Church and business advertisements

For those who don't believe me when I say that the most highly advertised business in Ghana is the church, maybe these pictures will provide sufficient evidence.  The signs are everywhere.  I suspect American atheists would be outside of their comfort zone in Ghana.  I found it so refreshing to be able to talk about religion with anyone I desired, but I also became frustrated with Ghanaians' reliance on God to do everything for them rather than working in partnership with Him -- the Arabic/Muslim form of this dependence which leads to an excuse for not getting things done that an individual had been promised to do is "Imshala" (sp?) which translates "God willing."  In Ghana (only ~10% Muslim), the culture says "By the Grace of God."  I may agree with the overall philosophy, but in those parts of the world where the environment reigns over man (death, disease, struggles just to live, etc.), the common interpretation by man for all of the woes of life is to ascribe (blame) everything on God's will, absent anything that could have been altered by their own works.  In the west we have largely conquered our environment (despite the hue and cry of my eco freako friends), but have lost our faith in doing so -- we have become as Korihor in the Book of Mormon where man fares by "the management of the creature," in other words, it's all up to us (God doesn't exist or at least intervene).  Is it possible to have the balance in life of faith (dependence on God) and works (get off your sweet ..... and make a difference in your life and those around you)?  That I believe is the challenge of this life.

Enough preaching.  Here are the pictures.

Oops, I forgot all these too!!

This phrase "Allahu Akbar" was not my favorite since it is used in the Muslim culture whenever throats are slit as seen in various terrorist videos.  This stand doesn't bother me as it is a meat slaughter facility, but when the phrase is posted on the read end of a trotro (private "bus"), with drops of blood pictured with the saying, I'm not really thrilled.

The following are all businesses that have some religious slogan in their name -- Have I convinced you that religion is part of this culture yet??