Apart from corruption and illiteracy which have affected Africa’s development, superstition has also played a significant role in retarding Africa's growth. Did illiteracy give birth to superstition? Why Africa is still influenced by superstition when these ancient beliefs aren’t helping us in any way?

What is superstition? There are thousands of definitions of superstition but I like this one: “A belief, not based on human reason or scientific knowledge, that future events may be influenced by one's behavior in some magical or mystical way.”

For ages, Africa has been dominated by superstition which in my opinion has affected us more than doing us good since a close observation of superstitious activities or pure thinking evolves on illiteracy. Imagine in Madagascar, twins were considered bad luck; therefore, one has to be abandoned in the forest.

Imagine in Ghana, a certain ethnic group in Accra, wouldn’t mention the name of a snake in the night, therefore, “Ground thread,” is used. On Tuesday, fishermen don’t go to sea because of disastrous events they think would follow. While in Europe and America, fishing vessels don’t care about Tuesday, probably, the reason they have so much fish.

In Ghana, it is a disrespect to greet with the left hand, yet Europeans and Americans don’t have that mentality. Again in Ghana, many believe that seeing a black cat in the morning signifies a warning of an impending doom or a catastrophe, yet in Europe and America, many people have black cats as pets, yet they see them every day and they progress every day.

During the Homowo festival, the playing of music is forbidden in coastal areas because the deity mermaid demands peace? Let’s begin to ask ourselves; years after enslavement to these superstitions, what benefits have we gain?

How superstition affects the free distribution of bags in Ghana

About two years ago, a couple in Antwerp that always think about the welfare of Africans, delivered four boxes of school bags to be distributed to Ghanaian school children. The freight and duty for the one-thousand bags cost me a lot of money but it’s satisfying if you are doing something good for other people.

A week after my sister took delivery of the consignment, I received a message from her that no one wants the school bags. Why I did ask? According to my sister, the bags have a symbol of a snake on them, thus; because of the specific symbol, no one is interested. This is a serious case which should have made me sad, instead, I burst out laughing.

Read more: https://www.modernghana.com/news/885982/did-illiteracy-give-birth-to-superstition-in-africa.html

Superstitious belief has deprived many people good things

The Europeans are not free of the superstition theory. Every heard of Halloween before ?

zinnydan:
Superstitious belief has deprived many people good things

Like? Don't agree to those beliefs but you need to be specific or give one or two examples. Maybe people will learn from you.

Tell us a continent without superstitions