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 Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 10:42am On Sep 12, 2020 |
It's puzzling how Daddy Freeze is able to get under their skins. Christians usually don't fight for Yahweh or Jesus, but they often don't hesitate to cut to pieces (with their caustic words) anyone who speaks against the Man of God. It does make me ask, who is more important to the pentecostal christian? Anthropologists should coin a term for this already. 8 Likes 1 Share |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 10:41am On Sep 12, 2020 |
Gloria Onimisi My dad was deadbeat. He did all manner of wicked things to my mother, very terrible things. He actually almost killed her. I still remember most of his atrocities. I saw him for the last time when I was four. On the day he was leaving, I cried like I would kill myself. I was four but I was ready to cry and kill myself if my dad would not take me in his journey. When he tried to get on a bike, I held on very tightly to the bike from behind, crying desperately. I just wanted him to take me along or nothing. My crying had attracted a lot of people. They actually tried to persuade me with every trick and every promise but I could not be persuaded. Time was going. My dad got tired and told the bike man to move! The bike man moved dragging me along cause I still refused to let go. I fell down but still held on. The bike man's heart was visibly broken. He was moving very slowly, hoping earnestly that I'd reconsider and just let go. I didn't. My dad was now shouting, shouting at him to move the goddam bike. He didn't want to disobey my father. My dad was one of the most respected men in his village at the time: he lived in a big city and had connection to oyibo people. He could help people get jobs in the big city. He shared money, bread and milk whenever he came visiting. He was a very respected man. The bike man had to move. This time, he added more speed. I was dragged harshly along the untarred road, getting dog shit and all manner rubbed on my body in the process. I couldn't keep up and so finally let go. I had bruises all over my body, I was stained all over with dog shit and mud. People had to carry me to my mother. My mom couldn't follow. The whole scene had been too heartbreaking for her to watch. She was equally crying herself That was the last time I saw my dad until just 2+ yrs ago. (Story for another day) The church was the only thing my mum knew. That night and many other nights after, we slept in a church . Praying and crying earnestly, desperately for my dad to have a change of heart. The pastors encouraged her to pray harder, the lord would do it, she just needed to forgive him and pray harder. She obeyed. We were almost always in a church praying and crying. This was the life I knew: Church life. I grew up hearing sermons about forgiveness steadily. We changed churches frequently after we left the village but every church was the same. They all preached forgiveness. My mother must forgive, we must all forgive and pray harder for my father. Why am I sharing this story? You see the ongoing oyedepo and freeze saga ba? You see how big men of god suddenly know where it is in the bible to insult and rain curses on another ba? You see how they who preach forgiveness actually know nothing about the word ba? You see their true colors, that they're businessmen and not pastors. They actually can't stand anyone having contrary opinions to theirs, they don't practice the things they preach, they're just using you to do business. Daddy freeze did not actually insult oyedepo in the real sense o, but my father almost killed my mother, my little four year old heart was broken beyond words can describe by my father but they (pastors) laughed at me when I talked about it. They asked me what did know about life? I should just keep quiet and forgive. What is oyedepo's age and 2 universities in comparison to my 4yr old heart that was ripped apart and broken to pieces? Oyedepo was not attacked o, he was not beaten, he was not threatened or actually even insulted. But do you see your men of god? Forgiveness keeee all of them! Six hundred and ten years! To all of them. 6 Likes |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 7:38am On Sep 12, 2020 |
If what Pastor David Ibiyeomie said is condemnable what about what the bible and Jesus said in: Deut 23: 2 A BASTARD shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD Matt 15: 26 : Jesus called a woman a dog. Christians should pick a struggle. 7 Likes |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 5:24pm On Sep 11, 2020 |
As a Christian, some of the foundational premises of your faith are: 1. God is infallible 2. God's moral laws are infallible 3. Biblical positions on doctrinal matters are words of God. With this in mind, for you to hold beliefs that are contrary to biblical provisions, you implicitly demonstrate a contrary belief on God's infallibility. Hence, you have no basis in Christian foundational dogmas. And that's the irony of contemporary Christianity. The assumption that Christian virtue is meant to make you comfortable or be convenient. The greatest arguments against the Christian faith are made by Christians without even realizing it. 1 Like |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 12:44pm On Sep 11, 2020 |
