₦airaland Forum

^oh never mind. I've fixed your post.

Hi Valencia,
pls continue on this thread https://www.nairaland.com/1163300/pastor-lays-down-top-adult

Kay 17: 1. God is a contradiction.

2. God is incomprehensible

3. God is perfect but an imperfect world

4. God is purported to be omnipotent, hence the use of design is useless to HE who wills anything.

5. God is purposeless and that runs contrary to teleology

For empiricism

1. God is exempted from empirical scrutiny.

I'm not being difficult sir.

But what have you done here besides give us your opinion?

plaetton: Well, yes and no.
I do admire the character of Jesus. I think I understand the message he was trying to pass on to his people and perhaps the known world of his time.
Philosophical and spiritual truths are valid in every era.
But we all the know how the message was hijacked by the empire and how that message has degenerated to it present level.

Any philosophy or set of beliefs that bring out the best in human being is always good and welcome. So you are partially right, my problem is not with christianity per se not with christians, no. What really pricks my skin is the use of religion, the name of Jesus to sow fear, sell superstition and guilt as a seed in order to reap money in the name of tithes and other sundry forms of modern day Indulgences.

How does one like me , who is still trying to understand religion and the existence of god , make any sense of all that is done in the name of god?
If the MOGs can exploit without conscience and the fear of god,then what exactly do they believe? Is god not a game , like one of them have said recently on TV?
If an MOG with a large following says that god is a game, what are we unbelievers supposed to imagine?

My dear,

I can guarantee you majority of the christians on this thread agree 100% with the above. We share the same disdain for these wolves - recognizing that they have bastardized a noble concept....but

this does not drive us to 'atheism' (and I frankly cannot see why it would drive anyone). It should simply remind us of the fact that people will do bad things, and people will do good things. The same "God" and "religion" is the driving force behind a lot of good that is done in the world - why not focus on that instead as what it should be?

alexleo: @Jesoul, quite lovely. I appreciate your testimony but on the issue of tithing i disagree with your decision. [color=][/color]

Thank you brother. Some years ago we would have agreed. So even if we disagree today, perhaps a year from now we will agree again. Learning, changing your mind, exploring the validity of 'sacred' ideas are all part of "working out your salvation". May God empower us to work - hard. Amen.

---

Ihedinobi: Right on the money, sis. That was a major ish for me. Well, maybe one day I will tell that story

By the way, 'Skeeto?! I actually feel some kinda fondness for that guy, but I think he just tolerates me

Same here. Muskeeto is so good natured and easy going. See him chatting on that christian thread like 'one of the guys'. Very cool, level headed dude. I like him tons.

wirinet: If you are as young, energetic and hard working as you claim, then you have nothing to worry about. The journey of life is a marathon and not a hundred metres dash. Those that start our too fast almost always end up burnt out earlier, and those that move late slowly and steadily reach the highest crescendo later in life.

I assume you have no responsibility and is still being catered for by parents, so you should still be able to focus on improving your self, skill wise, educationally and socially. You need to move around and mix more with your friends, family and old contacts. The greatest mistake is to shy away from friends due to your unemployed status. Go to your friends and colleagues offices, put your ear to the ground. Tell them to help you in case of openings. Improve your social life, go to big churches, join groups where there are upward mobile members. Do anything but DO NOT SIT AT HOME FEELING SORRY FOR YOUR SELF. I am sure you will see opportunities.

^ X1000%.

Kay 17: It is not illogical to pronouce God absent on the sole basis of Reason and empiricism.

Please, pretty please, pretty ditty please with a cherry on top of the cheese....show us this reasoning.

plaetton: You sidestepped my question. Clever.

let me ask again, if with your maturity in christianity, you still cannot reconcile with your fellow muslim, catholic,JW, white garment and trinitarians theists about the nature of god, his will, his plans for mankind, his needs(Money or virtue,belief or deeds, devotion or ritual), are you not in a quagmire?
I see you as someone who is desperately, but genuinely trying to sift through the irrationality and tangled web of religious belief.
to say that another person is foolish for not jumping in to that pool, is , well, akin to irrationality of highest kind.

