We dont need more atheists, we need more Christians and muslims cos they have always been atheists. We have never had Christians there

Authoreety:
Atheists ; very confused set of people

Mariangeles:
Nigerian atheists are most times lawless and without principles .

They have no respect because it means nothing to them.
They behave however they please with no conscience.
Nothing guides there emotions.
They'll hurt and disrespect you without remorse.
Mostly cold hearted.
They're even more dangerous.

You mean more dangerous than the Christian and Muslim leaders that have been stealing funds since independence and later go to church or mosque to thank god for winning elections?

More criminals have been celebrated on pulpits and religious houses than anywhere else in Nigeria. Facts

Hahaha

The article is a misplaced argument.

Firs,t politics in a democracy is local. While we assume all are equal under our laws. The nucleus of Nigeria revolves round tangible set (group) of people who can influence elections and mobilize millions against government policies to drive home their demand.


Atheism and homosexuality for now can't win elections in Nigeria while region, religion and ethnicity will.

MeetDx:
97% of Nigerians are religious; in fact atheism is alien to majority of Africans, so what's the dullard talking about? Smh!

Satan66:
As an atheist
This is moronic.
Government positions should have nothing to do with religion but the mindset of the individual.
Every atheist and religious person is different.
Religion and government activities should be two different things entirely

Before, you guys start having headache. What the OP posted is basic COUNTERARGUMENT . It is only pointing out the error of the position of MURIC and CAN. Nigeria is not the property of Christians and Muslims alone, and should therefore not be using religious sentiment for government position. Anyone that is capable should be given the position irrespective of their religious beliefs.

You have an Islamic insurgency in the North.
A South filled with hungry predatory pastors
Imams that make suicide vests
Bishops that Bleep kids.
Abeg go sidown

Mariangeles:
Nigerian atheists are most times lawless and without principles .

They have no respect because it means nothing to them.
They behave however they please with no conscience.
Nothing guides there emotions.
They'll hurt and disrespect you without remorse.
Mostly cold hearted.
They're even more dangerous.

All these pressure groups sef... You guys are expected to be non partisan. If you're interested in partisan politics,, why not officially register with INEC? form political parties!

Sentiments aside,, as an atheist wey I be.., my people nearly disown me wen I tell dem say I no dey do religion again,,say religion na scam. Decades don pass,, yet dey never fully accept my decision. Up till now I still dey get some minor wahala with my uncle!

Don't know if Nigerians are ready to allow irreligious people to handle elective/electoral/ or key appointments in some strategic government agency.

If we're thinking right especially when talking about how to pilot the affairs of the state.. We should consider meritocracy,, competency and leadership ability at the expense of religious affiliation.

You just managed to describe the current, past and probably future politicians of Nigeria. The so-called Christians and Muslims. I laugh really. The day we realise that organised religion is a tool the elite uses to control the masses, the day our eyes all will be opened. I am not against religion neither do I think religion is bad. But religion in the hands of politicians, especially in Nigeria, has been weaponized to further divide the masses.

It is a monumental shame and disgrace that we bicker about faith while godless men laugh and get rich off our collective stupidity. Sad really.

Mariangeles:
Nigerian atheists are most times lawless and without principles .

They have no respect because it means nothing to them.
They behave however they please with no conscience.
Nothing guides there emotions.
They'll hurt and disrespect you without remorse.
Mostly cold hearted.
They're even more dangerous.

yeah that is right but how do we do your swearing oath ceremony.

Omooba224:
Abimbola Adelakun

On Friday, the Christian Association of Nigeria visited President MuhammaduBuhari to congratulate him on his re-election. During their visit, theyurged the President to observe religious balance in the composition of his cabinet in his second term. They also requested that, for the 9th National Assembly, either the Senate President or Speaker of the House of Representatives should be a Christian. They reasoned that since the President is a Muslim and the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria also professes the Islamic faith, the country needs a Christian in the legislative arm of government to give everyone a sense of fairness and belonging.CAN’s brazenness in making such demands is, perhaps, informed by a similar assault recently against reason by the advocacy group, Muslim Rights Concern. MURIC had asked Buhari to appoint Muslim ministers from five ofthe states in the South-West when he puts the cabinet together. The group claimed that it was theonly way to redress the imbalance of having only one Muslim governor in the geopolitical zone.Now, when confrontedwith this kind of an impasse, there is a tendency to resort to the predictable response that the overriding determinant in makingthese appointments should be merit and not religion. We shouldmove past that level already since the logicis too basic to penetrate the minds of those who need it. Those of us who have a liberal mindset towards religious identity politics need to take those who advocate religion as qualification seriously. We should treat their demands with the same gravity as politicians do. Just last year, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, while responding to charges of nepotism in Buhari’s government, claimed that Christians outnumber Muslims in Federal Government appointments. He pointed out that although the cabinet had 18 Christians and 18 Muslims, the former still upend thelatter since both the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Head of Service are Christians.The preciseness of Osinbajo’s response shows that they do not toy with the opticsof religious politics. Itis a reality of our political situation thatreligion has become an idea of merit and we should deal with it on those terms. As a society, we have long arrived at a point where our politics have been reduced to the worship of the twin Baal of geopolitics and religious partisanship.In the last election, the tribes of the electoral candidates and their religion featured more in our discourses than their leadership capability. There is almost a consensus that all the candidates are equally meritocratic — or incompetent — and so nobody wastes time weighing their administrative abilities. They only need to get into office and things will sort themselves out.

