TOTAL PARTIDA 9,

The Akan people believe that truth is communal and also universal to all religions. The Akan word usually translated, as truth is ‘nokware’. This word is made up of two words, ano, meaning literally ‘mouth’, and k r, meaning ‘one’. It indicates being of one voice. This oneness of voice often refers to “communal unanimity” and unison; so that the truth is that which is agreed to by the community (Wiredu, 1996:105). In view of this, any ideal that appeals only to an individual or a section of the society is not considered to be the truth. This understanding of truth suggests that every community ought to have its own truth in which the individuals and institutions of the community can share. It also proposes that the universal community made up of several communities of the world could have a universal truth, one voice, which each community can identify with. This universal truth will reaffirm the truism that truth is one.

Furthermore, the Akan people believe that truth is divine and that divine truth is universal. Nevertheless, they do not believe in the universality of particular religion. For there exists a vast difference between the two concepts mentioned. In the past, the quest for a common humanity fuelled the concept of the universality of particular religion which saw divisions overcome, barriers fall, and people come together. The concept was effectively couched into doctrines and used by both Christianity and Islam which brought into being the great Christian and Islamic empires. Even the unity thus accomplished was framed in the existing terminologies of particular religion (Kamali, 1976: 6). However, a critical study of universality of a particular religion reveals the particularities of the universality quite noticeable in its cultural traits, which tend to undermine its universality by revealing its limitations (Kamali, 1976: 7). Today, the continued existence as well as usefulness of particular religions does not merely depend on their universality but on the perpetuation and

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enrichment of their individuality. This leads the particular religions back to reflection of their universal significance. In the past, such reflections have led to the comprehension of universality of a particular religion as all that is good in itself and resides therein especially as it claims to be the best, unique and the final (Kamali, 1976:10-11). In the light of these weaknesses inherent in the universality of religious traditions Kamali makes certain recommendations for the various religious communities in the world: first, particular religions should strive to eliminate the danger of their development and initiatives proving to be self- seeking and ill-planned. Second, in the event of the conflict of two or more religions the harsh things they would be saying and doing against each other would eventually appear to be self- defeating and self-condemning. Third, particular religions would have to demand loyalty and submission of their followers with caution. The loyalty and submission should rather be channelled to God or to the pure universality of Religion (Kamali, 1976: 12-13). Underlying these proposals of Kamali is the truism in the spirit of religious plurality that “...many things placed together in a given situation need not try to displace each other” (Kamali, 1976:12).

Thus, the Akan perception of universality of divine truth as against the universality of particular religions ought to be placed in their proper perspective. Each religious tradition has divine truth, a deposit of faith. To the Akan, truth is divine and is not the preserve of one particular religion or culture (Mbiti, 1989:101; Opoku, 1996:67). Every religion and for that matter culture contains within it a certain degree of divine truth, the veracity of which, to the Akan people, is determined by its fruits (spiritual and material) and not just by the mere content of its deposit of faith. In view of this, religion is functional, experiential, and it is judged to be true or false by its capacity to provide solutions and render legitimate services (Asante, 1995:139). This understanding of religion and divine truth, significantly, explains the reason many an Akan, Muslims and Christians alike, accept, tolerate, and would not hesitate to appropriate the divine truth when need be, wherever it could be found (Berinyuu,1978:147). In fact, among the Akan people, any attempt to present a particular religion as the only way to the Supreme Deity is almost impractical and futile. The notion of universality of divine truth, coupled with functionalism of religion, apart from enabling different religious viewpoints to exist side by side55 _{also generates a certain general attitude of doctrinal apathy which}

55_{The traditional religious environment has a number of seemingly contradictory symbols and beliefs: the} Supreme Deity dwells in the sky yet is present among his people indicating the Immanence and the Transcendence of God in the Christian Theology; the relation between the Supreme Deity and the gods; the role of the gods and the ancestors; regional, local and family gods all operate without any role conflict. Besides, the ideas, myths and rituals also seem conflicting. Yet, all these nevertheless exist side by side with relative ease

112 Lochmann alluded to in his comment that:

“The Negro is rather indifferent to religious questions. He respects the principle ‘live and let live’. Attacking him in the street preaching one will seldom meet with resistance.” (Lochmann, 1959:29)

4.4.1.1 Implications of Doctrinal Apathy to Christian-Muslim Relations

The general doctrinal apathy,56 which is the consequence of the belief in universality of divine truth and functionalism of religion, has two implications for Christian-Muslim relations in Ghana. Firstly, the indifference to religious particularism underlies the tolerant attitude, openness and even utter acceptance that both Muslim Akan and Christian Akan display in view of available approaches to the Divine, interpretations of the origin and destiny of human existence (Opoku, 1993). In view of this, religious fanaticism which demonizes association with members of other religious traditions has no place in Ghanaian religious imagination. Ellis describes the tolerant attitude of the Akan in his observation that:

“...there is an absolute toleration, and it is considered quite natural that other people should have other gods. The endeavour to force upon others his own views, whether concerning religious or other subjects, is

(Opoku, 1993:69). In his Preface and Acknowledgements Meyerowitz acknowledged marked similarity between traditions of both Egypt and Ghana when he observed that none of the aspects of these traditions ever became obsolete (Meyerowitz, 1954:13).

