Atheist, Freethinkers And Agnostics On The Rise In Ghana

It is sad to acknowledge that the phrase " good people don't last" is slowly becoming a reality. My brothers Nana, Biney, Saka Dramani, Senyo, Abdul Razak Muntari and I, made the same conclusion after a lengthy discussion that Christian Atsu may not be the most affluent among his peers but as he lived, he chose to be the bedrock and the last resort of the needy around him. His generosity has trickled to Nigerians and even people of different races and backgrounds. In an unfair world, where good people are prone to be used, misused and abused, the young athlete chose to be selfless and live for others. May he rest in peace, and may he be remembered perpetually for all the lives he changed.

As expected, Ghanaians have not spared this unfortunate incident the usual attention and for days the causes and outcomes continue to be dissected. Some have found the premise to indicate that life remains unpredictable and there is so much beyond our control as humans.

I have noticed a discord in opinions even shared by religious people. As some resist the temptation of questioning why God may allow a good man have such a dishonorable end, others have chosen to be blunt and have laid bare the question.

Why do bad things happen to good people and why do good people leave so soon?

The literacy rate of Ghana has been surging impressively and as much as a high number of Ghanaians remain religious, there is a growing trend of young people evolving into atheist/free thinkers and agnostics. Especially those who may have received higher education, the privilege of traveling around the world, voracious reading and people who may have received a secondary form of exposure from people who share any of the earlier qualities listed.

Abraham Lincoln is cited to have said, "Education Kills The Disease Of Ignorance Superstition Fear & Poverty". I believe this is relevant and quite credible. Good education or quality education indeed has the potency of breaking the grip of superstition, ignorance and fear.

In Ghana, it is a growing trend of freethinkers and agnostics. It is becoming common to find young people questioning things about religion irrespective of their backgrounds. The entire generation seems to be going through mental rewiring.

Perhaps our religious leaders have consequently proven to be preachers of virtues and and practicers of vices. Also, the experience of COVID 19 has also been an eye opener for many. The grip of religion has softened and people have become comfortable questioning things.

Ghana may be slowly closing in the existing gap it has between top countries with the most atheist and free thinkers in the world like Sweden, Norway, France, Denmark, Vietnam, France and Japan.

Religion has its own benefits and disadvantages. The moral fiber of Ghanaians may be losing its luster and shine significantly. It may not be safe for a country with our demographics (having a very young population) to be without a moral compass though but an over religious country is susceptible to manipulation by its leaders and the people may not be able to demand accountability on any level.

One thing that I have identified is that in the recent past, being called an atheist/freethinker and agnostic came with a stigma but that is wearing off as young people are becoming bold enough to give themselves the labels of Atheist/freethinkers and agnostics. Some have reached this point because life has thought them to be self-reliant and be in control of what they have the power to control. Some are going changes and may revert to their religious state.

If there is anything to be done, it should be now because the relevance of religion may be slowly ticking away in Ghana. I have a question for readers at this point. Do you believe in God?

Long Live GHANA
Dumenu Charles Selorm

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