I'm a frequent reader and contributor to the "Have your say" segment of the BBC website. However i have noticed that those topics that while topics that involve Europe, North America and Asia are usually heavily debated on . . . those that concern Africa are characterised by very poor readership, those who do contribute usually end up exposing the fact that Africans are just not intellectually on par with their foreign counterparts which is a huge shame!

Here is a topic discussing cancer in Africa . . . i posted a few samples of approved (?) contributions from some Africans . . .

- My auntie detected a lump in her breast and showed it to her husband who told her its a sign of Menopause.8months later she showed it to my mum, it had grown quite big then.she was sent to the hospital only to be diagnosed as cancer of the breast.
Most African women spend all their time cooking,taking care of kids and the home.It's about time we learn to read about our health and issues which affect us.We all need to be well informed about cancer. whether we admit it or not cancer is real.

esallyn, Accra

- My father told me that cancer is cause by some certain foods. He warn me to beware of ham and pork. But since i arrived in Europe, there is no way i can avoid these delicacy.

Tony Gbenga, Nigerian/Murcia, Spain

- The only thing they say most time is that it is a killer deices but these days education to women on how to self check for breast cancer is on the increase but I feel more should be done before it goes out of hand like Aids

Bolu' Aladeniyi, Ibadan, Nigeria

- Africa take cancer seriously and the most frustrating aspect is that the cancer patient is been neglected leaving the patient without hope

Mohammed Konneh, Monrovia, Liberia

- Does Africa take anything seriously?

anon.

- i donno much abt cancer,i just heard that a few cells doesn die normally when they r supposed to die,normally,they overproduce n it called cancer.but why it happens, i donno.my very close relative died in lung cancer,she loved me very much.

houmaira, dhaka,bangladesh

when will Africa wake up?

HYS! i used to contribute then stopped cos i didn't have to patience to checkback to see if my comment got published. i still go there to read stuff once in a while and i must say, the things u posted are just surface stuff. at least you can decipher what is they individuals are trying to say.


what would you say about a response like this,

"Let all Africans forget about cancer, our problems are so cumbersome that cancer is least among them. It is bad gorvernace or looting the tresury that is bordering us or non exisiting infracstruture"

that was exactly what was said before AIDS knocked out a large chunk of the subsaharan african population.

davidylan:


My auntie detected a lump in her breast and showed it to her husband who told her its a sign of Menopause

wow 

The lack of intellectualism in the African community is really one of the greatest thread to African development.  Africa suffers from many aflictions such as poverty, bad governance, poor education and most of all an abject disengagement from intellectual life.  Today, this disengagement from intellectualism is made more poignant by rampant spread of irrationalism promoted by the likes of the christian evangelical movements, the traditional African instititions, the quests for unrestrained wealth, etc, etc.

huxley the bobo. you no get duplicate or rival. carry go

I did try to address these issues in the follwoing threads, a while ago.

1. African Cultures And Intellectualism

2. The Dangers Of Religious Fundamentalism To Intellectualism

Enjoy!

@Huxley,

Today, this disengagement from intellectualism is made more poignant by rampant spread of irrationalism promoted by the likes of the christian evangelical movements,

How can you attribute this so-called backwardness to christian evangelical movement when the countries we consider advanced actually practiced the same faith? Their faith was a springboard and a foundation upon which their society was founded and yet they are far developed than Africa.

Bash christianity for all I care, but you cannot quantifiably and rationally dump the failure of the African society on it. It just can't stick!

huxley:

The lack of intellectualism in the African community is really one of the greatest thread to African development. Africa suffers from many aflictions such as poverty, bad governance, poor education and most of all an abject disengagement from intellectual life. Today, this disengagement from intellectualism is made more poignant by rampant spread of irrationalism promoted by the likes of the christian evangelical movements, the traditional African instititions, the quests for unrestrained wealth, etc, etc.

you are really scraping the bottom of the barrel to be honest. The scientifically advanced nations today (including the UK in which you reside) were the ones who exported christianity to us. The USA was founded by British puritans, Rome was the seat of the roman catholic church and Europe used to be predominantly christian AND YET they are far far advanced than we who merely adopted christianity less than 100yrs ago! If your statement has any merit (other than another poor, illogical attempt to bash christianity) then the UK shld long have disappeared into oblivion.

davidylan:

you are really scraping the bottom of the barrel to be honest. The scientifically advanced nations today (including the UK in which you reside) were the ones who exported christianity to us. The USA was founded by British puritans, Rome was the seat of the roman catholic church and Europe used to be predominantly christian AND YET they are far far advanced than we who merely adopted christianity less than 100yrs ago! If your statement has any merit (other than another poor, illogical attempt to bash christianity) then the UK shld long have disappeared into oblivion.

