OPINION
By Nformi Emmanuel (First Published-Wimbum Forum)The burning to ashes of "Bsoh"..photo archive |
Why do we have to dare certain topics,
if at all, they do not concern us? A lot of people know certain truths, yet
they remain silent, but still burdened in their consciences, they confront them
in our societies. These imprisoned consciences harbor anger and gnash their
teeth as the realities of daily living fry them out. Some are caged in
religious systems in which their expressions are gagged by a popular, but
untruthful dogmatic thought and actions, derived from selfish and erroneous
interpretations of sacred texts. (see Colossians 2: 20-23 and bible texts
following)
The early missionaries; who did not care
to investigate African or wimbum cultural beliefs, for the pride of having a
ready and superior alternative, hastily flushed all good aspects together with
the bad. In doing this, they planted a myopic worldview of Christian
evangelicalism that continued into simplistic dualism of good and evil – the
church and her systems being good and the traditions and its systems being bad.
This in turn degenerated into enormous guilt for those Christians who know for
sure that some aspects of their culture and traditions are not evil and therefore
practicable. To an uninformed wimbum, the word “tradition” sounds so evil even
though the term is also descriptive of the church system. The word, when
translated into limbum as “ndee” simply denoting “the way wimbum people do
things”; does not give the slightest modicum of inherent evil as in English.
Even though contemporary Church missions
have attempted to lay corrective measures in the enculturation movements, no
particular public apology has been made to clear away the stigma that was
imputed on the way of life of the mbum people. Instead, like in a veil, a
spirit of guilt and intimidation has prevailed and continued to chicken and
choke freedom of expression within our societies, and worse within Christendom
itself. For example, traditional dances like Nfuh and Njuh and
others have been stigmatized and vilified at home to constitute the devils
enterprise yet it has flourished in the towns and cities away from mbum land.
The very people who dance and own titles usually feel a form of guilt or are
looked opon by villagers to partake in devilish activities. A Christian who
wears a simple traditional attire in Ndu or Nkambe does not feel the same
tranquility when he does in the cities. In general, association or
participation in traditional societies, dances and activities are said to be
indicative of either a fall from salvific grace or a slipping away from it. Yet
those who know the truth are yet to speak out even within Christendom. This is
either because they fear to be bundled and labeled or that they fear to lose a
reputation as “good people”. Or some just don’t feel that it concerns their
individual lives that much to be addressed while their society continues to
slip down the wrong path. Otherwise, why do you dance nfuh and njuh
in Yaounde yet feel so uncomfortable to dance the same at home? Why do you
accept a title which you will normally not accept while at home?
Beyond the boundaries of Mbum land,
people attend an enlightenment resulting from exposure to other cultures and
worldviews. These carve their thoughts towards a critical and liberal thinking
of life, purpose, and action. There occurs a liberation to re-examine faith and
practice as it is and as it ought to be. They are then hesitant to burn or
participate in burning traditional artifacts, juju houses, or outrightly
declaring them as belonging to the devil’s system. They understand that he real
problem is not the juju or the artifacts, but the people behind them.
Even some of those who participate in burning are the very people who are
involved in the witchcraft. Come to ask them who actually told them that these
jujus and traditional artifacts are a source of harm, then you will understand
that they got their information through the system they are trying to destroy,
rather than a spiritual discernment which they, afterwards usually claim to
have. Witchcraft is not the material, it is in the immaterial perpetrated by
the material (people).
It is time, the wimbum man sought to
define a juju and its “intended” purpose(s) in our land. Then we will
appreciate in a different way the beauty of our heritage. My use of the word
“intended” is to characterize the misunderstanding derived from misuse of our
traditions and cultures. It is after we have dug deeper to see why certain jujus
and societies were created that we can now evaluate whether they should be
eradicated, modified or encouraged.
What is a title and what does it entail?
What does it seek to accomplish? Traditional titles and how they are obtained
have changed with time because traditions and culture is not static. A title
that meant something in 1900AD may not mean exactly the same in 2000AD. It is
the duty of our traditional elites to redefine titles and its uses and carve a
kinetic progress thereof. This would shed light as to its relevance and
practicability. Having said this, is it the title or the title-holder that is
bad? What should we first throw away or burn, the title or the title-holder, or
both? Please do not set fires on Taa Nformi and say that I said it oooo! But if
you only set fires on his title cap, remember Taa Nformi can produce numerous
caps the next day. Are some titles in mbum land the same as titles in the civil
government or arm force? How do people treat the later?
