There is something here I just noticed. Most atheists here on nairaland seem not to live in nigeria. Logicboy, plaetton, weigraf, mazaje, muskeeto, bindex e.t.c

Seems its safe for me to assume that, majority of them, if not all wouldn't have been atheists had they stayed in Nigeria all through.

This leaves me with one major conclusion, its extremely difficult to break those chains of childhood religious indoctrination most especially when ure in a country like nigeria.

Are there others (atheist or agnostic) here, other than me, who despite not leaving the shores of this country renounced their childhood indoctrination?

rationalmind: There is something here I just noticed. Most atheists here on nairaland seem not to live in nigeria. Logicboy, plaetton, weigraf, mazaje, muskeeto, bindex e.t.c

Seems its safe for me to assume that, majority of them, if not all wouldn't have been atheists had they stayed in Nigeria all through.

This leads me with one major conclusion, its extremely difficult to break those chains of childhood religious indoctrination most especially when ure in a country like nigeria.

Are there others (atheist or agnostic) here, other than me, who despite not leaving the shores of this country renounced their childhood indoctrination?

Hate to burst your bubble, dude. But we plenty! Home-brewed atheist here.

BoboYekini: Hate to burst your bubble, dude. But we plenty! Home-brewed atheist here.

Lol, how come all of you have been silent?

rationalmind: There is something here I just noticed. Most atheists here on nairaland seem not to live in nigeria. Logicboy, plaetton, weigraf, mazaje, muskeeto, bindex e.t.c

Seems its safe for me to assume that, majority of them, if not all wouldn't have been atheists had they stayed in Nigeria all through.

This leads me with one major conclusion, its extremely difficult to break those chains of childhood religious indoctrination most especially when ure in a country like nigeria.

Are there others (atheist or agnostic) here, other than me, who despite not leaving the shores of this country renounced their childhood indoctrination?

I do live In Nigeria, but I did spend a considerable amount of time abroad.

Even in my youth in Nigeria, I was suspicious of religion, it never really penetrated into my system.
I stopped going to church in senior secondary school.
I abandoned religion completely once I finished secondary school and moved abroad.

I came to the realization that I was an atheists( abandoned the idea of a creator god) about 4 years ago.
I think I was probably born an atheist .
lol

Yes, you are right. In Nigeria, everyone is afraid to step out of the box.
But , believe me, many many are just on the edge waiting to be encouraged to step out of the box, the bondage.

bro,what really made u change your belief towards religion,i want to know @plaeton

This is made in Nigeria.

Self made n.igga...

You not alone

plaetton:

I do live In Nigeria, but I did spend a considerable amount of time abroad.

Even in my youth in Nigeria, I was suspicious of religion, it never really penetrated into my system.
I stopped going to church in senior secondary school.
I abandoned religion completely once I finished secondary school and moved abroad.

I came to the realization that I was an atheists( abandoned the idea of a creator god) about 4 years ago.
I think I was probably born an atheist .
lol

Yes, you are right. In Nigeria, everyone is afraid to step out of the box.
But , believe me, many many are just on the edge waiting to be encouraged to step out of the box, the bondage.

Lol, wished I did renounce religion earlier as you did. But it appears to me your parents are a bit open minded. Some of us were unfortunate to have religiously rigid and dogmatic parents. You dare not just tell my dad ure not going to church while still in secondary school. Lol

FOLYKAZE: This is made in Nigeria.

Self made n.igga...

You not alone

Lol, I sight u bro.

achina boy: bro,what really made u change your belief towards religion,i want to know @plaeton

My own case was not a matter of change of belief.
In southern Nigeria, we all come from religious families in religious communities.

My curiosity started when I was 5yrs old and started asking my mom questions about god. She did her best to answer them as any parent would do.
The answers I got seem less than satisfactory the older I got.
I also noticed very early that all humans behaved according to their immediate needs, not according to their religious injuctions or pretences.

