₦airaland Forum

GeneralTee:
The Protestant religion brought light to Europe; it opened the search for knowledge in science and birth the industrial revolution of the 19th century that gave us modern science. Therefore the true Christian faith shares a great deal with atheists and if they will listen to the gospel, they will end up by far greater Christian scholars than many. Case in point: C. S. Lewis.

GeneralTee:
Kirk discusses three men that changed the face of modern sociology. They are Karl Marx, Frederich Nitchzhe and Sigmund Freud. Marx gave us Socialism and Communism. Nitchzhe suggested that “God is dead”. He invented the “Superman” and his thoughts brought about fascism. Freud developed modern psychiatry. All of them great men but all of them avowed atheists. Kirk argued in his book that there was a great deal Christians could learn from atheists’ criticism of religion and if Christians will do this, they will be the better for it.

Kay17:
What if the Truth was that the Universe was purposeless?

GeneralTee:
#AnalysingPentecostalism 22 (see other series 1-21 on Facebook)

Rising Atheism

by Deji Yesufu

More and more young people are ditching religion altogether and increasingly resorting to atheism. This reality was brought home to me some two years ago when atheists almost overran the religion section of Nairaland. They began to even ask for their own section – claiming a new type of religion. The anonymous nature of the forum afforded them the liberty to express their thoughts. Seun Osewa, the owner of the forum, himself had renounced Christianity and the thread were he told his story was a bestseller of some sort.

While many people vilify atheism in our nation, one must appreciate the fact that it takes a great deal to be one and those who profess atheism are about the soundest and most rational human beings. Man is by default religious. To throw away that default position requires a great deal of study and boldness. In the long run, atheism is another religion – a religion without a god. One of the greatest books in my library is “Loosing the Bonds” by Andrew Kirk. It is a book dedicated to studying different religions. He dedicates some chapters to atheism.

Kirk discusses three men that changed the face of modern sociology. They are Karl Marx, Frederich Nitchzhe and Sigmund Freud. Marx gave us Socialism and Communism. Nitchzhe suggested that “God is dead”. He invented the “Superman” and his thoughts brought about fascism. Freud developed modern psychiatry. All of them great men but all of them avowed atheists. Kirk argued in his book that there was a great deal Christians could learn from atheists’ criticism of religion and if Christians will do this, they will be the better for it.

It is my humble submission in view of all these that Pentecostalism is adding to rising atheism in the land. While it may not be the primary cause, it is a major contributing factor. Why? Pentecostalism is anti intellectual. It is highly subjective and very non rational. It thrives on a belief in miracles in a world of science and technology. Pentecostalism just does not fit the aggressive and progressive mind of Nigerian youths and thus it is increasingly thrown into the dustbin. This might have been my fate had I not possessed something in my knowledge of God beyond bland subjectivity.

This leads me to why true Christianity ought to appeal to an atheist. The true Christian religion is founded on sound knowledge. The Christian faith is possessed of true understanding of God before any subjective experience of God. With the coming of the 16th century Reformation, Christianity took on a new knowledge base. Even Roman Catholic scholasticism came to life. The Protestant religion brought light to Europe; it opened the search for knowledge in science and birth the industrial revolution of the 19th century that gave us modern science. Therefore the true Christian faith shares a great deal with atheists and if they will listen to the gospel, they will end up by far greater Christian scholars than many. Case in point: C. S. Lewis.

The man who gave us Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, is a raving atheist. But all of us religious people use his invention to promote our views. In my first interview with Edmund Obilo, he confessed on live Radio that he cannot remember when last he was in church. There is no better broadcaster than him in Ibadan. I remember approaching some senior citizens to invite them to attend my fellowship. They told me that religion sets people back. It deters their thinking. It doesn’t promote intellectualism. I just sat there watching.

You cannot sell signs, wonders and miracles to 21st century thinkers – it is just simply out of date. And my findings shows that even the God of the Bible has outdated miracles. Instead he has blessed man with such resounding knowledge that if my generation will spend less time at Redeem Camp and other prayer camps, we will find the cure to AIDS, Cancer and other debilitating diseases of our time. While at the same time adding to the science revolution and increase our nation’s gross productivity. Thereby creating jobs and wealth for the people. This is the type of work the gospel encourages; work that produces better feeding! He that will not work cannot eat!! Let us wake up. The atheists are challenging us.

I am not promoting atheism here. I am simply saying that Pentecostalism and many other religion that thrive on the subjective are adding nothing to science and modern thinkers have no time for such nonsense. I am also saying that the true Christian faith is highly intellectual. It appeals to the mind as it convinces the sinner of a need for a Savior.

The born again person however does not then sell his brain to the church, rather he becomes a thinker. Whether he is a theologian, a scientist, a technologist, a broadcaster, a writer, or even a politician, he brings in a finesse of knowledge into his profession that adds to it. Christians are already disciplined individuals and thus can use their time for productive ventures. This is the reason why early scientists were mostly Christians.

There is increasing atheism in the land and I hereby present the gospel to these folks as a sound alternative to the mere religion they are raging against.

CC: TheSixthSense, HardMirror, lalasticlala

KingEbukasBlog:
Seriously ?

A life with no purpose ? No wonder Atheists achieved so little and have no moral compass since man was created . To them , life is meaningless and there is no reason to achieve , or to love or be good . This mentality was the impetus also that led to the killing of millions of people just to achieve their atheistic aims .

No wonder you guys take so much time criticizing religious people - just to inveigle them into living sad empty life of anger and rancor against a non existent God .

And atheists said The belief in God holds you back !! While the cold hard truth which elude you atheists is that your belief God does not exist is what holds you back from achieving and progressing because to you life is meaningless .

