One of the areas of confusion or contention for those that have embraced foreign religions is the thought that ancient Africans worship more than one God and so they can be said to be worshiping false gods.

It is really important to correct this notion.

First, the idea of a "false god" is not one to be given much consideration. On what basis will a mortal claim to know what a false god is or what a true god is? The worshipers of the gods are to be left to worship their gods in peace without the need to seek to guilt trip them into converting them. To each his own faith.

The second is the idea of polytheism. This idea was not well articulated in the books of the early missionaries who came to Africa. Unfortunately, their books happen to be the knowledge that majority of the people in the western world got exposed to. It also served as the literature used in schools to teach even African Children. This act has estranged many Africans from their true root.

The idea that African religion worship many gods is one which has to be put in context.
The first thing to note is that Africa is a very large continent that plays home to diverse tribes with each tribe having their own tongue and culture.
One of the largest original African tribes is the Yoruba people. Their religion is Ifá.
In Ifá, there is only one being who is regarded as GOD, he goes by the name Olódùmarè or Elédùmarè. He is surrounded by a host of Òrìṣàs (Divinities) which he created as Co-administrators of the cosmos and he made them leaders over mortals. He established it so that each mortal will look up to their guardian Òrìṣàs for what they need and the Òrìṣàs will dispense to them (the mortal) what they need according to the Authority that he (Olódùmarè) has given to the Òrìṣàs.

The Òrìṣàs were first sent down from heaven to create the earth and make physical habitation possible, after which the mortals came. The Òrìṣàs existed physically with the mortals and they went back to Ọ̀run (Heaven) when their work was done, leaving their mortal servants to continue the creative work on earth while they guide them from the invisible realm of the heavens.

This is the belief/practice of the Yoruba people that foreigners who are either impatient to develop a full understanding or are on an outright mission to disorganize the people's belief system refer to as Polytheism.

The followers of each Òrìṣà pray through their Òrìṣàs to Olódùmarè for favor, protection, provision and guidance. During their rituals, they sing the praise songs of their Òrìṣàs. The Oríkì (praise songs) could be likened to Psalms that are sung from the depth of the soul of one who knows his Òrìṣà deeply and is grateful for the goodness that his Òrìṣà has delivered to him or her.

The traditional worshipers never refer to their Òrìṣàs as Olódùmarè (God).
The concept of a small letter "g" God is a foreign invention.
Yorubas have only one God and a host of Òrìṣàs which he set over men as their protectors, guardians, rulers and teachers, while he himself rule over the Òrìṣàs.
In other words, he created the Òrìṣàs to serve him (in ordering the cosmos together with him) and he created the mortals to serve the Òrìṣàs.

While the mortals activities are restricted to their time on earth, the activities of the Òrìṣàs cut throughout the entire universe and all its solar systems.

This is the simple explanation of the Yoruba religion. It is not Polytheism. It doesn't recognize many Gods or gods as the foreigners claimed or perceived, it recognizes only ONE God (Olódùmarè) and the Òrìṣàs.

Ire o.

BACCHUS SAVES.

Ifajournal , what exactly is wrong with polytheism? There are thousands of deities out there so why compare your yoruba deities in any way to those you refer to as foreign deities? Why not just ignore those who you don't agree with while you focus on making your deities known to the world?

If you consider the way blacks were enslaved and maltreated by the colonial masters who brought copies of Bibles with them you will surely have reasons to hate that book but i'm using this opportunity to tell you that those people who first came to Africa with copies of the Bible aren't Christians, they are politicians in disguise!
As for traditional worship all nations have their traditional forms of worship but none of them knows the origin of the religions their ancestors passed on to them except one ancient nation known as Israelites.
The one and only true God introduced Himself to that nation through their grade grandfather called Abraham after instructing this man to leave his pagan families and move away to the place He (God) wanted Abraham to be established.
Abraham and his ancestors were worshipping
idols that they don't know before the true God called him {Joshua 24:2} so just like Abraham and his own ancestors people throughout the earth were worshipping gods they don't really know where they come from or why they must worship those gods!

