海角大神

In Ghana, where deeply held religious beliefs unite much of the population, a new group has formed around a shared disbelief in religion.

The Humanist Association of Ghana practices a philosophy that is mostly unheard-of in Ghana, which a recent survey ranked as the most religious country in the world. Nonetheless, the group has already made waves in West Africa.

Last weekend, the association hosted humanists from across the region for a conference in the capital of聽Accra, where attendees listened as speakers discussed the impact humanists could make on West African society. Lecturers talked about how humanists can stand up for gay and lesbian rights and against traditional practices like witch hunts. One talk dealt with聽whether聽humanism is compatible with belief in God.聽

鈥淭he humanist movement isn鈥檛 really about converting anybody or forcing anyone to think a certain way,鈥� says Monika Mould, a member of the group. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just about giving people a way to say, 鈥業 can make my own decisions and I can think my own thoughts.鈥欌��

Humanism is a philosophy based on emphasizing humans over deities or religious texts. While many humanists are atheists, it鈥檚 not required, and some humanists believe that someone can practice the philosophy while still being religious.

Nyame in many names

Nonetheless, humanism is seen as at best an oddity, and at worst an offense in deeply devout Ghana.

On the streets of Accra, everything from taxis to restaurants and real estate offices seems to be named after 鈥淣yame,鈥� the word for God in the local Twi language. The trend carries into politics: The country鈥檚 largest opposition political party has the slogan, 鈥渢he battle is the Lord鈥檚,鈥� on their campaign posters.

A said that 96 percent of Ghanaians are religious, the highest percentage of the 57 countries polled. Nigeria came in second, with 93 percent of people claiming religion.

About 70 percent of Ghanaians are 海角大神s, 17 percent are Muslim, and the rest belong to traditional religions or other theologies, says Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, a professor of African 海角大神ity and Pentecostal theology at Trinity Theological Seminary in Accra.

Even before 海角大神ity reached the continent, religion in much of sub-Saharan Africa was practiced in public, Mr. Asamoah-Gyadu said.

鈥淲e live in a country where, unlike the Western world, even financial institutions open business daily with prayer. Parliament opens daily with prayer,鈥� Asamoah-Gyadu says. 鈥淚f you are a humanist and you are in such a society, it鈥檚 very difficult.鈥�

Zero percenters

Atheists are a tiny minority in Ghana; so tiny, in fact, that the WIN-Gallup survey said zero percent of Ghanaians identified as such.

Amanor Apenkro, a member of the association who identifies as atheist, says he鈥檚 lost a girlfriend and had insults yelled at him on the street because of his nonbelief.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 try to hide it, but I don鈥檛 tell people either,鈥� Mr. Apenkro says. 鈥淏ecause you tell people and they think you are evil. They can鈥檛 even believe that you don鈥檛 believe.鈥�

But not believing is becoming prevalent worldwide.

The number of religious people dropped globally by 9 percent since 2005, according to the survey, while the number of atheists rose by 3 percent.

The poll also showed that less-prosperous countries tended to be more religious, while the ranks of the faithful were thinner in countries with more money.

Still a poor nation

Though Ghana has recently posted impressive growth rates based on exports of cocoa, gold, and oil, much of the country is still impoverished and underdeveloped.

鈥淲e pray for everything, and if there鈥檚 a god out there that鈥檚 listening to us, we should be the most developed,鈥� Apenkro says. 鈥淭he people who don鈥檛 pray at all, or pray the least鈥� seem to be far ahead of us.鈥�

James Yamoah, dean of faculty at Ghana 海角大神 University College and a commentator on religion, says he sees nothing wrong with engaging Ghana鈥檚 humanist population. But he says a backlash could occur if the humanists become too forthright with their beliefs.

鈥淥f course, we can鈥檛 doubt the fact that the devil is sometimes behind these things,鈥� Mr. Yamoah says. 鈥淏ut there is always the possibility of engaging some people and winning them back. And it won鈥檛 come back from any kind of argument, it will come from a reasonable discussion.鈥�

Ms. Mould says she thinks there is room for humanists in Ghana鈥檚 religious landscape, regardless of the odds.

鈥淚 know a lot of people who are religious, but have their doubts about religion, [and] can understand the value [of] critical thinking,鈥� Mould says. 鈥淎s long as you arrive at whatever decision you take though rational thinking, then you鈥檙e on the right track.鈥