Although I learned so much from sunday school, over time I realized that it was the same repetitive mantras every week, nothing new, no new revelation from god or Jesus.
Over time, I realized again that everyone was just regurgitating what they too had been told.
I started reading the bible for truth.
The stories were amazing.
Even when believed, they did not portray the biblical god in a good light.
That bothered me greatly.

I could not understand why he hated the Egyptians and all the other tribes of Canaan.
I even found myself siding with and cheering for the philistines during their battles with Israel because I thought that god was being very unfair to the philistines.
Even as a youth, I had a sense of fairness that I felt god, the creator of the universe should have been well above.
So, the loving god that was preached in church, and the biblical god in the bible were two different and opposite personalities.

The more confused I was about religion the more I took an interest in the subject.

Most importantly, I did not see any difference in health, wealth or general well being between those that professed religion and those that did not.

The idea that Jesus came to earth to die for my sin, thereby saving me from what I do not yet know is one that I have never ever, till this day, understood.
So I had two problems, namely god and then Jesus.

When I began to read Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart", it was the great shocker and eye opener.
From that moment I realized how christianity came to our shores, how it was used to soften out minds, to divide us, to rob us, to break our cultural backbones.

I think it was that moment that I stopped going to church.
I was still conflicted .
I believed in the existence of god, but Yahweh troubled me with his many contradictions.

Over the years, I exposed myself to a lot of materials on religion and history and philosophy that helped me to understand religion from a historical, philosophical and anthropological perspectives.

In pre-med, the more I studied human anatomy and physiology, the more awe and reverence I had for god, the presumed designer and creator. The more awe and reverence I had for the designer god, the more dichotomy and contradiction I saw between my idea of god and Yahweh.

It remained that way until I was exposed to ancient History and texts.
The works of Dr. Zachariah Sitchin blew open my mind , finally stitching together all the disparate pieces contradiction in the christian religious narrative.
Everything now made sense,yahweh now made sense, religion now made sense, the bible now made sense, Jesus, a contrived myth. Perfect fit.

But God and origin remained a mystery.

My interest in physics and astronomy took me deeper into our current understanding of the universe and the prevailing theories.
Again, my mind began, once again to agitate.

I started asking myself, " Why does the universe need a god, a creator?"
Matter is condensed energy, and energy is self-existent, so who needs a god?
My mind became conflicted again.

Then i cam across a book at a library titled " God, A Biography". I borrowed it, read it, returned it, and the n went to a book store and bought it, and read it again.
The book outline the origins of the idea of god and traced it through the ages across different cultures , different religions and different times.
It hit me like a bolt of lightening.

" God is an idea, an evolving idea that evolves with us".

That was my final realization that god is whatever the human mind shapes it be.
It made so much sense and explained so much.

Greedy people preach a greedy god,
Wicked people preach a wicked god,
Good hearted people preach a loving god.
etc, etc.
A projection of our subconscious ideals.

rationalmind:

Lol, wished I did renounce religion earlier as you did. But it appears to me your parents are a bit open minded. Some of us were unfortunate to have religiously rigid and dogmatic parents. You dare not just tell my dad ure not going to church while still in secondary school. Lol

Yes indeed.
My parents were a bit troubled but somehow sympathetic to my curiousity and rebellious nature.
They told everybody to leave me alone.

rationalmind: There is something here I just noticed. Most atheists here on nairaland seem not to live in nigeria. Logicboy, plaetton, weigraf, mazaje, muskeeto, bindex e.t.c

Seems its safe for me to assume that, majority of them, if not all wouldn't have been atheists had they stayed in Nigeria all through.

This leaves me with one major conclusion, its extremely difficult to break those chains of childhood religious indoctrination most especially when ure in a country like nigeria.

Are there others (atheist or agnostic) here, other than me, who despite not leaving the shores of this country renounced their childhood indoctrination?

