₦airaland Forum

jackbauersballs: What is the Point of Danny Welbeck?

All he ever seems to do is run about and make a nuisance of himself. He doesn't score. He doesn't assist. All he does is pass to Rooney/Gerrard. Is he a Striker or an Out-of-position DM?

You were saying...?

That was a very sweet through ball from Cleverley.

[quote author=Mr_TA]Anyone know what happened to nick Powell? [/quote]Currently recovering from an injury. Back injury, I think. Had an operation earlier in the summer.

The way this Elampiro misspells the names of players is criminal.

Today is Sunday. Will the mod kindly recommend this Christian topic for the home page? Thank you!

https://www.nairaland.com/1379535/bible-really-against-homosexuality-rabbis

Valencia and his stupid penchant for smashing his crosses against the opponent nowadays!

dademola: zaha cld calm down jare!! Y is he "over-doing things"?? Trying to impress or wat??

oga, leave am. No so CR7 sef start. I believe he should be given the freedom to express himself.

dayokanu: Which Janujanu is Man Of the match?

You no see Sevilla rapping you all here?

3-1 already while you keep giving one Janujaku MOTM

He's BT's MOTM.

Adan Januzaj - Man of the match. Rightly deserved.

Januzaj is one hell of a player. Zaha has been very bright too since he came in. Finally some spark in our play.

Eurosport live commentary: "Januzaj has been one of the few highlights for United."

elampiro: He wasn't so good in the 1st half, although he wasn't poor either.

Well, the entire team was poor in the first half. The few chances we had, Januzaj had a hand in them.

elampiro: Fabio was our best 1st half.

Januzaj has been very good as well. If you ask me, I think that boy should be a regular starter for United already.

Cleverly substituted. I guess it's fair to say that Anderson-Cleverley 2 man midfield finally failed today. And woefully too.

The way Sevilla keep slicing through that midfield is amazing. That second goal in particular - WOW!

Evil Brain: What I've found is that when you have a good reputation and people like you, they are more tolerant of your atheism. It also helps if there are enough devoutly religious people around acting like complete åsshöles.

From personal experience, I'll say this is absolutely, 100% correct.

The truth is, religion is dying. Its rigidity and stance on certain contemporary issues such as homosexuality is making people have a rethink. In order for religion to survive, it will have to evolve. We're seeing this with Christianity already with the recent statements made by Pope Francis and Desmond Tutu. Islamic violence is also forcing a lot of rational Muslims to think twice about their so-called religion of peace. Just a few days ago, I had a chat with my Iranian flat mate who happens to be an atheist. He considers Islam to be nonsense. He also talked about how many of his friends and many other young people in Iran are ditching Islam by the day. He said I should forget about the fact that his country is officially called "The Islamic Republic of Iran", that the reality is more and more people are becoming atheists, although many still remain in the closet for fear of being "fatwa'd". Even clergy men are beginning to denounce religion.

A new study recently predicted that religion will disappear by 2041. Personally, I think it will take much longer. But the signs are already there. We are already witnessing the decline of religion.

orgasticdance: Read the article. It's infinitely harder if you're a nigerian living in nigeria; case in point at my last job (a popular naija bank) when i was filling my employee form there were only two fields for religion; islam and christianity; fear no make me put atheist. But i eventually opened up to a few colleagues at work. And the world did not end. i opened up to family folks, the world still didnt end, In fact one of my super cool cousins also came out as well after i did. Made me happy that i had a comrade in the family circle. I only have one friend who is openly atheist (my cousin, lol) and would encourage more people to come out. I won't mind a naija atheist group at all, beyond the very useful e-one we have here in nairaland.

There's one on Facebook: https://www./223797527734651/

mazaje: Some Nigerians are now beginning to think ohh. . .Many are travelling out to europe where religion has been thrown out of the window, many can not just reconcile the religious claims and positions they hold and the reality they see on ground. . .People are now asking questions. . .But its still a very very very long way to go. . .I just tell people i don't believe in miracles, most time I get a negative answer, like you are doubting god or you are siding with the evil one, bla bla bla. .But a few people say things like I don't even know what to believe any more. . .Its encouraging that few people are beginning to reason and not think like drones. . .

