₦airaland Forum

butterflylion:
No its not late. Go ahead and do so

To you, it isn't; to me, it is!

hopefulLandlord:
Chemystry, I can relate bro, its like you echoed my thoughts with good precision

I have to add however that my own is slightly different from number 1 in that they don't assume everyone is a Christian, they just assume everyone is a theist or more narrowly either a Christian or Muslim, so it goes more like "I believe everyone here believes in (a) God"

My guys it's not easy. Last Sunday, I took a junior colleague out to drink. He was praising me of my kindness towards him and other coworkers in his grade. He said I'm just exceptional. He appreciated me for the love and kindness I showed him when he hard an accident at work place. He recounted that I was the only one who came to recognize with him amongst all the senior colleagues.

We kept on discussing. Since it was a Sunday, our discussion converged to religion and I eventually revealed to him I'm an atheists. The way the guys sprang up from his seat, leaving the beer and peppersoup I bought for him still amuses me till now.

" C'mon don't tell me that! You can't tell me that! There is nobody who doesn't believe in God. Why are you like this? In fact I'm scared of you now. Don't let me change the way I use to see you please"

Well, I was able to calm him down. I explained a lot of things to him. I also reminded him about all his praises and how he's placed me as the kindest amongst all. I also told him if he wants to change the way he sees me, then he should also see all my good deeds towards him as evil deeds since I don't believe in god, and all those who neglected him, he should see them as good people who has done the right thing since they all believe in god. People are funny!

butterflylion:
Listing out difficulties you face as an atheist is simple. Why not try listing the solutions you found side by side with the difficulties.

I mean list out your coping mechanism for all you just listed. That would be a worthy read and not your problems.

I would have done as you said if you had mentioned it before I created the thread. But it's already late

There are some disappointments and difficulties that comes along with being an atheist.
Below is not an exhaustive list but just what I could remember or relate with at the moment.
If you have yours, you can also share.


Everyone assumes you are a christian
Everyone assumes you are a christian, they want to conduct prayers and other religious activities every now and then. Even some nonreligious WhatsApp group would get bombarded with messages promoting Christianity.

I was at a training session in my workplace today, the trainer made a statement saying "...I believe everyone here is a christian....blah blah blah". And this is an instance of what you go through on a daily basis.

Everyone takes you as an alien
People see you as an alien. There are many people out there who doesnt know there exists people who doesn't believe in any god. To them, it is impossible not to believe in god and also nothing else! You just have to believe in something.

My response to this has always been I don't like football (yeah, truly I don't) and I'm not a fan of any club. Is that possible? The reply is always a YES. Now will you insist I can't just exist without being a fan of any football club?

No afterlife
As an atheist, you don't believe in afterlife thus losing your dear ones to a tragic event usually leaves you hopeless. To you, this is the beginning of the end of your togetherness and every relation with that person has come to an abrupt and final end! This is not the same for religious folks who can cope, having the hope of seeing and meeting such loved one someday in the afterlife or in a different world. It's quite a more painful experience for an atheist to contend with.

No justice afterlife
Of course I would like those armed robbers that stole my phone and laptop back then in school to face final justice. What about the other guy that took my 30K (meant for flexing last December) at gunpoint? Or those heartless politicians who embezzle money meant for the masses because they have the money and power to escape justice on earth? Well, they shall not go unpunished! Hell surely awaits them afterlife. But now, karma is your only hope

No more invisible helper
The thought of someone watching over you from the sky alone was so comforting. But now, you know that there is nobody there.

Difficulties in finding a spouse
It is quite difficult finding someone who would understand your non-belief. Every woman wants to marry a believer in church or mosque. Then if you have AS genotype, even babalawos cannot solve your compounded problems

Na was o

dalaman:
I tire oo. Just because he was indoctrinated and made to believe the baseless assumption that some dead Jewish hippie that died over 2000 years ago created the universe every body must believe in one assumption or the other. I laugh in Hebrew.

Hahahaha. Na dem! Always looking for straws to clutch at

butterflylion:
So what do you believe in? How did the universe came about? If you say you don't know then you can wail an "I don't know" tears. I would be Okay with those.

