Nigerian Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, has opined that he does not believe in either the Islamic or Christian God.
themomentng reports that Soyinka made this known in an interview with CNN’s Larry Madowo, while expressing his preference for traditional Orisa worship over Christianity and Islam.
The playwright cited the artistic and creative nature of Orisa, noting that its worship is more mysterious and less violent than that of the other two religions.
Soyinka, who was exposed to both Christianity and Orisa worship from a young age, stated that Orisa’s inclusive and ecumenical nature makes it unique.
He said, “I was fortunate to be born in two worlds, the Christian world and the traditional Orisa worshippers. My grandfather, until he was a poor man, also got converted; he was an Orisa person and a chief, and his (grandfather’s) side (of Orisa) fascinated me a lot more.
“For me, it (Orisa worshipping) was more artistic, creative, and also more mysterious. I don’t find much of the mysterious in Christianity and even less in Islam and that is for a simple reason that I didn’t grow up in a Muslim environment.
“Orisa is open, and very ecumenical and that is why these foreign religions were able to penetrate it and even distort the truth. Because of the generosity of this spirit (Orisa), it is not violent. It is one of those African religions which eschew violence.
“I don’t believe in the Islamic or Christian God and for the adherents of these religions if that makes me an atheist, so I say, I am an atheist. I insisted that all human beings have a certain spiritual core in their being, I believe myself to be a more spirit-sensitive person.
