Upon logging onto facebook the other day, I was glad to see that a friend had posted a link to this article on increasing African American involvement with African religions on my page. I knew that the article was forthcoming as my master-teacher, Awo Ifakunle, was one of the Ifá–Òrìsà practitioners interviewed, and I was delighted to see that my scholarly mentor Jacob K. Olupona was also quoted.
Knowing full well how the media can often portray things – especially all things African – in a distorted light my Baba and I were both pleased to see the overall respectful tone of the article.
The comments, however, were another story.
I’ve had many a discussion as to whether the comment feature present on most news sites and blogs is a blessing or a curse and my interlocutors and I usually come to the conclusion that, like most things, it’s both. At some times, it allows for wonderfully fruitful dialogue. At other times, it serves as little more than a venting ground for “trolls” seeking to get their jollies by posting inflammatory comments to ruffle the feathers of those who venture to read them. And at still other times, it’s a public soap box for people who “mean well” but who have clearly missed the point of the article, if they’ve even ventured to read past the first paragraph at all.
Articles about African Indigenous and Diasporic Religions – subjects about which the general public knows painfully little other than what they acquire from sensationalist media – tend to garner all three of these types of responses. I keep my blood pressure steady (most of the time) by praying for the best but preparing for the worst. I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of blatantly ignorant and antagonistic comments but one comment did garner enough of my attention so as to prompt a response. It read in part:
“When you go home to Africa, you will be surprised how many churches and mosques are there, and how most [African] people see African-derived faith systems as primitive and backwards… In Nigeria they are killing children because they are believed to be ‘witches’… It is sad but true, and I think that African Americans should remove the romanticism from their eyes and see what is really going on in Africa. “
This comment was disappointing for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that the person who wrote it appears to be an African American who has some affiliation with African Religion(s). Is it the case that even those of us who have embraced African and African-derived Religions in the Diaspora are all too eager to promulgate the old “Africans don’t practice their own religions anymore” story? While most of us American practitioners are tired of only hearing about African and African-derived religions in the media when someone finds a dead chicken somewhere, are we still all too eager to repeat the stories of “witch hunting” and “child killing” that dominate the American media reports about Africa?
I think many of us are. The irony is, in the same ways that missionaries and early (and some not so early) Western scholars casted Africans as being “primitive” and “backward” for adhering to their indigenous knowledge systems, many contemporary practitioners of African and African-derived systems in the Americas are re-casting contemporary Africans as “backward” for not adhering to them. Both viewpoints are inaccurate, unproductive and only add to the stigma that Africans and their religions continue to contend with.
Having spent extended periods of time in Nigeria, I can say unequivocally that these “witch hunt” stories so beloved by the Western media are only a modicum of what is going on. Despite oft-quoted statistics to the contrary, there are still many, many Africans who respect and practice traditional religions. Why don’t we see any mention in the media of Isese Day, the newly established public holiday for traditional worshippers when people come out in droves to pay their respects to the various Orisa and ancestral spirits? Or coverage of the Osun Osogbo festival when thousands come out to honor Osun and make pilgrimages to pray at the banks of the Osun River? The numerous Ifá festivals that take place? Exponentially more children are taken to babalawo for divination to illuminate their life path than are killed as “witches,” why don’t we hear about that?
It’s simple: this isn’t the type of news that sells papers or shocks people into clicking the link.
While it is true that many Africans have converted to Islam and Christianity, many people still respect their indigenous traditions, even those who don’t regularly practice them. What’s more is that although we in the West tend to have a very stark either-or mentality when it comes to religion, we cannot usefully impose that binary on Africa. The fact is that many of those who are counted as having converted still hold indigenous worldviews and participate in indigenous rites, rituals and celebrations. Further, as Daniel J. Smith and other scholars have puts forth, conversions are often less about convictions than they are about gaining access to the social and economic networks present in churches and mosques. Recognizing this important factor, an organization I work with is helping those who choose to remain indigenous practitioners to build their own social and economic networks to help relieve the pressure to convert. As well, I was encouraged by the number of young people I interviewed in Nigeria who expressed renewed interest in their traditional religions. There’s still a lot of work to do, but the ball is rolling.
