i have in the past few years come in contact with atheists and we always get into an argument for hours which i find very interesting... i always tend to get in their hairs lol
i know that atheism has really gotten big on us here in Nigeria but i can sense that it is growing fast in our minds as social media is becoming more incorporated into our lives
please read the the post below and lets discuss, thanx
http://theutopianexpress..com/2013/05/a-letter-to-my-atheist-friends.html

Not to be taken seriously. Posted article was a rant against atheists.

well, not necessarily a rant against atheist, did you read the article?? i did then you will see that its a call for RESPECT between all parties... religion is a very sensitive topic and some atheist dont care how the next man feels when his religion is being attacked... i suggest you read the article again uyi iredia.. thanx

Uyi Iredia: Not to be taken seriously. Posted article was a rant against atheists.

...and how is it a rant against Atheists?

it is worth its weight in e-paper.. Not! i often wonder why similar posts aimed at mockery do not even try to be serious at it

striktlymi:

...and how is it a rant against Atheists?

Asks rhetoric questions for the most part. Makes point without giving reasons for them.

Uyi Iredia:

Asks rhetoric questions for the most part. Makes point without giving reasons for them.

I don't think asking rhetorical questions qualifies as "a rant against Atheists" and really did he not give some reasons for some of his points? Below is the article again...maybe I am missing something...

Atheists, they should learn to stop taking shots at religion and beliefs if they really want to make any sense or be heard.... hammering that a thing is bad doesnt mean i would stop it but i sure will when i finally realize that it makes no sense and it sure can harm me thats 'choice'....i will take atheist more seriously the day they can show me that atheism can actually make the world a better place!... how can i tell the difference between an atheist and a believer when they both act the same way? both can be good and evil in the same light. What exactly do atheist want?? you want recognition? you want freedom which you already have? half of the atheists i know are very arrogant and feel they know it all and have all the answers.. if we truly understand life and its complexities my atheist friends wont have to be so agressive about identifying themselves as atheists... you should not have to tattoo 'atheist' across your forehead so i can treat you differently, everybody gets equal treatment from me and thats the way it should be. arent there atheist who are in support of homosexuality just as there are christians who are?? but my atheist friends say that logic and reasoning is everything but they sure dont represent that the whole length, i wish you would all relax and try and see the world from outside the box. Are these religions so evil?? you ask yourselves why people act the way they do, do you understand the concept of 'choice'?. Nobody really is mad that your an atheist, just live your life in the best possible and positive way that you can and maybe, just maybe the world will change. Dont be so quick to blame religion for all the ills of the world, doing that further makes you guys look like you dont even know what you feel, honestly. ... how then are we different in the end? yall should relax and enjoy whats left of this world
peace!

Atheists, they should learn to stop taking shots at religion and beliefs if they really want to make any sense or be heard....

The believers need to learn to stop shooting first. My ripostes would be narrowed to the Nigerian context.

hammering that a thing is bad doesnt mean i would stop it but i sure will when i finally realize that it makes no sense and it sure can harm me thats 'choice'

Honestly, I'm not bothered or concerned with how you run you daily life. Just realize there's a world out there that doesn't believe in your God. So if HE thinks, for example, homosexuality is evil, please keep your home sacred. Don't tell us 'GOD said it's evil' when you can't provide evidence for the 'GOD' that said it.
In Nigeria, people have tortured kids mentally and physically because of one allegation of witchcraft or the other. These kids are mostly defenseless and are left to face traumatic experiences, all in the name of God. When atheists (and even theists) make efforts to protect these kids, it's inevitable that the religion/religious beliefs of the individual or the groups responsible would be held under scrutiny too.

....i will take atheist more seriously the day they can show me that atheism can actually make the world a better place!...