A NEW HELL JOKE Atheists could say, if you don't become an atheist the giant fwrna bird will fly over you and bury you in his foul-smelling hot bird shit. You will immediately begin breathing that shit into your lungs. You'll taste it, it will make you cough violently and it will burn your lungs with a searing pain you've never before experienced. You have one hour to get out or you'll suffocate. And there's only one way out. You have to eat your way out. Few people get out and, if they do, they smell of that repulsive shit for the rest of their lives. But we don't say that. We don't say that because (1) it's not true, and (2) it's not evidence that there are no gods. But Christians and Muslims do something just like this but much more stupid. They say, after we are DEAD(!!), we will be tortured by being burned in hell-fires that will never, ever extinguish so the agony will never, ever stop. How do they know this is true? They don't. Is it evidence that their god exists? No. So why do they use this threat? I don't know. But, if they have no evidence that their god exists, perhaps stupid threats is their last resort. I have some advice for them. If they must use threats, I recommend the giant fwrna bird story. At least it's a feasible clear and present danger, and it gets you whilst you are still alive. 6 Likes 1 Share |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 5:59am On Sep 09, 2020 |
Olatunde Olayinka Ayindr I always wonder why the followers of these kindergarten pastors don't die of embarrassment on a daily basis. Those guys are complete embarrassments. One really has to be stupid to threaten fellow citizens with death, irrespective of whether the hitman would be God or the pastor himself. It is just plain ridiculous. For one, the threat of death to someone you had a disagreement with is so infantile, so kindergarten that it makes me puke in disgust. What is the value of death as a punishment? So you or your God kill your enemy and you live forever, right? Is that what pastors gain by threatening others with death? They get to get out of here alive? It is patently foolish, aswear. Second, if indeed you or your god kills your perceived enemy, you haven't punished the dead guy. He's dead, hello! He doesn't know what's going on any longer! You only make his children orphans and his wife a widow. What kind of human or divine being would do that? Only a psychopath. I would be a fool to follow such a pastor or such a God. Third, all the death threats are always so stupid. Every single person they've predicted would die is still alive and well till date. Yet they and their followers have not buried their heads in shame. And it's not just the local charlatans and pulpit thugs that dish out death threats recklessly like domestic goats, even the gods along Lagos-Ibadan expressway are not left out; the Dopey eyed One does it; the One With the Squint does it. Even the Jerry curled One does it! It is an epidemic on its way to becoming a pandemic! Yet their slavish indentured servants never betray any iota of shame that originates from the depth of one's being. In fact, they've turned themselves to the extension of their ridiculous principals. One came to my inbox the other day to offer me death threats because I thought it wise to waste my education on his wilfully ignorant pastor. Threatening others with death, real or imaginary, in the public space is not just a sign of ridiculousness, it is the defining characteristic of a barbaric, uncultured monkey not fit for civilised company. You all ought to be ashamed of yourselves, really. You were all poorly raised. In places where their heads are correct, threatening people with death would earn you a visit from law enforcement. But hey, shebi it's Nigeria? You are disgusting 3 year olds! Death threats? Seriously! I have more respect for the guy promising 600 years of punishment to his enemies. At least, he put in a bit of effort at creativity. The rest of you bandying about death threats, you're just a bunch of Pampers-wearing kindegartners with mucus dripping down your nostrils. 15 Likes 5 Shares |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 11:22pm On Sep 08, 2020 |
Carl Sagan's wife, Ann Druyan, wrote this about Carl in 2003 "When my husband died, because he was so famous and known for not being a believer, many people would come up to me-it still sometimes happens-and ask me if Carl changed at the end and converted to a belief in an afterlife. They also frequently ask me if I think I will see him again. Carl faced his death with unflagging courage and never sought refuge in illusions. The tragedy was that we knew we would never see each other again. I don’t ever expect to be reunited with Carl. But, the great thing is that when we were together, for nearly twenty years, we lived with a vivid appreciation of how brief and precious life is. We never trivialized the meaning of death by pretending it was anything other than a final parting. Every single moment that we were alive and we were together was miraculous-not miraculous in the sense of inexplicable or supernatural. We knew we were beneficiaries of chance. . . . That pure chance could be so generous and so kind. . . . That we could find each other, as Carl wrote so beautifully in Cosmos, you know, in the vastness of space and the immensity of time. . . . That we could be together for twenty years. That is something which sustains me and it’s much more meaningful. . . . The way he treated me and the way I treated him, the way we took care of each other and our family, while he lived. That is so much more important than the idea I will see him someday. I don’t think I’ll ever see Carl again. But I saw him. We saw each other. We found each other in the cosmos, and that was wonderful." 