Aren't those countries more secular than African and Middle-eastern countries? The dark ages of Europe could easily be compared to extremist religious views popular in Africa today. Theocratic Europe was definitely less intellectual than Secular Europe. Weren't guys like Galileo condemned by the church? Didn't guys like David hume and John Locke have to pull the UK from it's religious dogmatic phase? You can make your arguments pertaining to the benefits of Christianity but that doesn't mean Huxley's viewpoint that religious extremism has stopped Africa from progressing is Illogical.

Tayo-D:

@Huxley,
How can you attribute this so-called backwardness to christian evangelical movement when the countries we consider advanced actually practiced the same faith? Their faith was a springboard and a foundation upon which their society was founded and yet they are far developed than Africa.

Bash christianity for all I care, but you cannot quantifiably and rationally dump the failure of the African society on it. It just can't stick!

The point I made was that religions and superstitious irrationalism is ONE (amongst others) reasons African development (should I say enlightenment) is endangered.  Now, since you have picked out religions from amongst the other reason I gave, let me address this as follows

Most of human history on the planet, we have lived in utter ignorance of the true nature of the reality that surrounds us. Or better still, our knowledge of this reality was provided by superstition, religion and mythology.  We did not know that the planet was spherical, or that germs caused diseases, or that we lived in a heliocentric "world", or that atoms was a fundamental constituent of matter, or that there are other galaxy beyond ours, etc, etc.  Religions and the institutions that buttressed them were the main source of knowledge about reality.  This situation obtained right up until about 400 years ago, at the start of the industrial revolution and "enlightenment" in Europe.

When the religious held sway, what did we have?   Human sacrifices, burning of heretic, witchhunts and burning at the stake, slavery, racism and prejudice againts women, the corruptions of the Catholic and Vatican, religious wars such as the Crusades, religious persecutions of scientist such as Galileo and Bruno, etc, etc, etc.  Granted some religious institutions housed schools of learning and harboured individuals who promoted learning, but this was never allowed to contravene religious dogma.  Does the persecution of Galileo and the BURNING of Bruno ring a bell. The religious even persecuted their own kind.  Think of the burning of Servetus by John Calvin.  The misdeeds of the religious was mainly responsible for  ushering in the period in history known as the Dark Ages.

The enlightenment was a period that saw a challenge of the hegemony the religious had enjoyed since the dawn of humankind.  The key figures in this movement were the likes of Voltaire, Diderot, Rousseau, Hume, etc, etc.  These brave men effectively put an end to the period of religious serfdom and since then civilization has blossomed while religions are beating a retreat in the countries that have adopted the tenets of the enlightenment.  In Western Europe, less than 50% of people count themselve today as religious.

However, religions continue to intrude into matters of civic life, attempt to regulate who one has sex with, what sort of medical treatment one should have, opposing scientific research and spread dowright lies about the nature of reality.

Africa, on the other hand is still mired in the intellectual dark ages of religion and superstitions. Almost all the misdeeds of the religious in Dark Ages Europe is happening today in Africa, viz witchhunts, children accused of witch acts, religious exploitations by venal Christian Pastors and Ministers, religious wars (Muslim vs Christians),  degradations of educations as students pursue salvation, etc, etc.

Did you watch the Nigerian child witch film?  Does any of this bode well with intellectualism.  By what epistemic  justification would a Christian have for condemning these venal ministers?

Have you read about the deploration state of education in Nigeria universities?  Does this bode well with a match towards intellectualism?


I submit that I have made my case and the facts speak for themselves.