I don't know how to wail the "I don't know" tears, but if you show me how it is done, I'll do it for you

butterflylion:
Why not try wailing me the first singularity that caused the big bang (something you actually believe in) instead of Noahs flood which you do not believe in.

So in essence you are wailing me the universe! One tear from you would expand into the universe.

Oya begin wail.

Lol, it is better I wail what you believe in so you don't start asking me for proof of what I wailed. I want to wail Noah's flood. For now, I believe in it .
All I'm waiting for is the START command.

Meanwhile, I never mentioned anywhere to you I believed in big bang so ask me first before you start making false assumptions.

frank317:
The question is, what is he really angry about? Insulting and even threatening to fight when he meets with an atheist face to face. Well,that's what happens when one worships an imaginary being in his head.

That's why we need show them some real love cos all they know and have ever experienced is imaginary love from their imaginary friend

butterflylion:
Oh what a pirry! What a sad pirry pirry! Don't worry I will buy you one container of handkerchiefs so you can wail me an ocean alright? What's your favourite colour

the amount of delusion I want to save you from is too enormous to wail just an ocean. What if I wail Noah's flood, will it help in your redemption?

butterflylion:
When loneliness makes people seek desperate company even their enemies are sought after even if it's just to convince themselves that they are still sane

You've been noticed. You are still sane! Your enemies still care! You can run along now

hahahahaha....i know you religionists are good at having enemies. We atheists are not same. No matter what, we are still your friends. Just that I can't stay and watch you and the rest of humanity wallow continuously in religious delusion.

701ecilana & butterflylion

You guys are on this thread arguing for your imaginary friend upandan. So you guys later picked your faith you dropped on the other thread?

I thought you guys are really hell bent on not picking it oh!
So una later pick am? Kikikikikikiki

"And Allah has made for you the earth wide spread (an expanse)” [Nooh 71:19]

“Have We not made the earth as a bed” [an-Naba’ 78:6]

“And the earth We spread out, and placed therein firm mountains, and caused to grow therein all kinds of things in due proportion” [al-Hijr 15:19]

“And it is He Who spread out the earth, and placed therein firm mountains and rivers” [ar-Ra‘d 13:3].

Flat earth!

“He created the heavens and earth for a true purpose; He wraps the night around the day and the day around the night”

[az-Zumar 39:5].

This is the part Zakir Naik want to deceive us with.
How does "day wrapping night and night wrapping day" translates to a spherical earth?

RosaConsidine:
Nothing wrong in not liking homosexuality. I mean, people love oats but I detest it with a passion. Doesn't mean I would advocate for all lovers of oats to be jailed, think them abnormal or start conspiracy theories that oat lovers want everyone in the world to eat oats. So long as I'm not being forced into eating it, we don't have a problem.

You said it all!

vaxx:
you are the reason the black man is still backward despite the abundance of science and technology. you called African science vodoo? is it because is not taught in school or those who believe it are uncivilized like your Western brother.

when the white men realized they could not conquer us with their gun and bombs. they introduce their school to change our mind, they rewrite our history for us. and will also follow them like baboon. continue in your ignorance.

I will give you a practical example of African science if you doubt. go to any local orthopedic center in your area. in yoruba language it is called ile arogun. visit them now and you will see for your self what your western educated doctors can not do. is bneen nurture back to life. a rejected broken leg in FMC has received resurrection.

Just two words - Wishful thinking!

A recent global survey conducted by National Geographic shows that the worlds fastest growing religion is not Islam or Christianity, but no religion at all – atheism. The study comes in conjunction with Nat. Geo’s new television series “The Story of God” starring Morgan Freeman which travels the world chronicling religious beliefs practiced by different cultures. With the global headlines dominated by the Islamic State, Islamic immigration throughout Europe/Africa and recent religious freedom laws passed in the United States, to the untrained eye it would appear that religion is as strong as ever – but you would be mistaken. In fact just the opposite is occurring and the age old paradigm of piety is quickly shifting.

https://hackspirit.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/first-pic.png

The study refers to atheists as “religious nones” or people who do not follow or identify with any religion. According to the results, atheism is now the second largest religious affiliation in North America and the majority of Europe. In the United States alone approximately 22.8% of the population now identifies as atheist, up 6.7% from 2007. Furthermore, U.S. atheists now represent a larger portion of the population than Catholics, Protestants, and all other followers of non Christian faiths – such as Islam and Buddhism. This was not the case only a decade ago.