And thank you for asking.
My main problem with religion, in Nigeria, is the large scale exploitation that goes with it. This is something that even you have acknowledged and criticised very often.
Why should I not mock, and be angry that something that is sold(with fear as the primary currency) as a liberating philosophy, turns around to mentally enslave and materially exploit those for whom it was supposed to liberate?.

My problem with christianity of today is how the rapacious religious elite take soooo much and give absolutely nothing in return to the communities they exploit.
Even the missionaries of old built and ran schools, hospitals,etc. They left the comforts of their home countries to be in involved in the communities where they spread their gospel of Jesus.
I know that even you are highly irritated by the latrine pit quality of the PFN crowd, who see only exploitable resources rather than human souls.

My problem with today's christianity is the complete monetization of all that had hitherto seemed sacred, even to an unbeliever like me.
Its all money money money .
How can you expect non-believers to just look and walk away? why should we not mock on and mock on?

You should spend more time fighting those in your midst who debase you sacred beliefs, and no time at all bashing atheists.

Your problem is not with christianity.

It is with men who have hijacked the name of christianity and now use to their own end.

I suspect this is the issue of >90% of neo-modern atheists.

tsmith: I sure do Jesoul! i spoke with D and then his mom on Xmas day. he told me you are nursing a cute lil bundle, congratulations. Hope you all are doing good?

My sister we thank God oh. Family are all doing well and enjoying each other . D - what a great guy and a blessing to us too. I thank God for using you then and pray He continues to. How is your side and whole family?

ochallo: there was a little humping

hmm okay, I must've missed it.

and by the way why did the video upload twice.

Don't know sir. NL still has some bugs...you can modify your post and delete the extra code. *I prefer not to modify any posts aside from thread titles*.

@Enigma, I rescind my last comment to you on that thread...there are not many at all. I tried and failed while attempting to count...

@uncle Kunle, happy new year sir.

@topic, I have no issues with atheism - to each his own. What is truly humorous and regrettable is the air of arrogance many carry themselves around with. What is truly sad - is that many of them think & declare themselves better than others. Few things invoke distaste as people who 'look down' on others for whatever reason.

Now this behavior is not unqiue to atheism alone - many of religious inclination will give them a mad dash run for their money, but belligerence has become a sort of calling card and badge of association for the neo-modern evangelistic atheist - many of whom are simply grudge-bearing 'fall-aways' from christianity, eager to mete out payback to pastors that may have led them astray or parents that forced them to sunday school.

That said, I do emphathize with the occasional one. Being a minority is never easy and they do get discriminated against often - I feel for all yous. But please don't try to make up what you lack in numbers with brass.

^all said with a very big smiley face

Duplicate. https://www.nairaland.com/1163045/no-one-islamize-nigeria-sultan

The title is a bit sensationalized. I didn't see any "humping" so titled modified.

What they are doing is still very very very creepy though...

Yooguyz: Http//: "Why i am now a muslim"-imo traditional ruler
dont mean to be saucy but it seems like muslims have infiltrated this section

Lol. Thanks. I remember moving that thread and locking a second one. Can you please post the link? I can't find it if there's a new one. Thanks!

tsmith: cooking is about practice make perfect! i'm a girl but i wasnt exactly taught to cook. But ovetime from uni in ado-ekiti, living by myself in the UK, now marriage and kids, I'm so good and people compliment my cooking and look forward to my parties or dinner at mine!

for me, it begins with knowing the taste of good food, having an idea of how i want a meal to taste, taking a shot at putting thought with process/ingridents. comparing the taste/look/feel with my orginal thought. If its too soft, then less water,less time. to hard more water, or if more salt etc is required. I never fail to experiement and keep trying (unless i dont like the food again, knowing that at the next trial, that issue would be addressed, until its perfect.

