onetrack: Many atheists have no desire to discuss or debate with theists. Those are the ones you'll never see on the religion section.

However, some atheists are former believers and have some desire to justify their change of positions, even of just to satisfy themselves.

And some atheists, seeing logic and reason as the center of belief, enjoy trying to reason with others just because they enjoy doing so (a hobby, you might say)

And some atheists want to sow the seeds of doubt in the minds of theists so that they will be more tolerant of other religious beliefs and non-beliefs. Like trying to head off extremism before it starts.

And some atheists are actively trying to convert others, like missionaries.

Redoil: GOD is calling them

onetrack: Many atheists have no desire to discuss or debate with theists. Those are the ones you'll never see on the religion section.

However, some atheists are former believers and have some desire to justify their change of positions, even of just to satisfy themselves.

And some atheists, seeing logic and reason as the center of belief, enjoy trying to reason with others just because they enjoy doing so (a hobby, you might say)

And some atheists want to sow the seeds of doubt in the minds of theists so that they will be more tolerant of other religious beliefs and non-beliefs. Like trying to head off extremism before it starts.
And some atheists are actively trying to convert others, like missionaries.

MonsieurCoder:


Splendid post, And believe me, it is working, i can't count how many atheist i have met that got converted through Nairaland, A whole lot of them.

GeneralShepherd: I am an atheist, I dont believe in God because there is no proof and I don't care if you believe in Him.

There is a common perception that there must be “something more” to atheism than simply disbelief in gods because atheists so often debate theists. What’s the point of debating if not to convert someone to some other philosophy or religion? It is, then, fair to ask why atheists get involved in such debates and what they hope to achieve. Does this show that atheism is some sort of philosophy or even a religion?

Let's discuss please!!!

plaetton:

Bros,
I do a lot of introspection, and ask myself that same question everyday.
Am I a bigot, an opinionated hater?

When abroad, I lived with, schooled with, worked and befriended people from every corner of the Earth, with different histories, different cultures and different religions.
At no time, did the beliefs or religions of the people I came into contact with ever become a contentious issue. It never ever mattered and was hardly ever discussed. Religion was only sparingly discussed when my ever curious self would ask people questions about their religion for the purpose of learning.

In an ideal society, the religion of your friend or neighbor should never a problem or concern to you.

However, when I cam back to Nigeria, I was shell-shocked at the level of havoc religion was causing in Nigeria.
I felt( and I am not kidding) as if there had been some kind of mass surgery where portion of the brain had been removed.
Even my grandparents and great grand parents did not match the level of superstition that had engulfed the whole land.

At that time, big churches had taken over closed factories and warehouses, and everyone was shouting Halleluyah!.
As someone who had very solid understanding of economics, I thought everyone, including the leadership , had gone crazy. Where will the prosperity being preached come from?

I said to myself and everyone else cared to listen that Nigeria was in deep deep trouble.
With minds actively involved with the "New magical thinking" in the form of pentecostal revival, the future looked terribly bleak .
I was in my late twenties and this was about 15 years ago.

So, bros, I have predicted, cried and mourned my beloved country as I have sat and watched the wide scale destruction of our national IQ, the widescale descent of reason, the dearth of intelligence and the epidemic of s.t.u.p.idity turns a once promising people into unthinking zombies.

How can anyone ignore religion in Nigeria, especially when a new breed of scoundrels and parasites advertise our gross national lunacy on television every single hour?

I truly wish I can ignore my neighbors turning their houses from one night fellowships to daily fellowships, and finally into full blown churches?
How can I ignore every shade of clowns walking into my office on a busy weekday to preach the word of a god that just conveniently happens to be invisible?

How can I ignore religion while when people meet me, instead asking sensible things about me, they first ask "which Church do you belong to?" .
I beg your pardon sir?
I don't belong, I am a free man.

How can I ignore the irrationality of religion religion when business associates insist on prayer before a business deal is consumated?

Sometimes it takes a trip abroad just to assure me that I am not the insane one.

Do you want to talk about Boko-Haram and their holy blood lusts?

Anyone who is not religious cannot simply look aside and let things be.

I often ask myself whether I am fighting people because of their religious beliefs, or because of the irrationality that they bring to bear on everyone who interacts with them.

I, and I can speak for most Nl atheists fight the irrationality and what it portends for the future if left unchallenged.

GeneralShepherd:

I get your points just like I am reasoning with my mum to let me go to the UK to get an MSC and she is telling to instead to call on Yahweh to help me get a job. I did that one year by the wayy without results. Nigeria is heading nowhere if we continue on this religious lunacy

NativeBoy:

Oh wow. I actually find myself agreeing with atheists. I thought you guys were pure evil. Just joking. The points you and plaetton have raised are very valid. But allow me to say that religion is not the issue. In Nigeria, many have turned it into a business and what many "men of God" teach is a total dependency to the extreme that is actually unscriptural.

Religion is not the issue. But when you combine it with a people whose situation is so desperate and who cannot see a way out of the difficulty of their lives, then you end up with a nation of people without motive to build themselves and therefore translate their hope in God to mean that God will descend from heaven to fix the country's ills. God has given us brains for that purpose. We are the ones that must build the society that we want.

But God has blessed Nigeria in resources and in intellect. My people are some of the most brilliant in the world.

God Bless Nigeria.

NativeBoy:

Oh wow. I actually find myself agreeing with atheists. I thought you guys were pure evil. Just joking. The points you and plaetton have raised are very valid. But allow me to say that religion is not the issue. In Nigeria, many have turned it into a business and what many "men of God" teach is a total dependency to the extreme that is actually unscriptural.