I personally doubt atheism, especially in Nigerian, is the golden ticket to advancement and development. But a people without aversion to science and the glorious results it has delivered to mankind would sure help. It would provide alternative answers to the questions of life, different from those currently proffered by most religious institutions. Religion in Nigeria especially, is in a terrible state. Increased 'attacks' from vocal atheists may help it realize the need for reformation.

how can i tell the difference between an atheist and a believer when they both act the same way? both can be good and evil in the same light

Not every believe in Nigeria believes this. Some believe we're first class passengers to hell. Others equate atheism to homosexuality. And the "strict" christian would tell you no atheist can ever be good. When they do good, it's the DEVIL using them to deceive others.

What exactly do atheist want?? you want recognition? you want freedom which you already have?

For me, I'd like a Nigeria where we do not ascribe failure to 'spiritual attacks' or disasters as 'God's will'. Our politicians have used that for too long. It's kind of a free pass. Blame God or Satan, and ask the people to pray.
This kind of thinking is impeding our collective development. We're all we need to move ahead. Less superstitions, more brain work.

half of the atheists i know are very arrogant and feel they know it all and have all the answers..

I agree. A few atheists do act that way. They aren't much different from the Christians who believe that the Bible has more answers to the world's problems than Google. lol.

if we truly understand life and its complexities my atheist friends wont have to be so agressive about identifying themselves as atheists.you should not have to tattoo 'atheist' across your forehead so i can treat you differently, everybody gets equal treatment from me and thats the way it should be

Lol. I'm forced to pause and wonder what kind of atheists you've been hanging around. Those with 'fresh fire', in christian parlance.

arent there atheist who are in support of homosexuality just as there are christians who are?? but my atheist friends say that logic and reasoning is everything but they sure dont represent that the whole length, i wish you would all relax and try and see the world from outside the box

The religious in Nigeria would do well to take the bold to heart (see the world from outside the BOOK).

Are these religions so evil?? you ask yourselves why people act the way they do, do you understand the concept of 'choice'?

Hmmm.... No comment.

Nobody really is mad that your an atheist, just live your life in the best possible and positive way that you can and maybe, just maybe the world will change

Amen.

Dont be so quick to blame religion for all the ills of the world, doing that further makes you guys look like you dont even know what you feel, honestly. ... how then are we different in the end? yall should relax and enjoy whats left of this world
peace!

More peace to you..

atheism is pop culture, thats just it for most of these people who call themselves atheist, its fashion for most of them, all they know is "there is no God" thats where it ends, its easier to an atheist, people will look at you as smart person but really, are you that smart?. there are people who will in the name of anything do evil. that one apple is bad does not mean you burn down the whole farm. WILL ATHEISM MAKE HUMANS OR THE WORLD PERFECT IF YOUR ANSWER IS NO, THEN THERE REALLY IS NO POINT saying that religion is useless.

HAVE YOU SO EASILY FORGOTTEN THAT RELIGION HAS SHAPED YOUR LIFE IN ONE WAY OR THE OTHER? IF RELIGION WAS SO EVIL THEN YOU WILL NOT BE HERE ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS AND REASONING LIKE YOU HAVE A BRAIN.. YOU HAVE TO FIRST UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE LOOK FOR THAT GOD, A PERSON WHO APPRECIATES AND SEES THIS WORLD WITH HIS MIND WILL UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE SUPERNATURAL FORCES REGARDLESS OF THE NAMES THAT SCIENCE CALLS THEM.

muskeeto it surprises me when i meet nigerians who are atheist, it strikes me that they live in this part of the world and have nt seen weird stuff.. have you tried to hunt for the truth have traveled around the country in search of answers were you born an atheist?? did your folks damage you psychologically im sitting here typing this words and i can tell you that i havent stepped into a church for over 3yrs but its not because my beleif is shakky, im just trying to see the world from another point of view, outside the church and you know what, its the same! there is evil everywhere... i am not the type who will easily attach problems to spiritual meanings as i am quite a bit of a science minded person, that has helped me to classify the things that ive experienced... you should go out and search, when you see evil, you will at least be sure that theres a good somewhere if this world is not awesome enough for you to see that there are forces behind its existence.....

