I stopped believing in religion and the whole god thing 15yrs ago when I was only 16yrs and had alot of issues with parent and family just because of my belief that my parent even threaten to kick me out his house just because I stopped going to church. People said I was still young and would soon change as I grow older then but they forgot I was once religious and tried making sense from what is in the bible and what I'm thought in the church from an objective point of view, but discovered they were all farce and just didnt click in anyway.
Left for me, I think religion is the biggest fraud and deceit in the existence of mankind and the europeans that brought religion to us in Africa, doesnt believe in all the bible story any more and practically 80-90% of them dont believe in god or even go to church.
We are very backward in Africa because we all waiting for god to come down from heaven and do something spirirual in our life to succeed because religion have locked our mind.
Timmy2409, I'll say you are on the best track at making something good out of your life because non believers have a more realistic approach towards life and are more likely to succeed in anything they do because they prepare properly and dont hope on divine intervention. And mind you, any body can die so dont let the threat of god taking your life to affect you in any way cos its all bulshit and doesnt ever work. Even the so call men of god dies so what the big deal about death.
The whole god theory revolves round either head or tail, god wins in the sense that if you sleep and wake up the next day, they will say god loves you that is why he gave you another day. But if a loved one doesnt wake up, they'll say god knows the best not that god doesnt love him/her. So there is always an explaination to give and delude people's mind as most Africans dont want to reason with their brain from an objective point of view and make realistic decision.
So just be who you are and live your life the way that suits you best provided you do good to your fellow man and you dont allow you actions to affect others negatively and also obey the laws of the land you find yourself.

DapoBear:

^--- I feel you, man. It isn't an easy situation. And maybe if I were in his shoes I'd do what he is doing. Just not sure it is the "right" thing to do, you know?

Oh well, hopefully things work out well for him.

You cannot eat your cake and have it. He does need to be upfront with his folks and tell them what is bothering him.
TIMMY2409 IT IS YOUR DUTY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO TELL THEM EXACTLY WHAT IS BOTHERING YOU.
As for the advice of some atheists here that he should effectively pretend to be a Christian how exactly does that one work? God is not mocked so expect this deception to be unmasked sooner rather than later
Anyway make no mistake the moment he starts defrauding and lying to his folks about his faith he is finished as their son, finished as a student and would open himself to all kinds of unpleasant attacks.

I am currently a college student in the US and my parents, especially my dad, have been really paranoid, afraid something would ‘destroy my life’ here.

Whenever we speak on phone, all they ever want to know is how much I read my bible and pray. I don't believe in God, but I usually go to church with my cousin to ‘socialize’; one day she wasn’t around to take me, so I stayed home. When my dad called that day and I told him I didn’t go to church, he flipped his lid, scolding me for being able to make my way to school but not to church (to think that before I left Nigeria, he told me the ONLY reason I was going to the states was to study). He afterwards threatened to bring me back to Nigeria (he still does almost every time we speak).

The thing is even while I was in Nigeria, I had a girlfriend whom I constantly made out with (in other words, I was a ‘sinner’); my dad knew about it, but never talked about it to me. Why is it now so much of a bother to them if I do or don’t believe in God or act like I do?

Anyways, whenever we talk on the phone, they deem it necessary to give me thirty minute sermons and I just want to scream at them telling them to leave me the bleep alone. I'm very bad at pretending and that kind of talk drives me real close to insanity.

I feel if I tell them I don’t believe in God, they would stop preaching to me and criticizing every single thing I do and spend more time praying for me. On the other hand, my dad might actually fulfill his threat and bring me back to Nigeria to study (like it would make any difference to what I believe or choose not to believe in). So now I’m wondering should I tell them or not?

P.S. I'm just 18, if that makes any difference.

I'm agnostic as well. But let me give you a simple advice. Feel free to think whichever way you want to in your head but be hesitant to speak. There is absolutely no reason your parents need to know you don't believe in God. They will never understand. Just play the role they want you to, while reserving the right to your thoughts.  There is a chapter in 48 laws of power about this. Go read it.

Genius100:

I'm agnostic as well. But let me give you a simple advice. Feel free to think whichever way you want to in your head but be hesitant to speak. There is absolutely no reason your parents need to know you don't believe in God. They will never understand. Just play the role they want you to, while reserving the right to your thoughts. There is a chapter in 48 laws of power about this. Go read it.