@huxley

you raise some very interestingly acute points. But i want to remind you that, since we all know science,technology and intellectualism is not an exclusive reserve of western europe nor was it invented there,then you should know that other civilizations that were devout in their spirituality (religion) also made scientific,technological and intellectual break throughs. I want to disprove you idea that religion (beleif in a higher power,since religion has this beleif as it fundamental pillar) has anything to do with intellectual under-development. Case in point, look at the rise of the arabian civilization that counquered europe all the way to spain. these conquests were simply a sign of super-powerdom meaning at the height of this power,arabs were the foremost in intellectual research, scientific innovation and so on but at the same time remained devoutly muslim in conduct and practise. islam did not keep them in the dark,as a matter of fact,islam heavily discouraged superstition. the mathimatical genre of algebra (al-jabra) was invented and developed by an arab named al-jabra. Same applies to the ottoman empire who were devout muslims yet thrived in education,military innovation and scientific advancements.

In other words, what im saying is you have to separate superstition from religion, specifically those religions that advocate moral purity. Superstition today is disturbingly entrenched in the psyche of the typical african. Superstition in my humble opinion is sort of a cultural cancer that prevents any culture from thriving. Africans much like the europeans of the dark ages managed to merge religious doctrines and teachings with superstitious and unintellectual beliefs but that superstition was not born from religion,prior to the introduction of christianity to africa,africans were a very superstitious people and it was so strong that religion couldnt fully dampen it. to an extent i feel superstition is human nature and to an extent i feel its a tool of the devil. look at the tribes that had no monothestic religion anywhere in the world, you'll find that their cultures were rife with all forms and manner of superstitious belief.

So superstition is the main culprit here not religion. the belief in one God can only help elevate a people or a culture. Africa is in the dark ages largely due to the bond african cultures have formed with superstition which is culturally retrogressive bcoz it makes people preoccupied with bogus and false realities such that they cannot collectively be productive or develop. Nollywood movies being a typical example of what african cultures are wired in.

huxley:


g

Almost all the misdeeds of the religious in Dark Ages Europe is happening today in Africa, viz witchhunts, children accused of witch acts, religious exploitations by venal Christian Pastors and Ministers, religious wars (Muslim vs Christians),  degradations of educations as students pursue salvation, etc, etc.

Did you watch the Nigerian child witch film?  Does any of this bode well with intellectualism.  By what epistemic  justification would a Christian have for condemning these venal ministers?

Have you read about the deploration state of education in Nigeria universities?  Does this bode well with a match towards intellectualism?


I submit that I have made my case and the facts speak for themselves.

To say that Africa is not dying today because of our extremist religious beliefs is to lie to our selves (by the way we are very good at lying to ourselves).  Africans, are taught outrageous beliefs by religion and superstition to fear too many things. Witches, angels, the Devil or Satan, thunder, lightning, nocturnal birds are all objects that generate fear every where you go in Africa as a result of the outdated and impotent religious beliefs that have continually to make us a shame to the rest of the world. While students are learning how to create or invent things in Europe and America, African students are busy waiting for Jesus, Allah or the spirit of their ancestors to come and take them to Heaven.

According to the late Dr. Solarin "blacks hold onto their God just as the drunken man holds on to the street lamp post--for physical support only."

The worst bane of African non development is chronic dependence on the deity to solve all earthly problem. Any thing man has to do must be done by man himself, no deity can ever make Nigeria or Africa progress no matter how people keep praying or hoping for their various Gods to come and rescue them. Africans must be educated to stand on their feet and leave religious superstition alone. If the white people had held unto their once extremist religious beliefs they wouldn't have been where they are. Any body that says other wise is a liar. Africa is presently in the position the Europeans were in the 12th- 17th century before they decided to abandon all those  useless religious beliefs and help themselves move forward.

gadogado:

@huxley

you raise some very interestingly acute points. But i want to remind you that, since we all know science,technology and intellectualism is not an exclusive reserve of western europe nor  was it invented there,then you should know that other civilizations that were devout in their spirituality (religion) also made scientific,technological and intellectual break throughs. I want to disprove you idea that religion (beleif in a higher power,since religion has this beleif as it fundamental pillar) has anything to do with intellectual under-development. Case in point, look at the rise of the arabian civilization that counquered europe all the way to spain. these conquests were simply a sign of super-powerdom meaning at the height of this power,arabs were the foremost in intellectual research, scientific innovation and so on but at the same time remained devoutly muslim in conduct and practise. islam did not keep them in the dark,as a matter of fact,islam heavily discouraged superstition. the mathimatical genre of algebra (al-jabra) was invented and developed by an arab named al-jabra. Same applies to the ottoman empire who were devout muslims yet thrived in education,military innovation and scientific advancements.

