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The word “empiricism” is aptly defined by the Madam Webster dictionary as “3: a theory that all knowledge originates in experience “. The word indeed comes from the Greek word “empeiria”. It can be asserted that Europe’s development into the great civilization which it has become owes a lot to ancient Greek empiricism.

It is widely known and thus accepted that most civilizations were built on their ability to learn from their past, which of course cannot be well kept if it were not written down. In light of this, Africa and indeed Africans can testify to the fact that knowledge is never well preserved orally. In fact quite a lot of our practices and experience have been washed away in time; even our culture is fast being eroded. Yet even today when Africans can write and thus preserve our knowledge, a question lingers, “are we looking for knowledge?”

The reason why I write is simple; I wake up around 3.45AM and get to watch a certain Christian/evangelical movie. While watching something strikes me. Firstly, the movie is sort of an advertisement trying to raise public interest in something. Secondly, I then watch a scene were a believer in Christ is protected from a certain Witch by an Angel until he commits “sin”, which expressly leads to a nagging stomach ache. Upon asking for forgiveness from the Witch he is healed (because he had offended the Witch). Morally, the scenario might be deemed highly educative, yet on the other hand, it brings a certain problem to light.

Africans are too quick to blame their problems on spirituality. In this 21st century a lot of knowledge already exists. Thus if a person has a nagging stomach ache that can’t be cured by standard medical procedure, why don’t we Africans see it as an opportunity to learn something new for the good of others, a challenge that can only leave those involved and in fact the world at large better off. Instead, we blame our problems on spirituality.

In the case of the nagging stomach ache which defied standard medical procedure, if it is then healed by some miracle is that not an opportunity wasted? For an example of the consequence of such wasted opportunity, take the West Africa, which was once known as the “white mans grave” as a result of malaria - a then largely unknown disease. If the missionaries that came to Africa all depended on miracles for them to reside in the coastal regions of West Africa, malaria would not have become such a highly curable disease. It is from their experience that the coastal cities of West Africa are now much more habitable for both indigents and foreigners alike, since we can tolerate mosquitoes much better than in the past.

To my mind, Africans must learn to see all their problems as challenges and an opportunity to expand knowledge. Today’s clergy, including those of the modern “miracle churches” would be doing the right thing if they encouraged science and a more logical approach to life which would in turn better the good of mankind.

First written 7th of March 2006