This way, i now bake my cakes, make bad-ar*se party jollof, ewa agoyin, efo riro, efo elegusi,ogbono, P soup, ayamase etc. I never think a meal is above me, uless i just dont fancy it! My friend's own a naija restaurant and i hardly patronise them, not cause i dont want to support their business, but coz i & even my hubby knows 9 out of 10 times, i can do better.

in conclusion, practice, practice, practice and please dont lend an ear to people that think guys cant know how to cook!!! You shouldnt subject yourself to a woman cause of food, also the world is changing, everywhere and eveything is everyone's world and a levelled platform.

i've been nairalander for over 8years, but as i dont post much, cant seem to find the spell checker button, anyone that can help, hola, so i spell check my post! i cant be bothered to read through!

Shout out tsmith. How have you been? (remember me right? from our mutual friend )

Ihedinobi: JeSoul, darling sister, lovely!!! And yeah, you hit it. There's so much that we learn in the walk. Every child grows, in stature and in intellect as well as ability. No different with children of the New Birth. While so many of us are hung up on sins and being rid of failures, all Jesus Christ asks is that we look to Him. As we behold Him, not our sins, weaknesses, failings etc, we are changed into the same image, as the Scriptures say, from glory to ever-increasing glory.

Exactly. Which is all the more reason for us to love & be patient with people around us, knowing that same love and patience was once (and still is) extended to us daily. Perhaps on another avenue you'll share some of that story...

musKeeto: @JeSoul: wow....
Greatest testimony I've ever read or heard...

You're always too kind 'Skeeto, tanka tanka!

Rossikk, the spambot tagged/banned you for that last post. I've untagged it, should be fine now.

Na wa oh. See query for Ihedinobi lol.

Wonderful testimony showing a different path to God. This part:

Ihedinobi: This part is another story altogether and I may or may not tell it: beginning from that day, a complete redefinition of Christ began for me. I came to see how I'd been so very wrong about a great many things, like there being an elaborate set of rules by which a true Christian was expected to abide, or there being a dichotomy between the spiritual life and the material and a great deal more.

I like. I think for christians there are several 'turning points' in our walk with God that we can point to as key moments that enhanced the 'working out of our salvation'. I'm so glad that God is so merciful...imagine how many of us get things so wrong all the time but His love remains unconditional. God be praised.

Image123: I can sense my chance to turn water to wine at last, where's the party at?

Now you're talking. I can't post the venue here...we don't want too many free-loaders looking for awoof

*looks left, looks right* Yooguyz, who be your honey for here?

@topic, interesting (old though, from 2006)

A Neuroscientific Look at Speaking in Tongues

The passionate, sometimes rhythmic, language-like patter that pours forth from religious people who “speak in tongues” reflects a state of mental possession, many of them say. Now they have some neuroscience to back them up.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania took brain images of five women while they spoke in tongues and found that their frontal lobes — the thinking, willful part of the brain through which people control what they do — were relatively quiet, as were the language centers. The regions involved in maintaining self-consciousness were active. The women were not in blind trances, and it was unclear which region was driving the behavior.

The images, appearing in the current issue of the journal Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, pinpoint the most active areas of the brain. The images are the first of their kind taken during this spoken religious practice, which has roots in the Old and New Testaments and in Pentecostal churches established in the early 1900s. The women in the study were healthy, active churchgoers.

“The amazing thing was how the images supported people’s interpretation of what was happening,” said Dr. Andrew B. Newberg, leader of the study team, which included Donna Morgan, Nancy Wintering and Mark Waldman. “The way they describe it, and what they believe, is that God is talking through them,” he said.

Dr. Newberg is also a co-author of “Why We Believe What We Believe.”

In the study, the researchers used imaging techniques to track changes in blood flow in each woman’s brain in two conditions, once as she sang a gospel song and again while speaking in tongues. By comparing the patterns created by these two emotional, devotional activities, the researchers could pinpoint blood-flow peaks and valleys unique to speaking in tongues.