Kobojunkie:
Ifajournal , what exactly is wrong with polytheism? There are thousands of deities out there so why compare your yoruba deities in any way to those you refer to as foreign deities? Why not just ignore those who you don't agree with while you focus on making your deities known to the world?

This is a brilliant question:: the post is used to address the idea that Yoruba have several deities without recognizing and acknowledging a single one that takes preeminence upon all others. While it is enough to just talk about the individual deities and showcase them to the world, the writer is obliged to address any and every misinformation that is attached to the belief system of the Yoruba.
There is nothing wrong with Polytheism, just that it is not accurate to label Ifa polytheism in the context of recognizing many Supreme beings or not having a knowledge of a most Supreme being.

Ifajournal:
■ This is a brilliant question:: the post is used to address the idea that Yoruba have several deities without recognizing and acknowledging a single one that takes preeminence upon all others. While it is enough to just talk about the individual deities and showcase them to the world, the writer is obliged to address any and every misinformation that is attached to the belief system of the Yoruba.
There is nothing wrong with Polytheism, just that it is not accurate to label Ifa polytheism in the context of recognizing many Supreme beings or not having a knowledge of a most Supreme being.

Many supreme beings or just one supreme being?

MaxInDHouse:
If you consider the way blacks were enslaved and maltreated by the colonial masters who brought copies of Bibles with them you will surely have reasons to hate that book but i'm using this opportunity to tell you that those people who first came to Africa with copies of the Bible aren't Christians, they are politicians in disguise!
As for traditional worship all nations have their traditional forms of worship but none of them knows the origin of the religions their ancestors passed on to them except one ancient nation known as Israelites.
The one and only true God introduced Himself to that nation through their grade grandfather called Abraham after instructing this man to leave his pagan families and move away to the place He (God) wanted Abraham to be established.
Abraham and his ancestors were worshipping
idols that they don't know before the true God called him {Joshua 24:2} so just like Abraham and his own ancestors people throughout the earth were worshipping gods they don't really know where they come from or why they must worship those gods!

Stop being delusional!!

What's the proof that other religions in the world are false!??

Give a proof.... I'm not asking you for stupid writeups!

Ifajournal:


One of the areas of confusion or contention for those that have embraced foreign religions is the thought that ancient Africans worship more than one God and so they can be said to be worshiping false gods.

It is really important to correct this notion.

First, the idea of a "false god" is not one to be given much consideration. On what basis will a mortal claim to know what a false god is or what a true god is? The worshipers of the gods are to be left to worship their gods in peace without the need to seek to guilt trip them into converting them. To each his own faith.

The second is the idea of polytheism. This idea was not well articulated in the books of the early missionaries who came to Africa. Unfortunately, their books happen to be the knowledge that majority of the people in the western world got exposed to. It also served as the literature used in schools to teach even African Children. This act has estranged many Africans from their true root.

The idea that African religion worship many gods is one which has to be put in context.
The first thing to note is that Africa is a very large continent that plays home to diverse tribes with each tribe having their own tongue and culture.
One of the largest original African tribes is the Yoruba people. Their religion is Ifá.
In Ifá, there is only one being who is regarded as GOD, he goes by the name Olódùmarè or Elédùmarè. He is surrounded by a host of Òrìṣàs (Divinities) which he created as Co-administrators of the cosmos and he made them leaders over mortals. He established it so that each mortal will look up to their guardian Òrìṣàs for what they need and the Òrìṣàs will dispense to them (the mortal) what they need according to the Authority that he (Olódùmarè) has given to the Òrìṣàs.

The Òrìṣàs were first sent down from heaven to create the earth and make physical habitation possible, after which the mortals came. The Òrìṣàs existed physically with the mortals and they went back to Ọ̀run (Heaven) when their work was done, leaving their mortal servants to continue the creative work on earth while they guide them from the invisible realm of the heavens.

