The African religion has beliefs such as the world is inhabited by beings both visible and invisible. Human, animals, and plants are classified among the living and visible beings while the invisible beings comprise of divinities, ancestors, and deities. There is a belief that the visible and the invisible have and particular kind of interaction. There is a definite hierarchy of power between the beings with the first in the hierarchy being the creator, followed by deities, objects embedded spirits, ancestors, and other spirits. African believed that ancestors were vested with mystical powers and authority, are always close to humans and serve them as their custodians. Their main roe according to the traditional African beliefs is to protect the human beings.
Ancestors are believed to show/reveal themselves to the human being in different forms such as in dreams and visions with the goal of finding out how things were going on in the family as if they still were a part of it. It is believed that through these visions the ancestors provided guidance on some issues affecting the family. Their obligations were supposed to be utterly followed. They offered warnings and rebuked the living of the impending punishment for the failure of honoring their obligations. The ancestors interacted with human beings and acted as mediators between God and the living. They inflicted punishment to the offenders in ways such as causing illness or mental disturbance. They blessed the members of the families and helped them avert consequences of curses. They played a significant role in protecting the living from the evil spirits. They also participated in birth ritual by providing names to the newborns. Above all the presided over all the religious ceremonies performed in the community.
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The modern secular society has a lot to learn from the traditional beliefs of the ancestors. That they should believe in higher spirit looking after them, even if it is not real they should at least view it as a reflecting object. They should evaluate what they are doing by asking what my ancestor could say about a certain deed. It would help cultivate their morals.
Reference
Kirwen, Michael C., (2005) African Cultural Knowledge, Themes and embodied beliefs. Mias Books.
