₦airaland Forum

Halleween is a pretty stupid holiday but then so is Easter.

I like the fact that this is in the religion section.

I hope all you 'god fearing' folk are paying attention to the sceptism.

All mythical creatures should be treated equally.

candy:
There areso many religions in the world that one can't research them all. Christianity offers a kind of peace that transcends human understanding. It's very easy to understand and practice as a religion, not forgetting the fact that with God, all things are possible once we pray and believe.

Like I said earlier, I am very familiar with Hinduism ,Buddhism, African traditional religion and islamic religion. As a way of life, I admire buddhism but I can't practice it because it's not deep enough for me, while Islamic religion just doesn't appeal to me. Atr is simply fascinating but doesn't offer much.

When you say that ATR doesn't offer 'much' what do you mean?

What are you looking for in a religion?

What did you dislike about Islam?

The unerring word of god is remarkably flexible...

Did you research more than one religion prior to choosing the one that you now adhere to?

If so, how many?

Thank you.

michaelwestern:
you are confusing me, whatz your obsession with all powerful? did you even read my post at all?

all powerful does not mean being everywhere at the same time( although i dont know how this affects our discussion).

my point is that God does not control everybody like zombies. someone that carries out rape is not doing it because God commanded him to do so, he does it by his own freewill, so you cant blame God for that.

salt is sodium chloride, sodium itself is not salt neither is chloride itself. but when both elements come together it becomes salt. does that mean that sodium alone is useless?

It's very simple, to be 'omnipotent' is an absolute term. There is no ambiguity in absolute - you are or you are not. You cannot be part time omnipotent or omnipresent.

If you are omni-everything then everything by definition is 'of you' which would include life's worst experiences, this is what the bible says:

Isaiah 45:7
"I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things."


If your own holy book claims that god takes credit for tragedies then why are you saying something different?

michaelwestern:
God is all powerful but he doesn't control everything that happens on earth, if he did that we would all live like zombies. instead he has given man the free will to do whatever he likes, moreover satan is the god of this world.

life comes in after fertilization when the zygote is formed.

'All powerful' = powerful everywhere at all times in all places.

You are either 'all powerful' or not, there is no in between mode.

Has the church amended its' dogma (again) on the sly?

P.S.
So sperm is dead?

Eggs are dead prior to fertilisation?

michaelwestern:
the mistake you are making is that you think every thing that happens in life is from God. Its most likely not God's plan for any lady to be raped. But God can definitely turn a bad situation to a good one.

abortion is murder because those foetus already have life, they only need to develop physically enough to be able to survive in the outside world.

So god is no longer all powerful? Is god 'all powerful' when you decide that he is...

Is semen also 'life'? If a man allows his seed to fall on the body (and die) instead of inside a woman is that also 'murder'?

How about the eggs within an ovary? Is the use of contraception 'murder'?

Ubenedictus:
kill the child so that you can avoid "pain" right? Because on your scale pain ranks heavier than life.

There is no 'pain' without life.

Life for the life's sake is a principle pushed by those with power on those without so that they forever have an underclass to 'aid' and manipulate.

I love it when people have to resort to more myths to justify the first one that they couldn't substantiate.

If you are molested then surely it is god's will.

If you have a baby, again, it is god's will that both you and the child should suffer through remembering one of life's most traumatic events.

It is god's will that the child grow up resenting its father.

It is god's will that the mother should have conflicting feelings about the child.

Clearly this is a wonderful and considerate god.

Is life not a 'gift from god'?

Whatever happened to 'divine providence'?

"There is not an animal that lives on the earth, nor a being that flies on its wings, that does not form communities like you. They all shall be gathered to their Rabb (Lord) in the end."
Qur'an, Sura 6:38

And if so does that mean that the slaughter of animals for flesh or clothing is wrong in Islam?

feedthenation:
A true story.

A group of wealthy people from Lebanon approached a Nigerian pastor based in London. They said to him they will support his ministry financially, provided he makes a percentage of tithes, offerings and all other donations via monthly returns to them. Well, the Nigerian pastor declined their offer.

After hearing this story, it got me thinking that our Christian faith has really been made to be a joke. No wonder there are so many churches teaching half-baked, man-made doctrines and turning these churches to business centres/empires. No wonder the members are not developing spiritually and believing more in their demi-godlike men, rather than in Almighty God.

Please validate this story or retract.

I'm not xtian nor a fan of religion in general but all these unverified tales give me a headache.

One unverified story is no better than another.

Do such tales tell us something about the many women who flock to church every week?

Unchallenged ideas are an obstruction to development.

That is what religion is all about - getting people to accept a narrative for which there is no proof.

Christians have always been duplicitous.

None of these are new. Just because the OP is just now noticing does not make them novel.

evablisse:
Is there a church with no sex scandal? Can you swear for anyone? We don't go to church to worship humans. We're in a sinful world where noone is a saint except a few that we don't even know. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Rev Fathers are sworn to celibacy just to avoid distractions in doing the work of God but unavoidably, we're all humans. That's why there's a special prayer made for them.