56_{This indifference to doctrinal issues should be distinguished from that of the first period of Christian-Muslim} encounter which saw Christians (the church) adopt an attitude of adaptation and indifference to their new Muslim masters. This covers mainly the period of the Umayyad Dynasty and the early periods of the Abbasid. At this time, the Muslims governed a vast empire with a very large Christian population (640-850). The Muslim rulers treated the Christians with indulgence and accorded the conquered people the status of protection, dhimma.Christians were allowed to practice their own religion. For the fact that their religion was left untouched the Christians tended to hold aloof and keep to themselves. No attempt was made to understand what Islam really meant. Christian writers such as St John of Damascus (675-753) fitted Islam into a Jewish-Christian frame of reference, rather than considering it in itself. They saw the way Islam differed from Christianity and thereby classified it as a Christian heresy or a judgement of God on Christians who had erred in their Christological formulations (Goddard, 2000: 48). Some discussions took place in writing but they centred on each other’s theological doctrines and they were directed towards scoring points. In view of this, no progress in mutual understanding and no attempt to know about each other’s religion which invariably hampered communication between the Christians and Muslims. Rather, they led to a certain estrangement between Christians and Muslims.

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altogether foreign to the primitive man, who so highly values personal independence.” (Ellis, 1887:20)

Secondly, the doctrinal apathy also enables the Akan people to, consciously, consistently, and rightly so, reject aggressive and extreme religious exclusivism perpetuated by some Christians and Muslims which could endanger community harmony. The rebuff of religious exclusivism of extreme fundamentalist understanding of a religious tradition in this way sets the ball rolling for a credible, practical and fruitful inter-religious engagement. Thus the doctrinal indifference generates a religious consciousness that is open and tolerant, understanding and all-embracing which permits Christians and Muslims to eschew prejudices as well as acrimonies of the past. It also grants Christians and Muslims the opportunity to learn from one another as they cooperate and work together to achieve a common goal of enhancing their collective well-being.

Consequently, the traditional religious consciousness of recognising truth outside one’s immediate environment or religious persuasion rather than being regarded as a canker and so another sign of weakness (Opoku, 1996:68) must be recognised as one of strength, be commended, and also positively promoted if the challenges of modern pluralistic environment are to be met squarely.57 The religiously open attitude is all the more crucial with an upsurge of Muslim-Christian polemics in Ghana in the last two decades. Christian and Muslim groups

57 _{In tracing the history of religious development Hick (1973) came to an understanding of what he calls “the} divine self revelation to mankind” and so took Opoku’s argument to another level. He writes that: “…the divine reality has always been self-revealingly active to mankind, and that the differences of human response are related to different human circumstances. These circumstances-ethnic, geography, climatic, economic, sociological, history-have produced the existing differentiations of human culture, and within each main cultural region the response to the divine has taken its own characteristic form” (Hick, 1973:138). Hick (1973) admits of the historical and cultural considerations which could conveniently be referred to human elements that cloud the divine truth among all people. These different circumstances of the recipients of divine truth and so revelation come to play and they reinforce the strength and maturity of this Akan religious mentality. It is the second point, which is of much importance to us. This goes to confirm our argument that it is virtually and absolutely impossible for African Christians and Muslims to accept and practice Christianity and Islam in the same way as that of Europeans and Arabs. This is because, to Hick, the circumstances of these groups of people are completely different. African Christianity should and must be shaped by their circumstance, which is unique. The same is true of African Islam. For example, the historical events that helped shape the encounter of Christianity and Islam in the past should not be allowed to shape the future for African Christians and Muslims as they encounter one another. The crusades should not be a major issue in Christian-Muslim relations in Ghana. The majority of Muslims and Christians in Africa do not have any idea, whatsoever, about the reasons for which they were waged and the eventual outcome. To make, for instance, the crusades and military conquests (holy wars) issues in religious encounter is ridiculous and grossly inappropriate in the Akan religious consciousness. Rather, their own history and culture should be allowed to shape, if not prevail, over the historical events for a better future.

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have emerged, engaged in religious apologetics and polemics with the professed objective of converting each other. The obvious result is the intermittent altercations and often violence in many areas. In Accra, for instance, some of the Christian groups with avowed interest in converting Muslims include Christ to the Muslim Mission, in Osu and the Centre for Good News, in Nima. Over the years, these Christian groups have toned down their public polemics as, it seems, they have learnt the lessons of the futility and dangers of such endeavour.