midnighter:


You are totally unserious hahahaha that people know the pathologies of Nigeria does not mean that they acknowledge their own responsibility in the matter, which is what that person failed to mention and which is far from irrelevant.

You're just manipulating what the guy wrote to suit your purpose, which can never work. Can prayer be expected to unilaterally cover physical human phenomena or not Must Jesus physically come down and stop you from being a thief before prayers can be seen to work? Don't be insincere, my friend!

There is not a single person in this thread who is waiting for God to come down and personally rule Nigeria into an age of prosperity. The unserious arguments here based on strawman distortions of the arguments of your adversaries are coming from you and you're projecting that unseriousness on others. The only serious context of that comment was on the futility of religion in a country where everyone is a zealous religionist, but can't translate their faith into substantive progress. If their faith is real, we expect to see it validated in wisdom and competence and cooperative harmony and mindfulness and selfless, altruistic service to the community, and virtuous living and transparency and accountability and everything that makes good leadership and engaged followership in a working, functional society. That is how we expect faith to manifest in our society if divinely guided. Not strawman arguments about God or Jesus personally coming down from heaven or something.

The rest of your post is just empty posturing.

A Christian knows what it means to be neat and orderly as part of his religious duty. If he doesn't take this seriously it's a failure on his part and not God's. A country with a stupid attitude towards organisation and working systems can only blame itself and not "unanswered prayer".

Religiosity and poverty is not the point, religiosity and comparative lack of education is not the point, you're totally off point! So the wealthy and well-educated ones, where are they

Being "neat and orderly" is a humanistic value of harmonious societies, so Japanese or Korean or Finnish or Scandinavian people aren't neat and orderly because it's some kind of religious duty. ANd you're correct that failing at this is our failure. Again, you're stating obvious things that nobody is arguing against and missing the crux of the argument. The crux of the argument being in what ways are our society materially transformed by all the religiosity? I went to missionary schools as a child where everyday, we had to recite "Prayer for Nigeria in Distress" and "Prayer against Bribery and Corruption in Nigeria". Every single day. I've been reciting these stuff even before perfecting my reading in nursery and early primary school. I just used to listen to people mindlessly chant the prayers in church and I could recite it. Over 2 decades later, and these prayers are still chanted in Catholic masses all over Nigeria and we're still as much a corrupt and as wretched and miserable a shiithole as we've ever been for decades. So why not simply be engaged citizens who try to reform or revolutionize the system with mass action? Why even bother praying about it when the efficacy of that is pretty much zero influence level?

midnighter:


Yes, you are.

Evil genius pls speak for urself n leave others

MiltonFine:
I totally get! A just God who punishes a prostitute who f**ked for 10 years by tormenting her in hell fire for all eternity. I totally get it!

I have no idea what you're writing here my dear

PrecisionFx:


Evil genius pls speak for urself n leave others

Lol, every single person who has ever been born is inherently evil!

That's the essential gist of the last Monday of 2019

midnighter:


Lol, every single person who has ever been born is inherently evil!

That's the essential gist of the last Monday of 2019

Nope, everybody isn't inherently evil. Christian's are inherently evil and carry around the evils of Adam n eve....pls keep that to urself n stop roping in others

Check my signature and call me and I will tell you the secret of your life even things you have told no one so you know God is real and that Jesus Christ loves you so much. I await your call. 0905674094

whitelotus:



Why not? Wrong doing should be punished appropriately

So if God exists, how do you expect him to go about punishing it?

PrecisionFx:


Nope, everybody isn't inherently evil. Christian's are inherently evil and carry around the evils of Adam n eve....pls keep that to urself n stop roping in others

Okay, everybody has the capacity to commit evil acts. Better?

Obi1kenobi:


There is not a single person in this thread who is waiting for God to come down and personally rule Nigeria into an age of prosperity. The unserious arguments here based on strawman distortions of the arguments of your adversaries are coming from you and you're projecting that unseriousness on others. The only serious context of that comment was on the futility of religion in a country where everyone is a zealous religionist, but can't translate their faith into substantive progress. If their faith is real, we expect to see it validated in wisdom and competence and cooperative harmony and mindfulness and selfless, altruistic service to the community, and virtuous living and transparency and accountability and everything that makes good leadership and engaged followership in a working, functional society. That is how we expect faith to manifest in our society if divinely guided. Not strawman arguments about God or Jesus personally coming down from heaven or something.



