₦airaland Forum

Maynmann:
Steep is a woman.

That's great!

Cekpo34:
Data from Think Tanks such as, Pew Research, shows that more Nigerians, especially the youths, are becoming atheists and agnostics as day passes by . However, it is not clear why this demography is growing. The dominant explanation has been the secularism thesis which assumes that the movement from the primitive sacred to modern secular is driven by science.

But Nigeria, in my opinion, is yet to attain the Comptian positive or scientific age for obvious reasons. Thus, secularism may not sufficiently explain the rising number of nonbelievers in Nigeria.

BIG QUESTIONS FOR ATHEISTS AND AGNOSTICS

1) How did you become a #NigerianAtheist or agnostic?

2) Where and when did it happen?

3) Why do you think that decision is, presently, justified?

Please share your story and enlighten others.

Caveat: your response will provide primary data for an ongoing research. You, through your moniker, will be acknowledged.

I think that the challenge by someone to examine my beliefs at the time was what lead me to atheism. When I was still held a belief in a god I was very critical of other competing beliefs. The challenge caused me to examine my beliefs with the same level of critical thinking, lo and behold my beliefs did not hold up to the scrutiny. I think many people are subconsciously aware that their beliefs will wilt under rigorous scrutiny so they try to shield those beliefs.

It happened at a time when things where looking up for me and I had every reason to believe that all the positive outcomes were a result of divine favour. I was in my office and then I decided to apply critical thinking to my beliefs to settle the matter. I emerged from that exercise without belief in a god. It felt weirdly liberating, as if all fear disappeared and an immense relief came over me. And to be candid my life has not changed dramatically except for internally that belief in a god is gone.

I think my lack of faith continues to be justified because many of my previously held beliefs have shown to be easily dispelled during my period of deconstruction. Right now I am pretty much at peace with my lack of faith, it feels way less internally disconcerting and way more internally peacefully not to have those beliefs.

LordReed:
I think that the challenge by someone to examine my beliefs at the time was what lead me to atheism. When I was still held a belief in a god I was very critical of other competing beliefs. The challenge caused me to examine my beliefs with the same level of critical thinking, lo and behold my beliefs did not hold up to the scrutiny. I think many people are subconsciously aware that their beliefs will wilt under rigorous scrutiny so they try to shield those beliefs.

It happened at a time when things where looking up for me and I had every reason to believe that all the positive outcomes were a result of divine favour. I was in my office and then I decided to apply critical thinking to my beliefs to settle the matter. I emerged from that exercise without belief in a god. It felt weirdly liberating, as if all fear disappeared and an immense relief came over me. And to be candid my life has not changed dramatically except for internally that belief in a god is gone.

I think my lack of faith continues to be justified because many of my previously held beliefs have shown to be easily dispelled during my period of deconstruction. Right now I am pretty much at peace with my lack of faith, it feels way less internally disconcerting and way more internally peacefully not to have those beliefs.

Lolz, how do you expect your belief to hold to the scrutiny of unbelief? Can solid pass as solid on the properties of gas? You put spiritual things in a laboratory to do what again? to deceive yourself. As usual, the fool has defined God in his foolish capacity, God does not fit that definition. Therefore, he foolishly claims that there is no God.

Cekpo34:
Data from Think Tanks such as, Pew Research, shows that more Nigerians, especially the youths, are becoming atheists and agnostics as day passes by . However, it is not clear why this demography is growing. The dominant explanation has been the secularism thesis which assumes that the movement from the primitive sacred to modern secular is driven by science.

But Nigeria, in my opinion, is yet to attain the Comptian positive or scientific age for obvious reasons. Thus, secularism may not sufficiently explain the rising number of nonbelievers in Nigeria.

BIG QUESTIONS FOR ATHEISTS AND AGNOSTICS

1) How did you become a #NigerianAtheist or agnostic?

2) Where and when did it happen?

3) Why do you think that decision is, presently, justified?

Please share your story and enlighten others.

Caveat: your response will provide primary data for an ongoing research. You, through your moniker, will be acknowledged.