We may not often hear about it in the Western media, but many more people in Africa have positive engagement with traditional religions than have “witch hunt” experiences. But the “witch” stories are the ones that get repeated. Just as here in the US, there are many Ifá-Òrìsà rites, rituals and celebrations that do not involve “dead chickens,” but those seldom make it to the news. African religions and philosophies hold keys to understanding that are being used by many people within and outside of Africa to navigate their world. The sailing will be all the smoother if we – especially those of us who are practitioners – are able to leave the “witch” and “dead chicken” stories behind and engage in more productive dialogue with one another.
Thank you for this thoughtful piece. i agree with you about the general ignorance of non-practitioners, and that the media focuses on what will be most shocking to non-practitioners. But while i also agree with you that “contemporary practitioners of African and African-derived systems in the Americas… re-casting contemporary Africans as ‘backward'” is unproductive, i think that can only be countered with knowledge and information. When non-practitioners hear stories from the media or from practitioners critical of Africans, that can only be remedied by facing the sensationalistic stories head on. Correcting these false perceptions is the only way many will continue forward towards more productive dialogue. And that is why your post is great- because you do deal with the witch and the dead chicken, even if your eye is looking much farther beyond them. Great stuff here- i look forward to reading all of your posts!
Hi Jonathan! Thanks very much for your insights. I agree wholeheartedly that these things must be faced head on, not ignored. A function that the organization I mention in the article, the Orisa Community Development Corporation, is seeking to serve here in the states is to counter these negative stories in the news and address defamatory images of practitioners in popular culture — and there are many. The work is not easy, but it’s worth it and hopefully we’ll come to a time when it won’t be so needed. Thank you again for your comment and encouragement. Blessings to you!
I read both this piece and the article to which it refers at the star with great interest, as I am woefully ignorant regarding African Indigenous and Diasporic Religions. Both pieces together leave me with conflicting feelings. On the one hand, I think it’s important to ensure that valuable human cultural traditions are not forgotten, and I therefore welcome it when such traditions are reclaimed. I also see value in learning about one’s roots and cultural identity by seeking out religious traditions. I certainly value the fact that I have some understanding of how Christianity shaped the culture in which I gre up, for example.
On the other hand, I can’t help but feel that some of the practices described in Oduah piece at deeply regressive: help for those exeriencing what they believe to be demonic nightmares; rituals to improve church membership; asking important life-choices through the positioning of fragments of coconut. These seem to me precisely the sort of superstitions that Diakité suggests are “stereotypes and distortions” of African religions.
And then this:
“Paleros, Yoruba spiritualists, voodoo practitioners and other followers of orisha-centered religions seem to be attracted to the tradition because they say it brings results. They enjoy going to a priest (which varies in name according to the tradition) and having the priest indicate their symptoms and the solutions. “It’s like going to a doctor,””
I think there is the potential for real harm here to people who turn to such practices expecting “results” but do not get them. Going to someone like a spiritualist or priest who has not had real medical training for the diagnosis and relief of real symptoms is very much NOT like going to a doctor. This distinction is most important for the most disenfranchised.
Hi James, thanks for your interest and your comments. I, too, value human cultural traditions and the ways in which they can help to empower those who choose to retain and/or reclaim them.
To address your points:
First, Oduah’s piece, unfortunately, falls into some of the sensationalist trappings that I lament above. Although the overall tone is respectful, she still posits the article as “blacks abandoning Christianity” – a somewhat sensational title and supposition – and chooses to address the article from that standpoint, which shaped the types of questions she asked and the ways in which she framed the answers she received. That, as well as the length of the piece and the fact that it was a “news item” written by someone with very little prior knowledge who is neither scholar nor practitioner precluded her from presenting the information in a sufficiently nuanced way. That said I would definitely encourage you to look to some other sources if you are genuinely interested in learning more about these traditions, some of their histories and complexities.