theutopianex: muskeeto it surprises me when i meet nigerians who are atheist, it strikes me that they live in this part of the world and have nt seen weird stuff.. have you tried to hunt for the truth have traveled around the country in search of answers were you born an atheist?? did your folks damage you psychologically im sitting here typing this words and i can tell you that i havent stepped into a church for over 3yrs but its not because my beleif is shakky, im just trying to see the world from another point of view, outside the church and you know what, its the same! there is evil everywhere... i am not the type who will easily attach problems to spiritual meanings as i am quite a bit of a science minded person, that has helped me to classify the things that ive experienced... you should go out and search, when you see evil, you will at least be sure that theres a good somewhere if this world is not awesome enough for you to see that there are forces behind its existence.....

What weird stuff have you seen? If feel you have some evidence of supernatural occurrences, show us and lets discuss it.

And why would you think muskeeto was "psychologically" damaged just because he has rejected superstition and embraced logic?

please do not blame the fact that you had religious parents who acted evil and made you go through terrible things as a kid, i know that can have a lasting effect but you have to try and detach yourself from those experiences and try and start all over again.. if you are an atheist because you had bad parenting from religious parents the you are not an atheist out of your own will, its all conditioned... i was raised in a christian home and my parents were moderately strict, i was taught that all liars go to hell and i told fewer lies because of what i thought hell was, they told me not to play with the candle cos i would get burned but i refused, i did touch the flame and it burned me so bad!!! thats just what its like growing up ina christian home and with right thinking parents which im sure most of us had.. i grew up and started asking questions, my parents did not like the fact that i stepped out of church, but i had too many questions1 especially in nigeria where all the pastors are about the money... LOOK AT YOUR LIFE AND TRY TO SEE WHERE RELIGION HAS DAMAGED YOU!!! WHATS THE WORST THING THAT YOU HAVE EVER DONE? DID RELIGION MAKE YOU DO IT HAVE YOU EVER RAPPED, COMMITTED MURDER, ROBBED, LIED? IF YES, ASK YOURSELF IF RELIGION MADE YOU DO IT... THERE ARE RELIGIOUS EXTREMISTS NO DOUBT BUT THE BIBLE (i can only make reference to my religion due to sensitivities) WILL NOT ASK YOU TO GO AND RAPE OR KILL YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS IT IS STATED IN THE COMMANDMENTS, ITS SIMPLE!!

Evil Brain:

What weird stuff have you seen? If feel you have some evidence of supernatural occurrences, show us and lets discuss it.

And why would you think muskeeto was "psychologically" damaged just because he has rejected superstition and embraced logic?

I DID NOT SAY MUSKEETO WAS PSYCHOLOGICALLY DAMAGED O! ITS A QUESTION THAT YOU DNT NEED TO ANSWER, DNT YOU GET IT? RHETORICS? IM ONLY TRYING TO GET HIM TO SHOW WHY HE IS AN ATHEIST... PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND DONT START A WAR HERE... AND THERE ARE PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO DONT TAKE THEIR TIME TO UNDERSTAND THINGS BEFORE COMING INTO CONCLUSSIONS...

EVIL BRAIN..... NICE WALLPAPER.... I HAVE A VERY VAST KNOWLEDGE ABOUT EVERYTHING LISTED IN THAT PHOTO, I AM A SCIENCE STUDENT, A GENUINE ONE, NOT ACCIDENTAL SO MY CURIOUSITY IS QUITE HEALTHY.. ALL IN MY QUEST TO FIND ANSWERS.. I WANT TO BELEIVE YOU KNOW ALL THAT, OR YOU JUST GOOGLED IT AND PUT IT UP HERE SO YOU CAN LOOK SMART LIKE SOME OF YOU DO.. LMAO!!!

theutopianex: I DID NOT SAY MUSKEETO WAS PSYCHOLOGICALLY DAMAGED O! ITS A QUESTION THAT YOU DNT NEED TO ANSWER, DNT YOU GET IT? RHETORICS? IM ONLY TRYING TO GET HIM TO SHOW WHY HE IS AN ATHEIST... PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND DONT START A WAR HERE... AND THERE ARE PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO DONT TAKE THEIR TIME TO UNDERSTAND THINGS BEFORE COMING INTO CONCLUSSIONS...

