Wole Soyinka on Yoruba Religion - A conversation with Ulli Beier… (snippet 2)

Beier: In fact they never make converts! It is the orisha himself who chooses his devotees …

Soyinka: The person who needs to convert others is a creature of total insecurity.

Beier: There is this beautiful Yoruba proverb: "The effort one makes of forcing another to be like oneself, makes one an unpleasant person!"

Soyinka: And even in practical terms, in day to day terms, take Shango for instance. Shango becomes the demiurge of electricity,

so that this new phenomenon does not become an object of terror, it does not alienate you, because Yoruba religion enables you to assimilate it. The ease with which the Yoruba moves into that world and adapts to phenomena that had not come into the purview of his

religion until recently - it means that he does not see the need to protect his family or his town from the benefits of this new technological experience. This is another evidence of this liberating attitude, which becomes ingrained in one. It is not just a bag of

tricks that helps you to cope with the world: the mind is already prepared. The same thing applies to human relationships. Social relationships. The whole experimental nature of what the modern world should be. The way other religions absolutely block

your entry into new progressive fronts - Yoruba religion just doesn’t do that!

Reference:
Isokan Yoruba Magazine Volume III No. III (1997)
'Wole Soyinka on Yoruba Religion: a conversation with Ulli Beier'.