You are an agnostic but what exactly does that mean. HOWEVER REST ASSURED THAT there is no way his parents will not find out about his duplicity especially as he is still bent on collecting money from them. NOTHING IS HIDDEN FROM THE SIGHT OF GOD, THUS YOU WOULD EXPECT HIS PARENTS TO SUSS HIM OUT.
In fact that act OF DECEIT could lead to the termination of his studentship in one way or another.

tensor777:

You are an agnostic but what exactly does that mean. HOWEVER REST ASSURED THAT there is no way his parents will not find out about his duplicity especially as he is still bent on collecting money from them. NOTHING IS HIDDEN FROM THE SIGHT OF GOD, THUS YOU WOULD EXPECT HIS PARENTS TO SUSS HIM OUT.
In fact that act OF DECEIT could lead to the termination of his studentship in one way or another.

Being agnostic mean you don't know if God exists or not. Even if nothing is hidden from the sight of God, will God tell his parents? How come God has not told my parents all these years? Abeg, go siddon, my guy.

I don't know whether your situation is the same as the OP'S own and I don't know why you choose to deceive your parents on such a fundamental issue instead of laying your doubts in the open.
You know he is still being sponsored by his parents and is even doing a course he does not like just to please his parents.
A chacun son gout!

@Poster

The best advice so far was from Seun. Just play along with your people until you are independent. Atheism is still uncomprehensible to a lot of people who have the concept of religion forced down their throats from childhood.

True like experiences have taught me (the hard way) that the best way to prove a point is to live by example. The way you live your life will open up their eyes to see if you are on the "right track" or not.

Nuff said!

I will rather live my life as if there is a God,die and later find out there isn't.Than live my life as if there is no God and later find out there is actual is,

johnsonpal:

I will rather live my life as if there is a God,die and later find out there isn't.Than live my life as if there is no God and later find out there is actual is,

Words of wisdom there. Its as if one man says to his friend there a ball game going on downtown. Its free but lets carry some ID to be sure. The friend says to hell with it, I'll leave my ID at home. Guess who is locked out when it turns out they are in fact checking ID

OP, it is very important for you to believe in GOD, because if you dont then you automatically believe in Lucifer (the devil) even without you knowing. You will find out the reason later in life, there is a lot of spiritual energy surrounding everybody (good/evil). If you get caught up in evil spiritual energy, then you will understand why you must believe in GOD.

It is very important to point out here that going to church,mosque or any religious centres/places has nothing to do with believing in GOD. You can believe in GOD and not have to attend any of those centres/places. A philosopher once mentioned that religion is the opium of the people and its not more than that. AN OPIUM.

But GOD (Divine Trinity) is the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and Omega, the Source of All LIfe. HE is UNSUBSTANTIATE which cannot be understood by man. Man must just accept to himself that GOD exist.

Brai777:

OP, it is very important for you to believe in GOD, because if you dont then you automatically believe in Lucifer (the devil) even without you knowing. You will find out the reason later in life, there is a lot of spiritual energy surrounding everybody (good/evil). If you get caught up in evil spiritual energy, then you will understand why you must believe in GOD.

It is very important to point out here that going to church,mosque or any religious centres/places has nothing to do with believing in GOD. You can believe in GOD and not have to attend any of those centres/places. A philosopher once mentioned that religion is the opium of the people and its not more than that. AN OPIUM.

But GOD (Divine Trinity) is the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and Omega, the Source of All LIfe. HE is UNSUBSTANTIATE which cannot be understood by man. Man must just accept to himself that GOD exist.

And why is it important that he believes in god? State your reasons why he must believe in a god of which NO ONE ON EARTH can provide any concrete empirical proof of it's existence except what they have been brainwashed with from childhood.

State your reasons why he should believe in a bible that has been manipulated,re-edited and finally endorsed by a pagan king (King James) who was neither religious neither did he believe in the bible.

State your reasons why he should believe in a god that was introduced to Africans by the colonialists as a means of controlling the will of the people and at the same time, carrying away our people as slaves, bring guns and alcohol and finally. . .the same colonialists no longer believe in the doctrine they sold to us as much as we do.

