Métodos técnicas e instrumentos de investigación

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traditionalists felt pushed to the wall, they reacted as they did in Bende and Aba Districts, 1949/50, 1951, and burned schools and churches” (p. 319). In essence the acrimonious reaction to Christians’ attacks on the traditional religious symbol of worship by the traditional religion adherents in Igboland did not just start today. And this therefore conveys the message that it is a thing to be careful about, that violence on traditional religious artifacts in any disguise as far as Christian evangelism is concerned remains a dangerous awakening to evangelism in relation to the level of anger and bitterness it spreads to the church and the society.

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Christian evangelical violence on Traditional Religious artifacts. Indeed it is apt to say that no religion ever accepts to play a second fiddle to another religion of its kind. And this has been the problem between Christianity and Traditional Religion during the time of evangelism. It is very important to note that in every display of religious superiority and often time misguided form of evangelism lays the main reason for resentment and a revulsion against evangelism from the overpowered religion.

Giving a vivid insight on the prospect of evangelism in Africa, Igbo land inclusive, Tienou (1985) explains that some have described Africa as the most fertile soil for Christianity in this century. Others have predicted that Africa will be largely Christians by the year 2000.

How credible are such statements? First, it is worth noting that the prediction of complete success for Christianity in Africa is not as recent as some believe. Back in 1956, Roland Oliver was very optimistic about Christianity’s prospect in Africa. In a broadcast talk, he indicated that there had been a geometrical progression of Christianity in Africa south of the Sahara since 1912. And he added: if things were to go on at the same rate, there would be no pagans left in Africa after the year 1992. But we must remember that social institutions do not function according to mathematical formulae. There are factors which can increase or decrease this rate of growth.

Looking at the above passage there is no doubt that this sort of statistics would encourage people to get interested and therefore seriously be committed for the success of Christian evangelism. But in as much as this would prompt most Christian faithfuls to develop the zeal for evangelism, the fear is that they may go about it in a wrong way. In Igboland, a situation as this has made Christians that participate in evangelism to apply forceful conversion with the violent destruction of traditional religious artifacts of the people as a means for conversion. As rightly pointed out in the passage, there are factors which can increase or decrease the rate of the growth and success of evangelism. Therefore, it is a clear cut fact that

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just as coherent evangelism would make for the growth and expansion of conversion. The truth remains that it is obtainable that violent evangelism which entails attacks and violent destruction of traditional religious symbols of worship of the people can as well bring about an increase in evangelism resentment and disrepute. A situation as this shows that traditional religion adherents have drawn a line of conclusion of what Christian evangelism is to them.

It is very clear that the consequence of it all rests on the existence of wild, fanatical and unnecessary opposition. This of course aptly states the obvious that community rivalry although always existed before now but following the violent attacks on traditional religious artifacts, this time has assumed a more virulent disposition. Communities affected with this violence on traditional religious artifacts have witnessed an increase in name calling and aspersions on Christian evangelism by the berated traditional religion adherents. In one of such occasions a traditional religion adherent from Amansea town, S. N. Okafor (Personal communication 26^th January, 2017) questioned the value of violent destruction of traditional religious artifacts as an assurance for a true conversion of the people whose symbol of religious worship were forcefully taken away from and destroyed. Pointing out that the crusaders may have succeeded in the destruction of their traditional religious artifacts the religious worship symbol of theirs, but may not have succeeded in destroying their faith in Traditional Religion and its practices.

It would appear that the various attacks on traditional religious artifacts no doubt determined the type of response which people give Christianity and their act of evangelism.

The chaotic situation that often surrounds violent evangelism in some parts of Igboland as highlighted in this discourse cannot be overemphasized. The position of some of the traditional religion adherents in the affected areas tilt to the view that the genuine intention for establishing evangelism has been marred by the adoption of violence against traditional religious artifacts during Christian evangelism. It is not in doubt that this equally attracted the traditional religion

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adherents’ resentment, anger and decision to continue the backlashing of Christian evangelism at any given opportunity.

The altercations that usually surfaces when mention is made of crusade evangelism in the midst of traditional religion adherents according to O. P. Ibe (Personal communication 13 July 2016) attests to an impression from the traditional religion adherents that with Christian’s act of violent evangelism it has failed and that the failure has dented the reputation of Christian evangelism. One may argue with Ibe, on how much the reputation of Christian evangelism has been dented. Yet it has become an undeniable fact that the clash of members of Christianity and traditional religion adherents following violent attacks on traditional religious symbols of worships, no doubt, had its toll in the increase in resentment and evangelical disrepute by the traditional religion adherents and its sympathizers. It is understandable that the lackluster approach of Christians during evangelism with the resultant attacks on traditional religious artifacts must have informed the traditional religion adherents rage over Christian’s interference in the symbol of their religious worship.

