Religion
Ogba Traditional Religion:
View about GOD
On the whole the religion strongly resemble that of the ancient Egyptian, who combine a belief in the existence of an Omnipotent Supreme God "Chukwu Abiama" with that in multitude of sub-ordinate deities or gods, mostly personification of natural phenomena. The most prominent in Ogbaland is "erisi omoku" the goddress of deep blue river Omoku.
The name of the Supreme deity "Chukwu-Abiama" means "God ever becoming", that is, into being as things, Love, kindness and compassion in the world.
This observation by sir Alan Burns in his people of southern Nigeria says
“It is important to realize that the existence of a supreme Being is appreciated practically throughout the country. However… more attention is paid to minor deities, good and evil who are considered to have a greater interest in human affairs, but even these are held to be spirits and the images which the people venerate are but the representation of the spirits, not the gods themselves.
In most cases there is tribal god,
a lesser god for each village of the tribe a household god for every family in the village a personal god for every member of the family. And to these , a god or a devil for every striking object of nature, for every river or stream, for every hill or grove and for every large or remarkable tree, and it will be understood how remarkable is the African’s mythology.”
Re-incarnation :
The belief in egu (re-incarnation) is a cardinal point in Ogba traditional religion.
Other Religions:
There are no less than ten Christian denomination in Ali Ogba (Ogba Kingdom) all of them vying for convert among the people, they are Anglican Church, United African Church, Roman Catholic Church, Christ Army Church, Salvation Army Sect., Seventh Day Native Church of God, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Cherubim and Seraphim, Native African Church.
Note:
Ogba traditional religion as presented above is neither paganism nor polytheistic,therefore, cannot be construe as such. Any attempt to arrive at such conclusion will be erroneous and may amount to ignorance.
Egyptian Ideas about God and the "Gods":
Dr. Brugsch, Religion and Mythologie, pp. 96-99 (Leipzig, 1885-1888)
To the great and supreme Power which made the heaven, the gods, the earth, the sea, the sky, men and women, birds, animals and creeping things, all that is and all that is yet to come into beings, the Egyptians gave the name of Neter,
This word has been translated "god-like," "holy," "divine," "sacred," "power," "strength," "force," "strong," "fortify,"
"mighty," "protect,"
God is One and only, and none other existeth with Him, --- God is the One who made all things. ---God is a spirit, a hidden spirit, the spirit of all spirits, the great spirit of the Egyptians, the divine spirit. God is from the beginning, and He hath been from the beginning.
He hath existed from of old, and was when nothing else had being, He exist from of old, and what existeth He created after He had come into being. He is the Father of beginnings, God is the eternal One, He is eternal and infinite, endureth for ever and aye. -God is hidden and no man knoweth His form. No man hath been able to seek out His likeness ; He is hidden to gods and men, and He is a mystery unto His children. His names are innumerable, they are manifold, and none knowneth their number. - God is truth, He liveth by Truth, He feedeth thereon, He is the King of truth, and He hath established the earth thereupon. God is life, and He breatheth the breath of life into his nostrils. -God is father and mother , the father of fathers and the mother of mothers. He begetteth, but was never begotten ; He produceth, but was never produced; He begat Himself and and produced Himself.
He created, but was never created. He is the maker of His own form, and the fashioner of His own body. God Himself is existence, He endureth without increase or diminution, he multiplieth himself millions of times, He is manifold in forms and in members. God has made the universe, and He hath created all that therein is, He is the creator of what is in this world, and of what was, and of what is, and of what shall be. He is the creator of the heavens, and of the earth, and of the deep, and of the water, and of the mountains. God hath stretched out the heavens, and founded the earth. ---What His heart (ie., mind) conceived straightway came to pass. When He hath spoken it cometh to pass and endureth for ever. God is the father of the Gods. He fashioneth man and formeth the gods. ---God is merciful unto those who reverence Him, and He heareth him that calleth upon Him. God knoweth him that acknowledgeth Him. God rewardeth him that serveth Him, and He protecteth him that followteh Him. ( Egyptian book of the dead )
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