The demography must grow for three/four major reasons. 3-4 because two of them are branches of one.

1. Scriptural/Prophetic fulfilment: The Bible is clearly littered with prophecies in this direction. Love for God will wax cold and evil people will become more and more. Broad is the way leading to damnation/perdition. That road according to the Bible is a road of unbelief and neglect. So it's not strange at all to a serious reader of the Bible.

2. Increase in development technology and knowledge: The average man is selfish and what drives him/her to God most are selfish reasons i.e how God can help answer the questions of life. Like Jesus said, most people seek Him because of bread. The next testimony, favour, help, healing, protection from God. Technology and knowledge supposedly makes things easier and not as mysterious as previously thought.
When you go to, japa or live in a 'developed' country where you don't need to pray for things to get done, demand for God naturally reduces. You are safe from village people, nobody is after your destiny, social security provides food and clothing and even shelter and internet despite ancestral curse. The roads are not death traps, and there is a form of justice for wrong done(saner clime as it were). The same is gradually been experienced in developing countries like Nigeria. The young people have phones and information, they can hustle and make some living, they have many whatsapp doctors and tiktok healthtips. They can study online, create hashtags, do remote work and digital work. They can easily debunk 'stuff' and can seemlesslyu live in a bubble on their phones away from the 'distractions' of reality.

3. False christianity: There is an overdose of false christianity all over. False prophets, false pastors, false apostles, false members. Christianity as people know it continue to fail the society. The bearers of the name are no different if not worse from those they call unbelievers. They are full of scandals, cheating, greed, wickedness, politics and schemes. The church is full of the world and has nothing to distinguish it except the time and building. Youths can see through this, they can see through their hypocrite pastors and relatives.

4. Failure of genuine evangelism: We lost a rare gem in the likes of Reinhard Bonnke. We hardly have evangelists and revivalists today in Nigeria. We have more of pastors who are building their empire, getting more sinners to come regularly to service and making season transfers from one denomination to the other. The genuine salvations are just in trickles, because people are not preaching the true gospel.
These are the issues. They do not stop or change the fact, they are simply the realities on ground.

Maynmann:
I asked steep if lying to save yourself from death is wrong just as yahweh told abraham to lie about his wife, she is yet to answer .

This clown has resulted to lying hahaha, and I ask you where did yahweh ask Abraham to lie about his wife Sarah?

Wagwanbrethren:
But you believe God came out of nothing na? 🤣
Does that make you mentally ill? Explain how God came into existence na. You don't want to accept that the existence of universe doesn't prove God's existence, but you want me to believe that your existence is as a result of God's existence that you can't prove. Does that not make you a blockhead?🤣

Talking about morality. This confused God plagued Egypt with various disease when he could easily do it in a more accurate way. The same god killed his whole creation including children and pregnant women!🤣
Comot morality Abeg.

Just because something is powerful doesn't mean that it is good. Hitler was powerful, but that doesn't mean that he was good. Finally, morality doesn't have to come from God in order to be true. There are many reasons why people might think that certain actions are morally right or wrong, and not all of them have to do with religion. This is basic sense na! 🤷‍♂️

You are the block head, you have nothing reasonable to say other than your usual empty emojis.

Steep:
This clown has resulted to lying hahaha, and I ask you where did yahweh ask Abraham to lie about his wife Sarah?

Numbers 31:13-18-13-18.
What’s objective morality?

Moses, Eleazar, and all the leaders of the congregation went to meet the returning army outside the camp. Moses was furious with the army officers—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—as they came back from the battlefield: “What’s this! You’ve let these women live! They’re the ones who, under Balaam’s direction, seduced the People of Israel away from GOD in that mess at Peor, causing the plague that hit GOD’s people. Finish your job: kill all the boys. Kill every woman who has slept with a man. The younger women who are virgins you can keep alive for yourselves.

Did the virgins give them consent?

Maynmann:
Numbers 31:13-18-13-18.
What’s objective morality?

