State of the world's religiosity courtesy of Gallup Poll
by Sarah C.
This article on Gallup Poll’s website compares the religiosity of Americans to the rest of the world. Though not discussed, what’s glaringly obvious is how religious Africans are. For anyone who has been to Africa, this does not come as a surprise. Special holidays and events are celebrated with specially long church services, mosques call for prayer over public loudspeakers and it is not uncommon to hear a DJ play a church song in a nightclub.
I just got back from church, the pews are much fuller than they used to be (my attendance has become frequent). Like everyone else, my list of needs has grown much longer in recent months.
This map has got me thinking. Africans are as religious as is the continent underdeveloped. In looking at the 2008 Human Development Index, Sierra Leone, Congo and Malawi which top the world’s religiosity list are among the world’s 20 least developed countries. At the same time, Norway, Sweden, Japan, France and Denmark are among the world’s 20 most developed countries, yet feature in the 11 least religious countries.
It is not my intent to sound blasphemous, but I question the relationship between religion and development in Africa. It’s more like a chicken and egg question? Are Africans more religious because as a way to cope with the hardships associated with underdevelopment or is Africa more underdeveloped because of religion? How does this correlation play out when comparing development of countries that practise Islam?
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9 responses so far ↓
GrowGhana // March 1, 2009 at 3:49 pm
short answer: Yes, Africans cope and relate with hardships in a more spiritual way than countries such as Japan. Many Ghanaians adamantly believe in the Creators Will and thus tend to fall back on the reasoning that everything is in the Creators hands including the answer to our plight.
In Japan, where I was educated and lived for over twenty-five years they foster and excel in a collective group mentality similar to Ghanaians. I find the two peoples very similar in many ways…I laugh all the time due to this.
But where they do differ is when it comes to taking group action to solve a challenge or pursue an opportunity. Lets say on simple terms, if the roof leaks, Ghanaians would pray for Gods intervention while the Japanese pool their resources together and fix the leaky roof without depending on divine intervention. After the roof is fixed maybe they would give homage to the Gods but the key point is that they would act, first.
Another point: many NGO’s and Aid organizations are faith based so when they arrive in a village, it is as if it was Gods second coming and everything is contributed to Gods grace & will…
kawuma // March 1, 2009 at 10:49 pm
This is a great question that you raised. I don’t think Religion is the cause of poverty and under-development——- Religion is where people tend to turn during desperate times. It is within human nature to search for a greater force when the rest of the world appears to be against you—or if the world cannot provide any real answers or solutions to our problems. If you look at slavery in the United States and the civil rights movement, religion played a critical role. The key leaders of the Civil rights movement such as Martin Luther King were church leaders and clergy. The church was not only a place of spiritual healing, it became the foundation for social and political activism. It was the meeting place for the black folks and a foundation of the civil rights movement. The church message was very symbolic. The hymns that they sang while working on the fields and during the peaceful protests and the bible verses that were quoted in many of the speeches confirm the significance of religion to this movement. Religion symbolizes freedom and equality– that every man was created equal and in God’s image. I believe this is the reason why African Americans had a strong belief and attachment to religion during slavery—and I also believe it might explain why people from the less developed and impoverished regions of the world as shown on the map tend to have a stronger inclination to religion. People are looking for answers—— whether you believe in the— Bible/Koran/whatever you read– or not, it offers a lot of people with hope, optimism and comfort—– that things will eventually get better. I am not in any way suggesting that these are the only reasons why most people turn to religion or join their respective churches—but I think it is a big piece to the puzzle.
Cyril Sankara // March 2, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Interesting observations Sarah C.
However you need to make some distinctions and specifications before I would be able to come up with any sort of response for this!
1) What exactly do you mean by “Religion”? Are u totally focusing only on Christianity and Islam? Remember that there are many African “traditional” religions also, hence there’s Shango, Amadioha, Erzuli, Lemanja, Asase Ya, Ngai etc recognised and revered as gods and goddesses in various specific regions of the continent. These “religions” are still in existence even though the two big boys from the West and the East are trying hard to run them out of town! Nevertheless, you can’t ignore them when u talk about Religion in Africa. So, are they included in your dialogue? and if not, why not?
Silas // March 4, 2009 at 10:28 am
Whenever I think about religion in Africa I think about the Bible and the Gun. I was just listening to MPR and there will be an interesting talk at the Northrop auditorium today. British physicist, Richard Dawkins argues that Christianity, and religion by extension, is a hoax. His quote “Jesus is an imaginary friend” teehee. For those interested, he will be speaking about his book, God Delusional, at the U of M’s Northrup Auditorium today at 7:00pm .
Wamutogoria // March 4, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Lets be real, Religion for Africans is used to channel our spiritual connection with the creator, in the West however it is used as a political tool of control and occupation. Look at colonialism it came under the guise of spreading Christianity and look at the crusades in the middle east, same thing. Unfortunately the majority of Africans are under religious bodies used by foreign powers as strategic political tools, our problem is still the same as it was 30 years ago, we still do not control our politics, economy and even our societies. Every aspect of our lives must be African, from our religion to our political styles to how we observe social behaviors. until we do, our problems will still be here in the future.
Cyril Sankara // March 4, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Wamutogoria, what is the difference between Religion in the West and in Africa? You say in the West it is used as “a political tool of control and occupation”, isn’t that the same in Africa?.
The author of the topic, Sarah C. never gave me any clarification as to whether she was talking solely about Christianity and Islam when she talked of Religion in Africa. I will therefore assume that was what she meant- so to answer her question on whether Africa is more underdeveloped because of “Western” religion? My answer is YES! They screwed us good, and now “everything to God in prayer”!!
n.Bethel // June 25, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Religion now serves as instrument of intimidation in africa used especially by power mongers who cuildnt find other means of mobilizing the majority to do their wishes.
Ouma Francis Michael // August 31, 2009 at 10:53 am
It is very challenging to us Afrrican today to take our underdevelopment and poverty as having a strong link with our religiosity. As a matter of fact, the question raised by the world to our lagging behind should be fatefully answered by our selves as regards the way we take things forgranted. Our assumption that religion will help us is not a pragmatic one and will lead us to doom. what if we all die of hunger and diseases that we could prevent. shall that mighty one not ask us for accountability. Please, lets wake up and start a new introspection and rightfully put religion in the faculty of moderation our behaviours and social relationships other than the economic dimension which is so vital in the life and the future of humanity. lets us begin to sweep our backyard before calling others to help us.
Best wishes as we begin to think and shape the face of the world.
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Billy // November 18, 2009 at 10:14 am
I think the abandonement of ‘faith based thinking’ during the enlightenment is a major factor that allowed Western Europe to become dominant economically and militarily. So it does not surprise me that the places that are still in an economic rut are the places that have a pray first and act later mentality (pray to any spirits; not just Jesus or Allah). GrowGhana’s leaky roof example illustrates the problem perfectly.
I also think places that blame everyone but themselves have a tough time developing. No one is saying colonization was good for Africa, but it is not the root of every problem; it’s not like Africa was a bustling civilization before the Europeans got there. The problems now are the result of massive population growth without ever becoming more efficient at using resources.
The questions now are how do you build the education, health, agriculture, banking, and manufacturing institutions necessary for prosperity. Praying certainly won’t help; yet religion and population size seem to be the only things moving upwards in Africa these days.