Is Wole Soyinka Truly an Atheist if He Believes in Orisa?
Wole Soyinka recently told an interviewer he does not believe in the Christian or Islamic God and calls himself an atheist with strong spiritual awareness. But can belief in Orisa deities and the supreme creator Olodumare fit within atheism? Atheism is simply a lack of belief in gods or deities. It is not a religion or doctrine. Orisa, in Yoruba tradition, are divine intermediaries under Olodumare. Followers see them as spirits guiding and protecting humanity. My conviction in the Almighty God comes from logical reflection and ancestral teachings. My father was both a Babalawo and Ogun priest who recorded IFA divination like a mathematician. The underlying binary logic of IFA predates European binary systems by centuries. Moreover, biblical prophecy also points to a supreme being. Scholars say Isaiah accurately foretold details of Jesus centuries before His birth. Does this blend of traditional Yoruba wisdom and Christian prophecy challenge the atheist label?
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