“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:12-13
Humans have long pondered the origin and nature of evil and wrong-doing, trying to fathom the–origins in the world. Various ethnic groups, tribes, and cultures have attempted to give a reason for the existence of malevolent behavior and actions. They have tried to practically–deal with the negative ramifications of evil in society. By evil, I am not referring to calamities or misfortunes that befall mankind, but rather the behaviors and actions committed by humans against the well-being, stability, and safety of the community and the environment.
Our ancient African ancestors viewed the world from a spiritual perspective postulating that consciousness, energies/spirits permeated the universe and are interwoven throughout all creation. Evil then had its roots in spirit. Evil itself is not of God or THE CREATOR but exists in the world–as the result of a mix of spiritual (invisible) and human (visible) causes. “The Yoruba trace the perpetration of evil in society to two sources: namely, visible and invisible causes. The visible ones are the consequence of human action or inaction. These include murder, violence, oppression, victimization, stealing, and refusal to help those in need. Invisible sources have a spiritual origin…Yoruba religion exonerates God from the blame for evil and misfortune that befall human beings. The problem of evil is attributed to the concept of ori (head) and akunleyan (fate). It is held that whatever one asked for in front of eleda (creator) before one was born becomes one’s ayanmo (lot or destiny) in life. Therefore, whatever happens to one depends on one’s choice of ori when one was making one’s choice (akunleyan).” Encyclopedia of African Religion Molefi Kete Asante and Ama Mazama Page 249-50
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