You're right. I've observed that there is a growing openness towards non-religiousity by many Nigerians where I live and in other parts of Europe as well. I believe that the situation is helped by the fact that mine is a predominantly atheist country where everything also seems to work. Many Nigerians here are unable to understand how such an "ungodly" nation can be so advanced and efficient in virtually everything. The reality on ground does not conform to their beliefs, so they tend to subconsciously adjust their own position over time. Furthermore, coming in contact with atheists all the time completely dispels the whole stereotype they've always held about non-believers being evil, immoral and all that. Where I live, the people are particularly known for their extreme honesty. This creates some sort of cognitive dissonance for the Nigerians here -- how can unbelievers be so honest and so kind? This is the only society I know where if you lose something valuable in a public place, you're more than likely to get it back. I've recently become very open (when asked of course) to other Nigerians about my unbelief, and contrary to my expectations, many just shrug. At worst, they'll simply say "bro, forget o, God dey!"

I have also observed the change in attitude of the Nigerians that arrived here recently towards religion. I recall how many of them would constantly invoke God in every discussion when they first arrived. But after one, two years, it's very interesting to observe that their level of religiousity has declined. In fact, many of them now ask questions that surprise me myself. Of course, the religiosity as a whole is extremely hard to shake off completely, and many of them are still very much theistic. But there's a lot of encouragement still.

We don't investigate ANYTHING in Nigeria because we've been conditioned from birth to "leave everything to God" and "let God be the judge".

This article sums it all up accurately: https://www.nairaland.com/1389472/nigeria-one-nation-under-god#17302744

Nigeria is a complex mesh of ethnicity, language, and religion, with much diversity and mixing amongst its people. Broadly speaking though, according to the CIA World Factbook, Nigeria’s religious make-up is 50 per cent Muslim, 40 per cent Christian, and 10 per cent indigenous beliefs, such as the Yoruba religion. Non-belief doesn’t even figure in the statistics. Islam is predominant in the twelve northern states, to the extent that they are all under partial or full Sharia law, where blasphemy can be punished by execution. The central and southern regions can be thought of – with many caveats – as majority Christian.

The prevalence of religion in Nigeria has only entrenched it as an unquestionable absolute – a law of nature as real as the second law of thermodynamics – such that even the most intelligent Nigerians often fail to identify the causes of Nigeria’s problems, and instead believe that the supernatural is their cause and solution. As Lola puts it, “Rationality is not allowed to supersede belief.” This invariably creates an environment where democracy is sidelined and despotism can flourish. With the divine as the final judge, accountability is seen as pointless. And since various supernatural forces are held responsible for problems, politicians can often get away with no punishment. In fact, Lola tells me that when a politician is confronted with a particular problem the best response – the one which will be lauded most by the media – is that he will pray. Thanks to the central importance of religion in Nigeria and many other African countries, elites are freed of the necessary checks on power and are able to do whatever they wish. Perhaps the best example Clive and Lola can find of this attitude is under the rule of Nigeria’s dictator General Sani Abacha, when people simply said of his brutality, “God will deal with him.”

The catch-22 in Nigeria is that because religion prevents the state from properly functioning, it leads to a lack of effective institutions – most importantly a welfare state. Perversely, religion then fills this vacuum, thereby forcing millions of people into reliance on churches or mosques for their very survival – compounding the political breakdown through the social dominance of religion. Tithes and donations (normally around 10 per cent of income) effectively constitute taxes, and Christians in particular have turned this into a business where the top religious leaders can become billionaires. Indeed, Pastor E A Adeboye, founder of the Redeemed Christian Church of God – a Pentecostal church with branches across the world – is one of many top pastors in proud possession of a private jet.

