Traditional African society understood the consuming tendency of sexual passions, thus one can even see reasons, although baseless, for the practice of female circumcision, to curb this inevitable and increasing sexual urge in women. Early marriage and polygamy were also measures meant to keep sexual urges in checks and balances. Although these practices of our forefathers, when viewed from the prism of human development, science and technological advancements and as well as Christianity could be found wanting, they were of much value to them.
In those days, it was a misnomer and as well as a sacrilege for a woman to become pregnant outside marriage. As a matter of fact, in some cultures, families were thrown into public disgrace when their daughter was found to have broken her hymen&. Young girls though dressed half-naked then, had manners and knew their boundaries with the men folk. The men folk on the other hand, kept to their kind till they are ready and could bear full responsibility for family life. Thus incest was forbidden and pre-marital and extra marital sexual acts were seen as taboos, and also forbidden. Homosexuality, bestiality and other forms of sexuality were seemingly unheard of. Traditional African society was considered sexually demur, geographically limited, unexposed and inert. However, these traditional universal principles have only been polished and not eroded.
Let us cast our focus now on the new and modernized African society; where all the above mentioned taboos, in the real African society today are being tolerated and accepted as normal forms of sexual behavior. Our boys and girls will want to live according to the latest fashion, living at the dictates of time. This has affected African society in every way as we encounter modernism. Cases abound where schoolgirls of all calibers are presented to as succulent kola nuts to visiting political forums. We should ask ourselves is there a light at the end of the tunnel for us, Africans?
It is a fact and there is an urgent necessity that we strike a balance between the positive and the negative, the thesis and the anti-thesis. This balance is required for a more ordered living. In this sense, we can see the importance of the producer to the consumer, the seller and the buyer and vice versa.
Africa has been noted as a consuming and a buying continent that requires the productive and selling acumen of the West for survival. Our dependence on the West for survival is so high to the extent that we buy even their waste products. Hence, the stage rags used by our artistes for stage performances are adopted by our youths are reigning fashions. When our young girls watch pictures of predating prostitutes in the streets of New York for instance, they see them as models and as the ‘happening’ girls in America. Unfortunately, these youths are not being told the truth!
My stand and message is that it is time for the African continent, and people to come back, take a halt and consider her roots. Our overly sexual society is a misfit for our roots. Governments should make rules that forbid publication of lewd materials in our print media. All programs that are overtly profane and obscene should be banned from our electronic media. Pastors of souls and religious leaders should speak out against indecent dresses and immoral on their pulpits. We should condemn such ministers who encourage boobs blasting blouses and red hot minis in the name of Pentecostal vibration and explosion and being free in Christ
Again and finally, our young women should understand that beauty is an integral part of ones personality and does not lie in the sensual impression one makes with reckless outfits. Let us know that modernism and high quest after fashion and fad cannot satisfy the quest of the soul for self-transcendence. Our satisfaction can only come from God and obedience to his laws. We must therefore, fellow Africans and all, be self-restrained and live upright and religious lives in this present world.
Source: Henry Ekwuruke
License: Creative Commons