Religion Politics and Ethics: Moral and Ethical Dilemmas Facing Faith-Based Organizations and Africa in the 21st Century-Implications for Nigeria in a Season of Anomie

Chima S C. Religion politics and ethics: Moral and ethical dilemmas facing faith-based organizations and Africa in the 21st century-implications for Nigeria in a season of anomie. Niger J Clin Pract [serial online] 2015 [cited 2015 Dec 8];18, Suppl S1:1-7.

Posted: 10 Dec 2015

See all articles by Sylvester Chima

Sylvester Chima

Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine & School of Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Date Written: December 1, 2015

Abstract

African peoples value social order and peace as essential and sacred. This is because of the traditional communalism of African societies. To maintain this sense of community and solidarity and avoid disintegration, there are many laws, customs, rules, and regulations constituting the ethics and moral code of African communities. These are believed to be instituted by God or derived from ancestors. This idea gives sanctity to these customs and morals, which are enforced by the traditional leaders, priests, or elders of the community. Any breach of this code of behavior is, therefore, considered evil, wrong, or bad because it tends to destroy the accepted social order and must be punished by the corporate community. Therefore, traditional African life is dominated by religion, morals, and ethics. It is religion that influences the Africans' understanding of the universe and the individual's participation in it, making life itself a religious phenomenon. Every adventure of life including governance and survival is clothed in rituals and symbolism, and African peoples did not traditionally differentiate between the sacred and the secular. Every facet of life was defined in religious terms and in religion the society found its unity and progress. It is within this traditional social order that foreign religions and ideology were introduced, according to Mbiti, "without warning and without physical and psychological preparation Africa has been invaded by a world revolution," bringing with it modern science and technology including telecommunications, mass media, schools, universities, and urbanization. Further, foreign religions such as Christianity and Islam came to Africa as complex phenomena made up of Western culture, politics, technology, medicine, education etc. It has been argued that African peoples experienced these modern changes as a religious phenomenon, which disrupted the prevailing peace and social order, described proverbially by The Mupun people of Plateau state, Nigeria as: "a world that had turned its tail into its mouth… a world that has completely turned around."

Keywords: Religion, politics, ethics, Nigeria, Faith-based organizations, Africa

JEL Classification: J17, J18, B30, L31, Z1

Suggested Citation

Chima, Sylvester, Religion Politics and Ethics: Moral and Ethical Dilemmas Facing Faith-Based Organizations and Africa in the 21st Century-Implications for Nigeria in a Season of Anomie (December 1, 2015). Chima S C. Religion politics and ethics: Moral and ethical dilemmas facing faith-based organizations and Africa in the 21st century-implications for Nigeria in a season of anomie. Niger J Clin Pract [serial online] 2015 [cited 2015 Dec 8];18, Suppl S1:1-7., Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2700566

Sylvester Chima (Contact Author)

Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine & School of Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal ( email )

Umbilo Road
Durban, KZN 4000
South Africa
+27(0)312604604 (Phone)

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