In other words, what im saying is you have to separate superstition from religion, specifically those religions that advocate moral purity. Superstition today is disturbingly entrenched in the psyche of the typical african. Superstition in my humble opinion is sort of a cultural cancer that prevents any culture from thriving. Africans much like the europeans of the dark ages managed to merge religious doctrines and teachings with superstitious and unintellectual beliefs but that superstition was not born from religion,prior to the introduction of christianity to africa,africans were a very superstitious people and it was so strong that religion couldnt fully dampen it. to an extent i feel superstition is human nature and to an extent i feel its a tool of the devil. look at the tribes that had no monothestic religion anywhere in the world, you'll find that their cultures were rife with all forms and manner of superstitious belief.

So superstition is the main culprit here not religion. the belief in one God can only help elevate a people or a culture. Africa is in the dark ages largely due to the bond african cultures have formed with superstition which is culturally retrogressive bcoz it makes people preoccupied with bogus and false realities such that they cannot collectively be productive or develop. Nollywood movies being a typical example of what african cultures are wired in.

To say that religious belief does not greatly encourage superstitious belief is to not know what you are talking about. Religion and superstition can NEVER be separated because they are one and the same.

bawomolo:

Aren't those countries more secular than African and Middle-eastern countries? The dark ages of Europe could easily be compared to extremist religious views popular in Africa today. Theocratic Europe was definitely less intellectual than Secular Europe. Weren't guys like Galileo condemned by the church? Didn't guys like David hume and John Locke have to pull the UK from it's religious dogmatic phase? You can make your arguments pertaining to the benefits of Christianity but that doesn't mean Huxley's viewpoint that religious extremism has stopped Africa from progressing is Illogical.

100 yrs ago they were more religious than we were . . . YET they were already laying the foundations for the societies they have today. To pretend that technology advanced in a religious vacuum is to decieve urself.

Atomic bombs were not built today, aircraft design started in 1914, a time when women werent allowed to vote for religious reasons, when Abraham Lincoln was reading his bible in the white house, European and American doctors were already laying the foundations for modern medicine and tons of chemical elements had been discovered.

Africa is what it is today and it has nothing to do with religion. The asians arent as religious as the Europeans . . . why are they lagging behind technologically?

davidylan:

100 yrs ago they were more religious than we were . . . YET they were already laying the foundations for the societies they have today. To pretend that technology advanced in a religious vacuum is to decieve urself.

Atomic bombs were not built today, aircraft design started in 1914, a time when women werent allowed to vote for religious reasons, when Abraham Lincoln was reading his bible in the white house, European and American doctors were already laying the foundations for modern medicine and tons of chemical elements had been discovere

Europeans realized that religious beliefs were taking them no where that is why they abandoned it and moved forward, they would have never been where they are today if they had held unto their once extremist religious beliefs.

Africa is what it is today and it has nothing to do with religion. The asians arent as religious as the Europeans . . . why are they lagging behind technologically?

To say that Africa as it is today has nothing to do with religion is a complete lie(we Africans are very good in lying to our selves). about 1.5 million people gathered in kano when sharia was launched. yet nobody can stand up and march to the very corrupt government houses in northern Nigeria because Islam teaches that leaders are ordained by God. Christians cause a lot of waste in man hours by organising crusades and blocking major high ways in Nigeria for people that are travelling on business, nobody can say anything because the leaders and followers believe all people that are doing the work of God and winning souls should not be challenged.

Students spend more time reading their various religious text than reading their text books. Any finding that seems to contradict what is written in religious text is abandoned. claims of miracles by Men of God is inhibiting medical research. Why waste time and money on research of new drugs and better medical equipment when you can pray to the deity you believe in for healing. Why waste time thinking about what will happen in 50 years time when the kingdom of Allah and Jesus are already at hand? Why waste time fighting for your rights when this world is just a temporary place(Which is not our home) anyway. We all have better homes in Aljanh(with lost of virgins and rivers of wine) and in Heaven(built with diamonds and gold) where we will worship Jehovah for eternity. Why waste time dealing with your neighbour that doesn't believe in your religion when he is condemned already?

To say that Africa(Nigeria) is not dying because of our religious is to not know what you are talking about. Europeans more religious than Asians?

bindex:

Europeans realized that religious beliefs were taking them no where that is why they abandoned it and moved forward, they would have never been where they are today if they had held unto their once extremist religious beliefs.

