Isokan Yoruba Magazine, Fall 1996/Winter 1997 , Volume III No. I, Page 32.
Faith of Our Fathers: A Religious Though by Rev. Joel Olu Ojelade.

- It is very hard to claim to be a bonafide indigene of Yorubaland, and also claim not to believe in God. It is like soup without condiments!

- To be a member of the Yoruba race, is to believe in God (Olorun), the owner of heaven. In Yoruba tradition, when a child is born, the parents, especially the grandparents, will consult the Ifa oracle for divination as to the child's destiny. From thence, they will guard and guide the footsteps of the child into discerning age. One can then choose the type of religion he or she wants to practice. The child could grow up to be a Babalawo or Sango worshipper i.e. god of thunder, or Oya; the River goddess of the Niger, or Osun; goddess of Beauty and Reproductions, or Ogun; god of Iron. With the advent of Islam and Christianity, the child could choose to be a Moslem or a Christian.

Yoruba believe to that the concept of God, is natural, not having been taught. Every time you will hear people say: "Lagbara Olorun", by the power of God. This saying is common among Yoruba be it a Christian, Moslem or one who practices the afore-mentioned traditional religions, including those who claim not to believe in anything.

It is very painful today, to note that Western education has influenced so many people, that they forgot where they came from. Our forebears always invoked the spirit of God and ancestors, so that everything they do will be peaceful and that they may also be pleased. Most of our problems in Nigeria today began, because God is taking a back seat or no seat in all of our endeavors. Nigerian problems can be solved through prayer and renewal of commitment to the faith of our fathers. We need to learn from the children of Israel. Whenever they forsake God, He always seemed to frustrate them, and when they repent, He always heal their land.

We need to put on sack cloth, (and) remove arrogance. Draw near to God. Call him at all times. Don't we need to learn a lesson here from the United States of America? They remove prayers out of schools, drugs, guns, and violence became the order of the day. Thank God, there is no such law yet in our country to remove prayers out of schools.

Faith of our fathers is a living faith. Let us change our untoward attitudes concerning the type of side we turn to prayers. We need prayers in everything that we do. To be a Yoruba is to uphold Yoruba belief in the existence of the Supreme being.

We must uphold our tradition and teach it to our children. Martin Buber in his "Hermit Legacy", said: "Life with care, life without care, the only time there is care in our life is when we put our lives in God's care." Ire o.

Ki alafia Oluwa wa pelu emi yin o.

Reverend Joel Olu Ojelade is the Pastor of Alafia Baptist Church, Maryland USA