of God.

Some of the claims in holy books such as the Bible, the Quran or the Tripitaka cannot withstand the test of strict proof. Because of the conditioning of the mind right from infancy,  it becomes difficult to let go of some beliefs to pave the way for new ones which are based on empirical evidence

Most cultures around the world practise their own native religion. For Africans, our predominant religions were handed to us by foreign powers. Even though some may argue that these borrowed religions have been beneficial, they have come at a high cost, which is discussed in this write-up.

Economic cost

Assuming half of about 1.5 billion people in Africa are Christians who take 10 ml of communion wine every month, this amounts to 7.5 million litres of wine. This equates to 90 million litres per year ( equivalent to 450 million USD yearly at a modest retail price of 5 dollars per litre).

If each of the estimated 180,000 Muslims from non-Arab Africa spends a modest 5,000 USD during the Hajj pilgrimage, that amounts to 900 million USD in annual investment in the economies of those who handed the religion to us.

The costs cited in the two obligations above are recurrent, increase in direct proportion with population and are likely to be perpetual unless there is a cultural shift.

The cost of religious buildings can range from several thousand dollars to hundreds of millions of dollars. A locality without a single factory and several unemployed youth can boast of multiple religious edifices. In sole proprietary churches, the church property is bequeathed to the children and spouse of the founder upon their demise.

Also, some members of these religions spend most of their productive hours in the week at their respective places of worship. This comes at a cost to the provision of services and goods as well as perpetuating the vicious cycle of poverty and control by some fake religious leaders.

Psychological cost

1. The mode of recruitment into Christianity and Islam is based on the operant conditioning theory, where prospects are informed that refusal to become a member will lead to their perpetual destruction in the afterlife, whereas membership grants them permanent residence in heaven or Jannah. This introduces some element of duress in the process.

Also, members in most sects of these religions are made to believe that they are constantly being pursued by evil spirits or beings. This results in anxiety among the believers who become candidates for exploitation schemes, including financial extortion and sexual harassment. In some cases, worshippers are made to graze on grass, carry cutlasses to church and drink potentially harmful concoctions.

Social cost

1. Some religious leaders create confusion in families. Members with various predicaments are informed that their relatives or friends are the spiritual root cause. Older women are most often labelled as witches. This results in verbal and physical confrontations and ultimately the breakdown of relationships.

Secondly, some religious sects have antagonistic relations with other sects. There have been instances of physical attacks resulting in the killing of members of different faiths.

Proposed reforms

The inculturation process should be strategically enhanced in the various religions. Hibiscus wine (Sobolo) could be used for communion instead of grape wine. Hibiscus is readily available in Sub-Saharan African countries, including Ghana. Replacing grape wine with Hibiscus wine manufactured under standard conditions will create jobs in the value chain (farms to processing factories and vendor shops).

History has shown that religious doctrines and practices are amenable to change and reform. Hajj as a pillar of Islam is not negotiable. However, non-Arab Africa can make a bold declaration and choose Nigeria as their place of pilgrimage. This will create jobs and prosperity, especially in Northern Nigeria and help curtail armed conflicts and terrorism. The money pumped into Saudi Arabia yearly will remain in Africa.

Moreover, rather than constructing new religious buildings, the resources could be used to set up multiple small and medium-scale factories to create jobs for the growing number of unemployed youth.

Regarding the psychological and social costs, there should be intense public education for children and adults. This should be embedded in the school syllabus starting from basic schools. Door-to-door, traditional and social media campaigns should be intensified to liberate the citizenry from religious exploitation.

Finally, the governments in the various countries should pass comprehensive regulations to deal with abusive and fraudulent acts that are perpetuated on their citizens in the name of religion.

Conclusion

In summary, a great deal of transformation and revolution is needed in the religious sector in Africa to enable her to break the economic bondage and free the majority of her members from exploitation.

Author:

Victor Obeng Ofori

Medical Laboratory Scientist