Being "neat and orderly" is a humanistic value of harmonious societies, so Japanese or Korean or Finnish or Scandinavian people aren't neat and orderly because it's some kind of religious duty. ANd you're correct that failing at this is our failure. Again, you're stating obvious things that nobody is arguing against and missing the crux of the argument. The crux of the argument being in what ways are our society materially transformed by all the religiosity? I went to missionary schools as a child where everyday, we had to recite "Prayer for Nigeria in Distress" and "Prayer against Bribery and Corruption in Nigeria". Every single day. I've been reciting these stuff even before perfecting my reading in nursery and early primary school. I just used to listen to people mindlessly chant the prayers in church and I could recite it. Over 2 decades later, and these prayers are still chanted in Catholic masses all over Nigeria and we're still as much a corrupt and as wretched and miserable a shiithole as we've ever been for decades. So why not simply be engaged citizens who try to reform or revolutionize the system with mass action? Why even bother praying about it when the efficacy of that is pretty much zero influence level?

There's a scriptural answer to almost all our questions.
This post is one of the few that have probed some salient biblical points.
However, God is not the problem, religion is.

One thing I relearnt is that God has everything planned out. We are simply here to make His plan unfurl.

One of the unveiling Scriptures for me was when God promised that Abraham would be Father of many nations but this nation (Israel) would be slaves for 400 years. Genesis 15:13

Now imagine Nigeria as the nation and God already planned 400 years of suffering for Nigeria. No matter the amount of prayer and fasting, it wouldn't change God's plan.

Why that analogy?

You said you as well as other Catholics have been praying for a bribery and corruption free Nigeria yet here we are... What if we're still within our God's stipulated time of sufering?

It doesn't mean that God doesn't answer prayers, because everyone who has testimonies knows he does, it's just that the prayer is incongruent with His plan.
Just as Jesus prayed for the cup of suffering to pass over him but God's plan was for Him to drink His cup of suffering and crucifixion. And Jesus knowing this knew it's not about His own will or desires but God's will.

What am I saying in essence?

Op is going through a phase, as we all do... I hope it gives him growth spiritually, experientially, emotionally, financially, and every way he desires according to God's will.

PrecisionFx:


Nope, everybody isn't inherently evil. Christian's are inherently evil and carry around the evils of Adam n eve....pls keep that to urself n stop roping in others

Psalm 51:5 expounds this. Even little children practice evil. I don't know if you've taken your time to observe little kids lately.

Meaning we're born with a sinful nature due to the sin of Adam and Eve. But thanks to Christ, we are reborn into God's nature which is the Divine nature. Romans 5:12-21, Romans 3:23-24

midnighter:


So if God exists, how do you expect him to go about punishing it?

First shut down hell. A permanent punishment for a temporal sin? Hell no.

cooltola:


God bless you anyway.

The God you created

Religion is a scam but a necessary scam needed to herd the docile and gullible majority.
More than half of the world population are not Christians.

smileyoo:
you see, with all your so-called intelligency, you 're now sounding like your much hated religious people, i.e always confusing an issue with another issue. what's the connotations between the workings of the conscience of a mature human, and the dreamings of an un-born baby ? either you believe in God or not, is your choice, but you can't convince me that there's no God. Peace!

Goddamn it, are you so daft so not understand i am trying to make you understand it is all a process of our environment? With and example of how babies dream ?
Do you even know what consciousness is ?
Can you fucking use youtube and understand what consciousness is ?

englishmart:
I'm not that jobless, man.

If you ain't that jobless, then you aren't becoming an atheist but becoming a non Christian. An atheist find fault in all religion, not Christianity alone.
Everything, everyone, every discovery, practice, success, establishment, organisation or what's over in this world v shortcomings or things that made them not totally perfect.
You really need to find these faults you got in Christianity in other religions too. Especially Islam. If you v balls, try to dissect the Quran. In fact, Google Quran, error in Islam practice n see if you ll barely escape lynching!
You this coward & a baby atheist just running your shallow mind after Christianity.
And Seun & his minions ll be glad to v this shitty topic on the fp.
I spit on Nairaland

1. Jesus (AS) is certainly not the ONLY way to God. There were others before and after him. Before him there were Noah (AS), Abraham (AS), and Moses (AS, and after him was Muhammad (SAW). Inbetween these messengers were numerous prophets. They ALL brought and preached SAME message.