Moses, Eleazar, and all the leaders of the congregation went to meet the returning army outside the camp. Moses was furious with the army officers—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—as they came back from the battlefield: “What’s this! You’ve let these women live! They’re the ones who, under Balaam’s direction, seduced the People of Israel away from GOD in that mess at Peor, causing the plague that hit GOD’s people. Finish your job: kill all the boys. Kill every woman who has slept with a man. The younger women who are virgins you can keep alive for yourselves.

Did the virgins give them consent?

Where did God told Abraham to lie, pathetic liar.
Atheism is lunacy honestly, I forgot lying is permissive as long as it serves your purpose.

Steep:
Where did God told Abraham to lie, pathetic liar.
Atheism is lunacy honestly, I forgot lying is permissive as long as it serves your purpose.

What purpose did Abraham lie had?

So your god is yahweh?
Why not allah?
Muslim are theists too na

Maynmann:
What purpose did Abraham lie had?

So your god is yahweh?
Why not allah?
Muslim are theists too na

gerrarahere
You are not to be taken serious

Steep:
gerrarahere
You are not to be taken serious

Yahweh worshipper, The owners of the books you are basing your life on, look at what they have to say about THEIR books.

Steep:
You are the block head, you have nothing reasonable to say other than your usual empty emojis.

Sweetheart, you can't do so! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Wagwanbrethren:
Sweetheart, you can't do so! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Masturbate in the market not here

Steep:
God by definition is uncreated, you are illogical.

Why does the god get that definition? How do you know the god is uncreated?

Lucifyre:
Ok.
"Only a fool says there's no God"

I recently began to really respect this statement. As it is today, nobody has definitve proof that'll appeal widely across board as objective fact that there is a God or there is none, so every view is obviously subjective. From my pov i know there is a God. If i really want to explain how i came to that conclusion i'ld write a lot way more than this. And i honestly don't really want to, cause i don't know if u'r close minded or open minded and can partake in an open healthy discussion.

Anyways one thing i'll point out is that u atheists are most times just as bad as religious folks/christains. Strong baseless opinions held as facts when not verifiable and unwilling to shift ground when presented with facts to the contrary. Basically u're all close minded.

So you came to the conclusion that all atheists are close minded even after expressing that you are yet to know if the person is close minded or not. Is this how you reach conclusions?

I think the answer to life is like a puzzle we are tryin to solve. Atheists and Christains(religious peeps), view the puzzle from one angle that stops them from viewing the whole concept of the puzzle and come to differing conclusions while viewing the puzzle from the same limited angle.

How can u solve the puzzle when ure not viewing from a good unlimited angle that shows the whole concept of the puzzle before you come to a logical conclusion. U guys have not even gotten the complete peices of the puzzle but you claim to have solved it. Stop looking through religious lenses only for proof of God. I didn't find my proof of God in the bible, i ironically found it in science. Understanding how the world works and how everything interacts with each other through science made me know there's definitely a God/Gods/Being/Energy.

Which scientific facts point to the existence of a god?

Releigion for me is simply a precursor to science. Basically how we explained the world before we got more answers through science to know how it really works. Life is really complex and if u view the whole complex system, its quite incomprehensible that this beautiful mad complex design doesn't have a designer. Space, planets, minerals, air, gas, the literal one in a million chance of how the earth exists and how the conditions are somehow favourable is not by accident if u look at the process by which it was formed. Living things and their body structures and how their bodies function, the food chain, the eco sytem, language, behaviors and traits of different species., the vast amount of varying species and how they all interact, music, language, the laws of nature and physics, shapes. How all these things interact is with one another is crazy and complex. Then Life and death.

Our universe contains billions of stars and planets Why do you think only 1 planet out of billions contains life?

All these can't just come out of nothing. Just like with all our advancements we've not been able to create a process to create something out of nothing. The system is far too complex to just start out on its own, coupled with the low probabilty of everything been just the right conditions and amount to happen. Instead of seeing this complex world as evidence, the athiests looks through the lenses of religion and sees its filled with man made flawed concepts and take it as evidence that a God like that can not exist. When it is most likely not an accurate depiction of God. God is most likely complex that we can't comprehend, sort of like time dilation and quantum mechanics are. We ubderstand but can't fully comprehend.

