Westernization held sway over Africanization thoughts over the Centuries. Africanization, with her morality and ethics are stripped off in her religious frame of reference. “Away with your commitment to God!” Echoed the cry. Though westernization, in the mixture of error, erroneously present neo-modernism to the Africans to shape our world without reference to restraints, constraints, traditions, cultural values, and above all, our Christian religious practices. Westernization in New modernity tries to retain some conventional values as work, savings, and wealth creation by all means and postponement of immediate pleasure & satisfaction to a long term benefit. What it did try to retain may owe their origin to a reference outside of the African individual, but there is no immediate concern to what modernize action entails in the real and true sense of it. Subjective self-expression was its goal. But when westernization reaches its critical point, when the emphasis on subjectivism destroyed the need for objectivism, it is now leading to a “lawless” status in human history. Good example is the outbreak of violence in London and a pastor in one of the orthodox churches captured it succinctly: “the sins of compromise and westernization of even religion is the result of what is happening now and more will be witness”. Even nature reaches its limits and the reaction is felt all over the world as in economic meltdown in Euro Zones now. Our core value culturally and traditionally had been bastardized. Our Cherished moral values had been destroyed. We are laid bare before the prying eye of the colonial morality preached by the apostles of westernization are pleasure –seeking in expense of the true meaning of socialization, individualistic, playful, sensual and geared to the present moment, denying the need to look to the past or gaze into the future. Their new mantra is “nor”. No need to preach patience as a virtue inherent in Africanization. As a result, there arose a stand against all efforts to place limits (restrictions) on individual freedom and fulfillment. ( so-called human rights sponsored and championed by perverts in Western world like gay-ism, Lesbianism etc.)
WESTERN ETHIC: THE TRUE PICTURE
At the foundation of this western neo-modern ethics is an authority crisis. The crisis involves traditional institutions (family, school, church, state, police, civil organization, justice) through which western neo-modernism sought to organize a rations and progressive society. The crisis manifests itself in several ways. A society that now worship youthful excesses and panders to their whims and fancies. A culture where questionable wealth and riches are measures of success and happiness per se. “Imaging” now dominates “reality”.
To rate you as somebody now is to appear on television, Newspaper pages, magazines and sometimes website. Now what is seen defines what is, almost nobody cares anymore about what “really” is the public image is the object of worship. After all why wouldn’t my learned sister, Anita Hogan, pose nude (naked) before a white western man-in the name of money and prestige? While in the true sense of it, our African value system condemns the act in
totality. Now our youth are so engrossed in nude-posing to take pictures for self-glorification before a man or boy who is never their husband (even if it’s their husbands), and same is conveyed to each other through the social network platform.
Though some porous, brainwashed idiots were rather hailing her bravado to disgrace womanhood in entirety, I can see the level of some people’s minds once money exchanges hand.
Westernization neo-modernism will always seek away of brandishing or garnishing a known evil with a more glorified name and argument devoid of our African value system: Our Cultural value supersedes any other imposition of pseudo-culture-a.k.a.-westernization. This westernization neo-modernism has lost its love for the truth. In contrast to what Africanization modernity entails, the westernization neo-modernism’s work ethic affirms the values of individual spending, free time and idleness. And this cannot function without the exaltation of individualism, a devaluation of charitable causes (neighbourliness) and indifference toward the public and societal good.
The pursuit of self-aggrandizement, gratification, wanton pleasure and private fulfillment is the supreme ideal. The worship and adoration of personal affluence independence and diversity of lifestyle become paramount. Plurality of value system provides a multiplicity and complexity of values, with individual options, but none with authenticity.
Differences in moral values in ideology or religion are treated as fashions superficial. The westernized culture of personal freedom, relaxation, the nature, the humorous, sincerity, honesty and freedom of expression emerged as something so sacred. Following the shadows and leaving the substance. Oh! Africa where are we heading toward?
The irrational thoughts and actions are now legitimized through false affections, intuitions, feelings, carnality, sensuality and so-called current advancement in creativity. All these take place within the framework of an axiom respected by nearly all: minimize austerity and maximize desire, minimize discipline and maximize “understanding” (compromise-condoning sin).
In the same vein, the media of mass communication and information now determine our system value by their behavioral standard of airing only the corrupt and the absurd. Religion is now replaced with their defective interpretation. They value what seems real to the eyes now about a core concept of good and evil.
