Dear Fada Oluoma,
You’re one of my favorite religious leaders in Nigeria, and my followers can testify that. However, after reading your letter to one Mr. Mathias, I decided to correct some wrong impressions your post might directly or indirectly raise in the minds of a free African child.
While I appreciate your well articulated letter to Mathias, I wish to let us all know that Christianity did not bring science or technology to us (Ndi Igbo), such teaching is a very wrong teaching, and may send a wrong information to the psyche of an African child. It may also create the impression that every one of us using modern technology is indebted to the christian religion which is not true.
Sccience and scientists deserves the credit for the invention of various technologies, not religion. Various scientists that invented both the ancient and modern techs we use today belong to different religions, cultures, race, etc. And in fact, most of the major scientists that laid the FOUNDATION of today’s science were atheists or irreligious. Aside that, there was already science and technology in Africa and Ala Igbo precisely before the coming of Oyibo people, just that we were growing in our own pace, time, and dimension.
Yes, the missionaries just like the colonial government also introduced us to some scientific inventions from the the west, many which were invented by scientists from different religions and backgrounds. In fact, some of such techs were invented by atheist and irreligious scientists. This is to tell us that the work of science belongs to no religion or race.
The colonial government and their missionaries were like middle men looking for their own interests, Africa/Ndi Igbo do not owe them. This is because at the end, our ancestors either paid them with their resources, or by joining and supporting their church (we know how the catholic church and Anglican church were competing on securing denomination territories). Hence, it’s wrong for anyone to make it appear as if our people owes the church, or that our people should be grateful or never to leave or criticize the church. We weren’t at their mercy, our ancestors lived good and healthy lives based on the standard of when they existed. And for whatever the missionaries or the colonial government brought to us, they gained even more.
Hence, let’s stop giving the credits of science and scientists to christianity. Let’s not also forget that it was the church that murdered many scientists especially in the medieval era, and labeled them witches, blasphemous, unbelievers, etc. We read how the church was anti-science. It’s’s even the modern church (thanks to the intelligence of the modern Catholicism) that had to evolve to embrace science and be critical with faith. This even led to Pope Johnpaul ii apologizing on behalf of the church for the death of Galileo and everyother atrocious acts of the church during the dark age. Which we also bring us back to the fact that there’s no atrocity some of our ancestors committed in the name of gods or God that the church haven’t committed in the name of God in the past, and even somehow in the present too.
Back to the main discussion;
Science belongs to no religion. Science is the product of man’s intellect, and it’s universal.
On the aspect of education, let’s not forget that the oldest trace of formal education points towards Egypt (with ancient Egyptian religion), then to Greece (with ancient Greek religion) before Rome and Isreal. So if Ndi Igbo are to embrace, be grateful, and never to criticize or abandon the christian religion because of the saying that we got formal education from them, then why did Christians abandon and even criticize the ancient Egyptian and Greek religions whom their faithfuls (Egyptian and Greek religions) were the inventors and spreaders of formal education, which even the missionaries benefited from? Why didn’t Christians embrace and be grateful to the Egyptian and Greek religions too for giving them formal education? That brings us to another fact that education belongs to no race, religion, or culture, but to man generally. It is a necessity that we all must learn from someone else regardless of religion and race. knowledge is a human right.
Again Padre, I will also add that you study more about the Write Brothers you talked about, because tho they weren’t atheists, they weren’t religious either. In fact, it was mostly Christians that mocked and discouraged them for trying to dare God by inventing something that would make man fly. I’m sure they would have been imprisoned or killed by Christians if they had existed and came up with the idea in Europe during the medieval era.
It’ll shock us all to know that most scientists that invented the earliest and primary level of various techs we use today are either atheist or irreligious. Then among the religious ones, we have not just Christians but Muslims, Buddhists, Vikings, Hindus, etc.
The fathers of this internet we use today Bob Kahn and Vint Cerf are not Christians but irreligious, Tho Bob was born into a Jewish family.
The facebook we are using today was invented by a Jewish cum irreligious Mark Zuckerberg.
I don’t even want to talk about atheist or irreligious scientists that shaped modern science like Einstein, Nikola Tesla, Charles Dawins, Thomas Edison, Marie Curie etc. Even Galileo tho a Christian, but was never a conformist as he puts reason before faith. Therefore, must we all become atheist or irreligious because we benefited from from the brain work of such people?
…Or if Onye Odinana invents a good medicine, or helps to ship in neccessary scarce goods for our people to use, does it mean that no igbo should criticize Odinana or reject Odinana because we benefited from Onye Odinana?
Note; this review is not to support Mathias or christianity, nor do I intend to promote atheism, my point and intentions is to tell mostly Igbo Christians to stop blackmailing non Igbo Christians emotionally with the ignorant statement that christianity gave us science or technology whenever anyone queries or criticizes christianity. They even do that without knowing that most of the techs were invented by non Christians.
Again, the Christian religion for almost a century did to omenana exactly what Mathias is doing to the Christian faith today, what I expected from learned Igbo Christian leaders is to first make amendments. The catholic church in Igbo land should apologize to Ndi omenana for the unprovoked destruction and demonization of the traditional institutions for years. From there, we can start looking towards reconciliation, which we bring real tolerance, unity, and sustainability in our society. But making people like Mathias look bad because their criticism against the Christian faith, I would like to note that such showcases lack of honesty.
While we advise people like Mathias not to go extreme with their beliefs, the church should know that they lack the moral impetus to call for tolerance when they have in the past and in present continually criticize and demonize the traditional institutions. In any situation in life, if there’s an unprovoked provocation, the first thing to discuss before peace is apology. That’s the rule. And Pope Johnpaul ii and even our own Fada Angelo have showcased a good example.
I’m just a freethinker, not here to support any religion.
©️ Odenigbo Michael