Ms. Morgan, a co-author of the study, was also a research subject. She is a born-again Christian who says she considers the ability to speak in tongues a gift. “You’re aware of your surroundings,” she said. “You’re not really out of control. But you have no control over what’s happening. You’re just flowing. You’re in a realm of peace and comfort, and it’s a fantastic feeling.”

Contrary to what may be a common perception, studies suggest that people who speak in tongues rarely suffer from mental problems. A recent study of nearly 1,000 evangelical Christians in England found that those who engaged in the practice were more emotionally stable than those who did not. Researchers have identified at least two forms of the practice, one ecstatic and frenzied, the other subdued and nearly silent.

The new findings contrasted sharply with images taken of other spiritually inspired mental states like meditation, which is often a highly focused mental exercise, activating the frontal lobes.

The scans also showed a dip in the activity of a region called the left caudate. “The findings from the frontal lobes are very clear, and make sense, but the caudate is usually active when you have positive affect, pleasure, positive emotions,” said Dr. James A. Coan, a psychologist at the University of Virginia. “So it’s not so clear what that finding says” about speaking in tongues.

The caudate area is also involved in motor and emotional control, Dr. Newberg said, so it may be that practitioners, while mindful of their circumstances, nonetheless cede some control over their bodies and emotions.


Correction: Nov. 11, 2006

An article in Science Times on Tuesday about brain images of people speaking in tongues misstated the origins of the practice in America. It is thought to have begun in Pentecostal churches established in the early 1900s, not in charismatic churches. The charismatic movement began decades later.

^its been moved. Thks.

@my snr brother Image,
oga please ehn, leave the matter and come to the party that I'm throwing for you plenty of jollor, goat meat, fried chicken, stout coke, fanta, puffpuff, small chops etc etc etc...what say you?

Pls continue here https://www.nairaland.com/1159945/why-accepted-islam-imo-traditional

^can u blame them? This is usually the first & easiest avenue to unleash & offload frustration . It can't be easy being an atheist in naija and many other places. There are many cool ones around here tho...

[quote author=Atheist:-D]Are you sure?
I heard the God of the bible does not like to be cheated [/quote]ah, I'm very sure. You "heard" am, me I 'read' am . Maybe you should not got by hearsay

Off topic, I like the grin in your username, makes me smile

^chai that's why it is called ameriCAN but seriously this:

First, principled atheism is as much a faith as is theism; no matter how much many atheists would have us believe otherwise. Second, the human longing for community transcends the often bitter divides about where to find it and how to celebrate it.

right on the moneee!!

^no wahala. The god of men does that, the God of the bible doesn't do that .

You people should leave Damiso jor, me I love plenty of veggies in my food- carrots, corn, zucchini, peppers, spinach etc etc.

damiso: Na kuku fried rice o watching my weight so trying to eat more veg and less carbs.I think carbs is our greatest undoing i.e we africans.

Basmati rice.Its called Asli.Its lighter than easy cook rice but sort of has the consistency of easy cook rice.For some odd reason i now find it difficult eating easy cook(you know the type we eat in Nigeria called Aroso).I find it heavy and starchy.Can manage long grain but find that its wierd as fried or jollof rice.

Cool. I also don't use the regular naija rice, I use Jasmine rice.

Enigma:

Only as this is England he may be more like the +Cantaur (I'm showing off!) who can often be ignored by some of his supposed 'flock'.

By the way if the Church of Atheism people choose to collect tithes nobody is going to arrest them for doing so; presently loads of fraudsters and even convicted fraudsters are collecting tithes in the UK and noone is doing any gaaadeeeem thing about it.

the irony. They will need 'donations' from 'members' to open the planned 'branches' all over the country...ghettoguru don talk am:

Ghettoguru: That was how all religions started just watch....that's the beginning of a new religion right there!

[quote author=Atheist:-D]Why are xtians so hellbent on tagging atheism a religion?[/quote]Uhm not quite. See below. Some of us actually think atheism is unworthy of the term religion.

Enigma: I have a "quote" for you.

From https://www.nairaland.com/966459/arming-faithful-against-logic/4#11182579