Paradoxically, media grows in the midst of crisis of communication. People now want to talk and be heard and never want to listen – breaching the essence of communication: Encoding decoding and recoding (sending, receiving and replying). They want communication about themselves without commitment to the public good. Hence, the search for connection from distances, invisible friends, hotlines, GSM and email chartrooms and unholy friendships.
A NEW DIMENSION OF WESTERNIZATION
What dimension does morality play over our socio-cultural context of western neo-modernism?
A) Renounces absolute duty in the field of ethics
B) Proclaims individual right to autonomy, to happiness and individual fulfillment
c) It proscribe post-morality as it disregard higher, unconditional values such as selfless service to others and self-denial or sacrifice.
Nevertheless, our society does not exclude repressive and virtuous legislation (against drugs, violence, corruption, abortion, evasion, death penalty, censure, child’s right, hygiene and healthy diet). Westernized neo-modernism does not propose moral chaos but rather redirects ethical concerns through a weak, ephemeral, painless commitment to values that do not interfere with individual freedom: Either so much hedonistic or neo-hedonistic.
This so called westernized neo-modernism is a blend of denial of duty and blend of duty. The westernized neo-modernism does not express values, but rather indignation against limitations of individual freedom. That is why ladies can pose nude on the television in the name of fashion parade, beauty pageant, advert of products, before a fantasized eyes of a modern colonial Whiteman, Anita Hogan pose nude as well as others still in the hiding, home video films, university/ other higher institutions of learning now churn out yearly half-baked graduate with minds set on prostitution for a living, cultism in the name of fight for women liberty etc. The object is never a virtue per se, but the desire to earn respect. Efforts are there to forbid everything that could limit individual right-that’s why politicians and other Public Service individual can steal and go free.
The morality of westernization is that anything goes and unconditional duty & sacrifices is dead. We now have twin evil in our society: Pseudo – moralism and anti-moralism.
Know this, that such a course had resulted in individualism without rules, manifested in family indebtedness, families without parents, parents without families, illiteracy on the homeless & destitute, ghetto life, refugees marginal people, drugs, violence, child trafficking, delinquency, exploitation, abortion, white-color crime (embezzlements), political and economic corruption, the unscrupulous grasping of power, genetic engineering, experimentation on human being, nudity without shame, lack of honesty in all facet of life, divorce etc. While on the other hand, we have few hyper-moralists who denounce all attempts against human liberty and the right to individualistic autonomy an ethical concern for human rights, apologies for errors of the past; environmentalism, campaigns for saying “No” to drugs, indiscriminate sex, tobacco, pornography, abortion, divorce, sexual harassment, corruption and discrimination of all forms, ethical tribunals, silent marches; protection
against child abuse movement to rescues refugees, the poor etc.
In this context, the neo-hedonistic or neo-modernism promoted by the western world translates into demands that pull in opposite directions. On the one hand, we have standards: (at well, keep shin & trim in figure, fight wrinkles on the face, value the spiritual if applicable, relax, entertain, be involved in worldly amusements, succeed, excel, try to control violent behaviour etc, on the other hand, we find the promotion of pleasure, and the easy life, the exoneration from moral responsibility, exaltation of elf-satisfaction and image making, valuing the body to the neglect of the spiritual, holiness, stress, corruption, violence, pushing to one side, Cynicism, sycophancy, sectionalism etc.
In order to underscore the westernization neo-modern theory preached by our modern colonial masters, we’ll consider in everyday life of an African man now in two groups as stated above.
1. List of moral “duties” and list of moral “permission”
LIST OF MORAL DUTIES IN NEO-MODERN WESTERNIZED ETHICS
* Don’t discriminate against any kind of life – you have your life to live
* Attend benefit concerts for charitable cause – so called philanthropies, church or now religious laughter entertainments
* Dial up a number to public declare your donation – self praise
* Paste an anti-racism logo on your windshield-hypocritical gesture
* March in crowd against perceived injustice – Fuel subsidy make-believe violence for self-serving purpose.
* Run in a marathon for healthy life-seeking health without knowledge of God’s Health Laws
* Use condom- forget conduct
* Prohibit prohibition be free to run your own life – After advert on cigarette that is injurious to health, put “Fed. Min of Health warns that smokers are liable to die young”
* Wear ribbon to protest against homosexual and lesbians-while you harbour and encourage some among your friends, brothers, sisters, etc.