State your reasons why he should believe in a god that encourages incest,slavery,mass genocide and ethnic cleansing.

State your reasons why he should believe in a god that only represents the interests of the Israelites (old testament) and the Greeks (new testament).

State your reasons why he should believe in a god that so many of our people have so much faith in and yet in spite of the fact that our country easily passes as the most religious in the world. . .there remains so much wickedness in the land.

State your reasons and keep off the cheap shot comments.

Brai777:

OP, it is very important for you to believe in GOD, because if you dont then you automatically believe in Lucifer (the devil) even without you knowing. You will find out the reason later in life, there is a lot of spiritual energy surrounding everybody (good/evil). If you get caught up in evil spiritual energy, then you will understand why you must believe in GOD.

It is very important to point out here that going to church,mosque or any religious centres/places has nothing to do with believing in GOD. You can believe in GOD and not have to attend any of those centres/places. A philosopher once mentioned that religion is the opium of the people and its not more than that. AN OPIUM.

But GOD (Divine Trinity) is the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and Omega, the Source of All LIfe. [b]HE is UNSUBSTANTIATE which cannot be understood by man. Man must just accept to himself that GOD exist. [/b]

@first bolded

What's concrete proof can you bring to the table to back up that outrageous statement? Is it from a storybook called the bible that has virtually zero credibility? A book that was written by human hands and printed in a press? A book that was introduced to your forefathers by a slave trader who claimed that was his god and because of your forefathers didn't know any better, they swallowed it all hook, line and sinker? Time and tide has shown that the nations caught up in religious beliefs remain the most unstable and most violent in the world today. You really need to re-educate yourself on what you think you're worshiping. Education is not just about bagging degrees here and there. It's a phase that continues through out life. Nigeria is a typical example of how destructive religion is. Look at what's happening in north. The Christian leaders in an article i read today are already urging the Christians in the north to "defend" themselves. What will be the end result? Chaos and Anarchy! Remove the element of religion and see how this country will supersede Dubai in the next 20 years. There is hardly any street in Lagos without at least one church plus fellowships. My former residence had 4 churches in a street of less than 20 houses! ! ! Imagine the embarrassment. In spite of all the abundance of religion, where are we today? Hardened criminals murder people on a daily basis and when they are caught and arrested, they blame the devil and beg god for forgiveness. Leaders loot billions on a daily basis and when Nigerians complain, they tell the masses to pray to their god for the sanctity of the nation. Go to European countries that are predominantly atheist e.g Finland and Sweden and you can NEVER in the next 500 years compare their high level of morals/ethics/tolerance with Nigeria. Even animals/pets enjoy more human rights over there than the average Nigerian. So much for religion. What a joke! ! !

@second bolded

When Karl Maxx made that statement, he was referring to the influence religion had over the will of the people. On a serious note, you really need to study the works of these timeless philosophers before you come here quoting out of context. The same Karl Maxx also made another statement and i'll quote :

Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich! ! !

Add this and the former quote together and the end result is not far fetched. Religion has and always has been a strong tool of seizing the mind and will of the masses. When you have the will of the people in your hand, you have the strongest weapon in the world which isn't the nuclear bomb but DEDICATION! Dedication is the force that will make a 16 year old boy who hasn't enjoyed anything in life to attach bombs to his body and blow himself up. Dedication is the force that will make a family man with four children hurry to church with his January salary to give to pastor in the name of first fruits whereas his close relative who really needs the money is wasting away and dying in the hospital. So much for religion!

@third bolded

You say he cannot be understood by man. If that is true,then why do so called Christians like you claim to "know him and have a personal relationship with him"? Do you see how hypocritically cheap and naive you come across? How can you claim to know and love something you have no understanding about?

I can go on and on against my better judgement but i know it's pointless. One thing i want you know is : the people who are atheist today are mostly people who were once religious. What differentiates them from people like you is that they had the guts to question the anomalies of their religion, ask questions that most people are scared to ask, delved deep into the origins of their religion and in the end, they found out it was all a sham and took a decision. It's one thing for you to lie to the whole world but the moment you start lying to yourself, you need to be checked into a mental institution. Like someone said earlier, NOT EVERYONE HAS THE ABILITY TO LIE TO THEMSELVES! ! !

Nuff said!