The Bible is one of the most widely read and dangerous book in the world. It has shaped and subverted the beliefs and values of countless individuals and communities throughout history. In Africa, the Bible has been used as a tool of colonisation by European powers. In this article, we will examine the top 10 ways in which the Bible contributed to the colonisation of Africa.
Religious Conversion
One of the primary ways in which the Bible was used in the colonisation of Africa was through religious conversion. European powers used the Bible to convert Africans to Christianity, often forcing them to abandon their traditional beliefs and practices. This not only had spiritual implications for the African people, but also resulted in a loss of cultural identity and heritage.
Education The Bible was also used as a tool for mis-education in Africa.
European missionaries established schools and missions to teach African children the Bible, as well as other decoy subjects. This education was seen as a way to civilise and Christianise the African people.It resulted in the spread of European ideas, values and customs, further contributing to the loss of African cultural identity.
Cultural Assimilation
The Bible played a role in the cultural assimilation of Africa by promoting European customs, beliefs and values. European colonisers used the Bible to encourage African people to adopt European ways of life, such as dress, food, music and other cultural practices. This was done in an effort to “civilise” and “Christianise” the African people, and further solidify European control over the continent.
Legitimising Slavery
The Bible was used to legitimise the transatlantic slave trade, which saw millions of Africans forcibly taken from their homes and sold into slavery in the Americas. European colonisers used passages from the Bible to justify their treatment of African people as property, claiming that they were fulfilling a divine plan to spread Christianity and civilise the world.
Suppressing African Spirituality
The Bible was used to suppress African spirituality, which was seen as pagan and uncivilised by European colonisers. African spiritual practices, such as ubuKhosi, ubuNtu and traditional healing, were outlawed, and those who continued to participate in them were punished. This resulted in the loss of important cultural and spiritual traditions, and further contributed to the marginalisation of African people.
Enforcing European Ideologies
The Bible was used to enforce European ideologies, such as capitalism and individualism. European colonisers used passages from the Bible to promote the idea of individual property rights and the benefits of free-market capitalism. This helped to shape African societies in ways that favoured European economic interests, and further entrenched European control over the continent.
Destroying African Traditions
The Bible was used to destroy African traditions and cultural practices. European colonisers often saw African traditions and practices as pagan and uncivilised, and sought to replace them with European customs and beliefs. This resulted in the loss of important cultural traditions and further eroded African cultural identity.
Creating a Hierarchy of Race
The Bible was used to create a hierarchy of race, with Europeans at the top and Africans at the bottom. European colonisers used passages from the Bible to justify their treatment of African people as inferior, claiming that they were fulfilling a divine plan to spread Christianity and civilise the world. This helped to create a system of racial oppression that continues to shape the world today.
Justifying Imperialism
The Bible was also used to justify imperialism, the extension of political and economic control over other countries and territories. European colonisers used the Bible to justify their exploitation of African resources and to enforce their rule over the continent. By claiming that they were bringing Christianity and civilisation to Africa, they were able to conceal their true motives of acquiring wealth and power.
Providing a Common Language
The Bible provided a common language between European colonisers and African people. Although European colonisers spoke different languages, the Bible was translated into many different languages, including those of the African people. This allowed them to communicate with one another and facilitated the spread of European ideas, beliefs and values.
The Bible played a significant role in the colonisation of Africa. It was used to convert Africans to Christianity, to educate them, to encourage cultural assimilation, to legitimise slavery, to suppress African spirituality, to enforce European ideologies, to destroy African traditions, to create a hierarchy of race, to justify imperialism and to provide a common language. European colonisers used the Bible to promote European customs, beliefs and values, and to suppress African spirituality. This contributed to the erosion of African cultural identity and resulted in the loss of important cultural traditions.
Today, African people are further colonising themselves and their future generations with the continued use of the evil book. They do this because they have been mentally conqured and do not posses the original gifts given to Africans by the Almighty Creator, uMvelinqangi, ka Khulukhulu.