Peter Dankwa on Humanism and Christianity in Ghana
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2024/08/11
Peter Dankwa is a humanist volunteer for the Humanist Association of Ghana and Humanists International. Here we talk about humanist activism.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Our last conversation focused on some of the international humanist scene and your personal background. What do you consider, ironically, the best lessons taught from Christianity, for you, in hindsight?
Peter Dankwa: In hindsight, my practice of Christianity taught me to be incorrigibly expressive about truth, which ironically was the catalyst for my deconversion from Christianity, as there were too many inconsistencies about the faith. However, the idea and practice of sticking with the truth was a truly cathartic experience that benefited my mental health during my days as a firebrand Christian. A principle I relished executing. At the peak of my Christianity journey, I painfully questioned why the church was dodgy about the imperfections of faith, its history, and its frequent bastardization of reason and evidence.
Jacobsen: What have been the overlaps in Christian values and humanist values if any?
Dankwa: For me, compassion stands out. Religion typically encourages its followers to be compassionate wherever they find themselves. I daresay compassion is one of the sacrosanct values of humanism. Compassion, most likely because of our evolutionary background, has served as a lubricant for human connection. It transcends religion, colour, gender, and class. As Kant puts it, the only good is goodwill. Thus, you can never go wrong with compassion.
Jacobsen: Who were present at this first meeting in 2017-2018?
Dankwa: I remember a few faces: Michael, Llyod, Agomo, Ama, Roslyn, and Afia, among others.
Jacobsen: What would you consider some of the Ghanaian flavours of humanism?
Dankwa: A typical Ghanaian flavour of humanism is the culture of empathy, which manifests as hospitability in Ghanaian culture. Ghana is usually tagged as a peaceful country because the average Ghanaian is always ready to make strangers or foreigners feel welcome around them. Another flavour of humanism I have come to love in the Humanist Association of Ghana is the consistent dialogue on freethought.
Jacobsen: How has the social media volunteer work been going for you?
Dankwa: So far, so good. In January 2024, we launched our Young Humanists International page on LinkedIn. (https://www.linkedin.com/company/young-humanists-international/)
Jacobsen: What happened for the two charity outreaches?
Dankwa: The outreaches focused on assessing the living conditions of an orphanage and providing solutions to improve them.
Jacobsen: Where can people find out about Peter’s Box? What publications have been the most well-received or read?
Dankwa: Out of the over 60 blog posts on Peter’s Box, the most influential has been MY LAST DAYS IN THE CHURCH, for obvious reasons. A lot of people can’t fathom how atheists like myself are able to live without god or religion. That post received a lot of comments. In the post, I talked about the factors that led to my egress from religion. The inspiration for publishing that post came from not wanting to continually repeat my narration of how I became an unbeliever and atheist. Hence, when I am asked how I became an atheist, I simply forward the link to them. (https://peesbox.com/my-last-days-in-the-church/).
Jacobsen: What is new with humanism in Ghana? What is new with the Humanist Association of Ghana?
Dankwa: Humanism in Ghana is admirably making waves following the recent anti-LGBT bill proceedings. A lot of academics, though religious, are openly decrying the anti-LGBT bill proposed by Parliament. It has ignited conversations that analyse the ideals of humanism and its necessity in building a secular society. Recently, a number of humanists have been granted interviews in the public media to shed more light on humanism, a welcoming gesture that humanists have always looked forward to.
The Humanist Association of Ghana has been very active in its campaign against the anti-LGBT bill.
Jacobsen: What African countries are best equipped to host a general assembly or a world congress of Humanists International?
Dankwa: In West Africa, Ghana and Nigeria are the best countries to host a general assembly or a world congress of Humanists International, as most proactive humanists are found there. The atmosphere in Ghana and Nigeria is fairly curious and hospitable to diversity.
I would highly recommend Kenya as well, though it is found in East Africa. I believe Kenya is doing amazingly well in the humanist movement. Kenya is a great option.
Jacobsen: Is there an appropriate distinction between secular humanism and religious humanism to you? Is there a utility in one over the other? How would you characterize humanism in Ghana, generally speaking?
Dankwa: I identify as a secular humanist, a relevant distinction among the various nuances in the practice of humanism. As a secular humanist, I practice humanism without any recourse to religion or its rituals. This contrasts with religious humanism, which practices humanism with recourse to a religious model, specifically imitating the congregational and ritualistic model of religion. It is important to note that religious humanism is fully nontheistic, like secular humanism, but integrates congregational rites into the practice of humanism. For example, religious humanism incorporates choirs and periodic congregations, etc., just as most religions would. The word ‘religious’ in Religious Humanism does not imply a theistic or supernatural belief. Religious humanism is also known as ethical humanism. The Humanist Society (previously the Humanist Society of Friends) and the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) are some organisations that practice religious humanism today.
The utility of religious humanism over secular humanism might be traced to personal preferences. Some who leave religion and later subscribe to humanism but still crave the ritualistic model of religion might lean towards religious humanism. Others who do not find utility in maintaining religious models will lean towards secular humanism. The tendency to go down the rabbit hole with a religious model in humanism is very glaring. It might subtly derail the core principles of humanism into the tracks of a religious, if not a theistic, one.
The framing of religious humanism has led many, in part, to label humanism as a religion. This is incorrect. Humanism is not a religion, as there is no subscription to beliefs, gods, deities, or supernatural dispositions. Thus, secular humanism and religious humanism are not religions.
People writing about religious humanism are careful to distinguish religious humanism from Jewish humanism (nonreligious Jews who are humanists), Christian humanism (religious Christians asserting the humanitarian aspects of their religion), and secular humanism (often simply “humanism,” a non-religious approach to life), but confusion inevitably arises. Another such term is Secular Buddhism, which refers to an atheistic practice of Buddhist rituals.
Humanism, as practiced by members of the Humanism Association of Ghana, is secular. The ideals of humanism are such that they appeal to anyone interested in the progress of humanity; hence, most religious folks might be seen as affiliating with the humanist identity or movement.
Jacobsen: What is the current state of the anti-LGBT bill in Ghana?
Dankwa: Two lawyers, Richard Sky and Dr. Amanda Odoi, filed a case with the Supreme Court against the passing of the anti-LGBT bill, declaring the bill unconstitutional. The case specifically seeks that the Supreme Court injunct Parliament from sending the anti-LGBT bill to the President for his approval until the court rules on whether the bill is constitutional. Consequently, the Supreme Court has indefinitely deferred the ruling on the anti-LGBTQ bill.
Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Peter.
Dankwa: Thank you for the opportunity! I hope to see you in Singapore.
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