Following CAN’s suggestion that Buhari should observe“ethnic and religious” balance in future appointments, I suggest that slots should be reserved for atheists as well. They too deserve representation.I know that such a suggestion immediately puts us in a messy terrain. Who is a “Christian” or “Muslim” in Nigerian politics anyway? The Nigerian political class is mostly composed of moral nihilists, or at best, agnostics. The others mix their putative religion with patronisingBabalawosin their shrines at night. During the day, they all claim a Muslim or Christian religious identity because they have no choice. All political appointmentsare distributed between both sides; there is nothing ever set aside for those who fall outside the religious boxes.

I acknowledge that there are many religious movements outside the Christian/Muslim dichotomy and they also deserve to be represented in government. However,we have to be mindful of the fact that too many faiths will stall appointments. In 2015, it took six months to select 18 Christians and 18 Muslims. We do not need that kind of slow motion this time. Besides, the Babalawos are already represented through proxies — thepoliticians who go to shrines to optimise their access to supernatural power by mixing and matching the Abrahamic God with Africanist beliefs. Atheists are the only ones who have been consciously left out ofthe party and there are many good reasons they deserve a seat at the table.

One, atheists do not have a smokescreen that enables them to falsely propagate virtues they do not have. If an atheist in apolitical office turns out to be as corrupt as their religious counterparts, it is easier to take them down. We will not have to blow their religious decoy to reveal their hypocrisy. They are not superstitious. So they are not going to blame a money-eatingsnake; nor are they going to attribute their susceptibility to temptation to Satan. They will admit they did it because they toowant to enjoy the good life. Simple.

Two, since they will not be going to churchor mosque for any reason, they are not likely to loot public funds as much as those who wear their religion with their agbada robes. They donot have any religious leader to “settle,” andnobody is going to ask them to donate a building to their church or mosque. Think of how much money Nigeria will save if the corruption pipeline that runs from public offices toreligious houses were cut off.

Three, if an atheist rigs an election, he will keep the illegitimate victory to himself, at least. He will not go to church to share a “God did it” testimony. Nigerian politicians attribute their victory at the polls to God, even when they rob the collective wealth to fund those elections. By going to church or mosque to register their gratitude, they are legitimising a lie and manipulating people. Atheists will not do that.

Four, atheists will approach their work with far more clear-headedness since theydo not believe that any God is guiding their affairs. They will not ape a minister whose chief requirement before appointments is “fear of God.” Also, becausethey know they do not have a godfather, there is the marginal possibility they would be better behaved in government.

Five, there are not enough atheists in the world at present to form a religious movement. For the most part, they walk alone. The upside is that there will not be organisations like either CAN or MURIC to canvass for anything on their behalf.

Six, and this is important – atheists will be invaluable to the government because they typicallyquestion received knowledge. They do not attribute human phenomenon to some supernatural force. They are quite rational. It is no coincidence that some of the most developedcountries in the world today are full of atheists, while the ones that are religious by default are, by all indices, mostly backward. There is a correlation between giving room for probing questions.
I could go on and on, but you should be convinced by now that atheists deserve cabinet positions because their atheism is enough merit to qualify them for the job. If Christians and Muslims can advance such logic, then we should extend it to atheists as well. It is only fair. By the way, I believe that Nigeria probably has more non-believers than believers. However, because most social goodies are divided based on religion, many people indulge in the rituals of worship to a God they do not care for. It is time to open the religious closet and free our politicians from their hypocrisy. There are multiple benefits to be derivedfrom such openness. Nobody will be disqualified for a position they might actually qualify for on account of not being either Christian or Muslim. Even much better, nobody has to pretend they believe in God so they can be appointed to such positions. And the best part of it? People like Prof. Akintola and the leadership of CAN willgo find another job.

The manner these government officials starting from the president down to the least of any government office holders run the affairs of people doesn't portray them as neither Christians nor Muslims.

Their heartlessness is not here.

shina277:

well..but its quite tricky

Either way if oath is broken. The law is coming after the person not the deity. An athiest cant lie in court just because he doesn't care about religion.

agylistic77:
As long as they are Nigerians and competent..after all
Muslim see christain as pagan the northern Christian will understand what I'm saying.. I have seen an Hausa call yoruba Muslim Aa-ri-ne

And dont Christians see Muslims as pagans too? Hypocrisy and hate is in your blood

famouscargo4u:
Nigeria will never develop if we keep holding religious and tribal sentiments. If an igbo man or Hausa man have this then Yoruba too must have that. If Yoruba does this, why not Igbo? If Christian is a president, we expect CP to be Muslim. What is wrong with us?? I know of a state in the East if you are not a Roman Catholic member you can't be a governor or hold a serious political position. What has happened to u?!

