The presence and influence of religions are strongest wherever there is hardship, poverty and misery. Can this be said to be accurate? I have heard it said that prosperity kills religious faith amongst the populace, thus killing religions themselves. Any comment on this?

i would concur with this statement in regards to the case of black slaves in america. they had nothing to turn to for solace during their enslavement but religion; and unfortunately it was the same religion of the racist white man who considered them sub-human. another typical/modern-day example is today's nigeria

Church leaders have been heard saying that prosperity will only turn people away from "God", or maybe that should translated to, "Prosperity will turn people away from religion(the church)". This can be taken to infer that the church leaders definitely do not want folks to prosper in order to keep them permanently attached to them, so that they can keep giving them false hopes in their misery, and at the same time, keep feeding off of them. A great racket.

Wait a minute. Seun pls. create a section for athiest or un-religious, evolutionist. So that monkey, baboon, etc. can be relating on when and how they will be like 'athiest'. Cant you see that thier IQ is very high that they cant even locate thier section. Common 'advance monkies' back off. This is danger zone for 'wild animals'. Allow people with religion to discuss thier'myth'.

Rhino.3dm:

Wait a minute. Seun pls. create a section for athiest or un-religious, evolutionist. So that monkey, baboon, etc. can be relating on when and how they will be like 'athiest'. Cant you see that thier IQ is very high that they cant even locate thier section. Common 'advance monkies' back off. This is danger zone for 'wild animals'. Allow people with religion to discuss thier'myth'.

Clearly that's a very Christian attitude you have Rhino.

@Poster. You dont need to look too far before you see that the contrary is the case. You just need to look at the church in Nigeria. The bible makes us to know that the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. It is not true that prosperity kills faith and religion. People like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were very rich in material things yet also very rich in their faith in God. Maybe you should have seen at as, the poor moving close to God, as a source of solace and seeing Him as being able to change their situation.

geek:

Clearly that's a very Christian attitude you have Rhino.

By their fruits you shall know them.

Most Nigeria religious leaders are thieves from devil's den.they feed on pple's ignorance.they leave even larger than Jesus Christ.they ride limousines fly jet while their followers wallow in poverty. participate in politics of this world.most people are ignoramus

Haven't you heard? religion is the opium of the people. the sob of the oppressed!

Religion is not a human being it is more or less a system of achieving nearness to God. coming to subject remember the saying Guns do not kill people:people kill people. the same thing is applicable to religion it is usaully it adherantss that kill or harm people or themselves in some cases religion might be blamed, but most cases people are to blame.
note the folowing
Plateau crisis has economic, political and other causes not mainly religion. that is the battle is mainly for material; possesion and not because of religion
The arab-isreali crisis is all due to land
the Iraq war is because of oil(economic reasons)
The Osama bin laden war is very political( he called Americans to stop surpooting their puppets in the middle east.
The fact that people stuggle for things and neglect sane teachings of their religion.
Remember the rwanda Genocide is again premise on Politico-ethnic revalry remember the combantants were mainly Christains but they fought each other because of material things.
In other words People are to be blamed for missery because they are usually selfish and greedy.

I also share Karl Marx's sentiment that religion is indeed "the opiate of the masses."  This is evident in religious over-zealousness practiced in Nigeria. The emphases of the prosperity preachers focus disproportionately on tithing, praying for financial breakthrough, and seeking the kingdom of God while the naive followers remain in abject poverty regardless.

I wish I was in position to help lots of exploited folks realize that while prayer and faith in God is beneficial, the power/gift to find prosperity is already within us - hard-work, resilience, and your God-given brains!!!!

several people die EVERYDAY in the name of religion. can anyone please mention one thing man has gained from religion? rather than gaining, humanity keeps losing. , SHAME

@ geek,dolemite & co.
C'mon 'failed christains', am devoted a professional muslim. Check my previous post. Infact i always try to be umbaisly resonable and passionate about issue like this. I once disagre with the issue of pastor tb jashua miracle, cos its defies my normal christain perception. But then, dats my personal idea and opinion. I wonder wat make you pple always have the notion of jumping in to onclusion. Wat vexes me is this religion 'sentimental bashing' from those that believe in darwins more than God!. Stick to your athiesm and allowed 'religion folks to amend thier differences'. FYI i will only be stunt and surprise if everybody believe in God cos thir will be no wisdon in creating Hell fire in the first place. Think about it brother.

jarkbauer:

Most Nigeria religious leaders are thieves from devil's den.they feed on pple's ignorance.they leave even larger than Jesus Christ.they ride limousines fly jet while their followers wallow in poverty. participate in politics of this world.most people are ignoramus

Do not judge so that thou shall not be judged, be careful what u say about Men of God, u could be landing a curse on yourself

Naturally!
I think humanity itself is defined by misery or the absence of it.
It is the centre point of our existence.
So it will be difficult to have a world without religion except of course you ensure collective prosperity.

Religions as constituted in present day most definitely feed of misery.The countries with the best indices are the least religious,try the Scandinavia!

