Zikdik:
Someone I know said "We need to believe we have
superpowers." Whether it's astrology, or the belief in
psychics, or ghosts, because we are a conscious species,
we understand that death is the ultimate unknown, and we
learn early that death awaits us all. Our conscious nature
and our culture came together such that they tried to
explain death as having a purpose, and that the ultimate
purpose of it is greater than the purpose of our lives. That
mysticism led to religion which codified beliefs about death
and created a hierarchy of political power that in turn tries
to control the way people think and live and how they
allocate their resources (back to the religious beuraucracy).
It all stems from the need to believe that death is not the
end, despite all evidence that it is the end of everything we
can define and quantify in life.
Human beings are not rational. We are emotional first, and
death is scary. Without imagining any kind of hell, imagine
simply non-existence. What does it say about the
unknown (but short) number of years you will live? If it is
the end, what imperatives must you try to accomplish,
whether for yourself or altruistically for the universe around
you (people, the planet, friends, causes you believe in)? It
makes it so much more urgent to do things NOW that will
make your life have value to you. The idea of a god and
an afterlife makes it easier to allow yourself to be flawed, to
believe that injustice 'gets taken care of' in an afterlife, that
people get what they deserve at some point off in the
future.
It also explains away why people die of cancer at the age
of 12, or why your marriage fails: it's some other entity's
will (that you can't understand and can't resist).
To some extent, the codifying of religion produces its share
of good. The "golden rule" is a great way to live, and
religions try to teach it, which is praiseworthy.
But there's no reason to believe that death is bad. Non-
existence will not be painful (where were we before we
were born? I associate no sadness or pain with not being
alive, and I have no memory or sensation from it either!).
Maybe there's something beyond death, but no one can tell
us, so there's no reason to follow someone else's ideas
about it. Follow your own, but be not afraid.
Be good to one another in this life, because human
compassion is real, and is the only transcendental good we
know of in the universe. Leaving a beneficial mark in THIS
life should be our goal, and not the avoidance of some
mythical punishment in the next life.

davien:
Speak for yourself, we've all seen what history taught us about religious dogma.....
Nobody goes about saying why people need to believe in unicorns...so what is the drive to push your own mythology over others.

johnydon22:
So now which of the gods do we need to believe in? They are more than 1million of them?

Zikdik:

I'm known to be one of the most raw and outspoken atheists around here and that is still my stand- no to religious indoctrination. However, I'm just looking at things from the other side of the divide. Face it Davien, some people's lives would make absolutely no sense to themselves without the ''god'' factor. Let's be a bit more compassionate, don't you think?

Jeromejnr:


The one DAT showed u His love and died for u.

The one DAT said we can't stand in His presence by our good works but only by accepting His free gift of grace. Unlike other religions where ur good has to be more than ur bad.

Another subtle way of knowing sha. Is looking at which prophet or God is d most attacked in dis world today. That happens because d enemy tries to keep ppl from seeing d light. (I mean on an online dictionary Jesus is now a swear word. Smh)

But apart from DAT sha. Its only God DAT can make u believe in Him, no one else. Just open ur heart to know Him and genuinely ask Him. And He will.

Jesus is Lord mehn.

johnydon22:

Lolzz i understand ur passion to preach...
Ok now how did you know about this God... someone told you? you read in a book? or your parents bore you into it?

Jeromejnr:


He actually manifested Himself to me on a particular night. Because my heart sought for God constantly. I was tired of many things.

Dats y I said if u seek Him u will find Him.

dalaman:


Describe what God looked like in details and what transpired between the two of you.

Zikdik:

I'm known to be one of the most raw and outspoken atheists around here and that is still my stand- no to religious indoctrination. However, I'm just looking at things from the other side of the divide. Face it Davien, some people's lives would make absolutely no sense to themselves without the ''god'' factor. Let's be a bit more compassionate, don't you think?

dalaman:


Describe what God looked like in details and what transpired between the two of you.

Jeromejnr:


And secondly me telling u d encounter will not change u at all. Its God word and His Spirit that changes people. Because I know u will still come up with theories of arguments.

Jeromejnr:


Well firstly I can't describe God for u mehn. I didn't see His clear features. I don't know how to explain DAT to u because it a spiritual reality and they are hard to explain. Its like when ur looking at someone through a transparent shower curtain, u can see the form but not really d details.

