How do you like my new color scheme????

I have screwed around with the colors on this blog off and on for as long as it has been going. I have a personal preference for dark backgrounds, but I realize that this is hard on some people's eyes. I have tried several times to find a combination of backgrounds and text colors that was both "light background" and that also looked good to me. Well, I finally found one, and you are now looking at it! Ta da!!

As always, your feedback, Dear Surfer, is encouraged.

Traditional African Religions Continue To Thrive

According to a new Pew Forum study on Christianity and Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa:

Side by side with their high levels of commitment to Christianity and Islam, many people in the countries surveyed retain beliefs and rituals that are characteristic of traditional African religions. In four countries, for instance, half or more of the population believes that sacrifices to ancestors or spirits can protect them from harm. In addition, roughly a quarter or more of the population in 11 countries say they believe in the protective power of juju (charms or amulets), shrines and other sacred objects.

The Pew study focussed on 19 countries. The country found to have the highest rate of belief in "the power of [traditional] shrines and other sacred objects" is Senegal, where 75% of those surveyed reported such beliefs.

Other clear indications of the continued survival of traditional religious beliefs at odds with both Christianity and Islam are:

"In most countries surveyed, at least three-in-ten people believe in reincarnation."

"in 14 of the 19 countries surveyed, more than three-in-ten people say they sometimes consult traditional healers when someone in their household is sick."

"sizable minorities (roughly 20% or more) in 12 countries say they possess traditional African sacred objects, such as shrines to ancestors, feathers, skins, skulls, skeletons, powder, carved figures or branches, spears, cutlasses or animal horns." [Sound like anyone you know??]

"Substantial minorities (roughly 20% or more) in many countries also say they participate in ceremonies or rituals to honor their ancestors."

Overall, one quarter of all those surveyed "exhibited high levels of belief and practice" in traditional African religions. In three countries this was over 50%: Tanzania (62%), Senegal (55%), and Mali (52%). In four more countries (Cameroon, South Africa, Guinea Bissau, and Chad) these "high levels of belief and practice" continue to be found in over 1/3 of the population.

If these results are typical for all of Sub-Saharan Africa, it would mean that now, in the 21st century, there are over 100 million Africans who continue to believe in and practice the religious traditions that Christianity and Islam have tried so hard to destroy. This is certainly good news!!

Those interested in traditional African religions might also want to check out this post on Fela Kuti, and also this one on the Afro-Caribbean religion of Candomble in Brazil.

Also see the series "Heart of Darkness", consisting of five posts on topics related to Christianity and Colonialism in Africa:
Part One: "By This Sign We Prosper"
Part Two: Christian Demographics Fun Facts
Part Three: Doing the Lord's Work In Rwanda
Part Four: Conflict and Genocide: Lessons from Rwanda
Part Five: Preparing the Way for Genocide in Rwanda

Other posts on Traditional African Religions:
"Africa became Christian by Submission not by Conversion"
You might be Pagan if .... (Part Deux)
You might be a Pagan if ....
Every picture tells a story
Traditional African Religions Continue To Thrive
More On Traditional African Religions
Fela Kuti and Traditional African Religion
Secret Knowledge, Sacred Knowledge (on Candomble)

[And, finally, for those who don't know already, I'm not really a big fan of the Pew outfit. If you are interested to know why, check out my earlier post on "Push Polling For Jesus".]