Well, let me quickly add this.
About the Yoruba way of praising God, Let us wait for a second before we condemn all.
Most of us who know a little about poetry will understand that the use of figure of speech and other literary devices is what gives poetry life. And ORIKI is poetry, Praising poetry. Yes, that Oriki style of addressing God by the Yoruba is not too far from what the palmists did.
These folks worshipped God and praised Him for His mightiness with the use of words. They certainly cannot be penalized for that. No! I'll take some examples that have been condemned and interpret them in English respectively, "Alágbádá iná, Aláwọ̀tẹ́lẹ̀ oòrùn, Ẹ̀rùjẹ̀jẹ̀ tí ń gbé ẹ̀rù mì, Ọlọ́wọ́gbọgbọrọ tí ń yọ ọmọ rẹ̀ nínú ọ̀fìn, Ò wọ kẹ̀mbẹ̀ re'bi ìjà, Àrá wòó tí ń wo'lé ikú tìpìnlẹ̀ tìpìnlẹ̀..." "His clothing is Fire, His underwear is Sun (This illustrates his Beauty), The 'Great Fear' that swallows fear (This shows that even Fear fears him), He owns the great hand that delivers his son from suffering (This illustrates that he can save), One who goes to the battle with a big trouser (This shows the level of his confidence). The thunder that destroys the structure of death to it's foundation [Interpret that yourself]."
The ORÍKÌ has got nothing wrong in them other than the fact that they tell the mightiness of God as understood or experienced by the worshipper. These I'd like to know... Tell me is God not beautiful in His ways? Has he not proven to us that he is a Saviour?
Has He not given us victory over death? Okay, Yoruba have sinned huh? Oh... The language/culture is absurd right? See eh, let's calm down o. Let patience and understanding rule our life. LISTEN TO ME, I WILL FOREVER AFFIRM THAT JESUS ONLY CALLED GOD "FATHER", AND THAT WE SHOULD CALL HIM THE SAME. But Jesus never denied that God is "Jehovah Jireh", Instead he affirmed that God does provide. He demonstrated this on multiple occasions. AND YET CALLED HIM FATHER. Jesus never denied that God is "Jehovah Nissi", Instead he affirmed that he can protect us.
He demonstrated the same by showing LOVE. Jesus never denied that God is "Jehovah Tsikednu", Instead, throughout the Epistles it is emphasised that God is our RIGHTEOUSNESS. It's not that "Jehovah etc" is wrong. No! They worshipped God according to what they saw him do. They thanked him for being all that to them. And they chose their words rightly though in this case may not be poetic. But now, back to the Yoruba Praises per se.
Hear David.
Psalms 29:4-5 [4]The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
[5]The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon. What? His Voice? Can you imagine? The Yoruba in their ORÍKÌ addressed HIS HAND, HIS CLOTHING.
David here addressed HIS VOICE!
In addition, Psalms 34:15 [15]The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
The Yoruba would say, "Abetílukára bí Ajere" Meaning he's full of Ears, he hears the righteous. The native listener would say, "I'm all ears". Exactly! That's it. I'm sorry, I see people post up and down the Media to discredit the Yoruba ORÍKÌ of God. I say this is wrong. It is Wrong. I know he is only "Father" to us, nothing lesser than that. But in worship too, we can honour God with our words, [culturally inclined words]. The Psalmists did, the Epistles taught what they wrote.
Anybody can chose his words poetically to honour God. The entire Bible itself is a make-up of Literary devices. The Yoruba writer has done his in the honour of God. Let us try and understand what they mean just like we would other poetries we read. Let us appreciate their creactive work in the reverence of God.
And let us be a little patient about stuffs as this, before we realise in the end that we have thrown the baby away with the water by condemning all things. It is not everything that we don't understand that is wrong. I hope this helps someone.
Blessed.
Hagios Akins