GOODNESS AND KINDNESS IN AFRICAN RELIGIOUS ETHICS OF THE MUMUYE: SPRINGBOARD FOR SHOW CASING HUMANISM IN CONTEMPORARY TIME

Abstract

God is the creator of mankind, and every creature is endowed with the ethical sense of right and wrong actions right from creation. The quality of being good and kind are religious virtues that are considered ardent and upright in the ethics of African religion cultures. Goodness and kindness formed the religious ethics of the Mumuye whose inculcation and showcase in the society is weakening,looking relevance and going into extinction today. The research is aimed at Examining Goodness and Kindness in African Religious Ethics of the Mumuye of Taraba State: A Springboard for Showcasing Humanism in Contemporary Time" with the view of re-awakening their efficacy and relevance among the people in contemporary time.The paper adopted an ethnographic and historic methods of research . Data were collected from field survey and books. The paper discovered that, God is the origin of moral goodness and kindness, and He has endowed in men these virtues to foster them in their relationship with Him and their fellow men, which are religiously and normatively inbuilt. It has further been unveiled by the paper that, the rate at in which these cardinal virtues are going into extinction without proactive measures been taken to salvage them is decryable today. Also, observance of goodness and kindness are under serious negligence, unpatriotism, agreed, selfishness, and lack of show of love to fellow men and fear of God. The paper suggests proper preservation, inculcation sustenance of the virtues of goodness and kindness by al and sundry.