18 Likes 3 Shares |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 8:55pm On Sep 08, 2020 |
I hear people denouncing Ibiyeomie over his utterances against Daddy Freeze. Some say he is only human and should be forgiven. Others say he is a fake pastor and should be ignored. When will Christians realize that a fake pastor is a tautology? Ibiyeomie. Daddy Freeze. Both of them quote the scriptures like it's some kind of authority; authority for which they cannot explain. A fake pastor is a tautology. 4 Likes |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 1:40pm On Sep 08, 2020 |
THE BELIEF FUNNEL A: Do you believe in God? B: Yes. A: Why? B: Because everything I see around me is evidence of His work. A: Is that really why you believe? If I could prove that everything you see around you has a natural explanation, would you drop your belief? B: No, because I have many reasons to believe. A: OK, IF that was the only reason you believe, would you drop your belief? B: No. A: But that means the things around you are not the real reason you believe. What is the real reason you believe? B: Well, the universe couldn't create itself. A: If I could prove the universe has existed in some form forever, would you drop your belief? B: Hmmm, no! A: What's the real reason you believe then? B: Whatever I say, you're going to use the same stupid challenge! A: True. So what is the real reason you believe? B: [Long pause] To be perfectly honest, I don't know. A: OK. Have a nice day. 6 Likes 1 Share |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 1:20pm On Sep 03, 2020 |
If you can have babies in heaven and live forever, you may have an infinite number of kids. As will other couples. Nightmare! 2 Likes |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 1:16pm On Aug 29, 2020 |
I have never heard news of the wealthy / elite sentenced to death or amputation under Sharia in Nigeria. It's usually the ordinary citizen. The wealthy/elite no dey sin ni? 10 Likes 1 Share |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 10:55am On Aug 28, 2020 |
Anozie Ebirim " If the story about the killing of Ms Ụwa is true, my only take away is this: Voltaire said "those that make you believe in absurdities can make you commit atrocities. That's exactly what religion, superstition, pastors and juju priests do. Of course many will wonder, but my pastor preaches that we shouldn't kill etc, how is it his fault that this woman paid someone to kill the girl for juju. You missed it... Your pastors also tell you that your poverty is because your grandfather cursed you and you should pray for 60 days to be liberated. Rather than face your demons, you waste your time and end up poor! Your pastors tell you the shrine in your village (a cultural relic) is the reason no one from your kindred is the president of Nigeria.. Burn it down he directs.. And so you burn down a beautiful historical and cultural relic. You pastor thinks your diabetes isn't your portion.. Need I say more? When we talk about reason and logic, when I say that adults, (including many educated folks) who proclaim and even mock you that you don't know what you are saying when you tell me juju is non existent, are a disgrace to the world and their education, this is why. This is why atheists and secular humanists will not stop talking about the idiocy that is belief in gods and the supernatural. These things aren't without consequence. That poor girl could have been my cousins, or sisters, etc... It is scary that I live in a society where most of the people I know believe that they can cut of my head and that'd make them rich. That's enough to make me criticise and call out the BS that is faith and religion daily... Again, the only reason that vile woman did this was because she believed in absurdities. Absurdities that religion has fostered. Things that bad education has fostered. If you are an adult and you believe that juju is real you should go into your room and hide in shame... You, my friend, are a disgrace to yourself, your family, the society that bred you, and the star dust that formed you." 11 Likes 4 Shares |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 3:26pm On Aug 25, 2020 |
EVIDENCE OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE? If you are terribly sick and pray to God/Jesus and get better, does that prove God/Jesus exists? If you are terribly sick and pray to Vishnu and get better, does that prove Vishnu exists? If you are terribly sick and pray to no god and get better, does that prove no god exists? Since the answers to these questions are transparently obvious, even to the most befuddled believer, why do any believers ever use such pointless arguments? Beats me! 5 Likes |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 7:43am On Aug 22, 2020 |
