Lodgings

Inter-religious relations may be considered a challenge to one's faith but one cannot run away from such a challenge. Through this challenge, we may find that our faith can grow. Most adherents may force this challenge upon themselves considering it to be a very rational observation, that is, one which may turn them around from believing that their religion is the only right one and been unable to acknowledge that there is truth in all other religions. On the contrary, they should be able to contemplate that if these other religions have survived for thousands of years and are followed by hundreds of millions of people, even a billion people, there must be some truth in them or if not, they would not have spread and lasted to date. Man owes it to himself to search everywhere for this "Universal Truth. This Truth is a message about God in the world that goes beyond the specific language of any particular theology or

religious tradition. Thus every religion of humanity is the inheritance of every individual human being.²²⁸

From Hamza's account, it is paramount that the coming of Islam and Christianity to the area changed the attitudes and culture of the people but some among them that remained adamant in the traditional religion have been living in peace with each other. Hence, the both religion does not give room for forceful conversion.

Nevertheless, a number of people in Ankpa accepted Islam and Christianity but the majority of the people are Muslims because they are accounted about seventy percent in the area. However, the reality is that the state of relationship between the religions in Ankpa is cordial, normal and peaceful because there have never been any case of religious uprising between them. Couple with this, they attended each other's ceremonies, such as naming ceremony, marriage ceremony as well as when a new house is build and the owner either Muslims, Christians and traditional believer, everyone in free to attend the opening ceremony depending on his/her own will. And also if there is sorrow like death involving either party, they rush to condole one another, at times they assist each other with some food stuff or meals in other to lessen the hardship of their mourner. They also attend each other burial rites as well.²²⁹

The feature of inter-relatedness of the people is demonstrated in their corporate activities remarkable and note worthy. The community sees to the regulation of the people. That is, it is expected to obey the norms and behave properly, and otherwise he will be termed non- conformist or deviant, capable of threatening the survival of

228 A. Ijah, “Muslims and Christian Relation in Ghana, An International Journal of Arts and Humanities,

Bashir

Dar, Ethiopia Vol. 3, No. 10, April, 2014.

229 Y. Hamza, Oral Interview, Ankpa, 26/2/2015, 50 years.

the society. There is no individualism of the people's nature and culture of togetherness, individualism means being selfish, self-centered and self-sufficiency.

The traditional religious follower of Ankpa believes that their religion is a religion of love and tolerance. The traditional practitioners of Ankpa allowed Christians and Muslims to settle in the society without any problem. Some of the traditionalist still did not see anything wrong in the existence and survival of the other religions alongside theirs. Discrimination is not in the character of the traditional religion.²³⁰ As Badey states:

Traditional Religion has the capacity to co-exist and sustain itself with Islam and Christianity; because it created the socio-cultural environment in which Islam and Christianity are now shining ... it has the ability to imitate. Above all, it has the ability to remain independent in the face of assault by highly bureaucratized religions. This is because it links the past and present with the future.²³¹

In Ankpa, traditional religion tends to play the role of the umbrella religion. In spite of all these the government pays very little attention to traditional religion. The local Government has neglected traditional religion in which cultural values of tolerance are embedded. Traditional religion cannot be said to be unimportant. It has helped in the development of the spiritual lives of the people of Ankpa, either through itself or by tolerating the existence of other religions Christianity and Islam, which some people now erroneously see as the only religions capable of shaping the moral lives of the people. But morally, good lives were shaped by the indigenous religion.

230 S. Okpanachi, Oral Interview, Ankpa, 26/2/2015, 71 years.

231 B. Badey, The Value of Ogoni Traditional Religion, Institute of Foundation Studies Rivers State University

of Science and Technology Port Harcourt, Nigeria, European Journal Research, Vol 2, No 1. 2014

According to Oguche, adherents of Islam and Christianity have over the years been fighting each other and themselves. Most scholars have argued and concluded rightly that Christian and Muslims antagonism has nothing to do with the faiths. Rather, the antagonism has political undertones. In the face of this, the traditional followers in Ankpa, Christianity and Islam, has refused to be manipulated by politicians or religious fundamentalist. Both religions in Ankpa have refused to allow anybody to hide under its canopy for their selfish, ethnic, regional, sectional and tribal interests.

No one religion is self-sufficient, religions need to co-exist, lean and imbibe good qualities of other religions to achieve the necessary truth. In short, this calls for ecumenism. This is clear indication that no single religion can claim absolute knowledge of truth and that a lot can be gained from other religions. Believers with different opinions and convictions are necessary to each other. Here are the emphasis is still on tolerance and/or togetherness for further achievements. The belief that makes a religion a worthy religion is the belief in a God of all people not selected people. Traditional religion in Ankpa can be looked down upon, yet it possesses a mark very vital to both individual and collective progress.²³²