Religion In Things Fall Apart

Although most religions have similar traditions and ideas, they can be interpreted different by those who believe in them. Most places in the world share multi cultures and multi religions and although it can be a good thing, it can also bring conflict to those who feel strong about their particular religion. Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart tells the story of Okonkwo, a strong man of an Ibo village of Nigeria and his encounter with European missionaries. The invasion of the European missionaries to Umuofia created a religious conflict between the Igbo people and is still seen to this day with the different religious in modern Nigeria. The chaos of religious collision causes conflict between the people in Nigeria, the loss of culture
and traditions, and a constant battle to prove which religion is better. The novel follows the life of Okonkwo, who rose to the top of his clan with his strength despite all of his father’s failures. He is a successful man in his clan and lives a prosperous life with his wives and children, but that is suddenly changed when he commits a crime and has to move to his mother’s clan. Throughout the 8 years, things change and Okonkwo soon learns about the white men coming and building their churches and preaching about their God. As a proud man who always felt strong about his clan and their gods, traditions, and beliefs, Okonkwo feels they should fight off the enemy coming in their territory. But not everyone shares the same ideas as him, including his son, Nwoye. To Nwoye, the missionaries seem interesting and he feels intrigued by them and decides to go against what his father believes in and joins them. This brings a rupture into Okonkwo’s family as Nwoye’s choses to leave his family and never return.”To abandon the god’s of ones father and go about with a lot of effeminate men clucking like old hens was the very depth of abomination.” (p.153). To Okonkwo, this wasn't only the loss of a son due to different family beliefs, it was backstab to their ancestors and letting intruders say the Igbo traditions were wrong and theirs right. And that is what the missionaries found themselves doing in Umuofia, they did not only try to impose their religion, they brought their education and government. “...the white men had also brought a government. They had built a court where the District Commissioner judged cases in ignorance.” (p.174). Ultimately, the missionaries weren't seen as a threat by the clan because of the passiveness of their actions. But the twist of two religions melting in one pot brought harm to individual families who were separated by their different beliefs. It is impossible to expect every single person to think a certain a way or to believe in a particular religion. There will always be people who will challenge their way of living and their way of thinking, and when not everyone is able to accept that and there are two opposites groups of people passionate of it, it can be a conflictive environment. Secondly, the beginning of the book shows a strong representation of the different aspects of the common religion of the Igbo people.
In contrast to Christianity, they do not believe in just one God and suspected of many things of being signs of evil. The igbo society had many powerful people within their clan that took part in interpreting what their gods, or oracle, wanted to impose on them. They called them priests and they were the ones who ultimately decided the destiny of many. As it was the case of Ikemefuna, a boy from another village living in Umuofia under the care of Okonkwo. “Yes, Umuofia has decided to kill him. The Oracle of the Hills of the Hills and the caves has pronounced it.” (p,57). And it was to be followed, Ikemefuna was killed. Most people will see this as an act of cruelty but to the Igbo society, it was an order their higher power had given and they did not question it. This did not mean they didn’t have compassion or that they wanted to kill him, but showing any signs of this made them weak and they would pay their own consequences for going against the Oracle. This was due to the fact that the Oracle was very important to them, it wasn’t just any God. It was a consultant and a guide to their lives. “The Oracle was called Agbala, and people came from far and near to consult it. They came when misfortune dogged their steps or when they had a dispute with their neighbors. They came to discover what the future held for them or to consult the spirits of their departed fathers.”(p.16). Their religion could have been seen as inhumane but it didn't just bring death and sadness, the gbo people were able to find comfort and safety with their own religion. It was a source that guided them as a society and brought structure and purpose to their
lives.
Religion is a sign of faith and many feel passionate of using to live through life and keeping hope that there’s a life after death. On the other hand, although religions share the concept of a higher power in between other similarities, they hold the power to create conflict when not everyone can accept the idea people holding different religions. There are people who are driven by their so called passion and who believe God sent them to convert everyone to the right religion. But how can we say who the right religion is when every religion believes it is them? The solution to this is to give everyone the right to chose what religion they want to practice. When this doesn’t happen, it creates conflict and chaos within a group of people who don’t share the same religion but live in a close area. It can break up families who do not hold the same vioews as each other, it can be a war to see which religion can overpower the other, and it can then erase the culture and traditions of the non-dominant religion.