Which atheists told you the universe came from nothing?

Most of all those religious texts are filled with man made crap and i don't think its the true accurate depiction of God and what he wants.. Not discounting that there's some truth in there though. I believe, all religions, all psuedo religions, all sciences and all psuedo sciences hold pieces of this puzzle we trying to solve on the question of what is life? and the purpose of it?. The different religions are just trying to reach God and answer the question in thier own way. Science's answers the question with facts and evidences to get closer to the truth.

You acknowledge that the religious texts are full of crap so I wonder you think we need to pay any attention to what is obviously crap.

We are all seeking for answers and have been seeking for answers. We've got some answers but are still a million miles away from the truth. So anyone holding a stance based on about 4000 yrs of happenings according to religion, when the earth has existed for 4.5 billion or doesn't consider the vast complex world and its workings is a joker. Just be open minded bro that's all. My position on all these could change by next year as im always looking at new eveidences and learning everyday. So don't just be fixed. No one has all the answers.

Making up crap as answer because you are seeking answers is unjustified.

LordReed:
Why does the god get that definition? How do you know the god is uncreated?

Ever heard of "Eternal", are you fellows actually becoming dumber by the week or what?

LordReed:
So you came to the conclusion that all atheists are close minded even after expressing that you are yet to know if the person is close minded or not. Is this how you reach conclusions?



Which scientific facts point to the existence of a god?


Our universe contains billions of stars and planets Why do you think only 1 planet out of billions contains life?



Which atheists told you the universe came from nothing?




You acknowledge that the religious texts are full of crap so I wonder you think we need to pay any attention to what is obviously crap.



Making up crap as answer because you are seeking answers is unjustified.

It's obvious u'r an atheist hence the combative and defensive nature of ur response. I said a lot but because of your defensive stance u ignored all context, zeroed in selectively with tunnel vision on what u didn't like, went on a tangent and basically missed all nuance. Respect for being civil though. So I'll try to explain better so u get my thought process again while addressing ur concerns.

First of, the quantifier I used in describing atheists is "Many" and not "All".
And how and why did I reach that conclusion u ask?! Well, if u pick any arbitrary sample set of any category of anything (or most things to be safe), ud have more negative traits than positive traits. So for example if u pick school children, you have more non-intelligent children than intelligent children, if u pick a sample from the population, u have more non-beautiful people than beautiful people, if u pick open minded people, uld find more unreasonable ones than reasonable ones. Same applies to atheists, that combined with anecdotal evidence from dealing with em.

Now for the rest of your concerns, I wanted to address them individually but saw it was pointless cause I already adresssed them in my previous comment. So its either u didn't read it(hence the earlier tunnel vision comment) or u read it with some serious bias. Either way read it again with an open mind..

Lucifyre:
It's obvious u'r an atheist hence the combative and defensive nature of ur response. I said a lot but because of your defensive stance u ignored all context, zeroed in selectively with tunnel vision on what u didn't like, went on a tangent and basically missed all nuance. Respect for being civil though. So I'll try to explain better so u get my thought process again while addressing ur concerns.

First of, the quantify I used in describing then is "Many" and not "All".

You used all. See what you wrote:

Lucifyre:
Basically u're all close minded.

And how abd why did I reach that conclusion u ask?! Well, if u pick any arbitrary sample set of any category of anything (or most things to be safe), ud have more negative traits than positive traits. So for example if u pick school children, you have more non-intelligent children than intelligent children, if u pick a sample from the population, u have more non-beautiful people than beautiful people, if u pick open minded people, uld find more u reasonable ones than reasonable ones. Same applies to atheists, that combined with anecdotal evidence from dealing with em.

So if I pick any category and ask you to bring evidence that I will find more negatives than positives you can provide the data to back your assertion?

How does blanket attributing to a group of people a trait simply because some members of the group have that trait make sense? So if I call you a fraudster because some of your sex and age group has been a fraudster I would be correct?

Now for the rest of your concerns, I wanted to address them individually but saw it was pointless cause I already adresssed them in my previous comment. So its either u didn't read it(hence the earlier tunnel vision comment) or u read it with some serious bias. Either way read it again with an open mind..