Next I will say that the line between what is called religion and what is called superstition is thin and subjective. Is a Catholic who engages in the ritual of communion believing in the transubstantiation of the materials being superstitious? Is a person who prays and actually expects to hear an answer from on high, which many do, being superstitious? Is a Christian who believes that there is a devil and that there are evil forces at play in the world being superstitious?
It depends, of course, on who you ask.
To the person engaging in these activities and holding these viewpoints, these things are real. To the person who engages a traditional healer to help him/her expel a negative presence from his/her body or surroundings, that negative presence is real. To the person who engages in divinatory practices seeking advice – whether that divination is performed with coconuts, palm nuts, tea leaves or tarot cards – the energy contained in those oracular devices and the advice that is revealed through them are real and their decisions to follow this advice is valid.
Knowing what I know of Dr. Diakité and her work and given that she is a practitioner of an African religion, I can say confidently that it she wasn’t referring to divinatory practices or believing in spiritual entities when she referred to the “distortions and stereotypes” that surround African religions as these are very real aspects of African religions – as real as communion is for those who engage in it. In fact, the title of one of her books, _Three Eyes for the Journey_ is taken from the idea that coconuts can serve as a conduit of spiritual energy, and she says in the preface of that book that she accepts “knowledge acquired through psychic and spiritual experiences as a credible epistemological source” (p.xii). So it’s clear that she regards these things as real and not as “distortions.”
What Diakité is referring to as “distortions and stereotypes,” as she mentions in Oduah’s article, is the designation of African religions as “primitive,” “savage” and “barbaric” and to the designation of the practices they engender as “deeply regressive,” as you termed it. I am sure that you weren’t intending to offend in using that word, but I would be remiss if I didn’t take the opportunity to mention that the use of a word such as “regressive” is considered highly offensive both to those who practice and who study African traditions or really, I would imagine, those who practice any tradition. For some anything that doesn’t fit squarely into a rational framework is “superstitious” and “regressive,” but for practitioners of any given religion – and even some who practice no religion – that is not the case.
With regard to your last point: no, a traditional priest is not a “medical doctor” in the sense that people tend to understand in this society, but that leads to the bigger question as to what “real” medical training is? The herbs and foodstuffs from which most pharmaceuticals derived are quite real and many traditional priests are skilled healers who have trained their entire lives – much longer than many medical doctors train – to learn how to use them in tandem with spiritual means. Their methods of diagnosis and healing are just as valid as that of Western medicine and they sometimes succeed where Western medicine does not, to which I have personally borne witness.
In any case, I believe that the “like going to a doctor” comment quoted in Oduah’s piece was metaphorical, referring more to psycho-spiritual factors than physical ones. It suggests that engaging in traditional religions provides its practitioners with a sense of active agency which is vital to the most disenfranchised. It’s too much to explain here and now (I will definitely write about it soon!) but I will end by saying that for many, engaging with African religions allows them to take an active role in their own spiritual well-being in a way that other traditions may not and that this is why many people – including many whites and Asians – have been drawn to them.
Thanks again for taking the time to read my piece and for your comments!
Thank you for this full and helpful reply! I appreciate and accept your clarification regarding Dr. Diakité’s position – I now understand better the point that was being made.
As for the questionof what counts as a superstition, I was using the term in its technical sense to mean belief in links between events that are not physcical in nature, so yes, I would include the idea of transubatantiation, intercessionary prayer, and the agency of a devil to be superstitions in the same sense. I don’t use the word to be derogatory (although I think it has an appropriate derogatory sense).