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/content/dam/news/rights-exempt/nat-geo-staff-maps/2016/04/religion/Nones_2.ngsversion.1461422622827.png

The study finds that France, New Zealand and the Netherlands are world leaders in secularism (the belief that people should be free from religious teachings) and these countries will soon have a higher population of atheists than any other religious affiliation. If the statistics continue to trend in the current direction, the study finds the United Kingdom and Australia will soon be joining these countries. As it stands presently, Australia and the UK are already on the brink of losing their Christian majorities. With the exception of Buddhism, China rounds out the list of world leaders hosting secular beliefs.

On the other side of the spectrum, no where on Earth is religion growing faster than it is in Sub-Sahara Africa. This portion of the world is simultaneously experiencing the highest levels birth rates and when you forecast the long term population boom expected from this region over the next 25 years, the research indicates the number of religious people coming out of this region may be enough to overtake the number of atheists produced around the world over the same period.

As for individual religious beliefs, Islam is significantly on the rise comparatively to any other religion, so much so that by the year 2050 Islam is anticipated to surpass Christianityas the worlds most popular religion.

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/content/dam/news/rights-exempt/nat-geo-staff-maps/2016/04/religion/Islam_Christ_2.ngsversion.1461422622663.png

Lastly the study finds that the millennial generation is leading the charge towards atheism, finding that the largest demographic of non-religious affiliated people on Earth is comprised of this generation. Extending the timeline outwards, approximately 11% of people are said to have been raised in secular, non-religious affiliated homes since 1970. The study also notes that a higher percentage of black people identify as religious comparatively to white people by a large margin – approximately 78% of all atheists are found to be white. As for gender, generally speaking females tend to be much more religious then males – approximately 68% of atheists are male.

The study also claims that there is direct correlation between religion and poverty levels. Essentially the poorer a country or community, the higher the population of religious people we find there. Those who come from wealth or privilege are statistically less likely to hold religious beliefs. Additionally the study finds that there is direct correlation between education and religion. The higher the level of educated someone obtains, the less likely they are to hold devout religious beliefs.

Source: National Geographic

ysyowel:
through your heart, through the Spirit, open your heart now and receive him into your heart

My heart is meant for circulating blood and not for courier service.
Even if I want to take part in this transaction, I'm against human trafficking

ysyowel:
so you are an unbeliever
receive Jesus now and be save

I'm ready to receive him. But how are you sending him?
Is it through DHL, FedEx or ups?

There are three American brands that Nigerians patronise hugely: Facebook, Microsoft, and Apple.

Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of Facebook, is an atheist; Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, is an agnostic (neither believes nor doubts the existence of God); Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, was a Zen Buddhist. Yet, Nigerians love them and patronise their products hugely.

If these three men were Nigerians who professed atheism, agnosticism and Zen Buddhism publicly, how would many Nigerians react to them?

Last week, Zuckerberg visited Nigeria and many Nigerians were drooling over him for walking and jogging in Lagos.  He left for Kenya and was pictured eating ugali and tilapia with his bare hands. Many Nigerians shared the photograph and captioned it, “Zuckerberg enjoying Nigerian meal with his bare hands like a true Nigerian.”

It seemed Aso Rock was not happy that the young billionaire visited Nigeria without paying a visit to the Nigerian seat of power. For a day after leaving Nigeria for Kenya, he returned to Nigeria and visited Abuja, took groupies with President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo. The President and the Vice-President were full of smiles in the pictures they took with Zuckerberg.

What if Zuckerberg were an atheist and a Nigerian? Or what if Zuckerberg were an adherent of the African Traditional Religion, which we arrogantly call paganism or idolatry?

In Nigeria, there are ONLY two religions: Christianity and Islam. Other religions are treated with contempt by most Nigerians. Even the government at all levels discriminates against other religions. That is why different levels of government sponsor only Christian and Muslim pilgrims. The Federal Government also gives Christians and Muslims special concessionary dollar rates during pilgrimages, while leaving companies that manufacture goods to source their dollars at the prevailing market rates, leading to the shutting down of many companies and loss of thousands of jobs.