ALL religions were created out of the fear of the many and the cleverness of a few. . . .

mazaje:

ALL religions were created out of the fear of the many and the cleverness of a few. . . .

On point.

@ Jenwitemi : very appropriate that jesus was born in a manger, son of an ethereal capentar named Joseph and poor, jobless, untrained and perhaps untrainable Mary. That is why followers are told to strive and be like jesus while the pastor feeds fat off of the congregation (remember 'mo fe k'in d'abi jesu,  '). The same goes for Islam, and whatever other religion you want to mention. Asceticism is for the 'god-head' and its followers, certainly not for those who charge themselves with the task of propagating the 'god-head'.

Just wondering.

Religion does three things quite effectively: divides people, controls people, and deludes people. (Carlespie McKinney)

We need not look beyond our (Africans) history to figure out why. Africans have always been the most religious and spiritual people in this world, yet the Europeans and Arabs continue to benefit the most from the very existence of Christianity and Islam.  When are we going to open our eyes to this fact?

Spirituality and Religion are two different things.  To the African, the two are almost inseparable, because we Africans have always been spiritual people,  long before any foreign religion was introduced. The concept of spirituality constituted the main strength to the African way of life.It is a concept deeply rooted into our cultures, traditions, and the religions of our ancestors, hence when the Europeans and Arabs introduced theirs to Africans, we immediate gave it a spiritual attachment. However, unknown to us, spirituality was not a concept well understood nor practiced by other non-African cultures.

Our main strength  (i.e spirituality) turned out to be our weakness; it didn't take too long for the missionaries to find out. So, as they gained more and more spiritual converts, their religions immediately turned into a tool for control, conquest and exploitation of the African people, they just could not help it. With abundant "blessings" from churches and mosques across Europe and Arabia respectively, African culture was targeted for destruction, Africans (converts inclusive) were sold into slavery, Genocided (my term),  despoiled, land pillaged, Holocaust-ed (100s times worse than the Jewish holocaust) ,  colonized and so many inhuman atrocities were committed against  Africans. When Christianity and Islam have finished serving their( Europeans and Arabs) purpose, they'll discard them. This is already happening in Western countries, and Arabs countries would soon follow suit.


Today, Africans are the most dominated , miserable and yet religious/spiritual people on this planet.  Like I said, our strength is indeed our greatest weakness.  The  European and Arab missionaries have long passed the religious "leadership torch"  unto our African brethens  most of who understand and know how to play the game very well. They'll continue to make fortunes from exploiting their already miserable and unsuspecting people.

@poster and maple.you have said it all.let me add:religion is the opiom of the masses!
Those who don't pray for Jehovah to open their eyes in all religion will be escorted to hell or eternal damnation in grand style.
Those who have eyes,let them see.those who have ears,let them hear.

Maple:

We need not look beyond our (Africans) history to figure out why. Africans have always been the most religious and spiritual people in this world, yet the Europeans and Arabs continue to benefit the most from the very existence of Christianity and Islam.  When are we going to open our eyes to this fact?

Spirituality and Religion are two different things.  To the African, the two are almost inseparable, because we Africans have always been spiritual people,  long before any foreign religion was introduced. The concept of spirituality constituted the main strength to the African way of life.It is a concept deeply rooted into our cultures, traditions, and the religions of our ancestors, hence when the Europeans and Arabs introduced theirs to Africans, we immediate gave it a spiritual attachment. However, unknown to us, spirituality was not a concept well understood nor practiced by other non-African cultures.

Our main strength  (i.e spirituality) turned out to be our weakness; it didn't take too long for the missionaries to find out. So, as they gained more and more spiritual converts, their religions immediately turned into a tool for control, conquest and exploitation of the African people, they just could not help it. With abundant "blessings" from churches and mosques across Europe and Arabia respectively, African culture was targeted for destruction, Africans (converts inclusive) were sold into slavery, Genocided (my term),  despoiled, land pillaged, Holocaust-ed (100s times worse than the Jewish holocaust) ,  colonized and so many inhuman atrocities were committed against  Africans. When Christianity and Islam have finished serving their( Europeans and Arabs) purpose, they'll discard them. This is already happening in Western countries, and Arabs countries would soon follow suit.


Today, Africans are the most dominated , miserable and yet religious/spiritual people on this planet.  Like I said, our strength is indeed our greatest weakness.  The  religious "leadership torch"  has long been passed down to our African brethens  most of who understand and know how to play the game very well. They'll continue to make fortunes from exploiting their already miserable and unsuspecting people.

I think when you mention "spirituality" in regards to Africans you actually mean SUPERSTITUTION

No, i think spirituality was meant. This can be observed through the sheer depth of african phylosophy and their worldview on how reality works. That comes from true spiritality and not superstition.

Mudley313:


I think when you mention "spirituality" in regards to Africans you actually mean SUPERSTITUTION

Mudley313:


I think when you mention "spirituality" in regards to Africans you actually mean SUPERSTITUTION

This na true talk. . . .