Satan rebelled against the most powerful and most evil being in the universe. He deserves a medal. 8 Likes 1 Share |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 1:16pm On Aug 21, 2020 |
TO ISLAMIC GOVERNMENTS Thinking is not a crime. Killing people for thinking is. You are the criminals. 8 Likes 2 Shares |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 7:28am On Aug 12, 2020 |
Festus Adibe Just wondering, if Prophet Mohammed were alive today, would he look more like Abubakar Shekau or more like Imam Tawhidi? To the liberal/moderate muslims: If Prophet Mohammed were alive today, would he be the sort of person you would be proud to identify with? 13 Likes 2 Shares |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 6:11am On Aug 12, 2020 |
Adesegun Damazio You cannot possibly say that Islam is a religion of peace in one sentence, yet go ahead to support the imprisonment or death penalty meted out on anyone on account of "blasphemy". That's early onset lunacy in its full regalia. A young musician, Yahaya Sheriff-Aminu, has been sentenced to death by hanging by a Sharia Court in Kano following allegations that he sang the praises of an Imam above that of Prophet Mohammed. That's it. That's all it takes to lose your sacred life at the hands of marauders under the guise of religion. This is happening in a country with a democratic constitution. A largely secular nation. The fact that "moderate Muslims" are always overwhelmingly quiet each time deathly miasma emanates from the topic of Islam makes this poison all the more deadly. Cursed be your moderation when you look away from the unjust persecution of another human. Cursed be any religion that sanctions such barbarism as well. WHEN DID GOD AUTHORIZE YOU TO SLAUGHTER ANYONE ON HIS BEHALF? Why has Sharia never applied to affluent individuals in this country? Isn't there a punishment for thieves who stash dollars inside their babariga? Or a punishment for raggedy pedophiles who rape young girls daily in the name of marriage? Or a punishment for Northern politicians who see to it that Northern Nigeria remains the extreme poverty hub of the world while they steal public funds for themselves and their families? Again, who exactly is a moderate Muslim and what in God's holy name is Islam really about? In 2020. My goodness! 12 Likes 2 Shares |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 11:59pm On Aug 10, 2020 |
John Agbaeze The idea of moderate Muslim is absurd. There is no such thing. On a fundamental level, the religion of Islam is often not very different from what we would by conventional sensibility regard as terrorism. Boko Haram and ISIL spend a great deal of time executing Musicians and artists for blasphemy by citing Sharia as justification. The normal Sharia court in the North also sanctions the execution of musicians, artists or ordinary citizens for blasphemy. Go all over the internet and check the overwhelming reaction from Northern Muslims over this judgement - they wholeheartedly support condemning a person to die for insulting a dead man. It is this same class of people that we regard as 'Moderate muslims'. That is an unfortunate joke. As I said before, on a basic level, the doctrine that necessitate terrorist organizations like ISIL or Boko Haram are shared by every Muslim alike, each just have different approach for the same goal. Similar events happen in Indonesia, Pakistan, Afghanistan etc. The correlation is not a coincidence. There is something fundamentally wrong with the religion. 20 Likes 9 Shares |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 2:01pm On Aug 10, 2020 |
A CHRISTMAS DIALOGUE: DID JESUS EVER LIVE? A: Do you believe Jesus actually existed? B: Of course, I'm a Christian. A: OK, why do you believe it? B: Because there is so much evidence. A: What evidence? B: For starters, there are the four Gospels in the Bible with eye-witness accounts. A: Hmm, there's the Gospel of Mark but Luke and Matthew have the same stories in the same sequence and often in identical, or near identical, wording. So it's pretty certain that Luke and Matthew were taken directly from Mark. That means there are really only two original Gospels--Mark and John. B: OK, I've heard that but that still leaves two Gospels. A: But there are a lot of discrepancies between John and Mark. Apart from minor things like people, places, timing, and sequences, John has a different view of Jesus. Mark focuses on Jesus as a man helping the poor, whilst John emphasizes Jesus as God and philosopher. Mark shows Jesus as a Jew but John shows him as independent of Judaism and opposing Jewish teaching. Mark views salvation coming from good works but John sees belief as crucial for salvation. It looks as though Christian theology evolved from Mark's time to John's time, 30 - 40 years later. Instead of two Gospels corroborating each other, we have two divergent stories and we can't say which one is correct. That casts