By asking the question, you inferred that he waspsychologically damaged. If I asked "are you a retard", you wouldn't see it a rhetorical question, you'd take it as an insult. And you'd be right.

In any case, nobody is starting a war anywhere. Aside from the above insult which was used for example purposes only, I think I've been fairly civil and polite. You shouldn't attribute malign motives to people without clear evidence. Are you paranoid?

BTW, my question still stands. What weird stuff have you seen?

atheism
The religion devoted to one's own smug sense of superiority.
As there is no way to use logic to prove or disprove the existence of God, atheism is, in fact, based completely on theory and faith. Also its followers tend to be no less educated, dogmatic, and fanatical about their chosen spiritual path than they claim to be

theutopianex: EVIL BRAIN..... NICE WALLPAPER.... I HAVE A VERY VAST KNOWLEDGE ABOUT EVERYTHING LISTED IN THAT PHOTO, I AM A SCIENCE STUDENT, A GENUINE ONE, NOT ACCIDENTAL SO MY CURIOUSITY IS QUITE HEALTHY.. ALL IN MY QUEST TO FIND ANSWERS.. I WANT TO BELEIVE YOU KNOW ALL THAT, OR YOU JUST GOOGLED IT AND PUT IT UP HERE SO YOU CAN LOOK SMART LIKE SOME OF YOU DO.. LMAO!!!

A science student?!? Are you in secondary school?

Unlike you, I wouldn't claim to have VAST KNOWLEDGE about everything in my pic. But I do know a little bit. Well actually, more than a little. Maybe you should have a look at some of my previous posts to see whether I'm up to your intellectual level.

[url]www.nairaland.com/evil%20brain/posts[/url]

EVIL BRAIN.... I EXPECT A RIGHT THINKING PERSON TO FOLLOW THE QUESTION TRAIL AND LEAD IT TO A POINT WHERE IT ALL MAKES SENSE, THE POINT WHICH IS "RELIGION IS NOT NECESSARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR ACTIONS" WHY IS THAT SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE PICKED ONE PORTION OF THE POST AND TWISTED IT TO SUIT WHATEVER YOU WANT IT TO... HOW CAN THAT BE AN INSULT?? DID YOU EVEN READ HIS POST?? READ EVERYTHING ALL OVER AGAIN AND TRY TO MAKE SOME SENSE OUT OF IT IF YOU CAN BRO!!!

IVE SEEN A MAN TURN INTO A FROG RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY EYES, IVE SEEN A RAT WITH HUMAN HEAD IN SOME VILLAGE IN SOUTH WEST NIGERIA LMAO!!!... THATS SOMETHING YOU WILL HAVE TO SEE WITH YOUR OWN EYES AND ALL BY YOURSELF, GO OUT AND SEARCH.. BUT THE ATHEIST WILL SAY "THE BURDEN OF PROOF LIES WITH THE BELEIVER"

Evil Brain:

A science student?!? Are you in secondary school?

Unlike you, I wouldn't claim to have VAST KNOWLEDGE about everything in my pic. But I do know a little bit. Well actually, more than a little. Maybe you should have a look at some of my previous posts to see whether I'm up to your intellectual level.