Wider Nigerian culture reflects this overbearing focus on religion, with TV networks broadcasting hours of sermons and religious talk shows, and some universities requiring prayers at the beginning of lectures. In short, Nigeria is stuck. “There’s no progress,” says Clive. “All you see is more and more churches and mosques…all the effort and ingenuity of the people goes into religious activities. It’s holding us back.” Lola goes further: “In Nigeria religion is a force for evil.” She believes that if nothing changes soon, religious fundamentalism – in the form of the Islamist group Boko Haram – could cause a civil war. Then they speculate as to how many Nigerians have had great ideas but no way of realizing them due to the amount of time and space religion takes up in their lives. “If Einstein was born in Nigeria. . .” Lola says, “. . .he’d be a pastor!” finishes Clive.

The above is an extract. Read full article here: http://www.newstatesman.com/religion/2013/08/it-harder-come-out-atheist-if-youre-black

Dear mods, is it possible that this thread makes the front page?

https://www.nairaland.com/1379535/bible-really-against-homosexuality-rabbis

Thanks!

Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Pope Francis recently spoke out against homophobia. As expected, there has been substantial outcry from several quarters. Many Christians (and Muslims) are naturally disappointed, as the defiant stance of these men appear to contravene the laws of their sacred texts. But are these clergymen wrong in any way? Let's find out from this Rabbi.

The Problem of Homophobia in Leviticus, and How Genesis Solves It
By Rabbi Michael Rothbaum (Rabbi/educator, Beth Chaim Congregation, Danville, Calif.)


Now that the U.S. Supreme Court recognizes state-sanctioned same-sex marriages, the remaining voices opposing marriage equality -- or at least the loudest ones -- are primarily religious.

Conservatives insist on "biblical marriage." Progressives, for their part, smugly reject the authority of "ancient texts." Sides are chosen. Battle lines are drawn. Less listening. More shouting.

But what if both sides were wrong? What if the supposed biblical prohibition of gay sex were in reality an affirmation of honest and loving sexual relationships?

No Extra Words

The text most often quoted by in defense of biblical homophobia is Leviticus 18:22. In Hebrew, it reads, "V'et-zachar lo tishkav mish'k'vei ishah." It is usually translated as, "Do not lie with a male as you would lie with women," an apparent universal condemnation of sex between men.

The words "et-zachar lo tishkav" clearly mean "don't lie with a male" or "don't bed a male." In a chapter that's seemingly addressed to men, that directive would make perfect sense all by itself. But Jewish tradition, best expressed by Talmudic sage Rabbi Akiva, teaches that there are no superfluous words in Torah. Why, then, would the Torah add the peculiar phrase "mish'k'vei ishah"?

That "mish'k'vei ishah" means "as you would lie with women" is far from obvious. The word "mish'k'vei" itself appears only three times in all of scripture: in the two supposed prohibitions of gay sex in Leviticus, and at the end of the book of Genesis.

Whose Bed Is Whose?

The scene is Jacob's deathbed. As the patriarch prepares to die, Jacob gathers his sons around him to tell them what will happen in the days after his death. First-born son Reuben, perhaps expecting a blessing from his father, is nevertheless condemned by Jacob with the charge of "instability." And then Jacob directly scolds his son, "Alita mish'k'vei avicha!" reads Genesis 49:4. "You ascended your father's beds!"

What's all this about beds? It seems that back in Genesis 35, "Reuben went and lay with Bilchah, his father's concubine." In addition to being wed to sisters Leah and Rachel, Jacob has sexual access to two concubines: Bilchah and Zilpah.

In context, then, Jacob's condemnation is not literal. Jacob is not angry that Reuben was physically in his bed; he is angry about the sexual relationship that Reuben had there. Bilchah, as Jacob's concubine, is permitted to be with Jacob. Reuben violated that boundary. Read this way, the term "mish'k'vei avicha" -- the "beds of your father" -- is a metaphor for Jacob's sexual domain. Reuben is in trouble because he violated his father's sexual space.

How Genesis Solves Leviticus

Jewish tradition teaches that when Torah uses a similar phrase in two places, there's a connection, such that information about one case may be applied to the other. It's called a "gezera shava." Taking the meaning from Genesis and applying it to Leviticus 18:22, the result is this translation: "Don't bed a male in the bed of a woman," or perhaps, "Don't bed a male in the sexual domain of a woman."