doubt on both of them, doesn't it? B: Not really. It's just two different views of the same events. You would expect that. A: Maybe if we are talking about two contemporary eye-witnesses but we aren't. Mark was written at least 30 years after the events and John 60 - 70 years later. We don't know for sure who wrote these Gospels but scholars don't think they were written by Jesus' disciples. They were compiled by people who had never met Jesus, from oral accounts that had been circulating for decades and, most likely, the authors added their own embellishments. A: Actually, we don't have any eye-witness accounts at all. Historians would say we don't have any primary sources. We have secondary sources (like the Gospels) with significant discrepancies between them. Worse still, they are poor secondary sources--they were not written by contemporary academics or journalists after extensive research, they were written by people interested in promoting a religion--rather like L Ron Hubbard's books on Scientology. On top of that, we do not have any original texts. Everything we have from the first and second centuries are handwritten copies of copies of copies. This doesn't give us much confidence that the Gospels give us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. B: You say that but there are a lot of Bible scholars and the majority of them believe that Jesus was real. A: What religion do the great majority of Bible scholars follow? B: OK, they are Christians but that doesn't mean they are dishonest. A: I'm not suggesting they are dishonest but they work in a community of Christian scholars who tend to take certain things as given and uncontroversial. Even so, we have seen increasing dissent in the community of Biblical scholars over recent years. What do you think are the primary texts that these scholars work from? B: I suppose you're going to say they work from the Bible? A: Yes, they do. We have a dozen or so other books from antiquity that talk about Christians--one or two even mention Jesus but nobody doubts the existence of Christians and the references to Jesus are highly controversial. All of which leaves us with no solid evidence that Jesus existed. So how certain are you that Jesus was a real person? B: 100%! I have no doubt. A: Honestly that is unreasonable. The evidence for Jesus is weak to non-existent (and I'm not talking about whether Jesus was divine, I'm talking about whether the Jesus character written about in the Gospels ever lived). With such poor evidence, how do you get to 100%? B: I have faith. You will never understand that. A: No, I won't. 6 Likes 1 Share |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 12:19pm On Aug 04, 2020 |
God hides from us but Satan doesn't. So how come billions say they find God but almost no one finds Satan? 10 Likes 2 Shares |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 6:29pm On Aug 02, 2020 |
This Muslim festival is an interesting one. They are celebrating the fact that Abraham (Ibrahim) almost sacrificed Isaac (Is-haak) - though of course to differentiate itself, Islam says the son to be sacrificed was Ishmael. If this happens today, the man would be confined to an asylum. But then, anything is permissible with religion. 9 Likes 1 Share |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 5:31pm On Jul 26, 2020 |
THE PERFECT QUR'AN Two consecutive verses from surah Al-Baqarah: 2:256 Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things. 2:257 Allah is the Protector of those who have faith: from the depths of darkness He will lead them forth into light. Of those who reject faith the patrons are the evil ones: from light they will lead them forth into the depths of darkness. They will be companions of the fire, to dwell therein (For ever). My summary 2:256 There is no compulsion in religion. 2:257 But, if you don't have faith in Allah, you will be cast into fire forever. [Oops] Not so perfect then... 6 Likes 1 Share |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 8:20am On Jul 25, 2020 |
John Agbaeze IF WRITERS OF ABRAHAM AND ISAAC WERE HONEST God: Abraham, you have been sitting outside for 8 hours now. Go inside. Abraham: I can't. That little shit Isaac told his mother I almost killed him on the mountain.� God: But seriously dude, what the hell? I was only joking and you took it seriously. That's hardcore bro ��♂️��♂️ Abraham: Wait, what? This is all your fault, now Sarah is going to poison me. God: Dude, you are a terrible father, you didn't even protest, like you've been looking for an excuse to kill the boy. Abraham: OMG!!!��♂️ God: Shut up. Now I want you to cut off the foreskin of your penis. 7 Likes 3 Shares |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 11:55am On Jul 19, 2020 |
Oyedepo says whoever does not pay tithes is cursed financially. God of Oyedepo, curse me. As you cursed Jack Ma and Dangote, curse me also. I pray thee, O Lord. 12 Likes 1 Share |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 8:22am On Jul 17, 2020 |
Theists can tell you that you're wrong, have been fooled by Satan & will burn in hell but they can't tell you why they are right. 7 Likes |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 8:41am On Jul 16, 2020 |