Religion is not the issue. But when you combine it with a people whose situation is so desperate and who cannot see a way out of the difficulty of their lives, then you end up with a nation of people without motive to build themselves and therefore translate their hope in God to mean that God will descend from heaven to fix the country's ills. God has given us brains for that purpose. We are the ones that must build the society that we want.

But God has blessed Nigeria in resources and in intellect. My people are some of the most brilliant in the world.

God Bless Nigeria.

plaetton:

HHHmmm.
For a religious apologist you dissappoint me.
You are actually smart. lol

I agree 75% with everything you have said. ( The ubiquity of religion cannot, however, be ignored in the context of our many national ills)
God/evolution has endowed us with a brain and so we have an obligation to use it to build our world.

Therefore, man is the supreme master of his destiny, for good or for bad.

GeneralShepherd:


I have just one quote to help summarise your post; the hands that help are better than the lips that pray-Ingersol

Evil Brain: Simple, religion is bad for humanity.

By undermining and weakening people's faith; we are reducing the influence of religion on mankind and making the world a better place, one deconversion at a time.

We don't even need to deconvert people. Just making the public more sceptical of religion and the charlatans that promote it goes a long way.

NativeBoy:

I do not believe its either-or. It's both. It is the principle of faith and works the bible teaches. One without the other is death. Unfortunately many of the business men masquerading as pastors in Nigeria don't teach that. Either because they don't know or because it fills their pockets, I cannot say. Both faith and works are needed.

aManFromMars:
Sorry, your BIble says faith, without works, is dead. Not the other way round.

Ajibam: they are bored and lonely without theist.. they cant survive alone.. just like tapeworm and human being,

Alfa Seltzer:

If only they will leave little innocent children alone, don't knock at my door to preach their dead jew, then I won't bother with them. But like cancer, they need to spread.

Ajibam: they are bored and lonely without theist.. they cant survive alone.. just like tapeworm and human being,

GeneralShepherd: I am an atheist, I dont believe in God because there is no proof and I don't care if you believe in Him.

There is a common perception that there must be “something more” to atheism than simply disbelief in gods because atheists so often debate theists. What’s the point of debating if not to convert someone to some other philosophy or religion? It is, then, fair to ask why atheists get involved in such debates and what they hope to achieve. Does this show that atheism is some sort of philosophy or even a religion?

Let's discuss please!!!

Emusan:

What a million question....
Atheist have been helping Jesus to separate the tears from the wheat (those who didn't know their stand in Christianity) and helping those who are weak to be strong.

aManFromMars:
Sorry, your BIble says faith, without works, is dead. Not the other way round.

plaetton:

Bros,
I do a lot of introspection, and ask myself that same question everyday.
Am I a bigot, an opinionated hater?

When abroad, I lived with, schooled with, worked and befriended people from every corner of the Earth, with different histories, different cultures and different religions.
At no time, did the beliefs or religions of the people I came into contact with ever become a contentious issue. It never ever mattered and was hardly ever discussed. Religion was only sparingly discussed when my ever curious self would ask people questions about their religion for the purpose of learning.

In an ideal society, the religion of your friend or neighbor should never be a problem or concern to you.

However, when I cam back to Nigeria, I was shell-shocked at the level of havoc religion was causing in Nigeria.
I felt( and I am not kidding) as if there had been some kind of mass surgery where critical portions of the brain had been removed, mass lobotomy of sorts.
Even my grandparents and great grand parents did not match the level of superstition that had engulfed the whole land.

At that time, big churches had taken over closed factories and warehouses, and everyone was shouting Halleluyah!.
As someone who had very solid understanding of the principles of economics, I thought everyone, including the leadership , had gone crazy. Where will the prosperity being preached come from?

I said to myself and everyone else cared to listen that Nigeria was in deep deep trouble.
With minds actively involved with the "New magical thinking" in the form of pentecostal revival, the future looked terribly bleak .
I was in my late twenties and this was about 15 years ago.

So, bros, I have predicted, cried and mourned my beloved country as I have sat and watched the wide scale destruction of our national IQ, the widescale descent of reason, the dearth of intelligence and the epidemic of s.t.u.p.idity turn a once promising people into unthinking zombies.

How can anyone ignore religion in Nigeria, especially when a new breed of scoundrels and parasites advertise our gross national lunacy on television every single hour?

I truly wish I can ignore my neighbors turning their houses from one night fellowships to daily fellowships, and finally into full blown churches?
How can I ignore every shade of clowns walking into my office on a busy weekday to preach the word of a god that just conveniently happens to be invisible?

How can I ignore religion while when people meet me, instead asking sensible things about me, they first ask "which Church do you belong to?" .
I beg your pardon sir?
I don't belong, I am a free man.

How can I ignore the irrationality of religion religion when business associates insist on prayer before a business deal is consumated?

Sometimes it takes a trip abroad just to assure me that I am not the insane one.

Do you want to talk about Boko-Haram and their holy blood lusts?

Anyone who is not religious cannot simply look aside and let things be.

I often ask myself whether I am fighting people because of their religious beliefs, or because of the irrationality that they bring to bear on everyone who interacts with them.

I, and I can speak for most Nl atheists fight the irrationality and what it portends for the future if left unchallenged.

scarred9jan:

Word, bro, word.. Am exactly on the same boat with you.. The irrationality (coined) and havoc religion is causing in these climes is mindblowing.