Religion and Noise Making: A Reflection on the Religious Sound Space of Kumasi, Ghana

Abstract

Excessive noise beyond certain levels of intensity adversely affects human health and decreases productivity. One would expect that religions such as Christianity and Islam would be spared in the discussion of noise-making. However, there has been a debate regarding the assertion that the liturgies of Christianity and Islam in Ghana, especially in Kumasi, Ashanti Region are becoming noisy instead at an ever-increasing level. This study examined the sources and effects of religious noise among the two major religions in the Kumasi Metropolis. The study discovered that the sources of religious noise in Kumasi include the use of ear-shattering loudspeakers by Christians and their Muslim counterpart during morning and night worship sessions. The paper’s findings indicate that the effects of such noise pollution include sleep disturbances, and the ability to aggravate high blood pressure. The paper advocates the ban on the use of loudspeakers in residential areas, the location of churches in non-residential areas and educating the adherents of these religions on worship decorum. Keywords: Noise, Religious Noise, Joyful Noise