My suspicion is that we won’t be able to pursue this much further because of fundamental disagreements in what amounts to epistemology. For example, I don’t really know that I accept the construction “To the person engaging in these activities and holding these viewpoints, these things are real.” I prefer use of the term “real” to be restricted to those things reasonable observers can agree to be the case. Therefore, “real for me (but not necessarily for you)” seems to me a misuse of the term. Thus I am absolutely fascinated by the idea that “knowledge acquired through psychic and spiritual experiences” might be considered “a credible epistemological source”. I’d be very interested to read how this position is justified.
The question regarding what “counts” as medicine is one I find very interesting, too. I’m certainly open to the idea that valuable methods of diagnosis and healing exist outside “Western medicine” (not a term I would use, but I understand to what you are referring). However, I would insist that such methods would, at some point, have to undergo a process of experimental test that parallels the current medical standard to be accepted as effective. Otherwise, how can one justify the claim that they are “just as valid as that of Western medicine”?
Finally, on the point of the use of the term “regressive”. I certainly hesitated before I used it. You are gracious in assuming (correctly) that my intention was not to offend. At the same time, I was trying to accurately and directly express my views on this complex topic, and I think you understood from the term “regressive” what I meant to convey: that I consider such practices as those we have been discussing (and the others you mention – intercessionary prayer, concern about the devil working in the world etc.) to be potentially deleterious to human welfare and flourishing, and generally undesirable. I’m not sure if there is a way of expressing that sentiment to those who value such practices without giving offense. If there is, I have not yet found it.
Thanks again for a very measured and graceful response.
And my apologies for a million iPad-induced typos 😉
No worries about the typos – as the proud owner of an iPhone I know them all too well *laugh* Thanks again for your thoughtful responses. And yes, I think you’re right, just as when I have conversations with other religious folks whose beliefs may fundamentally differ from mine, there comes a point at which we have to stop certain lines of conversation because we are starting from very different suppositions. But, as you show through your commitment to empowerment and dignity and the work that you’re doing, which resonates with some of mine, though we may start from different positions we can certainly end up at the same places and work toward the same ends. The Ifá-Òrìsà tradition that I practice is very much dedicated to developing the iwa (character) and ori (inner self, inner fortitude) of each individual such that s/he is able to live his/her best and most fulfilling life and that’s something that we can agree on regardless of whether or not they agree with the reasons or the methods for seeking that end.
In using the term “real,” I use it in more of an existential sense of being “authentic” than a rationalistic one. I don’t count as real only that which “reasonable observers can agree to be the case,” but those things which people hold to be true and which impact on the ways in which they conduct their lives. So, for me and for religious people, God is real because we believe (and some of us wouldn’t say “believe” we would say “know” but that’s a conversation for another time) and conduct our lives as though God is there. For you and other humanists, the nonexistence of God is real because you believe and conduct your lives as though God is not there. Neither position can be unilaterally proven and for me and from the existential standpoint, that’s ok because there are things within human life that don’t have to be reasoned and justified with arguments.
Our emotions, for example, the feelings we have when we watch a play or observe a thing of beauty, are real to us. They may not be real to the person standing next to us who doesn’t see beauty where we do or who aren’t moved by the same things we are, but they are real to us. And, I would argue, they are not only real because a scientist could theoretically show where we have undergone chemical changes on a brain scan or because a person may be able to rationally explain why said thing is beautiful or moving. I choose not to see my feelings and emotions solely in terms of chemical reactions, electrical impulses and rational explanations. That doesn’t gel with what I know to be true through my experience.
As for the question of epistemological sources and their justification, for me, experience and observation have served to justify my understanding that psychic sources can provide knowledge. I have sat with clairvoyant people, watched them in action up close and personal, and borne witness as they gained access to information they would have had no way of knowing through rational means. This is not to say that every person who claims to be clairvoyant or to commune with spirits is actually doing so – many are not. But, as unreal and unlikely as it may seem to someone who is committed to hard rationalism, many are. Now of course, someone who begins from the supposition that such things can never happen will attempt come up with a rational explanation, I’ve watched those people try to do so and find none. Some things just can’t be rationally explained, and as uncomfortable as that may be for some, many of us are alright with that because we see reason as a minor deity rather than the Almighty God, to use a religious analogy.
