₦airaland Forum

rationalmind: one only needs to listen to gordons to know what ministry means in the context in which it was used

Please do excuse my ignorance.. Who is gordons?

rationalmind: welcome on board brother. Good to know the ministry is really moving

Thanks bro... And its not a ministry (before they think we are sort of a religious gathering)

plaetton: Bros,
I do a lot of introspection, and ask myself that same question everyday.
Am I a bigot, an opinionated hater?

When abroad, I lived with, schooled with, worked and befriended people from every corner of the Earth, with different histories, different cultures and different religions.
At no time, did the beliefs or religions of the people I came into contact with ever become a contentious issue. It never ever mattered and was hardly ever discussed. Religion was only sparingly discussed when my ever curious self would ask people questions about their religion for the purpose of learning.

In an ideal society, the religion of your friend or neighbor should never be a problem or concern to you.

However, when I cam back to Nigeria, I was shell-shocked at the level of havoc religion was causing in Nigeria.
I felt( and I am not kidding) as if there had been some kind of mass surgery where critical portions of the brain had been removed, mass lobotomy of sorts.
Even my grandparents and great grand parents did not match the level of superstition that had engulfed the whole land.

At that time, big churches had taken over closed factories and warehouses, and everyone was shouting Halleluyah!.
As someone who had very solid understanding of the principles of economics, I thought everyone, including the leadership , had gone crazy. Where will the prosperity being preached come from?

I said to myself and everyone else cared to listen that Nigeria was in deep deep trouble.
With minds actively involved with the "New magical thinking" in the form of pentecostal revival, the future looked terribly bleak .
I was in my late twenties and this was about 15 years ago.

So, bros, I have predicted, cried and mourned my beloved country as I have sat and watched the wide scale destruction of our national IQ, the widescale descent of reason, the dearth of intelligence and the epidemic of s.t.u.p.idity turn a once promising people into unthinking zombies.

How can anyone ignore religion in Nigeria, especially when a new breed of scoundrels and parasites advertise our gross national lunacy on television every single hour?

I truly wish I can ignore my neighbors turning their houses from one night fellowships to daily fellowships, and finally into full blown churches?
How can I ignore every shade of clowns walking into my office on a busy weekday to preach the word of a god that just conveniently happens to be invisible?

How can I ignore religion while when people meet me, instead asking sensible things about me, they first ask "which Church do you belong to?" .
I beg your pardon sir?
I don't belong, I am a free man.

How can I ignore the irrationality of religion religion when business associates insist on prayer before a business deal is consumated?

Sometimes it takes a trip abroad just to assure me that I am not the insane one.

Do you want to talk about Boko-Haram and their holy blood lusts?

Anyone who is not religious cannot simply look aside and let things be.

I often ask myself whether I am fighting people because of their religious beliefs, or because of the irrationality that they bring to bear on everyone who interacts with them.

I, and I can speak for most Nl atheists fight the irrationality and what it portends for the future if left unchallenged.

Word, bro, word.. Am exactly on the same boat with you.. The irrationality (coined) and havoc religion is causing in these climes is mindblowing.

Hi.. Am mayo and I just joined nairaland after months of 'kashimawoing'. Am an atheist and am glad am one. What many 'religious' folks fail to notice is that most Nigerian atheist were once religious and can quote the Bible/Koran (capitalised cos even if I don't recognise a god, I respect ppls beliefs) off hand.. There is nothing a Christian/Moslem can say that would convince me otherwise. god either never existed or if he did, is dead..


My first of many posts on Nairaland... #yippeee