Your conclusion does not follow, unless you are suggesting that those who believe in God do not travel out of the country which definitely is not true. Heck, we have loads of peeps in 'developed' Countries who believe in God.

sometimes, I think atheists are chosen. if one knows the family that I am from, you will be suprised that I am against xtianity. I often tell myself that I was born a freethinker because no matter the level of religious spirituality that i see myself in, the doubts and questions seem not to cease increasing. So, we still dey o. but you no fit talk that one anyhow for naija

striktlymi:

Your conclusion does not follow, unless you are suggesting that those who believe in God do not travel out of the country which definitely is not true. Heck, we have loads of peeps in 'developed' Countries who believe in God.

Believing in God is not the same thing as being religious.

plaetton:

Believing in God is not the same thing as being religious.

Religion can mean very different things, hence the context of usage should be considered at any given time. There is a context where a belief in God in itself is all it takes to be into Religion.

nwuyag: sometimes, [b]I think atheists are chosen. [/b]if one knows the family that I am from, you will be suprised that I am against xtianity. I often tell myself that I was born a freethinker because no matter the level of religious spirituality that i see myself in, the doubts and questions seem not to cease increasing. So, we still dey o. but you no fit talk that one anyhow for naija

Who knows, we are probably the 144,000 elites(people allergic to religious bullshyt) who will inherit the kingdom of god( a brand new Earth free from religion).

striktlymi:

Your conclusion does not follow, unless you are suggesting that those who believe in God do not travel out of the country which definitely is not true. Heck, we have loads of peeps in 'developed' Countries who believe in God.

Remember I used the notable nairaland atheists i know of to draw my conclusion. And i did assume, travelling out of the country might have helped them overcome the indoctrination.

Unless you now want to prove that travelling out of the country didnt in anyway influence them being atheists.

No where did I say you can't travel out and still be a christian neither did I say there are no christians there.

rationalmind:

Remember I used the notable nairaland atheists i know of to draw my conclusion. And i did assume, travelling out of the country might have helped them overcome the indoctrination.

Unless you now want to prove that travelling out of the country didnt in anyway influence them being atheists.

No where did I say you can't travel out and still be a christian neither did I say there are no christians there.

rationalmind:
This leaves me with one major conclusion, its extremely difficult to break those chains of childhood religious indoctrination most especially when ure in a country like nigeria.

That conclusion does not follow.

nwuyag: sometimes, I think atheists are chosen. if one knows the family that I am from, you will be suprised that I am against xtianity. I often tell myself that I was born a freethinker because no matter the level of religious spirituality that i see myself in, the doubts and questions seem not to cease increasing. So, we still dey o. but you no fit talk that one anyhow for naija

Seems we have the same upbringing. I atimes cant believe i renounced christianity. I was once an interpreter in my church. Could recite a full chapter in the book of John amongst several other things. Came from one of the most religious homes you can think of

Alas, here am I. And ure right, you just cant keep telling everyone ure an athiest/agnostic.

striktlymi:




That conclusion does not follow.

And yet, ure unable to show why it doesnt follow. I wonder if u did read my reply to your objection.

rationalmind:

And yet, ure unable to show why it doesnt follow. I wonder if u did read my reply to your objection.

Never mind!

plaetton:

Then i cam across a book at a library titled " God, A Biography". I borrowed it, read it, returned it, and the n went to a book store and bought it, and read it again.
The book outline the origins of the idea of god and traced it through the ages across different cultures , different religions and different times.
It hit me like a bolt of lightening.

" God is an idea, an evolving idea that evolves with us".

That was my final realization that god is whatever the human mind shapes it be.
It made so much sense and explained so much.

@plaetton

Incidentally I have the book "God, A Biography" (i.e. by Jack Miles) - and its actually one of my best books,

Good book, not a book for the lily-livered

I rarely do hardcopies nowadays
but hey this one sits proudly in the house alongside others such as
Dan Browns' Angels & Demons; The Da Vinci Code etc
Dennis Wheatley's The Devil and all his Works

I love Jack Miles' beautiful sentence on page 87 (i.e. God, A Biography's What makes God Godlike? chapter)
it states
"Experience shapes character, and character determines action"

striktlymi:




That conclusion does not follow.

I'll assume you indeed dont understand how i drew the conclusion and I'l try to explain myself.

