AFRIQUE N’EST PAS PAUVRE POUR RIEN (AFRICA IS NOT POOR FOR NOTHING)
PREFACE
Africa is a poor continent but is there any reason ascribing to our state of poverty or that is what is meant to be? “Africa is poor for nothing” may be seen to be denigratory. But that is, however, not the essence, I seek to drag here in this article. For some time, there has been growing interest among the disaporas and likewise among the incoming generation to see to the development of the continent. In as much as that edge to drive forward the continent is there for many; one needs to understand that the reason for the poverty of the continent is not for nothing. There is an underlying reason which one must know. It is within this context that I placed this article. Because without deciphering the root cause of state of our being, it would be useless and after embarking on a wild goose, one would return of the thought that poverty is the destiny of Africa, which is not so. So has it been for many who had the passion to contribute towards the development of Africa being their countries, societies, towns etc but they were worn out by the circumstances which I drive forward in this article, later turning them into something else.
The statement, ‘’Africa is a poor continent’’ therefore is not an opinion. It is a fact and non-debatable. One does not need any authoritative sources to prove thereof. The people, their actions, their way of live, general affairs in the continent itself and even the general perception in the minds of many about the continent is enough and there is no need for further evidence to support the said allegation made.
Nonetheless, the question why Africa is or remains a poor continent amidst a fast-developing world is a philosophical one. Many people have their own answers to this question which may appear right in their own thinking. As fanciful as some may be, it cannot be prima facie downplayed without further critical analysis. Irrespective of the philosophical background justifying one reason on the current state of misery in Africa, one would find out for every reason given, there is some element of sense in it viewed from different angle of thinking. As whole, the answers given to the question as to why we, Africans, of which I am part thereof, is poor are not entirely wrong. The problem generated from these answers are; whether they are satisfactory or convincing enough such that when those reasons are wholly accepted and worked on, it would be enough to solve our problem of poverty.
INTRODUCTION
It appears that every mature African has an opinion as to why the continent is poor. This notion may differ from one person to the other. However, on a broad picture there seems to be two main household ideological factors that cut throughout the reasons informing the stance taken generally on the subject. These ideologies are; one of theism on the one side: the existence of God and the acknowledgement of his roles and laws in human affairs including the nation development and one of atheism other side: the non-existence of God or tacit denial of his role in national development. A critical study of the line of reasoning informing one’s conclusion on why Africa is a poor continent follows either one of the two ideologies underlined; theism or atheism. Historically, these two main houses of ideologies have influenced human’s notion or reasoning on any speculative subjects as discussed herein.
Within these main house beliefs, there are many schools of thoughts. For instance, with theism, there appear to be six types namely; Monotheism, Polytheism, Pantheism, Deism, Autotheism, Value-judgment theisms. Further within these types are several religious beliefs. For instance, within the monotheism, there are Christianity, Judaism, Islam etc. For Polytheism , there are Traditional African religions, Taoism, Japanese Shinto.
Trace of human history since ancient days indicates that theism had a major role to played in the affairs or activities of mankind. There were practically no human activities that were carried without reference to the aid of a Supernatural being or deity. Theism doctrine, in fact, predominated the world until the emergence of great human innovation through science and technology which is redefining the thought or culture of humans in modern days.
In the case of Europe where most countries in the world traces modern civilization from, historical records abound on the fact that it was theism ideology especially Christianity that dominated the minds of their natives from the middle age until the breakthrough of industrial revolution which took place from in the late 18th and early 19th century. Despite the emergence of industrial revolution which ushered in the atheist thinking or so called ‘’enlightenment age’’ in modern Europe, most of their culture or conscience is largely dominated by Christianism. This is largely to the role the early church played traced from the middle age era wherein the Catholic Church and other orthodox churches assumed the role of a universal political institution. In almost every part of Europe, state or political institute were fused with that of the Church. For instead, in England the monarch then a political institute was official head of the church . This remains the same, however, the political power of the monarch has gradually dwindled since the days of Magna Carta and after the civil war in England in 1642 . In France, until 9th December 1905, there were no mark different between church activities and that of the state. Christianity was their state religion.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_England Supra
The fusion of the state and the church indicates how important God was seen as the Supreme being that manage the affairs of mankind including politics, economic and cultural lives. From the fusion, matters relating to the development of the nations were addressed not only on the line of human’s reasoning or thinking as seen today but on the principles laid down in the Bible. This period of the fusion of the Church and its biblical ideologies with the State indeed shaped the characters and cultural lives of Europeans, as well as imbibing in them the requisite knowledge, skills and wisdom which went a long way in contributing to the success of Europeans as an economic and industrial powerhouse continent even years after the separation of the church and the state. Most European Historians are agreed that the current success of their continent is largely due to their Christian faith. Even though this is challenged by ardent secular or humanist proponents, the evidence abounds that country to their opposition. To be continued…………
Written by: Lord Fiifi Sampson
