Condemnation of African Culture as Evil and Devilish

In New York, in March 1990, I met some fellow Nigerians living there and was shocked to find how many were bitter in their criticism of the Church back home. The identified the established Church with the minority racist regime which had oppressed our people for so long.

I replied: ‘I appreciate your frankness in making these comments to me, a clergyman and practicing Christian but your rejection of the church hurts me. It would be helpful if you could share with me why you left the Church and why you condemn it in this manner

One said: ‘At the mission school I attended, one of the missionary Fathers used to fool around with us girls, touching our bodies and wanting to seduce us. From that experience I became disillusioned with the Church and Christianity.’ Cited her denomination, another gave this rationale: ‘Christian missionaries practiced racial discrimination to the same extent as the white settlers. White ministers baptised black babies, but black ministers never baptised white babies. The white missionary had privileges over his black counterpart, who travelled up and down on a bicycle while the missionary drove by in his car. The white missionary was paid a much higher salary than the black priest. I became disgusted and lost faith in Christianity.’

I had no defense for the Church in theses particular examples which had been cited. I have no defense for many other instances of social injustices by ordained priests and missionaries of the Church. However, I felt impelled not only to agree in condemning injustice when it is found within the Church, but also to affirm the outstanding contributions of the Church to the uplifting of our own people.

I replied: ‘Yes, I share your disgust at these injustices. I too could cite innumerable instances of racial discrimination by white missionaries. Furthermore, I am outraged by the frequent condemnation of African culture as evil and devilish, and the identification of western civilisation with the Christian way of life. Our songs, dances and even drums were banned as ‘’pagan’’. Our traditional healers were derisively dubbed ‘’with doctors’’ and called ‘’forces of evil’’. Why were we baptized with ‘’Christian’’ names like George and Margaret, while our African names with beautiful meaning were to be used almost secretly and apologetically?

‘But that is only one side of the missionaries’ impact on our people, I went on. ‘here we sit condemning the Church, yet without the Church schools we attended we would not be here today. And have we forgotten those teachers who made great personal sacrifices so that we could have an education and a better way of life?

‘Yes, I remember missionaries who seemed little different from the white settlers in their racist attitudes. But I have also known those who struggled against the settlers’ cruelty, injustice, arrogance and racism. We often forget that white settlers opposed every advance in African education proposed by the Church. They never forgave the missionaries for ‘’making natives clever’’, or ‘’spoiling the natives’’, to use their terms’.