Regarding the medical question, although my use of valid was not intended in the hard scientific sense, there are indeed empirical studies that have shown the efficacy of various herbal and foodstuff remedies, “alternative” (although I object to the use of that word) therapies such as acupuncture and craniosacral therapy – which work with invisible and what might be called “spiritual” energies – as well as the value of spiritual engagement to actual health outcomes and life satisfaction. Many claims have also been validated through people’s experiences, which are just as real – again using the term in the existential sense – as any rationalistic, empirical experiment.
Last but not least, regarding your use of “regressive,” all I can usefully say about that is that although I chose to graciously, as you say, assume that you didn’t mean to offend, the word is indeed offensive. Particularly when used in relation to things that originate from Africa as so much of “rational” engagement with Africa and all things African has positioned them as the “primitive” antecedents to what is “real and reasonable.” I would humbly suggest that if you intend to continue engaging in substantive dialogues with religious persons, which it seems like you do, that your search for a less charged word should continue.
Although it may be your view that some religious practices are “potentially deleterious to human welfare and flourishing,” many people would say the same about aspects of the secular humanist point of view. I wouldn’t say that, as I know that many people – including myself – flourish and live wonderfully rich, enjoyable and dignified lives while engaging in religious practices and many people do the same without engaging in religious practices. An important verse from the sacred orature of the Ifá tradition says that “no one knows the beginning and the end of all things.” I, for one, take that statement seriously and believe that there is room for all of our various ways of seeing and engaging with the world without one having to be “regressive” and one “progressive,” or one having to be “right” while another is “wrong.” As so poignantly said by Gandhi, we all hold a piece of the truth – no one of us, no group of us, can stake claim to the whole thing.
I look forward to the continued exploration of this thing called life in all its various manifestations and wish you well with all you are doing!
Alafia Funlayo:
As a Yoruba practitioner, I have had several experiences of a medical nature that have not only been predicted by a respected Babalawao, but that upon recognition of the problems, I was able to obtain assistance, advice and a viable solution. The problem with documenting these events is related to our comparisons to Western thinking and values. As long as we are holding our traditional culture and values up to a scarred microscope of someone else’s idea of who we are and what we should or should not be practicing, or the validity of such practices, we will run into negativity by people who, based on my personal assessment and interaction with individuals in general outside of our “special” community, don’t read. Their primary interest is to subject us to their standards and measure us not by the very broad and deep African religious and philosophical truths that we cherish, but rather to their distorted view of Africa in general and African/Yoruba or other traditional cultural traditions in particular. Still, we rise. I enjoyed reading the posts. The negative, nasty remarks I ignore as they do not phase me. I just think back to what our ancestors must have gone through when they were being tortured, raped, scorned and beat to death in the name of capitalism, oppression and racism. It is because of their strength that you and I, along with all the interesting people who post here that we “are”, we exist – it is on their shoulders we stand which is one of the primary aspects of Yoruba, ancestral worship, recognition of the cycle of life to which we all belong; the respect for our elders, the beautiful music and songs we sing to Olodumare (God) and the Orisas (aka Saints), for all of the beauty I have experienced in this culture. I am so appreciative. So grateful to read your words of wisdom and so blessed that Yoruba “found” me right here in AmerKKKa. So thankful to my people who were picking cotton, cutting sugar cane, being beat and singing “one day our children will see better times” – it will be better for them.” And, it is! As they are not here physically to enjoy their “vision” of better days, I keep my altar clean, well lighted, with beautiful flowers and say my prayers (Ijubas) daily so that in a very strong metaphysical sense, they know that they are not forgotten. People, think twice or as many times as necessary before you blaspheme someone’s traditions. Peace
Keep this dialog going, we need to educate, uplift and remove some of the stigma from our traditions even from within our own communities. Great article.