* Be an environmentalist
* Donate your body organ in mass media report
* Regulate the workplace to avoid sexual harassment-while you are in the very act
* Be faithful (as long as love lasts, but afterwards …)
* Condemn every kind of violence-but be violent at home both in conduct and speech
* Don’t try to convert someone else to another religion-you’ll be killed instead.
LIST OF MORAL PERMISSION
* Provide sexual freedom (condom), but no harassment, and watch out for AIDS, STDs
* Corruption is better than being considered stupid
* Smoke, but not in non-smoking section-hahaha
* Have no commitments to rules, people, or causes that interfere with personal fulfillment.
* Prostitution is Ok, but only in the red-light district – you know legalized prostitute without the government circle.
* Lying is Ok, but not during a political campaign – glorified lies
* Divorce is OK, but only to attain personal fulfillment
* Infidelity is Ok, but only when love has vanished
* Abortion is Ok, but only to further family planning
* Try anything in pursuit of self-exploration, in search of personal fulfillment – preached even in manipulative pseudo-pastors of today
* Adapt religion to the commitment one wants to make-negotiate sin
* Drink, but not to excess
* Unholy conduct of sex, but don’t be caught
* Safe-sex and don’t worry about save-sex
* Bribery is Ok, but don’t make it known
* Collect success, fame, and money at the expense of whomever
* Have a good time; don’t worry about the future
* Stealing is Ok, if it’s done in the confine of immunity in legal system
Conscience code of this western neo-modernism is mixture of truth and error.
99% truth + 1% error =Falsehood.
AFRICAN VALUES BEFORE THE ADVENT & ACCEPTANCE OF THIS WESTERNIZATION
Africans had been known from time immemorial as the first condiment to witness civilization and modernization. Great men passed through her shore in their adventurous exploration. African value system is one of the greatest worldwide. The Greatest religions in the world (especially Christianity and Islam) can attest to the fact that our value system morally and ethically is in consonance with what they proclaimed. African abhors divorce and promotes reconciliation. The system forbids nudity prostitution, effemism and promotes human dignity and shamefacedness. African value systems condemns in totality hypocrisy, sycophancy, infidelity, abortion of all kinds, violence and hatred against one another, discrimination of any kind, racism, corruption, injustice of all kinds, drunkenness, sexual exploitation in all form, wanton riches in expense of another life, terrorism, lack of commitment in marriage, lack of parental responsibilities toward children, dishonesty and
insincerity, lies and deception.
A true African man is a moralist to the core, who believes in what the divine proclaim profanity must not be promoted. The sanctity of marriage institution is still very much alive in African compared to the western world where marriage is now a thing of the past and a contractual jamboree (marry on Friday, divorce on Monday). What is sacred is sacred to an African whereas a westernized mind profanes the sacred with impurity. Religiously, an African is at par with the Israelites. Culturally, Africans are known to be at par with what Christianity preaches.
In African, in-laws and families are united, but in western world we are taught division by so-called independence. Africans live as one big family while westerners are divided among themselves.
Intellectually, African man can flourish more than westerner if granted enabling environment.
Africans live together as neighbours in love before the divisive introduction of ‘shun neighborliness”, leading to self-centredness.
African frowns at illicit sexual act and western world promote sex at will. The African marriage value system recognizes what great religion of the world teaches, but a western mind readily introduces a so-called plagiaristic white garment marriage for commercial show-up to bungle our hard earn cash to their advantage. How many of the so-called society white garments are broken up! Africans believes in being in a humble hurt than a flamboyant luxurious building that had succeeded in increasing crime rate in the society. Africans are contented on what they have until a westerner teaches them how to do a high flyer ‘project’ to denounce God to create rich. African value system promotes peaceful coexistence, love, and above all, an absolute truth.
Therefore, they that claimed to civilized Africa are acting in an uncivilized manner by posing nude in pornographic films, making drug and violence a way of life, promoting abortion in the guise of family planning, promoting divorce for delectable peace, promoting perverted lifestyle of gay-ism, lesbianism, bestiality, etc. They do not understand the meaning of civilization.
They termed westernization post-colonial era now to mean modernization. Don’t you understand that modernization is far different from westernization? What we are experiencing in Nigeria and other African Countries are westernization not modernization.
Westernization is imposition of other culture on one’s own and declaring the original culture as barbaric and devilish.
