Ghanaian Musician Okyeame Kwame
Okyeame Kwame has always been vocal about his role as custodian of our traditional culture. And in a reflective mood, he decides to question the fear and hate associated with doubt (a harmless requisite) in our society.
In a Facebook post, the rapper gave instances where people have been vilified for critically analyzing information available to them and subsequently finding loopholes. He cited René Descartes, who said that real seekers of truth find it necessary to at least once in their life doubt all things as much as they can.
Using himself as an example, he said his children would doubt him if he told them he was a straight-A student in school. Which wouldn’t be far-fetched because available data to them shows he is dyslexic and dyscalculia.
He wrote, “Doubt simply means to lack conviction in something. I doubt that I can run for four days without food, rest and water-based on my own judgement.
What is the psychological nature of doubt? I think it is a consequence of thought and time (memory). It is my mind making its judgement on what is probable, possible and impossible based on the data available to me. Doubt may restrict an action and cause anxieties. But it may also caution a person from taking a deep plunge into making a future mistake.”
Okyeame Kwame further questioned the mechanisms of religion and tradition that demonize doubt as an act of rebellion and revolution.
“So, why are tradition and religion fighting the mere thought of doubt? Why are my children not free enough to tell me that based on my history, they doubt that I was being honest with my straight A story? Why am I a sinner if I question some religious stories? Especially ones that I find highly improbable.
Why am I judged if I openly declare that I doubt a universally loving God who created all humankind will lead the Asantes to kill Fantes in a war? The same Omniscient, loving God would love Isreal more than Jericho but later love Jericho when Isreal rejects His Son? Why can’t I freely think and share these thoughts?”
So, Is it a sin to doubt what you find improbable? Is it disrespectful to doubt your elders? What do you think is the reason why religion and tradition try to control what we doubt?