Winner01 , atheism is indeed dangerous . To them , what's the point of doing good , of achieving , of helping the poor etc . Atheists can even kill with no scruples . Imagine a kid with such mentality - having no sense of purpose in life . Humanity is doomed with atheism

sonofluc1fer:
Empty retort.

I'm quite sure like **** Kingebukasblog, you know absolutely nothing about the Continent you live on. You know no African philosophy, or Gods, yet you can comfortably recite Jesus ancestors from David's line.

You have an African body but a foreign mind. Your God resides in Israel, likes Mount Horeb and you fervently wait and hope for a new Jerusalem. Are you African in skin or thought? The Bible you believe in wasn't written by yo, for you or to you. If it were, Romans 2:9 would be Igbo 2:9, 1 Corinthians would be 1 Yoruba...

So who is the alien? ****whose only claim to being African is genetic, whose mind has been so polluted he sees the crucifixion of a mere carpenter in the cross as salvation for his own misdemeanors. The one who proudly professes to be a Gentile, who denies his own history and people so he may suck at the bosom of Abraham?.

****

winner01:
Very sick delusion..

[b]Lets just pretend that we have meaning in a meaningless world. [\b]

So sick.

PastorAIO:
Nietzsche's thoughts did not bring fascism. Nazis distorted this thoughts to support their ideology. Pretty much the same way that Jesus did not teach the greater part of what is called christianity today.

Freud: There is a difference between Psychology and Psychiatry.

winner01:
Very sick delusion..

Lets just pretend that we have meaning in a meaningless world.
So sick.

Ranchhoddas:
Now this is poetry. Preach brother preach!!

KingEbukasBlog:
An AFRICAN ATHEIST mocks FOREIGN RELIGION and to some people he is making sense ? Wow !!! You were even impressed - I'm disappointed man .

I will only pay attention to his foolish talks when he comes a follower African religions .

KingEbukasBlog:
An AFRICAN ATHEIST mocks FOREIGN RELIGION and to some people he is making sense ? Wow !!! You were even impressed - I'm disappointed man .

I will only pay attention to his foolish talks when he comes a follower African religions .

stephenmorris:
do u actually hate atheism and like deism,theism etc lol and kindly use ur head and not memes this days

KingEbukasBlog:
EXACTLY . Oh my God ! It's scary when you imagine malleable little children are being inculcated with such sick mentality . Atheism is so odious indeed .

Ranchhoddas:
Point out one thing that is untrue in all he said.

KingEbukasBlog:
Seriously ?

A life with no purpose ? [s]No wonder Atheists achieved so little and have no moral compass since man was created . To them , life is meaningless and there is no reason to achieve , or to love or be good . This mentality was the impetus also that led to the killing of millions of people just to achieve their atheistic aims .

No wonder you guys take so much time criticizing religious people - just to inveigle them into living sad empty life of anger and rancor against a non existent God .

And atheists said The belief in God holds you back !! While the cold hard truth which elude you atheists is that your belief God does not exist is what holds you back from achieving and progressing bee to you life is meaningless .

Winner01 , atheism is indeed dangerous . To them , what's the point of doing good , of achieving , of helping the poor etc . Atheists can even kill with no scruples . Imagine a kid with such mentality - having no sense of purpose in life . Humanity is doomed with atheism [/s]

KingEbukasBlog:
As a human being I have the prerogative to follow any religion I want to , to do what I want . The same way I can buy foreign goods at any price if I choose to .

He is an atheist - a foreign idea - and he is mocking a foreign religion ? seriously ?

And why do you think Africans abandoned African religions ?

Those religions kept Africans in darkness with their ridiculous beliefs and practices - it sees progress as evil and kills curiosity . Some of those gods were born out of ignorance of the Black Man . Going back to African religion is like going back to one's vomit or excreta - a massive step backwards . Yuck !

I worship the God of creation . I found God in Christianity .

Ranchhoddas:
Atheism is not a 'foreign idea'. It's not even an idea. It's simply absence of something. I posit that we are all atheists at birth untill our families start filling our heads with things.

realtem:
Rubbish...........

I thought you were wiser than this now

KingEbukasBlog:
Atheism Says THERE IS NO GOD . Are babies saying there is no God ?

Agnostics are the ones who have no belief .

KingEbukasBlog:
Atheism Says THERE IS NO GOD . Are babies saying there is no God ?

Agnostics are the ones who have no belief .

KingEbukasBlog:
Ugh ! Yo really need to understand that atheists are saying more than 'there is no God' . According to atheism , life has no purpose .

Ranchhoddas:
No be wetin I see for dictionary be this. You are giving your own definition to it so you can criticize it. It's like saying anaerobic means ''there's no oxygen''

KingEbukasBlog:
Those religions kept Africans in darkness with their ridiculous beliefs and practices - it sees progress as evil and kills curiosity . Some of those gods were born out of ignorance of the Black Man.

winner01:
It cant be condemned squarely.
The war needs to focus on christianity for its effectivity and its voice to be heard.

"Christianity is the most potent weapon against secular utopianism" - Peter Hitchens.

The greatest stumbling block standing in the way of man's evil desires.

raphieMontella:
was the judaistic god(yahweh) not born out of the ignorance of the caucasian man?

KingEbukasBlog:
I ask again , are babies saying there is no God ? Yes or No ?

mmsen:
Atheism is not a religion.
Anyone saying otherwise does not understand what a religion is.
A lack of belief in a deity is not grounds for a religion.

KingEbukasBlog:
Nope

CoolUsername:
Agnostics believe that it isn't possible to know.