Your post did not address any of the posers I gave which why I gave them in the first place. How does your post address why you think only one planet, in a universe that has billions of planets, has life. You can quote the relevant part of your post.

Cekpo34:
Data from Think Tanks such as, Pew Research, shows that more Nigerians, especially the youths, are becoming atheists and agnostics as day passes by . However, it is not clear why this demography is growing. The dominant explanation has been the secularism thesis which assumes that the movement from the primitive sacred to modern secular is driven by science.

But Nigeria, in my opinion, is yet to attain the Comptian positive or scientific age for obvious reasons. Thus, secularism may not sufficiently explain the rising number of nonbelievers in Nigeria.

BIG QUESTIONS FOR ATHEISTS AND AGNOSTICS

1) How did you become a #NigerianAtheist or agnostic?

2) Where and when did it happen?

3) Why do you think that decision is, presently, justified?

Please share your story and enlighten others.

Caveat: your response will provide primary data for an ongoing research. You, through your moniker, will be acknowledged.

I was born an atheist. Religion was not promoted in my home or school or where I lived. We are taught to ask and seek with our minds.

I was shocked at meeting believers for the first time at age 7. They not only believed in gods but in talking rats too.

Re. Check profile.

None of those claiming "Atheists" here are real atheists because atheism supposed to free a person's heart from engaging in any discussion having to do with God/Gods.
So in my own opinion any self acclaimed atheist on this forum is just deceiving himself/herself atheism should be a reason for you to focus on other matters having to do with your life but when you keep on engaging others just to convince or reason with them on their stand in a religious section on a forum then you are a believer in disguise!🙂

The moment you realize there is no God(s).
Intelligence and curiosity. Plus, we were all born without any belief, religion whatsoever!

You are DEFENDING your faith joo!🙂

MaxInDHouse:
None of those claiming "Atheists" here are real atheists because atheism supposed to free a person's heart from engaging in any discussion having to do with God/Gods.
So in my own opinion any self acclaimed atheist on this forum is just deceiving himself/herself atheism should be a reason for you to focus on other matters having to do with your life but when you keep on engaging others just to convince or reason with them on their stand in a religious section on a forum then you are a believer in disguise!🙂

By talking about atheists, you are an atheist in disguise.

LordReed:
By talking about atheists, you are an atheist in disguise.

When i talk about atheists what is my aim?
Believers talk about faith in God as we think of how to convince everyone that there is a Creator and we need to know Him and worship Him so it's still part of the things having to do with faith.
But when a self acclaimed atheist starts talking about reasons why he or she doesn't believe then such a person is no longer fitting for what he claims.

Do you know why a lion doesn't respond to a barking dog?

Well it's because he knows the difference between distraction and danger!🙂

Times you have spent on this section arguing with so called believers is enough to show that truly you aren't an atheist as you claim because real atheists will focus on matters that's of serious concerns not in what you are fully convinced never existed!🙂

MaxInDHouse:
When i talk about atheists what is my aim?
Believers talk about faith in God as we think of how to convince everyone that there is a Creator and we need to know Him and worship Him so it's still part of the things having to do with faith.
But when a self acclaimed atheist starts talking about reasons why he or she doesn't believe then such a person is no longer fitting for what he claims.

Do you know why a lion doesn't respond to a barking dog?

Well it's because he knows the difference between distraction and danger!🙂

Times you have spent on this section arguing with so called believers is enough to show that truly you aren't an atheist as you claim because real atheists will focus on matters that's of serious concerns not in what you are fully convinced never existed!🙂

Bro I was already most active on here before I became an atheist so that is not a good way to judge how I spend my time.

At the time I became an atheist, I stated here that it was my goal to cease talking about god(s) because it is one of the most inconsequential things I need to think about and I have been steadily reducing my comments on y'alls religious jargon. However, when an atheist in disguise like you talks about atheist especially when they talk upside down jargons, I do see it fit to respond.

So you are the dog right? LoLz.

