HOW IS CULTURE DIFFERENT FROM RELIGION? THE POSITIONS WE ADOPT WHEN THE TRUTH BECOMES TOO DIFFICULT TO ACCEPT

There is a growing debate about the Holy Mass recently celebrated in the traditional Igbo fashion.

While a group of Pentecostals have come out to condemn the act in its entirety, another group of people comprised of Catholics and the newly found "Pan-Africans" who believe Igbo culture should be promoted have come in defense of the act.

Their argument is that culture is different from religion and as such, what the church did is right. While my fellow Catholics adopted this stand to escape the criticism from the firebrand Pentecostals, my fellow Pan Africans just want to embrace anything that will promote Igbo/African culture.

However, the insinuation that culture is different from religion makes a mess of everything I have ever known. It is akin to saying that language too, is different from culture. This is why I am asking, HOW IS CULTURE DIFFERENT FROM RELIGION?

In primary school, they told us that Culture is people's way of life. The Oxford dictionary defines it as "the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society".

If the definition above is correct, how can someone then separate culture and religion? When culture is usually built based on the religious beliefs of a people. Same way there can be no culture without language, there can be no culture without religion because religion is culture and culture is religion.

For instance, IRI JI OHURU festival is a uniform culture amongst all the Igbos. This festival is deeply entrenched in our traditional belief, our belief in Afiajioku or Whujioku as my people call it. It was meant to thank the God that gave yam to our ancestors.

The masquerade festivals, the marriage ceremonies, the titles we take, the Arua- our traditional symbol of authority wield by the eldest man in a clan or village, the Ofor Igbo, the Ozor and Nzeogwu titles, all our relics are all based on our religion.
Each is either linked to one God or Goddess or to the Supreme Being or to the Ani. Including our TRADITIONAL MARRIAGES.

Socially, everything we do in our culture is part and parcel of our religion. When we break colanut, we call on our ancestors. This is with our religious belief that our ancestors have the power to hear us, protect us, guide and guard us. The masquerade festivals are also for these ancestors whom we believe will come alive in these masquerades and relate with their people before going back.

Our songs are deeply entrenched in the principles of our religion. Our proverbs, parables, the teachings we give to our children, everything is part of our religion.

There is hardly any single cultural practice that can't be directly traced to religion.

Leaving ones religion is the same with leaving one's culture because there is no religion without culture and there is no culture without religion.

What we practice as Christians is either the culture of Jews, Romans, English or German people or a combination of all of them. It's why there is a lot of confusion in African Christianity.

What my fellow Catholics and Pan Africans are perhaps afraid to admit is that AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION IS NOT EVIL.
They are scared to accept that Ndi Igbo were not worshipping Satan before the white men came and that our culture alongside our beautiful religion is Godly, holy and righteous and that it is not evil to practice our religion.

What they don't want to accept is that our traditional religion is not darkness the way Christians have painted it. That the Supreme being we Worship is no different from the one Christians worship, and that the golden incense containers is not holier than our traditional pot.
That "Amen" is not holy while "Isee" is evil. That invoking Chief Ugwuagbo Nwachara to come to my rescue is not evil while invoking St. Jude to come to my rescue is not holy.

That they are all one and the same people.

We need to be bold enough to say that Christianity DID NOT bring us out of Darkness. That our people were rich and prosperous before White men came. That food was never a problem, that every man had a shelter before they came, but now we can barely feed nor afford to live in houses, that's why many are sleeping under the bridge.

That we were NOT saved by Christianity.

This is the truth that we must accept if we should be on our way to redemption from the mess we are in now, and save ourselves the confusion.

Udo diiri unu.