RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM AND ITS ACCENTUATION OF POVERTY AND VIOLENCE IN THE POST-COLONIAL AFRICAN ECONOMY

Abstract

Religion generally refers to the humans’ ultimate veneration of a superior orsupernatural force on which their intellect, self-worth and perception of all thedifferent ecological elements of the universe revolve. The art of blindadmiration, adoration or infinite attachment to a supreme authority as religiousqualities where passion, fear overrides reason symbolises religious fanatism orextremism is the issue handled by this paper. Either within the bosom of Africantraditional forms of worship, Christianity or Islam Africans’ attachments toreligious mores and values even with the collusion brought on them by forcesof change, their attachment to spirituality or forms of faith has remained outstanding. In any guise Africans have remained deeply entrenched in profound religious practices which have significantly defeated the moral essence of religion in time and space. In fact, fantasies of mystic filaments built on the realm of religions have helped to sustain poverty and provoke violence and divisions which prevail almost everywhere, manifesting itself in the form of severe hunger; high illiteracy ratio, naïve policies, low investments and the possibilities of violent extremism. From the analysis of data churned from primary and secondary sources, this study exposes how Christianity and African traditional Religions have been using skewed theology to morph brains as well as mystify and normalize inequality among African folk. It carefully brings out how this has been a serious impediment to sustainable development through its propensity to generate violence and hatred among an otherwise peaceful folk. It submits that these religions do differ in approach and content but that Christianity, Islam and African Religion in some of its teaching have helped to sustain hopes and build illusions which discourage any worthy initiative towards poverty alleviation. It is therefore a contribution to social change dynamics in post-colonial dialectics.