Well if truly you have become an atheist as you claim you shouldn't be talking to people who spends most of their time talking about their God something you feel is jargons.
And of course a lion doesn't respond to the barking of dogs because it's jargons to him as in distraction not danger!🙂

LordReed:
Bro I was already most active on here before I became an atheist so that is not a good way to judge how I spend my time. At the time I became an atheist, I stated here that it was my goal to cease talking about god(s) because it is one of the most inconsequential things I need to think about and I have been steadily reducing my comments on y'alls religious jargon. However, when an atheist in disguise like you talks about atheist especially when they talk upside down jargons, I do see it fit to respond.
So you are the dog right? LoLz.

MaxInDHouse:
Well if truly you have become an atheist as you claim you shouldn't be talking to people who spends most of their time talking about their God something you feel is jargons.
And of course a lion doesn't respond to the barking of dogs because it's jargons to him as in distraction not danger!🙂

And you need to stop talking about atheists since they are not interested in your god, unless of course you are nothing but an atheist in disguise.

LordReed:
And you need to stop talking about atheists since they are not interested in your god, unless of course you are nothing but an atheist in disguise.

My faith requires that i speak about and with all kinds of people to save them so you can't tell me what is against my faith.
Please can you tell me what business is yours in talking about faith in God?

MaxInDHouse:
My faith requires that i speak about and with all kinds of people to save them so you can't tell me what is against my faith.
Please can you tell me what business is yours in talking about faith in God?

Then according to your weird logic you are an atheist in disguise since you cannot stop talking about them when they have no interest in your religion.

Point out the last time I talked about faith in a god.

LordReed:
Then according to your weird logic you are an atheist in disguise since you cannot stop talking about them when they have no interest in your religion.

Here is what the book i believe says:

For if you publicly declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and exercise faith in your heart that God raised him up from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one exercises faith for righteousness, but with the mouth one makes public declaration for salvation. Romans 10:9-10

Please can you quote what your white supremacists wrote anywhere so that you can speak in defense of this atheism they brought to you?
None of your ancestors taught you there is no God and the term "ATHEISM" is from white men but did they teach you to defend ATHEISM?🙂

LordReed:
Point out the last time I talked about faith in a god.

See how easy you ran into your own trap!

LordReed:
Why does the god get that definition? How do you know the god is uncreated?

Please what do you have to do with DEFINITION or KNOWLEDGE of God?🙂

MaxInDHouse:
Here is what the book i believe says:

For if you publicly declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and exercise faith in your heart that God raised him up from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one exercises faith for righteousness, but with the mouth one makes public declaration for salvation. Romans 10:9-10

Please can you quote what your white supremacists wrote anywhere so that you can speak in defense of this atheism they brought to you?
None of your ancestors taught you there is no God and the term "ATHEISM" is from white men but did they teach you to defend ATHEISM?🙂



See how easy you ran into your own trap!

Please what do you have to do with DEFINITION or KNOWLEDGE of God?🙂

If you can talk about your god to atheist then STFU about atheists responding.

Bro you are quoting something I wrote in 2023. Thanks for making my point for me. LoLz.

LordReed:
If you can talk about your god to atheist then STFU about atheists responding.

Of course each person has the right to respond to anyone who speaks with you because it has to do with your life but coming to social media defending atheism totally differs from responding to someone speaking with you. This means you are propagating ATHEISM just as believers are propagating their faith therefore you are not really an atheist but a believer in disguise!🙂

LordReed:
Bro you are quoting something I wrote in 2023. Thanks for making my point for me. LoLz.

So you are a believer who keeps on propagating what you believe!🙂

MaxInDHouse:
Of course each person has the right to respond to anyone who speaks with you because it has to do with your life but coming to social media defending atheism totally differs from responding to someone speaking with you. This means you are propagating ATHEISM just as believers are propagating their faith therefore you are not really an atheist but a believer in disguise!🙂


So you are a believer who keeps on propagating what you believe!🙂

And you are an atheist in disguise who can't stop talking to those who don't want your religion.

Bro show me where I asked anyone to follow me in atheism.