I think when you mention "spirituality" in regards to Africans you actually mean SUPERSTITUTION

@Mudley313

Nope! however, your comment raised a very important point which need to be addressed as well.

No person goes to convert  an "alien" people to his/her religion by accepting any rationality in the beliefs of the "alien" people.  To the Europeans/Arabs our indigenous spiritual/religious beliefs are simply "barbaric", "in-human", "uncivilized","superstitious", "demonic", "satanic" and so on, even though their religious beliefs had its very root in Africa's spiritual beliefs - oh yes, the very belief in the existence and worship of one God who is Supreme (monotheism) was started by an Egyptian pharaoh(Amenhotep IV) long before any "Abrahamic Religion" ever existed.

The wikipedia defines Spirituality as: [b]Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or immaterial reality;[1]  an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of their being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.”[2]  Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer  and contemplation, are intended to develop an individual's inner life; such practices often lead to an experience of connectedness with a larger reality, yielding a more comprehensive self; with other individuals or the human community; with nature or the cosmos; or with the divine realm.[3]  Spirituality is often experienced as a source of inspiration or orientation in life.[4]  It can encompass belief in immaterial realities or experiences of the immanent or transcendent nature of the world.[/b]Whenever I mention  SPIRITUALITY in regards to Africans, I actually refer to it in the true sense of its defined meaning.

The word Superstition is defined in dictionary.com as: irrational  fear  of  what  is  unknown  or  mysterious,  esp.  in  connection  with  religion.  [/b]In answers.com, it is define as: [b]An irrational belief that an object, action, or circumstance not logically related to a course of events influences its outcome. Now, whether a certain belief is irrational or rational is a matter of interpretation. Like I said, you cant succeed in selling your beliefs to "prospective clients" if you accept any rationalization in the continued existence of their beliefs, hence it becomes convenient to pass theirs as "superstitions".  Thus, what  you labeled as superstition, may not be considered as such by others, and vice-versa.  Unfortunately, the Europeans/Arabs apparently did their job very well, if anything, you've again reminded us of this absolute fact. For many centuries, they've been slapping the "superstition" label on the spiritual/religious beliefs of our ancestors, so-much-so, that anything related to our spiritual beliefs has become synonymous with "superstition".

And come to talk of superstition, If you think outside of the the box, it becomes obvious how Christianity and Islam are ridden with superstitions. Pls, do not get indignant, get smart!

baconline:

be careful what u say about Men of God, u could be landing a curse on yourself

Dat S+%* dont scare us no more. Why would I be cursed? for telling the truth? Bull S*&#. Those are some of the lines the so callled MOGs use to further enslave people. Jesus christ himself warned us of such a time as this when people would use his name to lead others astray. He asked his foloowers to be watchfull and to be careful, not accepting everything any religious leader says. By their fruits U will know them. We aint blind thank u.

We shall know the truth of so call religion if we can battle the fear in us , some people have turn their pastors as demigod before you speak they will tell you that you should fear the wrath of God, wow and they will say God love you some much then if the God love me why would he en-wrath me when he loves me b,cos i say the truth and he has given me the free will to speak my mind or are they telling me that God is tyrant ruler which is not . this too goes to the Muslims when they afraid of their imam to the extent that they do not reason of ask question from their imam what ever he says is the final then from there you become ZOMBIE . look DO NOT FEAR SO CALLED MEN OF GOD B,COS YOU TOO YOU ARE MEN OF GOD or are you created by Satan?

Rhino.3dm:

Wait a minute. Seun pls. create a section for athiest or un-religious, evolutionist. So that monkey, baboon, etc. can be relating on when and how they will be like 'athiest'. Cant you see that thier IQ is very high that they cant even locate thier section. Common 'advance monkies' back off. This is danger zone for 'wild animals'. Allow people with religion to discuss thier'myth'.

how nice

Maple:

@Mudley313

Nope! however, your comment raised a very important point which need to be addressed as well.


And come to talk of superstition, If you think outside of the the box, it becomes obvious how Christianity and Islam are ridden with superstitions. Pls, do not get indignant, get smart!

Christianity and Islam is as based on belief in the superstitous as native african beliefs; the europeans were just smarter. the belief that a talking snake deceived the the first humans to eat some magic fruit which now bears a curse on all humanity is as superstitous as the belief in the olodumare mythology or the moon bowing down to muhammed; nothing spiritual bout all that bullcrap

Rhino.3dm:

Wait a minute. Seun pls. create a section for athiest or un-religious, evolutionist. So that monkey, baboon, etc. can be relating on when and how they will be like 'athiest'. Cant you see that thier IQ is very high that they cant even locate thier section. Common 'advance monkies' back off. This is danger zone for 'wild animals'. Allow people with religion to discuss thier'myth'.

and that is the best response you can come up with?, so much for being a Christian ya?

arguments so far have been based on facts and well constructive write ups. do yourself a favor and think up something interesting.

oh wait, u only say what your RICH pastors tell u pity

I knew this topic will not elude Seun and his boys.
@ poster. say wat u may about religion, man cannot do witout a spiritual connection to divinity cos man IS a spirit.