after MONTHS of explanation (check the archives), this statement:

"The focus here isn't on the specific term of "god" but rather the concept of any deity, supreme being, or whatever you wish to call it. "

is an obvious UNIVERSALIZATION. to say that "whatever" traditional afrkans "want to call it" would even ADHERE to the subtle ideas you express in the above phrase in a typical european universalization. do you know what universalization is?

using the words "ANY diety" denotes a commonality among concepts (i won't even get into specific words here) between VERY VERY different ideological systems. to equate or even compare the Yoruba with the Roman pantheon is a disservice to the spiritual system of the Yoruba, for while YOU might see similarities... there are enough differences in abstract concepts so as to not even BEGIN to say the phrase "supreme being". not every system even HAS a concept of a "supreme" being in the first place. for you to say this is to operate from YOUR center and compare and synthesiz something you see closely resembling YOUR concept in another system.

then again you're probably one of the people who say, EVERYONE HAS A CONCEPT OF GOD, even Buddhists (who certainly DON'T). your fusion of these concepts from one tradition to another is known as universalism. one of the first steps to avoid doing so is to LEARN about something from within that system and not from a translated or translitereated standpoint as it seems you are doing. once there, it's STILL hard to operate from the "others" center due to the original perspective you have. to even use the word or apply the concept of "god" (in its abstract sense) to traditional afrikan systems is pitiful. yes, you can find similarities, but that is of use only to the European trying to understand and relate "another" EXTREMELY different system to their own.

iinterestingly enough they're practically the only group that does this. oter systems simply don't try to explain others with respect to their systems. they recognize the differences and are comfortable with it. europeans ALWAYS try to universalize their perspectives and ideas for export upon others.