[url]www.nairaland.com/evil%20brain/posts[/url]

DO I NEED TO ALWAYS SPELL THE WORDS OUT TO YOU, CANT YOU JUST SEE THAT IM SAYING THAT I KNOW QUITE ALOT ABOUT THE TOPIC I DONT INTEND TO ENGAGE IN NO KNOWLEDGE SPAR WITH YOU, THATS NOT WHY IM HERE... WHY DID YOU HAVE TO SEE THAT AS BRAGGING BY THE WAY, IS IT IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE A VAST KNOWLEDGE ABOUT EVERYTHING IN THAT WALL PAPER? CANT BE THAT DIFFICULT LOL.....ALL YOU DO IS PICK ON ME BRO, WHAT DO YOU STAND TO GAIN MAYBE YOU KNOW MORE THAN I DO BUT THATS YOURS, I CAN ONLY BRING WHAT I KNOW TO THE TABLE AND I TRY TO KEEP MY EYES OPE, READ THOROUGHLY WITH MY MIND OPEN... YOU SHOULD TRY THAT

Evil Brain:

A science student?!? Are you in secondary school?

Unlike you, I wouldn't claim to have VAST KNOWLEDGE about everything in my pic. But I do know a little bit. Well actually, more than a little. Maybe you should have a look at some of my previous posts to see whether I'm up to your intellectual level.

[url]www.nairaland.com/evil%20brain/posts[/url]

"MORE THAN A LITTLE BIT" COULD ALSO MEAN 'VAST'.... JUST SAYING LMAO!!!

Misunderstood_G: atheism
The religion devoted to one's own smug sense of superiority.

Atheism is not a religion, just like abstinence is not a shex position. That we have a "smug sense of superiority" is your opinion, which I happen to disagree with.

As there is no way to use logic to prove or disprove the existence of God,

If the judeo-christian god actually existed, it would be extremely easy to prove he existed. 1 Kings ch. 18 shows us one way to go about it (doesn't work). A less spectacular, but no less effective way to do it would be to show using publicly available demographic data, that Christians have lower infant mortality, lower disease prevalence, higher life expectancy, lower cancer incidence, higher cancer survival or lower overall death rates. If even just one of these were true it would be strong evidence that some unexplained force was stopping bad things from happening to Christians. Of course, This doesn't work either, because despite all the time and energy Christians devote to prayers, there is absolutely no evidence that they are in any way better off than non Christians or atheists when you adjust for age, country of residence and income.

Now I agree that you can't really prove that god doesn't exist using logic. But you can show that his existence is very, very unlikely. And the total absence of any evidence of his existence or any sign of his activities in the natural world does that very nicely.

atheism is, in fact, based completely on theory and faith.

No its not. Atheists believe in what we have evidence for. There is no evidence of your god's existence, so we dont believe in it. Simple.

Also its followers tend to be no less educated, dogmatic, and fanatical about their chosen spiritual path than they claim to be

I suspect that you meant this as an insult and typed something different from what you intended, but if this is truly your opinion, then I agree with you.

Evil Brain:

If the judeo-christian god actually existed, it would be extremely easy to prove he existed. 1 Kings ch. 18 shows us one way to go about it (doesn't work). A less spectacular, but no less effective way to do it would be to show using publicly available demographic data, that Christians have lower infant mortality, lower disease prevalence, higher life expectancy, lower cancer incidence, higher cancer survival or lower overall death rates. If even just one of these were true it would be strong evidence that some unexplained force was stopping bad things from happening to Christians. Of course, This doesn't work either, because despite all the time and energy Christians devote to prayers, there is absolutely no evidence that they are in any way better off than non Christians or atheists when you adjust for age, country of residence and income.

I don't wanna bring my personal experiences with God into this.. Or what I've seen
Job 21:7-8 Why do the wicked live, become old, yes, are mighty in power? 8 Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes. …
Job 12:6 The tents of marauders are undisturbed, and those who provoke God are secure-- those God has in his hand.
Ecclesiastes 8:14 There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless.
And so on

Evil Brain......misunderstood_G has said everything!!! the bible see what atheists see and understands why they feel so... i need not say much!! i totally forgot to include those scriptures in the argument and article!!! very powerfull... thanks for bringing it up

theutopianex: Evil Brain......misunderstood_G has said everything!!! the bible see what atheists see and understands why they feel so... i need not say much!! i totally forgot to include those scriptures in the argument and article!!! very powerfull... thanks for bringing it up