Religion and tribalism has eaten deep into us. Btw, what eastern state is that?

JeogahII:
"twin Baal" Nigeria atheists (do we even have one?) case close. In Nigeria we only have people who go to Church/Mosque and people who don't but atheism in Nigeria, no! we don't have one. How do you defend atheism in Nigeria? wait may your village people come for you, you go know say God exist.

who are these village people? how can I get them to come for me?

HeyCorleone:
I think someone's religious orientation or belief is quite inconsequential when it comes to holding a government position.

Come to think of it, all the Christians and Muslims holding a position today, how have they made an impact? Isn't our VP a Pastor? Are things any better?

The big question should be if an individual merits the post. That's all.

But left to me the OP raised very unimportant points. Who cares if atheists won't go to church to celebrate their victory? How does that ensure their performance? He didn't even give any point that presents the atheist as a more qualified individual. He just took swipes at religions. Very petty.

You know how much Nigeria spends on thanks given service,economical center, pilgrimage etc,all those cash would be saved and used for something productive

Mariangeles:
Nigerian atheists are most times lawless and without principles .

They have no respect because it means nothing to them.
They behave however they please with no conscience.
Nothing guides there emotions.
They'll hurt and disrespect you without remorse.
Mostly cold hearted.
They're even more dangerous.

.
.
.
My Man..
Stop being Biased and Myopic..
Tell me one trait you mentioned above that cant be found In Religious people.?
They even do it in excess.!
.
When Last did you hear that Atheist clash, riot, protest.?
..
And how many Atheist do You know Personally.?

Mariangeles:
Nigerian atheists are most times lawless and without principles .

They have no respect because it means nothing to them.
They behave however they please with no conscience.
Nothing guides there emotions.
They'll hurt and disrespect you without remorse.
Mostly cold hearted.
They're even more dangerous.

And Christians and Muslims are not also guilty of this?

Mariangeles:
Nigerian atheists are most times lawless and without principles .

They have no respect because it means nothing to them.
They behave however they please with no conscience.
Nothing guides there emotions.
They'll hurt and disrespect you without remorse.
Mostly cold hearted.
They're even more dangerous.

As a former Nigerian atheist this statement is filled with so much generalizations that I almost didn't bother to respond.

Nigerian atheists are lawless you say, yet Nigeria is a very religious country yet has one of the highest crime rates in the world. Yet you say atheists are lawless.

tobechi20:


You know how much Nigeria spends on thanks given service,economical center, pilgrimage etc,all those cash would be saved and used for something productive

Stupid.

So all the billions of dollars we get can't be used on productive things, it's the little coins spent for Thanksgiving that would make an impact. Lmao. How una take dey reason sef?

I have no problem with atheists coming into power, not because they are better persons (Stalin, Hitler, atheists. what did that get them?), but because nobody who merits a position should be denied it because of his religious beliefs.

Sometimes this woman go make sense; other times na rubbish she go talk.

Mariangeles:
Nigerian atheists are most times lawless and without principles .

They have no respect because it means nothing to them.
They behave however they please with no conscience.
Nothing guides there emotions.
They'll hurt and disrespect you without remorse.
Mostly cold hearted.
They're even more dangerous.

Wow! Your ignorance is top notch.

HappyPagan:
Pagans too. Christians and Muslims have run this country amok with their foreign gods. When your heaven dey Israel and Mecca, how your house go sweet?

How you go prepare for the future when you dey wait make Jesus come?

Mumu, na only Christian dey wait make Jesus come?
Wetin muslims dey wait for??

atheism itself is a religion since its a form of believe,if you know,you know

agylistic77:
As long as they are Nigerians and competent..after all
Muslim see christain as pagan the northern Christian will understand what I'm saying.. I have seen an Hausa call yoruba Muslim Aa-ri-ne

Please,how do christians see Muslims/

Mariangeles:
Nigerian atheists are most times lawless and without principles .

They have no respect because it means nothing to them.
They behave however they please with no conscience.
Nothing guides there emotions.
They'll hurt and disrespect you without remorse.
Mostly cold hearted.
They're even more dangerous.

I guess the criminals, thieves, corrupt public officials, and terrorists all over the country are all atheists. You need a brain transplant!

hopefulLandlord:


who are these village people? how can I get them to come for me?

the are already coming for you are this first trick the are playing on you is to make you believed God don't exist!

toggy:
in actual fact, most Nigerian Politicians are Atheists, even some religious leaders. that is why we are wiitnessing so many lawlessness and injustice in the land. forget the cover up of going to church and other things.

Nope. Most politicians are religious. That’s why they go to Mosques, Churches, Shrines etc to pray to a higher being to get political appointments.

Atheists are highly intelligent beings and it is a great disservice to compare them to simple minded religious folks.