There must be one thing that we should carry
in mind: that our traditions and cultures are enshrined in mysteries for the
sake of maintaining its driving force which evokes the fear of the unknown in
every aspect of life. This in turn is expected to control behaviors. Before I
bring an example that serves across the board, let me discuss some simple ones
here. We believe that there is something mystical, hidden in every juju
in our land. Do not our bodies chill or quicken when we face even children’s
fake jujus? Could it be an emotional condition? That thing we say, is
nothing short of spiritual; a force to make things work beyond normal human
comprehension. Christians will say such a spirit must be from the devil since
it is not within the church. Man and jujus mystify their systems so that
our behaviors may be controlled. That does not say that witchcraft or some form
of spiritual power cannot exist in the jujus, but that they must not exist for
jujus to be jujus. And when it exists, it not the juju itself, but the
people behind the jujus.
I grew up as a Baptist Christian. By the
early 70s they forbade us, children from even viewing Lord’s Supper sessions.
It was a sacred practice and in the nature of our culture, was secretive and
held to be mysterious - “food and drink of God”. Members did not dare
discuss its elements and the service thereof in homes to kids and other
“unbelievers”. When curious people questioned, church members who were
well-in-age would simply answer: “when you get there you will know what it is
and why and how it happens”. When we were learning to get prepared for baptism,
Lord’s Supper was the last of the lessons; just in case a candidate did drop,
they would not go away with full knowledge of it. This was a Church behavior
borrowed from our traditional society’s behavior where things are kept secret.
In fact The Lord’s Supper was considered a “covenant” in the likeness of
wimbum ‘lih’; which is strong and important, and “confidential” pact or
agreement between two or more parties. Those outside of the church supposed that
the Lord’s Supper was a spiritual ritual of real blood and real body. Some
labeled the church as practicing cannibalism. Some said each time they had a
Lord’s Supper, someone in the church must die as a sacrifice, whose blood and
body was to be used. It was a dreaded ritual! Is this different from the
accusing fingers pointed at the nwarongs and psohs by those who
do not exactly know what happens in these societies? Could it be that ignorance
is the problem behind our wrongful accusation of our traditions and customs?
So while the church is accusing
traditional system to be the source of evil, the tradition system is accusing
the churches for being the hiding places for those who actually practice
witchcraft. Yes, in many villages, now in Mbum land, and of recent, witchcraft
accusations are emanating from the churches where the only solutions seem to
be; to excommunicate from church, deliverance, burn the traditional artifacts
or jujus, and/or leave it into God’s hand, before spreading into our homes.
It usually begins from the church before our traditional authorities want to
step in to solve the problem as a global societal problem. Most of those church
testimonies are not adequate or tangible evidences for prosecutory procedures
in the court systems. You would also bear with me that; it is another
phenomenon of biological science that there must be certain conditions for
proper seed germination. Lol! What I mean here is that witchcraft has shifted
into the churches because no one is left at home. Hahahah! All our people have
gone to church and so have taken with them their vary natures. So, there is
simply less or no witchcraft existing at home because no one is at home to be
practicing it. So what you see is that they accuse each other in the churches,
close from church and go home to burn traditional artifacts, yet they point
accusing fingers against at in-existent mass (traditionalists). If I am
mistaking, please make a search of recently accused witchcraft people and if
you find that they are not a member of a church or that they are not the
strongest members, let us know. Who are these people trying to fool? Their God
or the God I equally serve?
Since this conflict is principally a
phenomenon of Christianity vs Tradition, let me mention and comment on usable
bible texts;
1. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18
(Ephesians 5:11):
14Be ye not unequally yoked together with
unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and
what communion hath light with darkness? 15And what concord hath Christ with Belial?
or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?16And what agreement hath the temple of God
with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will
dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall
be my people.17Wherefore come out
from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing;
and I will receive you, 18And will be a
Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord
Almighty.