Imagine if a person was told to pray at a gathering of Nigerian politicians or business executives in Abuja and the person began to call on “Amadioha” or “Ogun” and the ancestors. Those in attendance would not wait for him to finish before protesting and stopping the prayers. But if the person had prayed the Muslim way, the Christians would say “amen” at the end of the prayers, even though they don’t understand the Arabic spoken by the Muslim and don’t  share the beliefs of the Muslims.  In the same vein, if a Christian had prayed, the Muslims would say “amen”, even if the Christian ended his prayer with “through Jesus Christ our Lord”: it would not matter that Muslims don’t believe in the godhead of Jesus Christ.

Similarly, if a Muslim offers a Christian meat from the ram killed during sallah, the Christian would eat. If a Christian offers a Muslim the meat from the goat killed during Christmas or Easter, the Muslim would accept and eat. But if an adherent of the ATR offers a Nigerian Muslim or Christian meat from a ram killed during the festival of Ogwugwu or Sango, he would most likely reject it or quietly throw it away as “meat from an animal sacrificed to idols.”

Therefore, the Nigerian Christian and Muslims have been conditioned to view each other’s faith as acceptable religion, even though that has not stopped the decades of religious violence that has marked the religious practice in Nigeria in the country. Any other religion outside these two is viewed with contempt or outright opposition. Professing a lack of belief in God is even given worse treatment.

An atheist is viewed in Nigeria as an embodiment of the devil and everything evil. He is believed to be an enemy that must not be associated with to avoid infecting others with the “curse” he carries. He is not expected to succeed in life. He is not expected to be wealthy. Even if he acquires wealth or success “by mistake,” he is expected to lose it soon, because it is seen as a gift from Satan. Any tragedy that befalls him is seen as a punishment from God, and he gets little or no sympathy. Girls would not be eager to marry him because he is an atheist or has a different religion from Christianity and Islam. If he has a product or service, many would refuse to patronise him, so as not to contract the “atheist curse” that they believe he bears.

But Nigerians hypocritically drool over Zuckerberg. They want to be like him: young,  handsome, intelligent, super-rich. They forget that he is an atheist. When they wake up, the first thing they do is to open their phone and visit Zuckerberg’s business, Facebook, to read the latest gossip and news and exchange pleasantries and quarrels with friends and foes. If they are not on Facebook, they are on WhatsApp or Instagram, also owned by the same atheist, Zuckerberg. If Zuckerberg were not married, many would throw themselves at him even before he proposed. If he were to even decide to settle in Nigeria and become a polygamist,  many Nigerian ladies would gladly accept to be second, third or 20th wife, if he decided to acquire a harem, despite all his atheism.

In the same vein, Nigerians resume in their different offices and spend all their day solving problems with Microsoft and making money through it. They do not remember that Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, is an agnostic, and that his faith or lack of it has not prevented him from being the world’s richest man and one of the greatest philanthropists.

Similarly, Nigerians flaunt their iPads and iPods and iPhones without remembering that Steve Jobs was a Zen Buddhist, who  – as reported by his authorised biographer, Walter Isaacson –  renounced his Christian faith after seeing the July 1968 Life magazine with the cover photograph of starving Biafran children. In Nigeria, Zen Buddhism would be seen as “idol worship” because of the statues of Buddha. If Jobs were a Nigerian and had died of cancer, many would have sneered that “God had visited him with cancer for rejecting Christianity and embracing idolatry.”

However, because these people are not Nigerians, whatever they do does not matter to many Nigerians. Just like it does not matter if a 25-year-old CNN broadcaster calls our President – past or present – “Mr Buhari” or “Mr Jonathan” or “Mr Obasanjo.” Our President so addressed would accept it with a smile. But let a Nigerian broadcaster address our President – past or present – as “ordinary Mr” and all hell would be let loose.

“How dare you address a whole army general or PhD holder as ordinary Mr?”

We have an intolerant attitude towards religion. We assume that only those who practise religion exactly the way we do have any right to be happy and successful. Some even believe that only those who practise their own brand of religion have a right to live.