If you didn't know, you'd never guess that sweet Jesus and genocidal Yahweh are the same god. Chalk & cheese. 4 Likes |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 9:54am On Jul 13, 2020 |
If God was real, all theologians would eventually arrive at the same God and same religion. Hasn't happened. Won't happen. 9 Likes 4 Shares |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 6:18pm On Jul 07, 2020 |
Muslims say "There is no God but Allah". But they can't show Allah exists and can't show other gods do not. They just believe it! 12 Likes 6 Shares |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 3:11pm On Jul 01, 2020 |
HOW WE KNOW GOD IS NOT REAL If there was an omniscient and omnipotent god who: 1. Created the universe for us, 2. Wants us to know him and love him, 3. Loves us all more than we can imagine, 4. Can talk to every one of us individually, 5. Watches all of us every second and monitors every thought we ever have, 6. Responds to requests for help and can change anything in the world he wants to, 7. Is horrified at what will happen to us if we don't acknowledge and love him... then this god would be the most important thing in our lives, and in the life of every human who ever lived. This god would be ubiquitous, salient and unavoidable. But this is not how things are. There has been an avalanche of gods who have appeared at different times in human history and have featured in different holy books and given us different rules for eating, dressing, cutting our hair (and Instruments), for treating our fellow humans and much more. These gods have different ideas about how the world was made, what happens to us when we die and what we must do to please them. These discordant gods have looked like humans or animals or heavenly bodies and have even been invisible. It is very obvious that the world is exactly how we should expect it to be if men invented gods and instructed their children to believe they are real. And it is nothing like how it would be if there really was one omniscient, omnipotent and loving God who created us and oversees our world. There is only one reasonable conclusion we can draw from this. Men invent gods, submit themselves to them and believe they are real. There may be a god, but it cannot be the omniscient God described above--that god must be a figment of human imagination. 12 Likes 4 Shares |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 10:38am On Jun 24, 2020 |
EVERY CHILD... Every child who was told he was born a sinner and guilty of terrible crimes committed by his distant ancestors, and that he might be burnt alive and suffer forever... Every child who was told he is prey to demons and witches and evil spells that can disable, disfigure or destroy him... Every child who was told he is continuously watched by an invisible man who knows the child's every thought and who will judge him when he dies... Every such child deserves a profound and remorseful apology from the adults who planted those lies. 16 Likes 5 Shares |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 9:50am On Jun 16, 2020 |
Charles Ihemadu wrote: " Be wary, each time someone tells you. This is not our culture, this might be acceptable elsewhere but it is not allowed here. The story of Alan Turing, perhaps best demonstrates this. Last year when I read that Allan Turing is going to be the face of the new £50 note, coming out in 2021. I laughed at how time makes a mockery of our cultural values and makes fools of us. A bit about Alan Turing before I make my point. Alan Turing was an astute mathematician, one of the greatest and one of the most brilliant minds to have lived. His work in decrypting the Nazi enigma code, saved millions of lives and is reported to have shortened the length of World War II by two years. His work is said to have laid the foundation for the modern day Computer and Artificial Intelligence. Yet, he died miserably at 41, reportedly committing suicide two years after undergoing chemical castration as an alternative to going to prison. All that was known about him for decades, was being a homosexual who committed suicide. 68 years ago when he died, no one in Britain would have believed that one day. The British Prime Minister would not only apologize for his shameful treatment by the country he served faithfully but also a law would be passed in his honour and informally named after him. Granting pardon to all those previously convicted of such offenses and other offences no longer regarded as crimes. So when I read the news then, I immediately remembered a chapter in one of the most important books I have ever read. The author, Richard Dawkins refered to a shifting moral landscape every society experiences, as time goes on. He called it, the Moral Zeitgeist (Spirit of the times). In his opinion, morality is constantly evolving and therefore there can't be an ultimate moral code. When we think back, we ask ourselves. How could humans ever justify owning their fellow humans as slaves. Yet, Slavery was once one of the most fashionable businesses to engage in. You could say, it was part of the culture then to own slaves, and slave owners were considered respectable and powerful. It hasn't