Atheists Association In Kenya Call For The Ban Of Noisy Public Preachers: A Step In The Right Direction In More Ways Than One

First off I have to say that I’m very impressed that there is an association of Atheists in any country on this continent. So hats off to Atheists in Kenya (AIK) and more grease to their elbows.

And the fact that they are willing to take on the establishment is heart warming as well. Most African governments and people do not know there should be a distinction between church and state, and even when there is that distinction constitutionally they do not very much care for it.

Which seems to be the problem Atheists in Kenya is bringing to the fore with this suit of theirs. The group is petitioning the Council of Governors (CoG), Matatu (public transport) Owners Association, National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) and the Supreme Council of Kenyan Muslims (Supkem) asking to have public preaching banned.

Public preaching, of course, is that most delightful of pastimes which is quite peculiar to this continent. Of course it happens elsewhere as well, but not with the pomp and pageantry it is associated with in Africa.

I can talk about my own country Ghana, where people mount loudspeakers at vantage points and scream on top of their lungs as well. Others use their puny voices, whilst you can sometimes get the treatment on public transport as well. (They say ‘Matatu’, I say ‘Trotro’)

AIK says this is a violation of the constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion. They argue that it is against their rights to be subjected to what is against their belief.

“It is against basic rights to put someone through something that is not within their beliefs,” AIK President Harrison Mumia told Kenyan daily The Nation.

 

The petition in part reads: “Reference should be made to the Kenyan Constitution Article 32 which clearly stipulates that a person may not be compelled to act, or engage in any act, that is contrary to the person’s belief or religion.”

“Nobody has the right to tell me what or whom to believe. It is a choice I make and as such nobody should subject me to their beliefs,” Mr Mumia added.

The atheists association also call for religious programming which is broadcast on Sunday mornings to be cut.

“Media houses have gone against Article 32 as they broadcast church services and religious content on Sunday mornings. That is not just,” said Mr Mumia.

The group now wants stakeholders in the communication and media industry to have their programming revised.

AIK has a point on public preaching, which causes a nuisance in more ways than one, and not just in regards to your constitutional rights. On the broadcasting of programs, I think that is an extreme request which would not cut it.

Religious people also have the right to spread their teachings as they see fit, so long as they aren’t stashing it down anyone’s throats. And television stations are private entities that would look at their profit margin first of all.

Looking at my country Ghana, some programs seem particularly benign to me, when a sermon is being broadcast or something similarly aimed at teaching moral precepts. You cannot just call for a blanket ban; as that would violate religious freedom.

But some preachers are obviously out to exploit people, performing ‘miracles’ ‘exorcisms’ and several other supernatural poppycock aimed at catching the gullible, and live on air; that is where we must draw the line.

 

The public preaching as I mentioned earlier, causes a nuisance in more ways than one. I know several religious people who would not mind a ban on that as well. They’re extremely noisy, just like the churches, they do not leave passersby in peace, they sometimes perform actions that push the boundaries on what can legitimately be done in public. For all these and more they need to go, thank you very much.

I have on more occasions than one had to deal with thinly veiled threats of hell and accusations of devilish behaviour because I refused to take off my earphones and listen to some smug, half educated soul who thinks they have the whole truth about human life via telepathy from their imaginary friend.

I doubt very much this petition would get anywhere, not here in Africa anyway. We are nowhere near ready to relinquish the comfort of our fairy tales, nor the moral superiority we feel we have over our enemies who are not ‘worshipping  god’ the right way, or at all.

However I would give props to the group for the attempt, if nothing at least to get the awareness out there that not everyone drinks the religion kool-aid and that laws must be made to suit every segment of the population.

Yeah, some people are not aware that people exist who do not believe as they do; case in point myself who until a couple of years ago had never given serious thought to the concept of atheism, and I’ve always been one of the most well read in any group I find myself in. So a whole organisation of unbelievers should be an eye opener to many.

However, they should dial down a bit the other part of the petition, lest they be guilty of calling for other people’s rights to be curtailed for their own, exactly what they are accusing the religious of doing.

You can read more about AIK on their website.