Jujusister:
Some of the stuff you've said here is too deep to get into however I must say that in my original blindness of Christian upbringing I developed and still find myself having some creepy feeling when all this talk of spirits Mami Wata and Du Legba and all that. Now this could be that these were mystified in an effort to demonise our beliefs but who knows.
Anyway, you talk of losing yourself in the spirit of Mami Wata and how she loves you. In some circles this may be regarded as keeping jinis. And even further, devil worship. Be as it may, jinis are prevalent in coastal culture and legends like Kajiwe were siad to have waged many numerous battles against them. Devil worship is the stuff of Western Christianity. Again, several zealots from the early Essenesian cults that later became Modern christianity, certain apostles(cult figures back then) were said to have battled the devil on many an occasion. Similar to Kajiwe fighting the jinis.
Many alternative Rockers like Marilyn Manson are followers of the Goth culture that I am not too familiar with but the same devout worship as fanatic christians, muslims as well as African traditional religion worshippers like yourself applies.
It then seems to me that for all the misunderstanding, demonising as you yourself said many have called you a wicth and I know others would be hesitant to go into this in the same manner as you fearing that they might end up worshipping evil spirits or demons or the devil himself, it comes down to what YOU and only YOU believe in.
The point is, only the believer seems to have this belief that what they are doing is right and that their god is with them. Certainly the things you say Mami Wata can do are amazing to some but to others might sound like the ancient legends about someone selling their soul to the devil to gain material things.
Bottom line, it all boils down to the same fundamental principle. You believe what you believe. How God manifests himself to you is entirely up to what you believe. No wonder when I was young I used to be told that the body is a temple and that God lives in me.
Taken in light of all that has been said here, it seems then to make sense that one's relationship with God cannot be dictated to them as God lives in us and it is for us to go about discovering how best to relate to him. Whether thru African beliefs or christianity etc. This would then dispel the myths of prophets sent by God and instead have them replaced with High Priests. Let me explain.
If today I wanted to explore ATR with you, you would have to guide me and together we would explore it. Key word is together. If another joins then we all get together and continue to explore. However, you being the most experienced would paly a leading role which could then explain the evolution of High Priests in African Religions. The ones who had to guide others in their spiritual quests somehow gained prominent positions and in time became the teachers of the religion's subtleties. It could be that biblical fanatics got carried away and started to advertise themselves as well as claim direct communication from God with instructions for the people.
It seems them to me that in some religions, these gatherings, where say jujusister would guide one or two other aspiring adherents say mnm and remedious, instead of being free for someone to come in and go out, were hijacked by power hungry practioners of the religion who had their own agendas and institutionalised them into the churches and mosques and temples we see today. Certainly if jujusisters small group started to grow with time, one can see a need to find a bigger place to meet at an agred time and later on instead of having to rent a place out, you decide to buy or build one of your own. Worshippers then contribute towards this. Then other new worshippers come into this situation where they have not contributed to the building of the meeting place and so have to be subjected to some rules and regulations e.g. tithe, behavior etc. I don't know if you get the picture but I think I am beginning to come full circle on thsi issue. Maybe even thats why so many of these African Independent churches AIC as well as ATR are springing up everywhere coz in the beginning there is little control over how people worship but gradually....
So when we find ourselves to be dissatisfied with one religion or afraid to try another say ATR, perhaps the only thing then to remind ourselves is that God lives in us and the quest to know him must be a free and willing one and if my brother so wishes and reaches out to me, I can help him to go about exploring his relationship with God but not control how he goes about it.
Just a thought..
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RE: just wondering -
12-13-2001, 06:09 PM
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