been so long ago depending on the country you examine, that in various cultures. Women were not considered equal to men, anymore than a Black man was. Neither had several rights including, being allowed to vote and be voted for, owning or inheriting properties in their own name. Instituting court cases or entering into contracts etc. Do we still agree any of the above are right? My view on morality is simple, if it is wrong today. It means it has always been wrong even when the whole world accepted it as right. That is why, I feel the story of Allan Turing, teaches us to not be short sighted. In our eagerness to scream, this is not our culture regarding issues that clearly violates the rights of others. We should not neglect to look beyond the present and into the future, asking ourselves. In a hundred years from now, would our practices be considered inhumane, leaving our descendents to wonder what sort of terrible humans we were? Would they have to apologize for our actions?" 9 Likes 3 Shares |
| Christianity Etc › Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013(op): 9:41pm On Jun 14, 2020 |
Charles Ihemadu Important clarification. This is not an anti religious post, this is just giving us something to think about. Two books, I own and cherish are the Holy Bible and the Holy Qu'ran. I disagree with lots of what is contained in both but not all of it. I find great wisdom in them and the teachings they contain and I try to read both as often as I can. During my youth service, I had the privilege of arguing and discussing with a Northern Muslim. As bitter as our arguments were, it remained civil and he made me appreciate so much about Islam, that I had never before understood. He gave me his personal copy of the Qu'ran as a parting gift, a gesture I can never forget. The older I grow, the more my ignorance frightens me. The more I read, the less it seems I know. Which is why I get worried whenever I see people with such limited knowledge, making bold statements and holding them as facts. Once again, a friend urged me to return to Christ or else, I will go to hell when I die. Now, I do not know what happens when a person dies and last I checked, there are no eye witness accounts for obvious reasons. However, let's examine what we do know. According to current UN estimates, there are currently 7.8 billion people on earth. The last study I could find, puts the estimated number of Christians in the world at 31%(2.1 billion), Muslims at 23% (1.5 billion). This means 46% of the world do not worship either the Christian God or Allah. They are either non religious or affiliated with one of the several hundreds of other religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, African traditional religion etc. Back to the Bible and Qu'ran. In the course of my interaction with lots of religious people, several of them have told me that Muslims and Christans, worship the same God but merely call him by different names. Therefore, it is better for my soul that I am a Muslim than I do not believe in any God. Now that sounds sensible and I wish it were true, especially for the sake of peace in the world. Unfortunately, having read both books extensively, and their clear difference paths to salvation. Such bold claims, don't add up. John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 14:6 goes on to say "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" Meanwhile, Sura 19 (Maryam) 34-38 says "Such is Isa, the son of Maryam - the word of truth about which they doubt. It befits not the majesty of Allah that he should beget a son;[This refers to the slander of Christians against Allah, by saying Isa(Jesus) is the son of Allah] Glorified and Exalted is He (above all they associate with Him). When He decrees a thing, He only says to it, "Be," and it is. Isa said "And indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path." Then the sects differed [concerning Jesus] from among them, so woe to the disbelievers (those who gave false witness by saying Isa is the son of Allah) - from the meeting of a tremendous Day(day of resurrection) when they shall be thrown in the blazing fire. How [clearly] they will hear and see the Day they come to Us, but the wrongdoers today are in clear error. And warn them, [O Muhammad], of the Day of Regret, when the matter will be concluded; and [yet], they are in [a state of] heedlessness, and they do not believe." Clearly both major religions are not the same and both can't be right and at least one of the major adherents of those faith wouldn't go to heaven. If you are a Christian and die, only go discover Allah is the true God. You would be going to hell and vice versa. My aim of pointing this out, is not to cause religious conflict but to teach you all humility. Stop threatening people who don't agree with your faith that they are going to hell because you don't even know where you are going. So many Christians have never taken out time to study other faiths, same with Muslims. Doing so I believe would help create a balanced perspective and bring about peace and respect for the views of others. Have you ever asked yourself the same question you ask me? What if I am wrong about my faith? 11 Likes 4 Shares |