Whereas, Modernization is advancing in the context of the people socio-cultural heritage, to meet up the global trend with respect to every other cultural values.
The only culture to detect what is right and wrong in other sub-cultures is what I termed a “Super-culture” – God’s culture drawn from His book,
the Bible.
Anything short of this amounts to balkanization of our valve system and must be rejected in its entirety.
What is special in a white man that you cannot find in a Blackman? Why do we think blacks are inferior to white? Why can’t we be proud of your skin colour as God, the Great Designer, knows why He made you so? That’s why a white capitalized on our ignorance to give us dangerous substance cigarette and smoked only menthol cigarette, provide us with body bleaching nonsense to be like them (not like God who created all of us in His image). That’s why they send to us refined injurious food and never use them.
Oh! Africans, why can’t we change our mentality of feeling that only dependence on a White folk can guarantee our excellence when we are fearfully and wonderfully knitted by God? Like a story narrated yesterday by a young Nigerian lady over an illicit affair she was introduced into by her wanton minded friends and finally the young Austrian Oyinbo succeeded in leaving Nigeria back to his country with the boy child they had without settling her or honouring the agreement they went into. This is typical of what transpired because of greed and low mentality of our young ladies who feels that white man is better to African man.
Africans are unique.
Let the renaissance begin in you. Stop playing a fool to this post-colonially minded Oyinbo. Be yourself and do great exploit for the generation yet unborn. No one is superior to you. After all, before, we wanted to be like them in colour, but now they want us by all mean (Think of a white woman falling head and heel in love with a black man just to give birth to half-caste).
Finally, the cynical moralities taught by this western neo-modernist are not all bad. Yes, there are some positive contributions made toward problems threatening human life today. Healthful lifestyle, care for environment, struggle against violence, child-abuse are well commendable.
Furthermore, Western neo-modernism points out the theoretical and practical ethical failures of the past. But let us not be deceived. At its core, western Neo-modernism ethics does not have a moral motivation. In reality, it pursues the individualities (selfish interest) search for personal fulfillment and autonomy.
What are the colonial masters still doing in Niger Delta of Nigeria when they are only digging up our Black Gold to better their lots, while the people are suffering from land degradation? When the motive behind all authentic ethics is to overcome evil with good, Westernization is devoid of moral inspiration. It only seeks to combat excessive evil, but wouldn’t want to eradicate evil. It
struggles against certain manifestations of evil without recognizes the root of the evil. Its goals are just to achieve a selfish autonomy – something against which the Biblical portrayal of sin speaks so much. Woe to you if you call white black and black white (Prophet Isaiah). How then can such moral system struggle against evil, when its very foundation is to seek self, which Biblically speaking is the root of all evil?
Is it pertinent to achieve happiness within this purview of morality westernization advocates?
If happiness is the search for autonomy, personal fulfillment the satisfaction of immediate desire, the control of excessive individual freedom without a trace opening of the soul to one’s neighbour and to God, then in this context, it is a perpetuation of what has always being. More of the same: The mixture of life and death, pleasure & pain, success and failure, happiness & sadness. Its ethics settles for a trifle, for a lower goal; It argues that because
traditional moralities, including Christian ethics; have not changed us for the better, we then settle for the lower goal and accept things and people as they are, thereby entrenching deeper corruption and the likes.
However, this attitude of resignation assumes that Christianity has truly been applied and failed, and on that basis we must judge the potential of Christianity to make a contribution as nil. But this assumption contradicts the westernization neo-modernism maxim that here is no absolute truth. In order word, there is no truth. Live in fallacy. On the other hand, it presume that traditional moral had run its course, that human being today cannot be improved on and it’s impossible to make a radical change; therefore resign to fate.
Though these cynics of westernized neo-modern proponents had managed to show that they understand human nature, they lack an insight (a vision) into the future. They deny the ideologies and religions of the past. That’s why it’s’ considered a cynical posture affirming (implicitly) on the one hand what it denies (explicitly) on the other.
Let the cynics, the sycophants and the ignorant be place at a knowledgeable point: That’s Africans were civilized before any other continent. We needed modernization not westernization as it is today. African cultural values must equally be respected as we also respect others.
Be an African in food, clothing (fashion), Conversation, marriage (don’t copycat), Art of leadership and in conduct.
God help Africa –Amen.
Courtesy: Aniekan Friday Akpan James