Where did you get that "fact" from? thin air? when did they sit in a conference and sign a communique indicating such bogus rubbish? Where they not reading the bible and inserting "In God we trust" when they were building trains, Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, atomic bombs and generating 24hrs electricity while you and ur infidel forefathers were busy playing ayo under the moonlight?

While America held unto her strong christian foundation . . . she almost singlehandedly rescued Europe from Germany during world war II. Start discussing from positions of facts then maybe we can take the rest of your hot air serious.

bindex:

To say that Africa as it is today has nothing to do with religion is a complete lie(we Africans are very good in lying to our selves). about 1.5 million people gathered in kano when sharia was launched.

There was no launch of sharia in 1920 . . . were we any more industrialized? Some of you talk with no sense of intelligence at all.

bindex:

Christians cause a lot of waste in man hours by organising crusades and blocking major high ways in Nigeria for people that are travelling on business, nobody can say anything because the leaders and followers believe all people that are doing the work of God and winning souls should not be challenged.

200 yrs ago we had no christianity . . . did we have any better roads? 1000 yrs ago the more highly religious Romans already had stone-cobbled roads . . . till tomorrow we are yet to match such engineering feats.

bindex:

Students spend more time reading their various religious text than reading their text books.

300 yrs ago we had no religious texts to read . . . did we have any textbooks? At that time the more highly religious Europe were busy discovering the chemical elements we now gloat about today.

bindex:

claims of miracles by Men of God is inhibiting medical research.

You must have invented this claim because it isnt true anywhere . . . the same religious Europeans were the ones who brought us drugs for malaria . . .

your write up was disgracefully porous and one more evidence that you atheists are no more intelligent than an ant.

Sometimes the ignorant remarks that some Nigerians post to very important issues startle me.   Are they for real? The sample you posted is a true example. The grammar is bad, the point is lost and it leaves you scratching your head. How does one begin to respond to that?

I love this thread. Huxley made so many points I agree with.

Someone mentioned that Asians are not as religious as the Europeans and the Europeans are more technologically advanced than Asians. Cold lie!! Asians are as advanced as the Europeans if not more advanced technologically. Europeans have a gift of gathering pieces to make a whole. From culture to technology. Nothing is completely European, they have parts from India, China, Japan, Canada. So to say Asians are not religious yet the Europeans are technologically advanced than them is a cold lie. They don't even make TVs in Europe or America. American made products are crap of the highest order. E.G Microsoft's  Xbox 360 etc, So let's be realistic, we need to do away with religion including our traditional religions.

9jaganja:

I love this thread. Huxley made so many points I agree with.

Someone mentioned that Asians are not as religious as the Europeans and the Europeans are more technologically advanced than Asians. Cold lie!! Asians are as advanced as the Europeans if not more advanced technologically. Europeans have a gift of gathering pieces to make a whole. From culture to technology. Nothing is completely European, they have parts from India, China, Japan, Canada. So to say Asians are not religious yet the Europeans are technologically advanced than them is a cold lie. They don't even make TVs in Europe or America. American made products are crap of the highest order. E.G Microsoft's Xbox 360 etc, So let's be realistic, we need to do away with religion including our traditional religions.

70 yrs ago when Europe was at the height of its powers . . . china was nothing but swamp, rice paddies and dirt poor people . . . Japan was in rubbles. At that time the Europeans were still very religious.

It seems many of you who love to argue have your history only as far as 5yrs ago.

davidylan:

Where did you get that "fact" from? thin air? when did they sit in a conference and sign a communique indicating such bogus rubbish? Where they not reading the bible and inserting "In God we trust" when they were building trains, Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, atomic bombs and generating 24hrs electricity while you and ur infidel forefathers were busy playing ayo under the moonlight?

While America held unto her strong christian foundation . . . she almost singlehandedly rescued Europe from Germany during world war II. Start discussing from positions of facts then maybe we can take the rest of your hot air serious.

There was no launch of sharia in 1920 . . . were we any more industrialized? Some of you talk with no sense of intelligence at all.

What is America's strong Christian foundation Slavery? Who were the American Founders that were Christians? George Washington?

"The United States of America should have a foundation free from the influence of clergy and the Church."
— George Washington, 1st U.S. President

Thomas Jefferson?