The message from the traditional religion adherents directly affected by the violent destruction of traditional religious artifacts as posited by A. N. Ngene (Personal communication 26^th January, 2017) saying, in this contemporary era Christians are easily and wrongly influenced on the idea of evangelism. They are unnecessarily carried away during evangelism to the extent of staging a war against all known traditional religious artifacts the symbols of worship of the people. It is the presumption of the traditional religion adherents on whether evangelism is one and the same with an intoxicating stimulant that causes people to lose control of their behaviour and conduct. The anger of the traditional religion adherents increases having themselves perceived participants in the evangelical crusade as combatant warriors. For them, Christian evangelism is simply a war enterprise against opposite religions.

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Although some persons would see it as a paradox and puzzling the claim by traditional religious adherents that Christian evangelism promotes warfare against traditional religion. But it has been the general perception of most traditional religion adherents that since the advent of Christian religion it has remained a threat to the existence of traditional religion. For them the inevitability of cultural conflict and the misunderstanding of traditional belief system as widely observed in some volatile crusades in Igboland speak volume of the highest level of militarization of evangelism. The traditional religion adherents is believed to have perceived the entire scenario as very degrading and a gradual impinging of a deleterious act of cultural genocide on the traditional religious artifacts, shrines and the people’s symbols of religious worship. This perhaps may justify the claims that there is truly a war going on between Christianity and traditional religion and culture in Nigeria by extension Igboland. Just as Agina (2011) puts it, the holy war is executed on two separate battlefronts. On one front, the battle is raging between Christians and the last standing adherents of the Traditional African Religions who are protecting their traditional belief system against the foreign Christian principles. And then, there is the second battle that is internal among Christians themselves, who disagree on some basic principles of Christianity, especially as they affect the culture of the land.

It is noteworthy that for Christian evangelists to embark on massive destruction of places regarded by them to be the potential places where mysterious and wicked acts emanate is nevertheless to the traditional religion adherents mischievous and annoying. A look at Agina’s assertions above affirms to the fact that some Christians no doubt are not in support of any manner of attack and destruction of traditional artifacts. The simple truth is that this kind of evangelical crusade has the ability to fuel much resentment from the people. For M. N.

Odogwu (Personal communication 26^th July, 2017) the contemporary Christians have actually dramatized the act of Christian evangelism and the drama has been taken too far with the reckless demolition and the shocking undertaking to destroy traditional religious artifacts.

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Admittedly, the increase in resentment and evangelical disrepute, in other words the crisis of confidence in most Igbo land could be as a result of the kind of Christian evangelism that demands violence on traditional religious artifacts as a means of conversion. It is a common belief that every society has a common religious feeling of respect to its value and sacredness when neglected has the tendency to be the source of crisis. As Wieser (1986) put it “crisis situations are moments when traditional values and distinctions come under fire, break down and new values are advocated” (p. 37). From the passage above, one can easily denote that inasmuch as every society has a common religious feeling they should be allowed to operate on its own with the maximum respect they are entitled to have. The truth remains that anger and resentment always show up whenever one felt disrespected with any form of force and superiority from any of the opposing religion.

In the words of Loewen (1976) “the gospel does not presuppose the superiority of any culture according to its own criteria of truth and righteousness and insists on moral absolutes in every culture” (p. 177). However it is fairly convincing that the events of the Christian evangelism and violence on Traditional Religious artifacts are the course of action that increases the anger and bitterness of the traditional religion adherents as evidenced in some part of Igbo land. It is to some extent a calculated action of most Christians during the course of evangelism to showcase their own religion as being superior to the Traditional Religion of the people. There is no doubting the fact that this has been the main reason for the traditional religion adherents’ resentment and antagonism on Christian evangelism coupled with the misfortunes which their symbol of worship suffers in the hand of Christians in time of violent evangelism and crusades.

For the traditional religion adherents, they are of the opinion that though they are not against Christian evangelism, but it should not be done at the expense of their own traditional religious artifacts and symbol of worship. However, it is inconceivable for one particular

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religion to claim to be the only source of true salvation. The truth of the matter is that the influence of this thought has been increasingly felt among the Christians of today as could be envisaged in the violent evangelism and the destruction of traditional religious artifacts. The irony of Christian evangelism being associated with violence on traditional religion has certainly brought about malice, anger and evangelical disrepute. The traditional religion adherents having found it difficult to grapple with the issue of Christian evangelism and destruction of traditional artifacts may have drawn the conclusion that it is all about Christian insurgence.