Religion in Africa (Whose "GOD" won!?)

Religion in Africa has been a true struggle which gives an immense attribution to the test and hardships suffered by Africa as a whole. During the period of European Colonization, as well as after that period has left the natives of this continent in a state I'd like to believe to be pure confusion. Three main topics arrive from this thought.

• To start, religion in Africa before European colonization was (for fear of saying "is") based on the traditional beliefs of the African natives. African traditional religion was derived from several different aspects, making each one compatible to the village it was practiced in. Yet many of them shared similarities such as...


• A distant "all god" with intermediaries acting between us and it


• Spirit or god possession


• The gift of offering and sacrifices to the gods


• The use of altars


• Ancestor veneration/worship


• Community leadership by a devine or semi-devine king or queen


• (All cited from wikipedia)

Once European colonization took place, Christianity was set as a "main" religion throughout Africa. Yet, Christianity in Africa wasn't really installed by the Europeans considering the fact that this religion was originated from Egypt at the end of the first century by Mark the Evangelist with the Orthodox Church of Alexandria. Still, the arrival of European Christianity caused several issues not only between Africans and Europeans, but between the natives of Africa as well. Now the struggle of those who wanted to maintain their traditional beliefs was evident, but Little could be done to keep it alive as strong as it once was.

After the "depletion" (for lack of a better term) of European colonization, Africa was still in battle within itself concerning this topic of religion. Christianity had taken a strong position, and traditional African religion was basically left to wither away. Although there was still a tight grip on these actions, the Europeans had eventually left, making it believable that these traditional religions had a chance to recover, but that was most certainly not the case. In order to fight what last bit of true authority Europeans still had in Africa concerning religion, natives did not turn back to their customary ways, but instead adopted a new culture and belief system...Islam.

Islam in African swept the continent at an alarming rate, soon taking over the entire northern countries of Africa, including Egypt which was previously stated as the "birth place" of Christianity from the African heritage. It was almost as if African natives tried so hard to return to their traditional customs, that when they felt they were too far gone from it, they created another culture for themselves with a clean slate based on restoring African pride, and resisting any European authority.

So in the midst of all these things occurring, whose religion really came out on top? Should Africa be proud of the fact that they were able to find something to resist European culture, or should they be somewhat dismayed at the fact that their true heritage is far behind them? Whose "GOD" really won!?