Being that most Americans of African descent are from West Africa or Aboriginal American’s that migrated from Africa or Pangea thousands of years ago.

I found this interesting as it relates to religion & beliefs.

There are 7 Aspects in the West African religions:

1. The Supreme Being

The Supreme Being, or God, is very transcendent and therefore does not play the dominant role in African religion as it does in Monotheistic religions. Africans may pray to the Supreme God daily or in times of battle, but most prayers would rather be addressed to other gods or spirits.

2. Spirit

Every human, plant, and animal has this Spirit. It is a force, or energy and it does not die with the body. It can be good or bad.

3. Humans

The responsibility of humans is to grow, learn, and improve. Each person strives to fulfill his or her potential and become a good person.

There is a saying among Africans, "There is a little man in the big man." The little man is that essence of the human that lives on after death. The big man is God. The "little man" comes into contact with the "big man" after death. Some slaves who converted to Christianity spoke of the experience by saying that "the little man had met the big man."

4. Living Dead and Divinities

"Divinities" are lower than God. They are sort of an intermediate class between humans and God. These are a bit like the Angels in Christianity. Some of these had previously been humans and others have never been embodied. These can be good or bad. The ones who had been human tend to carry on whatever personality they had when alive.

5. Time and Space

Many West African languages have only one word for both time and space. There is concern for the past and present, but not so much for the future. The stress which Christians tend to place on the future would probably have seemed odd to many West Africans. There is a Spirit of Place. A Spirit will inhabit a particular location, such as a home, a rock, or a river.

6. Causes of Good and Evil

The Supreme Being is good. The natural state of things is good. Evil is caused by a spirit or a person violating the social order. A violation can occur as the result of a deliberate act of evil, but also as a result of forgetfulness or carelessness. West African religions emphasize the consequences of an individual’s action, for each individual’s action has repercussions for the whole community. Everyone is interrelated, and everyone acts as a part of the community. What is good for the community as a whole is good, and what is bad for the community as a whole is evil. 

The people rely upon religious leaders to find the causes of the good and evil that occur in their midst. These religious specialists can communicate with the divinities and spirits, who will show them if a taboo has been broken, and what to do about it.

7. The Purpose of Life

The purpose of life is to affirm joy and be conscious of what is good in life. It is one’s goal to find the good, even in the worst of times. It is this positive outlook that gave the slaves the peace of mind they needed in order to endure their brutal circumstances. 

Rituals are integral in West African religions. Rituals are the outer expression of the inner spirit. Ritual is essentially belief in action.

What's important to me is after the Creator... (The Supreme Being) our Spirit is the next focus!

The ways in which we develop our spirit and use our inner eye to tune into the universal energy that is a part of us is what's important!

Our objective is to have a loving, caring spirit!