Your claim that people do not go to church to worship people is untrue.

That is why some churches thrive why others do not - the individuals.

People go to see a show, to be entertained, to be captivated.

They don't want truth, honesty or integrity- if that was what they were looking for they would not be in a building drawn to someone in a brand new suit and expensive shoes with an expensive car outside.

Scientists had to pay lip service to religion for fear of death (in many cases).

People will continue to make gods to worship regardless of whether we get rid of the older religions that now plague our planet. They may not be like the gods of old, in human form, most likely they will take the form of ideas.

Feminism is one example of a 21st century religion - it's like Zionism but with even less public debate as to its virtues and destructive qualities (and leadership).

The character of the Catholic church is to be found in its past deeds - the abuse, misinformation and avarice are its true nature.

There is no clean slate - accountability means making amends for past misdeeds. The Catholic Church has been so powerful that they have deemed it unnecessary.

People hate the gross hypocrisy of the church - primary being the Jesus story and the luxury of the See of Rome.

The abuse cases don't help.

Allied with a history of irresponsible advice you begin to understand some of the hate.

P.S.
Muslim factions squabble as well. Any group claiming to speak for god will always fragment - it's a power game.

"if we all thing alike, then no one is thinking."

Real wisdom.

A new cure for breast cancer?

Why would they marry when they have altar boys...

Aping the habits of others without an understanding (which is what I've noticed seems to be the norm for Nigerians) is a mistake. That is my primary criticism of most of the people in this thread, the other would be their attachment to Christianity. The two seem to be linked - once a person gets into the habit of doing because they are told to do and repeating a creed because they are instructed to it must be a very difficult habit to break.


P.S.
The Western nations are only just emerging from an economic downturn and yet you still wish to mimmick their way of doing things?

There are other countries out there doing things in a different manner and having more success (China has lifted the more people out of the poverty in the past 30 years than any other civilization ever) and yet there are people like you who wish to copy the old, destructive ways.

GooseBaba:
Bros, your argument is misplaced..

We all know about the acts of wholesale wickedness of westerners... Even with this knowledge Nigerians still fast,pray and give testimonies about miracles in the name of "visa" to these countries.

The write up simply points out what religious Nigerian terms as miracles. It did not in any way absolve the west of their diabolical past and present deeds..

If you want to bring in history, bring in Nigerian history. Let's go back thirty years and relate this write up with the mindset of Nigerian's of the 80s 90s and their take on civic identity.

in a nut shell this write up points out the day to day mindset of a religious Nigerian "greed, selfishness =miracles"

If the intention of the author was to draw attention to the obsession with miracles in the Nigerian Christian community then he could have made his point better and clearer without introducing (another) fairy tale.

If the author has knowledge of the diabolical nature of Western Christians why compare them to their Nigerian Christians - they are both equally detestable.

Could he not have made his point without their involvement?

Why is the 'Westerner' so often the first point of reference for the Nigerian sheep is my question to all? Especially those of you who (routinely) display such a poor understanding of Western cultures.

It's hardly a secret.

Religion is all about social control.

spotit:
^^enough already. you said you weren't born in Nigeria, you're not a church goer or probably have never been to, and you're not in Nigeria! so keep quiet then, because this subject clearly eludes you

I have been around Nigerians in Nigeria and elsewhere.

I have also been around "Westerners" who call themselves Christians, whose day to day behaviour is as bad as anybody's.

I have just as much right to voice my opinion as you do.

You're request for my silence exposes your insecurity.


P.S.
If you want a really good example of the Western Christian take a look into the history of the KKK.

Or the Orangemen of Ireland.

Or the entire history of the Catholic Church.

Or the failure of the Anglican Church to stand up to the many injustices of the British Empire.

asalimpo:
The catholic church has an editable bible?
The bible is clear on this thngs - nobody else opinion matters.

The Pope's Bible was written in pencil...

The Bible is a mess when in comes to many issues. It was written in the bronze ages when some of the issues that we now encounter did not occur. To use such a book as the basis for one's life is the height of folly.

esere826:
uhmmmmm
You're mismatching context dude. I'm not going to go scientific on you here as it will defeat the different purposes that you and I pursue.
Your choice of the the words "unverified" and "irony" for such a simple and believable narrative tells the direction you seek to pursue.

...have a gracious week

What has been mismatched?

What purpose do you proclaim to have? That I have?

You guys have latched onto a story and used it as validation for your silly stereotypes.

That is also the same backwards process by which religion is taught - a myth + an agenda.

What have I missed there...

The Catholic Church has been harbouring homosexuals within its ranks since its inception all the while preaching something else to its parishioners.

nitrogen:
1. You know it, you just don't want to admit it. Its there for all to see.

2. Well, you can fvck off my radar.

I've already told you people that

a) I was not born in Nigeria

b) I'm not a Church goer

and yet you (and the other selective readers active in this thread) insist that this story has something to do with my day to day.

What do you people have against dealing with facts?

I've often argued that religion frazzles the mind to the point where logic and reason become anathema - this thread could be used as evidence of such a theory.