In this text, Paul advises that
believers should abstain from participating in everything sinful and
(criminal), whether in worship, conversation or in daily living, rather than
forbidding them from belonging to civil societies, families, or converse with
unbelievers. The later is impracticable, on earth. Certain Christian sects had
misunderstood this text and tried to seclude themselves from their civil
societies in Christian history, but have ended up discovering that what matters
most is human behavior and not necessarily the place.
The parable of the weeds in Matthew 13:
24-30, supports this idea:
30 Let both grow
together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First
collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat
and bring it into my barn.’”
And it’s explained:
41. The Son of Man will send out his
angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and
all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing
furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then
the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever
has ears, let them hear.
2. Joshua 24:15 (1Kings 18:21):
15 But if serving
the Lord seems undesirable to you,
then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your
ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose
land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Those who reject out traditions and
anything associated with it argue that it constitute a system of ancestral
worship and idolatry. They say wimbim people worship small gods and dead
people. So their titles, societies and their artifacts are explicitly devilish
and for a satanic system. They want a drastic choice of either church or
tradition. No syncretism! Either you belong to the church or you belong to the
devils camp (the tradition). If you belong to the church, discard of titles or
burn artifacts and jujus that go with the traditional system.
Question: Do contemporary title holders
really “serve” idols or our community? Why do you hold a title and what is
actually expected as roles for title holders? As Christians, do we have a
responsibility to serve our community?
3. Genesis
35:2 (1Thes. 5:22):
2 So Jacob said to
his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you
have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.
The puritans in our communities wish
that not only the worship of idols eradicated, also that the entire system down
to something as trivial as dressing. They do not want to see our traditional
dressing because they represent something more than dressing – the ancestors
and gods. They say if you promote a system, you become part of it.
Question: Is your dressing making you
evil or yourself? Does clothing, food and drink defile a man? “Therefore
whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give
no offense whether to Jews, or to the Greeks or to the Church of God” (1Cor.
1031-32). Is this part of scriptures?
4. Romans
13:1-7 (Titus 3:3)
13 Let everyone be subject to the
governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has
established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently,
whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has
instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For
rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do
you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right
and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s
servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear
the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring
punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to
submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as
a matter of conscience.
6 This is also why
you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time
to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe
taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor,
then honor.
Christianity to Mbum Land was introduced
as an element of a bigger parcel – western way of life, including but not
limited to governance. Our traditional style and authority to govern was
rejected, some were crushed and completely erased. With only few chiefdoms
raising resistance, thanks to the mercy of the colonizers that chiefdoms were
either sustained or began to emerge still. Today what seems to be western
traditional way of governance is preferred by Christianity against our natural
and richly cultured system. Those who reject our traditional authority system
argue that our traditional system of governance also protects our traditional
religion; which is “ungodly”. This group of people pay no attention to
unchecked religious tolerance of western style of governance –permitting even
the church of Satan to organize. They would rather burn down psoh while
tolerating homosexuality. They would love to be corrected by foreign forces
(police and gendarmes) rather than nwarong and other jujus.
Question: What would have been referred
to as “government” if we didn’t receive western style Governance while we were
being evangelized? What makes the Traditional government evil; than the civil
government that we now have?
5. Colosians
2:16-23
18 Do not let
anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you.
Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are
puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind.
23 Such regulations
indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their
false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value
in restraining sensual indulgence.
We are facing a Christianity that
preaches love and grace but seems to practices hate and law over/against it.
Love is engaging and grace is un-judgmental. If we say that some people are
going to hell, we judge so because we think that they do not follow the law. We
may not articulate this “holy than thou” thought verbally, but we practice our
faith as if we are qualified and some others are not - quick to condemn and
quick to label. Jesus would say to this Group in Mat 21:31: Truly I say to you
that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before
you. Those who will eventually go to hell are those who have rejected Christ as
Savior from sin, yet we cannot know them simply by titles and offices because
even with the church itself, the devil infiltrates with his own ministers who
are posting as of God. Traditional artifacts and titles are but a shadow of
things, and they will fade away. After all, flesh and blood shall not inherit
the kingdom of God. There shall be no offices (pastor or any title holder or
government officer) apart from due reward for service on earth. True religion
serves the community of God’s people, and God’s people are as numerous as all
humanity –even including those who reject Christ.
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
1 comment:
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