My father has been asking about religion in Accra, so Daddy-o here is a quick one just for you.
Accra is largely Christian. Somewhere around 91% I believe. There are lots of churches around, with plenty of signs for mass times and such, but this is not mainly where you can see Ghana's Christian spirit. In the morning, neighbors greet me with, "Good morning and God bless." On my return home from school they say, "Welcome, you've gone and come back! God is good." God is not a ritual or routine like in the United States. God is part of their culture, part of their day. It's so refreshing to see an unreserved, enthralled opinion of a person's religion, while still remaining benevolent and gentle.
The last 9% of religion in Accra is Muslim and Other. The "other" I have yet to come across. I look forward to the day I meet an African Witch Doctor, but none yet to report of. However I walk past a family of Muslim's everyday on my way to school. They have a small cement structure built outside their home dedicated to prayer. It is a tiny thing, resembling the base structure of a house, yet with no walls or entrance. It was shocking to me to see men praying outside in this homemade cement creation, yet it's come to be something I really appreciate walking by everyday.
The best way to describe religion in Accra is through the architecture of their places of worship. It's best done with words and pictures, so I'll try to take some this week so you can get a better idea.
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The witch doctor reference made me wonder-do they have herbal and other common but alternative remedies to illness? Can they get some of the prescriptions we take all the time? I now take a handful of pills every day, and they are all legal! would I be more healthy without them?
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