"Religions are all alike — founded upon fables and mythologies."
— Thomas Jefferson

"Christianity neither is, nor ever was a part of the common law."
— Thomas Jefferson, letter to Dr. Thomas Cooper, February 10, 1814

"The Christian God is a being of terrific character — cruel, vindictive, capricious, and unjust."
— Thomas Jefferson

"I have recently been examining all the known superstitions of the world, and do not find in our particular superstition (Christianity) one redeeming feature.  They are all alike, founded on fables and mythology."
— Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Dr. Woods

Benjamin Franklin?

"I have found Christian dogma unintelligible.  Early in life I absented myself from Christian assemblies."
— Benjamin Franklin, Toward The Mystery

"Scarcely was I arrived at fifteen years of age, when, after having doubted in turn of different tenets, according as I found them combated in the different books that I read, I began to doubt of Revelation itself."
— Benjamin Franklin, (Franklin's Autobiography, 1817–18)

John Adams?

"The divinity of Jesus is made a convenient cover for absurdity.  Nowhere in the Gospels do we find a precept for Creeds, Confessions, Oaths, Doctrines, and whole carloads of other foolish trumpery that we find in Christianity."
— John Adams

"The question before the human race is, whether the God of nature shall govern the world by his own laws, or whether priests and kings shall rule it by fictitious miracles?"
— John Adams, letter to Thomas Jefferson

So who are the Americans That founded American on their strong Christian foundation? When did deist become strong Christians? Stupid deluded fool.

Go and ask your infidel grand mother why she was prostituting around instead of using her brains to change her environs when the whites were busy building planes and atomic bombs, I heard your infidel grandfather was busy stealing and lying to the people in your village.

davidylan:

200 yrs ago we had no christianity . . . did we have any better roads? 1000 yrs ago the more highly religious Romans already had stone-cobbled roads . . . till tomorrow we are yet to match such engineering feats.

Are you asking me for answers to that? why don't you ask your infidel grand father that was busy robbing and lying why he did'nt use his brain to develop machines that will help him build roads instead of disturbing your whole village with stealing.

 300 yrs ago we had no religious texts to read . . . did we have any textbooks? At that time the more highly religious Europe were busy discovering the chemical elements we now gloat about today.

You can pose that question to your criminal infidel grandfather. By the way who were those discovering the chemicals? Paul, pater, Matthew, Luke? or scientist that were imprisoned for daring to show that the bible was wrong about some things?

You must have invented this claim because it isnt true anywhere . . . the same religious Europeans were the ones who brought us drugs for malaria your write up was disgracefully porous and one more evidence that you atheists are no more intelligent than an ant.

Learn to read and understand things before stupidly spewing rubbish. I meant why should Nigerians and Africans spend time researching about drugs when the have miracle healers everywhere performing miracles, but in you rush to sound stupid you assumed I was talking about white people. Remember that your own bible says that demons and evil spirits cause blindness and diseases. My ant brain is better than that of your father and thieving grandfather combined.

davidylan:

70 yrs ago when Europe was at the height of its powers . . . china was nothing but swamp, rice paddies and dirt poor people . . . Japan was in rubbles. At that time the Europeans were still very religious.

It seems many of you who love to argue have your history only as far as 5yrs ago.

When did Catholics become very religious Christians? When you want to use them to prove some convoluted points? else they are all lost, in darkness and will all burn in hell right? stupid clown.

Again more vicious vituperations from the eggheads who consider themselves more intellectual because they dont believe in a God they wont leave alone anyway.

Copying and pasting simply makes you out to be a lazy individual . . . when you start by clearly enunciating your opinions rather than piggy backing on the written words of others then i can seriously consider debating you.

the guy is a troubled soul
rejected even by allah and his jinns
The only thing left to do is for him to audition to serve kolanuts at Okija
that's if the oracles would consider him a worthy sacrifice

I posted a comment on the BBC site on the topic "Maternal Mortality: Does Africa Respect Mothers"

A reply can't get any more 'intellectual' than what I typed; but guess what, it was not approved! for the same reason they choose to represent Somalia and the Niger-Delta as Africa: to massage their superiority mentalities.

davidylan:

70 yrs ago when Europe was at the height of its powers . . . china was nothing but swamp, rice paddies and dirt poor people . . . Japan was in rubbles. At that time the Europeans were still very religious.

