Since Vasco de Gama adventure of discovery of the "dark continent" in the16th Century, things have fallen apart for Africans. Despite the colossal damage to both human and natural resources the consequences of colonial expeditions remains indelible. The culture of the people was defined as barbaric which was supplanted by domineering western values that lack compatible social foundations. Those great Africans who opposed this injustice were either killed, banished or sometimes jailed.
Armed with superior gun power African civilization was not only distorted but stolen with artifacts, natural wealth including human resources were carted for the service of colonialism. Even though there were religious practices like traditional religion and Islam, missionaries also brought Christianity which was embraced by the people. As a way of life Christianity as faith played a major role in the development of the modern state. Schools and hospitals were established charitably which contributed enormously in advancing awareness. With respect to the contributions of other faiths, I submit that Christianity fast tracked contemporary modern civilization.
However there is the aspect of this colonial heritage that has continued to hunt Africans till date. Africa is a polygamous community while western civilization is fashioned around the theory of classical British thinker Rev. Malthus. Malthus, the father of contemporary western family system modeled around the thesis of "one man, one wife". Polygamy has been criminalized in western societies but keeping of "mistress or side chicks" is condoned. A man can legitimately marry one wife but is at will to maintain a clientele of mistresses or side chicks as the case may be. This hypocritical tradition was haulage alongside colonial expeditions. No wonder, even the name Nigeria was given by one Flora, a mistress of Sir Lord Lugard which is celebrated by Nigerians.
At early stages of Christianity, Africans who subscribed to it but had polygamous families were compelled to abandon other women with their children by relocating to designated quarters known as "Missions". The other women were designated assets of the devil that must be discarded. Sometimes the new convert was sent away from his community on missionary errands if he was a man of influence before conversation. So many families were destabilised as result which in my thinking account for most of the social instability hunting African family system.
However, Africa is again faced with another predicament originating from the same advocates of "one man one wife". So threatening to the family institution is the gay rights. The United Nations and United States of America are harbingers, while Africa again is the testing ground. In fact USA has legalised gay rights while criminalising anti gay sentiments. To make real it's determination to enforce the anti God legislation, a female pastor is currently defiance to the gay rights legislation. She had insisted that she will only obey God's law but certainly not man made laws. All pressure mounted on her to have a change of mind by issuing licence to supposed gay couples was rebutted. Pastor Kims is currently in custody in USA.
This contradiction is a threat not only to Christianity but challenge to laws of creation. Gay rights to my thinking is effrontery to the powers of the Creator. The Scripture says, "He who created them created them male and female" meaning that at creation they were from beginning opposite sexes. Ironically, gay couples usually seek the blessings of religious institutions meaning the believe in scriptural teachings. Then where are advocates of gay deviance coming from? The founder of human rights is God Himself, even in the Garden of Eden, when he knew Adams had committed the sin of disobedience yet He gave him the rights to be heard, which has been accepted as the origin of human rights jurisprudence by scholars. Then can any body be more catholic than the Pope?
There is no doubt, humanity is facing a challenge by gay advocates armed with satanic campaign strategies. Paradoxically, Christianity and other relevant stake holders are yet to fathom these dynamics. The rate at which gay rights is blowing in Europe and the Americas Africa will certainly be another ideological dumping ground. Many young minds are puzzled on which way forward, pologamy or gay? There is resurgence of campaigns in USA about legalising polygamy. Even myself is embattled in this delima, those who brought "one man one wife" have abandoned it for gay under the guise of human rights.
Where will humanity be in the years ahead is a question for modern scholarship but how can the controversy be resolved whether polygamy, monogamy or gay. Time will tell.
Solomon Dalung, LLLB, BL, LLM
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