And secondly me telling u d encounter will not change u at all. Its God word and His Spirit that changes ppl. Because I know u will still come up with theories of arguments.

dalaman:


Just state what you saw or what he told you. Did he speak to you? Did you speak back? You claimed you had an encounter with God, Why then are you so quick to push it off to the spirit relm where it will be outside of any meaningfull scrutiny?

Jeromejnr:


Well firstly I can't describe God for u mehn. I didn't see His clear features. I don't know how to explain DAT to u because it a spiritual reality and they are hard to explain. Its like when ur looking at someone through a transparent shower curtain, u can see the form but not really d details.

And secondly me telling u d encounter will not change u at all. Its God word and His Spirit that changes ppl. Because I know u will still come up with theories of arguments.

plaetton:


I agree with you that for most people, there lives would make no sense if they didn't believe in supernatural causation.
But that itself is an existential problem, not an answer.
Think about this critically.
The reason that the west are far more advanced than us in Africa is due to the way they seek answers to existential questions.
In Nigeria /Africa, we are not encouraged to ask and seek, but to ignore the questions by lazily invoking supernatural causation.
By so doing, we are yoked to being mere passive observers, rather than being active agents in the unfolding realities.

Give a typical Nigerian a deadly critical problem to solve, and watch him/her go down on their knees for spiritual /supernatural intervention.

When we construct our reality with morally and philosophically ambiguous imported myths that we hardly understand, then we inevitably build a wishy washy reality that seem to confuse us the more.

The European and much of the rest of the world have had thousands of years to evolve and transcend magical thinking. We should learn from them without having to reinvent the wheel.

The sad irony is that I can say (as an Igbo with village experience ) that traditional African societies have solid moral and philosophical frameworks upon which to blend with modern realities to build a solid and easily graspable reality.

johnydon22:

When you see someone through a transparent shower curtain, at least you will see some of his features and shapes...
Now we are very curious bro and want to learn...Tell us his shape and extension asin hands, head etc

Jeromejnr:


The form of a man. Hair that reaches down to His shoulders (looked brownish though). A purple or scarlet coloured kind of clothing and some other colours. Skin colour of His face like the sun. And voice as sweet as what I can't explain.

Well that's it man.

Jeromejnr:


The form of a man. Hair that reaches down to His shoulders (looked brownish though). A purple or scarlet coloured kind of clothing and some other colours. Skin colour of His face like the sun. And voice as sweet as what I can't explain.

Well that's it man.

lepasharon:


It may be so that you saw Jesus...but didn't he tel you his name isn't Jesus? Nobody called Jesus walked this earth and the name Jesus means nothing in any language. Surely he must have told you you're calling on a false name?

johnydon22:

Wooooow so he had the form of a man with long hairs with shoulders and hands all that, even wore a cloth..oooh alrigh...Hhmmmm thats nice one bro...

Jeromejnr:


Okay. So u thought God was like the air or an invisible mist.

My guy wake up o! Big bang didn't create ur ordered body.

Where do u think u got ur form from. The guardians of the galaxy.

lepasharon:


It may be so that you saw Jesus...but didn't he tel you his name isn't Jesus? Nobody called Jesus walked this earth and the name Jesus means nothing in any language. Surely he must have told you you're calling on a false name?

johnydon22:

Hahahahahahaha now you are assuming i believe in big bang even when i have not said so...
i just said "nice one bro" why do you feel the need for any further defence...lolzzz

Zikdik:

Well, that's another way to look at it. Religion has greatly hindered the psychological, technological and moral, yes, moral advancement of most under-developed and developing countries. Faith usually requires blind acceptance without critical consideration and often poses ridiculous answers and asks that they be not questioned. That is very dangerous indeed. He who does not know and does not wish to know is an epitome of folly.
Always a pleasure to have you around. Platteon.

Jeromejnr:


Sarcasm was In ur last comment bruv.

But anyway I wasn't assuming. I expect u to believe in the big bang. I actually do believe in it.

But there is no effect without a cause.
#justsaying.

johnydon22:

You expect me to...lolzzz alright.....
So you believe in big bang which means you dont believe the genesis account then?