2. No comment.

3. This is a complex issue. God indeed answers prayer in His own way. His knowledge is endless and therefore Is allknowing. The limited knowledge of man can mean that sometimes his prayer can be asnwered without him knowing.

As for sickness, it is God Who created sickness and it is He who cures His servants of their illness. However, for one to be cured he must take his medications. God relates to human in a manner they comprehend.

4. The best of people, the strongest in faith are the ones with greatest trials and tribulations. The life of this world is all about trials, he who passes the trials is saved while he who fails is doomed. There is no sense in trying someone who has already failed, the disbelievers have alraedy failed so no need to try them. Those who proclaim faith by their tongues will surely be tested by many trials and tribulations.

WebSurfer:

The God you created

Ok wish you the best

pressplay411:


Psalm 51:5 expounds this. Even little children practice evil. I don't know if you've taken your time to observe little kids lately.

Meaning we're born with a sinful nature due to the sin of Adam and Eve. But thanks to Christ, we are reborn into God's nature which is the Divine nature. Romans 5:12-21, Romans 3:23-24

"Psalm 51:5 expounds this. Even little children "

Little Christian children, keep that madness to Christians pls.

""Meaning we're born with a sinful nature due to the sin of Adam and Eve.""

Adam and eve are ur parents that gave u ur sinful nature. Leave others outta ya madness

midnighter:


Okay, everybody has the capacity to commit evil acts. Better?

More like its possible for someone to commit evil, not everybody.

Religion is very problematic. No Religion is perfect, some are just more refined than the next.

No one can give you the perfect answer to religion or spirituality as we are all in the same journey of blind men trying hard to see past what we can access. I do believe there is God, I love believing that, it gives me peace and hope. I do not believe in the superiority of any religion for I believe what the hands of man has touched can not be free of bias and untruth.

It is our duty as human beings to continuously seek for progress, justice and ethics.

MJBOLT:

gradually people will wake up and realise religion is a scam and there is no god anywhere.

Sadly this is the first comment and I wondered how it got many likes.

Bro, well the concept of God is well explained in Islam and how things work in life and the principles that guides them.

I hope you'll retrace that being an atheist isn't the solution to all the above.

midnighter:


Okay, everybody has the capacity to commit evil acts. Better?

you deliberately ignored our conversation... Lol

The day u need God u will believe.

Your problem is just that u don't have enough problem in life to keep u busy.
You are too healthy and can feed.

WebSurfer:

The God you created

If God doesn't exist , I will be necessary to invent one .

- Voltaire

englishmart:
1.Jesus is the only way to God, John 14:6
This invariably means those who don't believe in Jesus have no business in heaven.
Christians worldwide have an estimated population of 2.4billion people
Islam records an estimate of 1.9 billion adherents, Hindu has an estimated 1.1bn adherents. The remaining world's population have their own beliefs which includes atheism.
If Jesus is the only way to God, what happens to those who don't believe in him? Hell? Well, the Bible suggests so.

2. There are a lot of complications and contradictory remarks in the Bible- a verse says don't drink, another says "Drink for your stomach sake", or "Do not drink wherein excess."
Malachi 3:10 a famous Bible verse on tithing speaks about bringing your tithe to the storehouse (church, maybe)
Deuteronomy 14:22-26 says otherwise, it says "you should drink and be merry with your tithe". I'm seriously beginning to doubt the credibility of the Bible. Maybe the translators' fault or God told writers different stories on the same issue. Read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John's account of Jesus and see real contradictions.

