Opinions of Friday, 12 July 2013

Columnist: Yahaya, Tanko Ali

Theological Rhetorics And Reality

This piece was inspired by Andy K, who philosophically contributed to my article on ghanaweb which was captioned "MENDACIOUS IN THE NAME OF GOD".

I paraphrase Andy K's contribution this way: I do not claim to be above the morass of the superstitious, for I am religiously an Islam,except that I jealously aspire to be rational enough to detect the vicious mendacity,duplicitous schemes, sheer hypocrisy, double standard and sycophancy of our new generation of moralists with blind faith and an inherited truth. We are sheepishly led by theological rhetorician's, syncretic motion of material and parochial 'moralism'.

In this derision cycle of underdevelopment, illiteracy, poverty and ignorance form one of the potent cogs in the wheels of our primitive psyche. This epitome of stone aged mentality has become an object of adornment and flaunting among our people. No wonder, we are oblivious of the immense strides being made with scientific methodologies which negates the claims of impossibilities; doctrines of purgatory and 'ill-fate' of which our theological pagans fed to us. This exposes our ignorance and superstitions, regardless of the level of our education or miseducation.

The socio-cultural theory of development depends largely on socio-cultural change and that occur best with a generational change. The crop of our leaders and we their followers are plagued with derision, ignorance and superstitions. I fret over the psyche of the youth who must be insulated from this risky canker, by being fed with scientific and rational knowledge that emphasize on our existence and well being in the cosmos to natural causes.

But in doing so we must thread cautiously to avoid disrespecting the norms, sensitivities and sensibilities of our society as a whole. When people sketch caricatures, and write 'God' underneath; commit atrocities; murder one another in the name of 'God' and religion, But when their lunacy, illusion and delusions fall to dust and they stand over against HIM in a marooned darkness and no longer say 'God' ‘God’ but rather exclaimed 'thou' ; holla 'thou' , is it not the living God whom we all implore? The Alpha and omega, the God of the offspring’s of mortals ? Is it not he who begets not nor is he begotten? Is it not he who hears us and nothing is like him? And just for this logic is it not the word 'God' the word of appeal?The word which has revolutionalized into a name, consecrated in all human tongues till the end of time?

We must respect those who interdict it because they rebel against the injustice and wrong which are so easily referred to 'God' for authorization but perhaps we are not to give it up. How comprehensible it is that some suggest we should keep mute about the' final things' for a time in order that the misused name may be redeemed! But are yet to be redeemed. It's difficult to cleanse the word 'God' and make it whole; but, defiled and mutilated as it is, we can raise it from the ground and set it over a great care. When two or three people share their knowledge together, they are truly together in the name of God.

TANKO ALI YAHAYA INDEPENDENT MINDED ZONGORIANS

Email: skiliwonda@gmail.com