This is not a text prohibiting homosexuality. It is a text about respecting our relationships.

Recall the earlier incident in Genesis. Jacob has just lost his Rachel, his beloved. Torah tells us that Jacob, having just set the monument upon her grave, immediately hears the mortifying news that Reuben has slept with his concubine.

How do we begin to understand Reuben's behavior? Perhaps Reuben feels his own pain and humiliation. It has been suggested that Jacob, following the death of favored wife Rachel, established his primary sleeping space with Bilchah, rather than with Reuben's mother Leah. Reuben's father chooses not Leah but a concubine. Given such a scenario, it's not hard to imagine Reuben "acting out."

What, then, was the sex act about? Who was it about? Probably not Bilchah, who is object, not subject, in this text. Was it Reuben's intention to "despoil" Bilchah so that Jacob could no longer have relations with her and would have to sleep with Leah? Was it to exact revenge against his father? Control? Dominance? To cast guilt, doubt, shame over all the sexual relations of his father? Over all the "mish'k'vei avicha," "the beds of his father"?

This sex act, then, was not a loving act. It was an act of anger and vengeance. These are both possible reasons to have sex. And they're both the wrong reasons to have sex.

Seen in this light, the condemnation we read in Leviticus seems to shift.

"V'et-zachar lo tishkav mish'k'vei ishah." "Don't bed a male in the sexual space of a woman." Who is this woman? A wife of one of the men involved? A woman who expects integrity and honesty in her marriage but is betrayed? And who are the men? Men who long for a full relationship with each other but are denied such by society and must resort to deceit, tortured by guilt and self-loathing? Men who have sex with women not as an act of love but as a grueling burden? Men who bring that torment upon all the "mish'k'vei ishah," "the beds of women"?

It is an abomination to bring this shame and guilt upon a marital bed. And, all the more so, it is an abomination for any state to demand us to do so.

What Leviticus Is Trying to Teach Us

The Bible is a wild, sprawling document, but to me it has one unifying theme: There's a Power hidden in all that happens in the world, and that Power is concerned with holiness and justice. Readers from Moses to Martin have found a text that demands an accounting on behalf of the immigrant, the worker, the widow -- a revolutionary worldview that our present moment demands perhaps more than ever.

Just as the Bible demands that we being justice to our marketplaces and workspaces, chapter 18 of Leviticus asks us to take the revolutionary step of seeing our bed-space as holy space -- to see sex not as merely a mechanical, procreative act but as a conduit to the Divine.

Ultimately, Leviticus invites us to be open and honest with ourselves and our partners, to reject deception, to come out of hiding, and to create relationships that are loving, honest, and sacred.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rabbi-michael-rothbaum/the-problem-of-homophobia-in-leviticus_b_3563972.html

Uyi Iredia: I have since come to the conclusion that, by virtue of their humanity all men have their conception of God which they worship. If it is shown baseless they either stubbornly keep to it, adopt another conception, or discard the notion of God. The statement attributed to the great bishop in this thread cements my stance.

Finally, we agree on something. Absolutely spot on!

elampiro: Who can explain this stuff of giving Gareth Bale in return? Madrid will be insane to buy Bale at 150m euro.

SailorXY: Both Levy & Madrid are disgusting, very arrogant pups

The article is satire. Football humour, jokes, sarcasm, etc. You get the point.

SailorXY: Besides, do you have a .gif of his free kick?

[flash=600,450]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ggvkTi8q9Y[/flash]

SailorXY: Can anyone post .gif of Zaha's goal or the other youngsters (Welbeck include lol)

Zaha skill

https://i.minus.com/iZSjYQ4fgIVUZ.gif

Adnan turn and pass

https://i.minus.com/iszZVB6u9tUBC.gif

Welbeck dummy/Lingard goal

https://i.minus.com/iQbasWTRXi6Hg.gif