You welcome bro! We're all fighting the same battle

Misunderstood_G:
I don't wanna bring my personal experiences with God into this.. Or what I've seen
Job 21:7-8 Why do the wicked live, become old, yes, are mighty in power? 8 Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes. …
Job 12:6 The tents of marauders are undisturbed, and those who provoke God are secure-- those God has in his hand.
Ecclesiastes 8:14 There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless.
And so on

So what you're saying is that Christians are no better off than atheists and followers of other religions because the bible says that bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people.

Maybe you should tell all the millions of Christians praying daily for their children's health and safety that that they are wasting their time and that they will all "get what the wicked deserve".

Maybe you should tell all the pastors who are conning people out of their hard earned money with the promise of riches, health and favour on earth. After all, it is the wicked that will become mighty in power, and the offspring of the wicked will be established in the earth.

What's the point of Christianity if it doesn't do you or your children any tangible good? And what kind of fraudulent religion only offers post-mortem rewards?

Evil Brain:

So what you're saying is that Christians are no better off than atheists and followers of other religions because the bible says that bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people.

Maybe you should tell all the millions of Christians praying daily for their children's health and safety that that they are wasting their time and that they will all "get what the wicked deserve".

Maybe you should tell all the pastors who are conning people out of their hard earned money with the promise of riches, health and favour on earth. After all, it is the wicked that will become mighty in power, and the offspring of the wicked will be established in the earth.

What's the point of Christianity if it doesn't do you or your children any tangible good? And what kind of fraudulent religion only offers post-mortem rewards?

a true christian understands the terms and conditions of his faith!! he needs not be forced, he choses just like every other choice you make in life... a true christian looks forward to HEAVEN, he is not moved by the things of this world because he understands eternal life, he understands that everything gained on earth remains on earth.. steve jobs left everything he worked for all his life, there is a new head and the company has moved on, they will achieve bigger feats even without him, the question is, is that all?? if that is all i have come to do and there is no afterlife then why dont i just end my life right now and get it over with!

theutopianex:

a true christian understands the terms and conditions of his faith!! he needs not be forced, he choses just like every other choice you make in life... a true christian looks forward to HEAVEN, he is not moved by the things of this world because he understands eternal life, he understands that everything gained on earth remains on earth.. steve jobs left everything he worked for all his life, there is a new head and the company has moved on, they will achieve bigger feats even without him, the question is, is that all?? if that is all i have come to do and there is no afterlife then why dont i just end my life right now and get it over with!

So why do you people pray for god to protect your children? why do you pay tithe and "sow miracle seed" in church? Why are you so interested in blessings on earth?

Why does the bible suggest that Christians can perform spectacular feats of magic like raising the dead? Why protect your children from death if all you're looking forward to is heaven? Whats the point of raising people from the dead if you're just taking them away from their eternal reward?

If your manner of thinking is correct, we should actually be looking for ways to make people die faster so that we can all go to heaven on time.

Evil Brain:

So why do you people pray for god to protect your children? why do you pay tithe and "sow miracle seed" in church? Why are you so interested in blessings on earth?

Why does the bible suggest that Christians can perform spectacular feats of magic like raising the dead? Why protect your children from death if all you're looking forward to is heaven? Whats the point of raising people from the dead if you're just taking them away from their eternal reward?

If your manner of thinking is correct, we should actually be looking for ways to make people die faster so that we can all go to heaven on time.

HEAVEN is a journey, you want to finish it, you ant to complete every task because if you do not follow instructions you might not make it. theres nothing wrong with earthly blessings as long as you do not worship them, why devote your life into something you will not lay in the grave with you want to remain alive because you want to be sure that should nature takes its cause, you will end up in heaven.. the bible speaks against suicide so you are kinda stuck lol... anybody who dies in sin would appreciate coming back to life lol