3. Does God answer prayers? Well, I'm not really sure about that. Someone might be suffering from malaria, the person takes drugs and still prays, the drugs work, but the person thanks God. Or a successful surgical operation, instead of thanking the doctor, they thank God. Some illnesses that would have been treated led to deaths because a certain congregation who were supposed to take the ill persons to the hospital, circled around praying. Faith without work isn't it still dead?
I remember when I had stomach ulcer, it was really terrible, I prayed and made several promises to God that if He took away the ulcer, I'd drink no more alcohol and will be more devout in worshipping Him. That didn't solve anything though, I stopped drinking and took to taking my drugs more seriously. Weeks later, I was well. I returned to drinking and after a few months, the ulcer resurfaced. That was when I realized I really needed to quit drinking. Prayers wouldn't have solved that issue.
I spent 80% of 2019 at home because of my misgivings about God's existence.
I really wish I could be convinced about God's existence because I'm not even happy to be away from Church because of the views of friends and family.

4. Children of God, or so called children of God tend to suffer more tribulations, hard times and desperate moments, a lot of them scream "Vanity upon Vanity" when secular people live in luxury or spend extravagantly. God tends to turn his back on those who worship Him especially when they need Him most.
The 1933 Holocaust and mass murder of Jews to the tone of 6m was a clear indication that God turns His eyes against His people
Repulsive comments are highly welcome

my brother, there is no issue in this ur issue. All d things bordering u have logical answer from the Bible. Let me awe u, there is no single contradiction in the Bible. Inaccurate or outdated translation sometimes make it look like there is.
I am a seeker of truth. I have come to understand many things to the extent I can tell u, I can give logical answers to ur 4points, and ofcourse from the Bible. If u are interested, please notify here. From tomorrow, that's if u will adjust ur stance and see that finding out about God isn't joblessness, we will take it one point per day. And I will tell u I will never give u the lazy pretext of u having to first be baptise with the holy spirit before u understand God and is ways. Because the Bible make us know that he is really close to us

This world amaze me that a watch could exist without a watch maker ..

Everything is an illusion..., Athiest, Christians, freelancers
When you see that; the whole world will be transient

Acehart:


You didn’t answer the part of ‘what your value in the universe is?’ Let me tell you what your value is: on your street, you are a nobody; on your job, you are tool; in your country, you are nameless; in your family, your value isn’t worth much; amongst your friends, when life turns on you, you don’t exist.

that's why yu shd start using your brain to make something of urself instead of screaming ''amen'' in churches for those same things, which you'll later call vanity and not worth getting, and also giving your hard earned money(vanity) to ur pastors

Timisamd:
This world amaze me that a watch could exist without a watch maker ..

and the watch maker without a creator, without a creator, without a creator...
If yu can believe ur creator originated from nothing, den why is it so hard for you to believe the big bang and evolution theories

PrecisionFx:





"Psalm 51:5 expounds this. Even little children "

Little Christian children, keep that madness to Christians pls.

""Meaning we're born with a sinful nature due to the sin of Adam and Eve.""

Adam and eve are ur parents that gave u ur sinful nature. Leave others outta ya madness

Ok i get your point.
Let me rephrase then, our ancestors passed it down to us.

Acehart:
Mark 9:7 Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is My beloved Son, listen to (only) Him!"

This is one of the most important verses in the Christian scriptures. The Father expressly told the apostles not to pay attention to the words of Moses or that Elijah. If you have read the Holy Bible up to this point, your natural reaction will be to “delete” every word of Moses and the sections concerning Elijah in your Bible. Moses himself had stated that a greater prophet than him will come whom the people should listen to. Every contradiction that you think exists in the Bible exists when you juxtapose what men said with what God Himself said. Today, we lay a lot of emphasis on Moses’ words and actions that we face a lot of spiritual anxiety. Instead of vilifying Elijah’s bloodletting, we glorify his heinous act.

Does God exist? Checkout your fingerprint login on your phone; no one in this world of over 4 billion people can have access to your phone except you - that is some excellent design there if you would think about it.

The God of Heaven is a sovereign God; He does as He wishes and because He is excellent, He does all things well and knows all things well. Prayer is not a “genie-effect”. If someone who is mightier than you and knows more than you is before you; and you could make a request before such a one, your words will be with exquisite submission. But you have not recognized the true God’s character.

Finally, I’d like to ask: what is your value in the universe?

with all this your explanation I'm now completely convinced that God doesn't exist

midnighter:


Okay, everybody has the capacity to commit evil acts. Better?

honey, i understand your viewpoint on d issue of atheism and i totally reason with you. However, u must come 2 accept the fact dat not everybody would agree with u as its a free world.And religion is personal thing.