I’m glad this discussion has continued and moved into different territories with people who are more well-versed than I in African Indigenous religious practices. I fully accept the rebuke regarding the use of the word “regressive”, and although I can’t think of a word which I think will explain my point of view and not give offense, I will continue to try.
I suspect trying to reconcile our meta-epistemological differences would take us far away from the purpose of this post, so for now I’ll just stick to the medical issue. The sorts of concerns I have are relating to articles like this one (one of hundreds similar I could cite), which I found on yorubareligion.org:
http://www.yorubareligion.org/_con/_rubric/detail.php?nr=1688&rubric=healing&PHPSESSID=abl8mkagrfki25pu5t18hvs5g5
In this article a Dr. Geh claims to have found “a solution to the treatment of HIV and AIDS through three main products including Amprodetox (natural detoxification), Amprovitalix (Body System support and Maintenance) and Amprozone (Acelerated Virus Reductions).”
There is absolutely no evidence I can discover that any of these so-called “solutions” have gone through any testing whatsoever to demonstrate their effectiveness, and yet they are presented without critical comment of any kind on a website for Yoruba practitioners. In the article Dr. Geh calls on the Nigerian government to subsidize his “remedies” to “make it available to the masses like the ARV”.
This, in my view, is more than just irresponsible – it is immoral. Vulnerable people without much access to medical information may well accept Dr. Geh’s arguments and turn over their health to him. The result is that they will most probably die earlier than they otherwise might, as many who have turned away from medicine to untested remedies for help with HIV and AIDS have done before.
Of course, this isn’t to say that the practice of an African Indigenous religion is to blame for this situation – Geh’s article was hosted on a number of websites and there is no evidence he is a practitioner of any particular religion that I can find. Rather, this is the sort of thing that happens, in my judgment, when reason is seen as a “minor deity” rather than, as Ingersoll put it, the King of Kings.
Granted, there are questions that are not best approached through the scientific method I don’t know anyone who would deny that. But questions of a medical nature do not, in my view, fall into that category. I would put questions regarding whether people can communicate with each other psychically squarely within the domain of science too.
Nonetheless, I did pick up a copy of “Three Eyes for the Journey” and am reading it with great interest.
So glad people are ready to have intelligent conversation regarding the beautiful African traditional religions and not the hateful biased media portrayal.
Nay Fortune :: Thank you so much for your thoughtful and insightful commentary. You are absolutely right about evaluating things based on their own standards and not imposing paradigms that don’t fit onto our traditions or any others as has, unfortunately, happened way too much in the past and continues to happen too much in the present. While I do believe we can have some universal ethics, we don’t all have to take the same path or use the same methods to get there, And yes, although our egun are not here in the flesh, they are indeed witnessing and I pray they are pleased.
MrOshun :: Yes, unfortunately the stigma doesn’t always come from “out there.” Thank you for your presence and your encouragement!
David Sosa :: I agree. Personally, I believe that for any tradition, having practitioners involved in the tradition’s scholarship is important in helping to make sure that these conversations happen. I’m humbled and honored to be one of the voices able to do it.