This is the belief/practice of the Yoruba people that foreigners who are either impatient to develop a full understanding or are on an outright mission to disorganize the people's belief system refer to as Polytheism.

The followers of each Òrìṣà pray through their Òrìṣàs to Olódùmarè for favor, protection, provision and guidance. During their rituals, they sing the praise songs of their Òrìṣàs. The Oríkì (praise songs) could be likened to Psalms that are sung from the depth of the soul of one who knows his Òrìṣà deeply and is grateful for the goodness that his Òrìṣà has delivered to him or her.

The traditional worshipers never refer to their Òrìṣàs as Olódùmarè (God).
The concept of a small letter "g" God is a foreign invention.
Yorubas have only one God and a host of Òrìṣàs which he set over men as their protectors, guardians, rulers and teachers, while he himself rule over the Òrìṣàs.
In other words, he created the Òrìṣàs to serve him (in ordering the cosmos together with him) and he created the mortals to serve the Òrìṣàs.

While the mortals activities are restricted to their time on earth, the activities of the Òrìṣàs cut throughout the entire universe and all its solar systems.

This is the simple explanation of the Yoruba religion. It is not Polytheism. It doesn't recognize many Gods or gods as the foreigners claimed or perceived, it recognizes only ONE God (Olódùmarè) and the Òrìṣàs.

Ire o.

You are confused..

What ever it represents doesnt mata..

1, 2,3 Gods no mata..

the most important thing na e dey work?

Honchoslim16:

Stop being delusional!! What's the proof that other religions in the world are false!?? Give a proof.... I'm not asking you for stupid writeups!

Are you alright at all?

Who will like to discuss with an insane like you when lots of sane people are ready to share thoughts?

MaxInDHouse:


Are you alright at all?

Who will like to discuss with an insane like you when lots of sane people are ready to share thoughts?

Ha-ha?!

MaxInDHouse:


Are you alright at all?

Who will like to discuss with an insane like you when lots of sane people are ready to share thoughts?

Just lol 😂 😂 😂

I flogged your ass the last time... You ran away like a hurt puppy 😂😂😂

C'mon, come defend your sky daddy 😁

MaxInDHouse:


Are you alright at all?

Who will like to discuss with an insane like you when lots of sane people are ready to share thoughts?

Like a goat trying to walk across the ocean but wanting others to join him

Aemmyjah:

Like a goat trying to walk across the ocean but wanting others to join him

He wants normal humans to respond to him but when they do he's ready to bite them!

MaxInDHouse:


He wants normal humans to respond to him but when they do he's ready to bite them!

If you enter an atheist group (I mean real atheists cos all these ones here are grade 1 atheists, they are just confused). They group is so toxic that you can't stay a minute. It's like being in a lake full of crocodiles. All their comments are negative, hopeless. Even the song of a drunk is sweeter than their comments. This bloke needs to enter a religious platform to get a breather.

Lol theists killing themselves everyday
https://www.nairaland.com/7742427/respect-prophet-muhammad-sokoto-muslim

Aemmyjah:

If you enter an atheist group (I mean real atheists cos all these ones here are grade 1 atheists, they are just confused). They group is so toxic that you can't stay a minute. It's like being in a lake full of crocodiles. All their comments are negative, hopeless. Even the song of a drunk is sweeter than their comments. This bloke needs to enter a religious platform to get a breather.

They're really confused and miserable!

LikeAking:


You are confused..

What ever it represents doesnt mata..

1, 2,3 Gods no mata..

the most important thing na e dey work?

LOL. Confirm. That is the most important.. Does it work? Does it have the ability to change one's realities?
Definitely it does. it's a journey I invite people to take on.

Ifajournal:


LOL. Confirm. That is the most important.. Does it work? Does it have the ability to change one's realities?
Definitely it does. it's a journey I invite people to take on.

There was never a time ifa was monotheistic.
Most if not all religions started as polytheistic or henotheism.

Even “monotheistic religions” are only doing branding, what they call “angels” is what polytheists call gods.