But religion should be a private affair. Each person is supposed to practise his or her own religion without hindrance or discrimination while also allowing others to practise theirs without any disturbance or discrimination. Our lives should be the gospel people read, not our words posturing.

Written by - Azuka Onwuka

Religion and God are manmade!

I never in my life enjoyed going to church even when I was a believer.

vaxx:
I came not knowing from where, but I came.

And I saw a pathway in front of me, so I walked. And I will remain walking, whether I want this or not.

How did I come? How did I see my pathway? i do not know!

Am I new or am I old in this existence?

Am I free and unrestrained, or do I walk in chains? Do I lead myself in my life, or am I being led? I wish I know, but…I do not know!

And my path, oh what is my path? Is it long or is it short? Am I ascending in it, or am I going down and sinking? Am I the one who is walking on the road, or is it the road that is moving? Or are we both standing, but it is the time that is running? I do not know!

Before I became a full human, do you see if I were nothing, impossible? Or do you see that I was something? is there an answer to this puzzle, or will it remain eternal? I do not know ... and why do I not know?? I do not know.

You answered it already

vaxx:
j know the chemistry behind dream.. my question to you is tangible. how can you physically proof it to me . you actually dream?

I never say god is nothing. this is another misinterpretation from you. God is simply beyond human logic. therefore human logic cannot explain it. the moment you qualify God with anything. then it flaw the definition of God . so By mere saying God is nothing. has also flaw the definition of God.

You called my name, so
Here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgxJhpLoFFU

Following...

I feel what you should be doing most of the time is to convince religionist why you chose to become an atheist, and why you think their believe is absurd. Don't take any argument towards that of attack and defence.

I believe if you have convinced yourself beyond doubt that atheism is the right and wisest choice for you, then you can convince any other person.

I started speaking up and engaging in debates 3 years after becoming an atheist. Before then, I do more of reading and listening. I feel you might still need to do more of reading and listening.

But i assure you that religionist are the easiest set of people to debate with. You know why? They don't use their brain during religious debate. They feel it is useless. So you are at a greater advantage.

Don't let them drag you into insults and badmouthing 'cause they will surely beat you black-and-blue over there nor let them distract you towards debating over a false analogy brought up over the main argument. When you see such analogies, debunk them immediately and move over to the main discussion. Don't let them drag you back!

Remember, they might be intelligent o. I mean very intelligent but unfortunately they don't take their brain along during religious debate. This is reason they believe an imaginary being cares about their plight. This is the very same reason why they can never win you in debate!

Goodlyhrt:
Mind you, here, the Robot is acting out a programme

Then why do you want me to take this robot serious since it is playing out a program?
It is a thing of garbage in garbage out.

The robot can identify and point at it's creator and can most likely touch and communicate with him. The robot knows and "sees" who repairs it when it is bad. The robot doesn't have to wait for a particular final day after it must have been overused and damaged before it could see its creator. The robot might have even for once be present when its creator was creating another robot.

701ecilana,

If you are still pained your god doesn't exists and you can't prove he does with a simple test, then you can keep crying me a river.

701ecilana:
The most intelligent boy in his school wants me to catch a spirit and make him a physical being see Him with human eyes. What an intelligent boy

Now i see why atheists are called fools.

No need to lay your frustration of not being able to prove your god exist on me. Is it my fault that an all powerful god can't pass a simple test even with and without faith? You were so pained that insults was the last resort you could clutch on to. That's an egocentric way of accepting defeat. You can do better

701ecilana:
Okay, no more facts? We should go back to faith.

Lord, why am i responding to this imp?

it's OK, I got the message. I know it's shameful to openly accept your god doesnt exist. I don't expect you to openly accept anyway. I got the message dear so kindly direct your frustration appropriately. Your goons have tried both fact and faith but failed so i dont expect something new from you. Thank you for attempting the test. You scored zero. Kikikikiki

701ecilana:
You shd be ashamed to even mention you were a smart boy in secondary school. Intelligence is marked by speech, not by assertion.

See how fatuous you sound. Stop making a turkey out of yourself mate.

defend your god's inexistence or stop disturbing me.

If that is not what you came for please stay of my mention