“Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.” – Karl Marx, 1843 (Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of the Right)

One of the things that hit me on my visit to Ghana in May was the abundance of churches. There seems to be a church at every street corner. And they all are independent, unrelated to the major protestant groups or the Catholic Church.

Another observation was how affluent the pastors of these churches were. They drove expensive cars and lived in mansions. They were much better off than their congregations.

Why are there so many churches? Ghana is a religious country. True. It still does not explain the number. I think the real reasons lie in the socio-economic situation the country finds itself in as well as in the Ghanaian culture.

One can argue that these churches sprung up because the Christian population wanted church services that were more in tune with the Ghanaian culture – services that included lively music and dancing. Some of the traditional churches have modified things in that direction and so I do not think that reason is a significant cause.

Even though Ghana is doing well as compared to most other African countries, it still has an unemployment rate of about 20% (est 2001) and the minimum wage is about 10,500 cedis (Jan 2004). This translates to quite a number of people living below the poverty line – about 28% (http://www.dfid.gov.uk/countries/africa/ghana.asp). They standard of living is inordinately high. So how do they manage? “Nyame wo ho” is a Ghanaian term which literally means “By the grace of God.” So Ghanaians survive through the good graces of God. So they go to church to pray for help through the tough times.

On the flip side are smart people who see this public need and move to exploit it. They provide a voice of comfort. They become the avenues through which the people find this grace. They become the pastors. And to facilitate their meetings, they encourage their congregations to build themselves a church and make donations for the upkeep of this church as well as the upkeep of their pastor. And the congregations seem to be doing some upkeeping! One can actually call them enterpreneurs!

Given, some of these pastors are also successful authors and speakers. However at the end of the day, it is probably someone earning much less who will buy that book or pay for that speech.

It is typical in any society that successful business concepts are copied. So it is no surprise that churches have mushroomed in Ghana. Religion pays. For some, it may be the place to bury all worries but for others it is definitely the end of all their worries. For some it is the opium that deadens the pain but for some it is that definite cure that rejuvenates them.

I wonder what Marx will say to that.

nana

There are beautiful African names – Kofi, Chidi, Zuri, Mbali.

Some of us however have been laden with Anglo-Saxon and Hebrew names that cloud our identity as Africans. I have nothing against Hebrew or Anglo-Saxon nmes; neither I am being afrocentric. I believe in giving a Ghanaian a Ghanaian name that shows his heritage.

In the colonial times, the churches would not let you get baptized without taking a biblical name. I guess that was the only way you’d get admitted to heaven! The practice has stuck around, unfortunately.

So let me start a campaign – Grab yourself an African name!

nana

There never passes a day without an an e-mail from Nigeria promising me untold wealth for a small investment in my in-box. These scam artist are known as the “419-men”, after that part of the Nigerian penal code that makes it illegal to obtain money under false pretences.

I cannot believe some rather “smart” people have fallen for these scams and lost tons of money. As reports go, there is even a congressman in jail because he stole money to invest in these scams!

I far from condone the actions of these crooked Nigerians, but one can at least say they are trying to scrap a living (however illegal) in face of abject poverty and hopelessness.

It is difficult to make similar excuses for a congressman or a heart surgeon. The 419-men may be greedy but the westerners who fall for them are greedier. Maybe a few more millions to buy that Ferrari  and that weekend home in the Hamptons….. Sure not-so-well-to-do people have been scammed. My problem is with the wealthy ones who evidently acted out of the wish of wanting even more.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

nana

America has always been touted as the melting pot of cultures. Somehow that is tough to swallow if one considers that laws have to be enacted to promote desegregation.

The Supreme Court’s decision to disallow the use of color in deciding which public school kids go to surely brings up mixed emotions.

I think segregation these days is more along socio-economic lines  than along race and color. It just so happens that a lot of African-Americans find themselves in the lower socio-economic class.

Should there be a compulsory mix of socio-economic classes to ensure equality and diversity?

A child from a lower socio-economic background can be very uncomfortable around the “rich kids.” It can be so bad that going to school can be torture. On the other hand, it can also act as a motivator to achieve.

Then is the matter of difference in education that different kids from different backgrounds have. Lumping kids with very good educational backgrounds with those who have some catching up to do can hinder both groups.

Interests vary widely among the different races in the US. Just go to a high school football game and check out the bands and cheerleaders. There is a huge difference between those with primarily African-American students versus those with whites. Such diversity is good and must be preserved.

My point is, even though a part of me fears the 5-4 ruling by the court as a sign of resegregation, another part of me knows that you cannot forcibly put together cultures and races and viewpoints and interests.

Maybe, just maybe, this time around, we need to find another way of doing things. Maybe we should let the schools settle along the lines that divide us. Maybe the starkness of those lines may force an elevation of those schools that need to be elevated by those who stand to benefit from it’s elevation. Unfortunately, it will involve those in the lower socio-economic group and without outside help, it is an impossibility.

So the question is, what should that help be? More laws? No-child-left-behind? School vouchers? The status-quo?

I wish I knew.

jnkdg