I have read your responses Iya Funlayo and Mr.Oshun and I just want to add that I have studied religions and the truth of the matter is in all of the religions I have studied, the pathways are atypical. For example, Buddhism (Hindu) has a component to their faith that includes spiritual development and awareness at an early age wherein the male children are separated from their parents and trained in the ways of their people with respect for family, Buddha, the community, how to be men, etc. which I have compared to manhood training which is a very important ritual in African cultures. Girls receive training too so that by the time they are adults, they know how to fit in to their main societies and take on their appropriate levels of responsibility. The Chinese are very much into ancestral worship and believe like we do that ancestors are all around and need to be respected and appeased in order for the living to have a good life. Christians have their Bible teachings which include the Ten Commandments that are essential to at least understanding how humans should behave towards each other. Respect for God and humanity is taught in every religious expression. For me, there is no right or wrong and I don’t judge anybody’s way of thinking or relating to God. I only ask that people give me the same respect. It is unfortunate that I find myself explaining my beliefs to people who are trying to argue the point of religious expression as opposed to learning how someone else practices with a non-judgmental point of view. I don’t mind discussing Yoruba to people but usually, if the individual is not of my faith, you can feel the energy emanating from their speculation about “voodoo, witchcraft, etc. and they actually feel free to compare our beautiful way of life to something negative of which they know very little about. I have determined that I will be true to myself, my Orisa, and Orunmila, Olodumare, etc. and, continue to try to educate those that cross my path who are sincerely interested in learning. My two sisters are different; they are Baptist but, each of them has shown me so much respect. One sister asks questions because as she puts it, “I have always been interested in learning about different cultures and ways of life” and the other sister will come to my house and tell everybody, especially the children, “you see this section of Nay’s house? – don’t touch, play with or bother anything here” – then she goes to my altar and tells them the same thing. That validates that at least within my own family, there is acknowledgment and respect for who I am. I would not change my ways or my religious beliefs to suit anybody’s perception of how I should praise our Creator. The energy in my home environment is real; the peace in my home is beautiful and my way of appreciating God and the Universe – unique. I look forward to reading your points of view and thank you for your kind remarks. Odabo
Thank you so much for this article. As a Manbo (Priestess of Vodou), scholar and State of Formation contributor, I’m pleased to see thoughtful discussions on these topics. It’s so difficult for people to get over their preconceptions. Education (in its myriad forms) is everything.
James :: I’m glad the conversation has continued as well, thanks for your additional input. I’m glad to know that you are reading _Three Eyes for the Journey_. Diakité is a dynamic woman and engaging scholar so, even if it turns out that you don’t agree with her methods or conclusions, it should prove an enjoyable read.
Yes, we will leave the epistemological discussion in the “agree to disagree” column and I’ll address your medical point. I’m not sure I follow you to your conclusion that what Dr. Geh – an American educated medical doctor who has done over 12 years of scientific research – is saying or proposing is “immoral” or how he is failing to use reason. From what I see in the article, Dr. Geh is proposing that his herbal preparations be used in conjunction with, not instead of, “conventional” HIV drugs and is in no way encouraging vulnerable populations to abandon medical treatment and only use his preparations. In fact, he explicitly says, “I am not saying people should stop using anti-retroviral drugs“ and he challenges doctors who use only ARV to conduct a medical test in which they add his herbal preparations to their treatment of a test group and compare the results with a group that is uses only the ARV. This seems like pretty standard medical, pharmecuetical procedure to me. Should the government decide to subsidize his preparations, there would no doubt be testing of the products as there is with any other type of drug. Perhaps its his claim that his preparations have the potential to „cure“ AIDS that you’re taking issue with, but even that, as a medical doctor – who clearly believes in God but who is not a indigenous priest or spiritual healer operating outside of the medical establishment – I’m quite sure he’d be open to testing and wouldn’t expect people to just take his word that his preparations work. Given all this, I’ll have to respectfully disagree with your “immoral” and “irresponsible” conclusion.
Nay :: Thank you again for your thoughtful comments! And actually, I would say that no spiritual pathways are atypical, as you have said, they all have some similarity at base although there is variety, which makes it all so interesting and so human. And yes, it can be frustrating when you know that people are judging what you do or thinking negatively about it, but I believe we have to be steadfast and confront those negative because otherwise we will remain in an uncomfortable state of cultural and religious exile. Many blessings to you, dear. May Olodumare, the ancestors and the orisa continue to light your path. Ase.
Saumya :: Mesi anpil pou prezans w! I have read some of your work with great admiration and look forward to more exchange. Ayibobo.