It seems many of you who love to argue have your history only as far as 5yrs ago.

When Japan opened itself up to the western world, it acquired Western technology and not Western Religion.   Missionary schools in African countries were more concerned with conversion rather than spreading western ideas and technology.  We can all see the difference between Japan and African countries.  Japan has become a world power with no religious influence from the west.

bawomolo:

When Japan opened itself up to the western world, it acquired Western technology and not Western Religion. Missionary schools in African countries were more concerned with conversion rather than spreading western ideas and technology. We can all see the difference between Japan and African countries. Japan has become a world power with no religious influence from the west.

Bawomolo pls pls guys think before posting . . . it doesnt take too many brain cells.

1. Before you speak about Japan . . . the UK was a highly religious society and yet was strong enough to conquer almost half the world. The USA was founded by puritans and has since gone on to become one of the world's most powerful nations. Much of Europe was christian so just what exactly is your point? Japan and other Asian nations have the more advanced West to thank for much of their own development.

2. If missionary schools were only concerned about conversion then why did they bring us the very science they were also studying in their foreign schools? why did they not simply teach us English, the bible and then go home?

3. African countries have stagnated for reasons that have nothing to do with religion. We werent any better than the Japs or Americans 300yrs ago. Infact we had never seen gunpowder until the missionaries and slave ships berthed on our shores. Just what religion held us back then?

davidylan:

Again more vicious vituperations from the eggheads who consider themselves more intellectual because they dont believe in a God they wont leave alone anyway.

Yes tell you God to come and strike us dead for not leaving him alone. I thought that is what he is very Good at? striking people to death for looking at him when he was hiding like a chicken in a wooden ark? I dont see you leaving The Allah that you don't believe exist alone. stupid fool.

Copying and pasting simply makes you out to be a lazy individual . . . when you start by clearly enunciating your opinions rather than piggy backing on the written words of others then i can seriously consider debating you.

You said that America was founded by Christians based on their strong Christian convictions, and I pasted some of their quotes to show you how truly "Christian" they were. By the way when did Catholics become very strong Christians? when you want to use them to deluded your self? else they are all going to hell right? confused fool.

**osisi:

the guy is a troubled soul
rejected even by allah and his jinns
The only thing left to do is for him  to audition to serve kolanuts at Okija
that's if the oracles would consider him a worthy sacrifice

At least I am not as troubled as the God your worship who used to be so troubled that the only things that could ease his tension were human and animal blood.

bindex:

At least I am not as troubled as the God your worship who used to be so troubled that the only things that could ease his tension were human and animal blood.

yet for the last 1 yr you've been bleating about this non-existent God?
you seem more troubled than you claim he is at the moment.

davidylan:

yet for the last 1 yr you've been bleating about this non-existent God?
you seem more troubled than you claim he is at the moment.

You have been bleating about the non existing Allah for years on nairaland haven't you? I guess that makes the two of us troubled souls we are?

davidylan:

Bawomolo pls pls guys think before posting . . . it doesnt take too many brain cells.

1. Before you speak about Japan . . . the UK was a highly religious society and yet was strong enough to conquer almost half the world. The USA was founded by puritans and has since gone on to become one of the world's most powerful nations. Much of Europe was christian so just what exactly is your point? Japan and other Asian nations have the more advanced West to thank for much of their own development.

2. If missionary schools were only concerned about conversion then why did they bring us the very science they were also studying in their foreign schools? why did they not simply teach us English, the bible and then go home?

3. African countries have stagnated for reasons that have nothing to do with religion. We werent any better than the Japs or Americans 300yrs ago. Infact we had never seen gunpowder until the missionaries and slave ships berthed on our shores. Just what religion held us back then?

1.  Europe was less religious past the enlightenment era.  The grip the Papacy and the orthodox church had on Europe was lessened. One of the reasons for the dark ages was religion.  It can be argued Africa is going through it's own dark age.

2. Their major focus was on conversion and creating a work force tailored to colonial administration and not technological development.

3. African societies like the swahili on the Indian Ocean had knowledge of Gunpowder and weaponry before the slave ships came in. wasn't Gunpower invented in buddhist China?  Religion is definitely not the sole reason for the stagnation of Africa.

some people are beginning to take this a little bit too personal. no need for grudges