If travelling out of the country in any way influenced those(maybe not all) notable nairaland athiests which i mentioned, then I can say, they wouldnt had been atheists had they not left Nigeria.

Therefore, once u remian in Nigeria, it is difficult for you to break off childhood religious indoctrination. For if you tavelled out of the country, it might be easier to break it off as it did in their case.


If you still dont understand, I can't help you.

rationalmind: There is something here I just noticed. Most atheists here on nairaland seem not to live in nigeria. Logicboy, plaetton, weigraf, mazaje, muskeeto, bindex e.t.c

Seems its safe for me to assume that, majority of them, if not all wouldn't have been atheists had they stayed in Nigeria all through.

This leaves me with one major conclusion, its extremely difficult to break those chains of childhood religious indoctrination most especially when ure in a country like nigeria.

Are there others (atheist or agnostic) here, other than me, who despite not leaving the shores of this country renounced their childhood indoctrination?

i've never left Nigeria.

Mr Troll:

i've never left Nigeria.

Liar....think say I no see you for Brazil.....


Mr Troll don get steady world cup ashaewo and beer joint in advance.....

Boss

Mr Troll:

i've never left Nigeria.

Ooh really? But u'll agree with me its not easy doing away with that childhood indoctrination. Except perhaps you had atheist parents which I doubt.

Logicboy03:



Liar....think say I no see you for Brazil.....


Mr Troll don get steady world cup ashaewo and beer joint in advance.....

Boss

Hehehehe you don reach Brazil already?

I don't drink alcohol though and I don't need ashawo I get chyking skills aplenty

rationalmind:

Ooh really? But u'll agree with me its not easy doing away with that childhood indoctrination. Except perhaps you had atheist parents which I doubt.

I don't have atheist parents. It wasn't easy sha but it was kinda gradual and started unconsciously but it helps if you're independent. That way, parents will have little choice in accepting your irreligious stand.

Mr Troll:

Hehehehe you don reach Brazil already?

I don't drink alcohol though and I don't need ashawo I get chyking skills aplenty


I don't have atheist parents. It wasn't easy sha but it was kinda gradual and started unconsciously but it helps if you're independent. That way, parents will have little choice in accepting your irreligious stand.

guy report at striky's thread na

Kabieosi:

@plaetton

Incidentally I have the book "God, A Biography" (i.e. by Jack Miles) - and its actually one of my best books,

Good book, not a book for the lily-livered

I rarely do hardcopies nowadays
but hey this one sits proudly in the house alongside others such as
Dan Browns' Angels & Demons; The Da Vinci Code etc
Dennis Wheatley's The Devil and all his Works

I love Jack Miles' beautiful sentence on page 87 (i.e. God, A Biography's What makes God Godlike? chapter)
it states
"Experience shapes character, and character determines action"

Excellent.

Op, it might just be me, but I'm pleasantly surprised with the amount of people I find willing to use their brains, in this section ie, recently. Theists or otherwise, at least they're not willing to just accept any nonsense and show a willingness to learn/understand new concepts and old, remain objective and openminded, etc. I cannot say there are many such away from nairaland/religion, likely not, but there might be a slim sliver of hope..

I grew up all over the place, but have been in 9ja ~15 years (unlike sensible folk, I did uni in 9ja and most of pri/sec abroad instead of the reverse, *sigh*). Never truly a theist per say, but didn't fully understand my position until maybe a few years back, and this was in 9ja.

There's a frosbell thread were he asks why/how atheists became so, there are interesting answers and personal stories there. Can't find it atm though....

I ve never left Nigeria. At first my folks thought I was just passing through a phase when I became an atheist but they really started bugging me when my atheism lingered for more than a year.
Eventually I think they just accepted me like that. Like someone said earlier it helps if u are a lil bit independent so they can't really force you to do what u don't want to do.

Nigerian born,bred and still living here and atheist....I've several agnostic friends who prefer to maintain a religious facade to avoid the discrimination that comes with atheism......most skeptics around just prefer to keep their doubts to themselves

Oops Double Post