₦airaland Forum

One4me:
Are you aware of the new amendment CLAUSE in the CAMA that says that a Minister can remove the Trustee of a Church (for example) and replace it with anyone he choses, based on a pettition from someone,all by himself (the Minister)?
Would you want a Christian Minister to wield such Power over your Mosque or would you want an Islamic Minister to wield such Power over your church, without a fair hearing in a Court of law?

Always READ something and be sure you UNDERSTAND it properly, before you jump into support.
Most of you supporting this new amandments in the CAMA, have not read nor actually understand what it is saying, apart from the financial reporting aspect of it

Have you asked yourself the reqson for the new amendment?

@Afromentalist

I have been following the thread and I'm afraid that dismissing or not wanting to dwell on the salutary effects which prayer has on the human mind , especially when you have not provided any explanation why those subjective experiences occur, would make those who see prayer as a safe and valid means to petition a God reject most, if not all, the arguments you have made.

Subjective experiences gotten from praying is what gives those who pray insane confidence that they can take a bullet or walk on water ..I know this as former believer

If a believer is ill and prays for healing and immediately starts to feel good due to the placebo like effect of this exercise, he believes or is sure that God has answered him and that this same God would respond at any other time or circumstances.


True believers are not interested in the truth. They're only interested in just about anything whether it makes sense or not which seems to confirm what they have been made to accept as the truth

So I think those placebo like effects which comes from prayer should not be downplayed because they form the major foundation for faith. If not i think some persons, a lot of them, might struggle to accept that faith and prayer are not mutually inclusive as you already can see from some of the responses to the op
This what I think..

Kobojunkie:
I you had paid more attention, you would have noticed my earlier response. I said my answers would be "Ok" acknowledging I heard what was told me.

Sorry then, I thought it was to book space.

My reaction would be the same as yours. Would not say anything.

Kobojunkie:
No view is absolutely wrong or right? Are you sure you know Jesus Christ? According to Him, His View is absolutely True and every other view is absolutely wrong. Remember, He said, " I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE...".

Also, find time to read Gospel of Johj chapters 14, 15 and 16 to learn what Jesus Christ said about communication to exist between us and His person when He is home from the Earth.

Then tell me what about my view you think will change with Time.

I have been following this and almost everyone has answered how they would react to the question raised by the op but for you , sorry to say this , it seems you are more interested what you usually like to do. That is to derail the thread.

A simple question has been asked .

How would you react to the situation raised by the op?

Please let's learn from you. I know you have a bright mind

It isn't easy to live your life as a non religious person in a country like Nigeria where we have a lot of religious fanatics.

Some of them cannot tolerate you and would do anything to get back at you if you dare criticize what they believe in.

But then, we also have others who would not behalf like that man in the op's..

So it is wrong I think to generalize with one unfortunate incident . At least the young man inspite of his initial stupidity, still did everything to help.

Then why going ahead to arrest him? Why not end it with a sack?


Sometimes the fault we are so quick to find in others is what we're equally quilty of . The op has also shown intolerance.

The worker is not under any obligation to help her out of that hole .The same way the op is not under any either to respect the religious beliefs of the worker

I am not in any supporting the behavior of the man,as I have already described him as stupid, but to highlight the fact that the op seem to be encouraging risky behavior towards religious fanatics who would not waste any occasion to kill you if they can get away with it

Who knows what would have happened if the worker was " another kind of fanatic" . I am sure the young lady inside that hole would have been forced to say her final prayer when she sees a mighty stone about to drop on her head
. Yes that can happen.and it has happened before maybe not the same circumstances.

Common sense is the way to go at this moment in our country This is not Europe or America where you are protected. This is Nigeria and like they say, if you live in a society where nearly everyone is a thief or where it is legal or normal to steal to survive or earn a living and you don't steal or support those who do, you're better off looking for another place to migrate to if not you can barely survive in that society where stealing is normal.

Proper education,( not force, mockery or insults,) for the masses which the leaders in this country are not interested in providing, is the only thing that can emancipate the minds of our people and make them less gullible to religious manipulation

milkywaves:
I have onced been a victim of voodoo/spiritual attack which was as a result of significant progress i made at that time.

Like you said "I need to learn how the higher self operate so that I can completely rely on it." That's what am trying to achieve with @dmentalist methods, I believe there are other deeper excercises which I will be open to bc these negative energies abound and can be used on someone any time even ones colleagues/employees can evoke and use them.

As for the excercises am currently practicing, the one @ dmentalist, I am experiencing an energy build up on my chest region, I remember I feel this way when I have been deep thinking consistently for a long time. Am thinking is associated with this practice.
What do you think?

Thanks bro for helping.

How are you certain that you were attacked in the past because of the significant progress you achieved?

Voodoo attack is not a consequence of spiritual practices. Most people believe this but it is not true. However there are certain occult practices you can dabble in which exposes you to certain experiences that you may not be able to handle on your own.

Just focus on what you do and don't bother yourself with voodoo or witchcraft attack and you will rise above those things.

The power which they have over you is simply in believe .

Try to remove fear from your life and know that no harm can come to you from those areas without you allowing it to happen.

You allow it happen when you don't believe in yourself. So believe in yourself and focus on practices that will help you uncover the truth of who you truly are.

As for what you're experiencing in your chest region, I suggest you reach out to Afromentalist.

He created the exercise and I think he has enough experience working with others to advice or tell you what it means.

milkywaves:
Thanks bro,
It then means that when my higher self is awakened the protection will follow?

You know, my instinct tells me that there are genuine people here i can trust and make use of their experiences and guidance as a literature review, that's if they are willing to assist.

It is not that when your higher self is awakened, then you become protected.

Your higher self which is actually your true self is already protecting you and will continue to do so.

But you need to learn how it operates so that you can rely completely on it instead of an external entity.That to me is the goal here on this thread

Have you asked yourself what has been protecting you before now from those so called powerful voodoo men even when you don't engage in any spiritual practice or belong to those esoteric groups you already mentioned?

Please reflect deeply on the above question and the answer will definitely come to you.

milkywaves:
Hello Guys!!

It's really been an interesting journey so far, especially bc am beginning to ask questions, seek for answers by researching and meeting people of like minds.
The ultimate goal is to be an elightened fellow, of course this will take years of practice and experience.

I want to ask please to those that know and have the experience, how does one protect itself from one's enemies that uses charms, fetishises, spiritual attacks, etc.?

U know here in Nigeria, whenever you start making obvious progress it attracts those things I mentioned above, no wonder at that point you want to join Organisations like AMORC, Grail Message, Eckankar, etc, bc of their powerful egregores that protects their members from those attacks.

I know there are people here who are members of these organisations or have been a member before.

Please what's your advise?

I, as a student is ready please let the master appear...

The protection you seek is within you and not outside of you.

Placing your trust in an egregore for protection. can be helpful but there is always a price to pay;. your higher self is automatically relegated to the background and you become a slave to something which exist outside of yourself

The choice is yours which option you want to choose. Egregore or your higher self?

The op has presented his own method by which you can awaken the God in you and if you try it and doesn't work , don't give up


Continue to search elsewhere until you find the one that works.

shadeyinka:
It seems you do not regard scriptural reference as adequate. And that EVIDENCE is your final authority in deciding truth from fiction. No problem!

Unfortunately because of this there is no experience of mine that will be useful to you because I can't reproduce them (they are subjective in nature). Is there an objective way you can convince me that you played golf with Donald Trump in your dream?

And this leaves you as the only one who could use evidence to unravel what is truth and that can be determined by a few questions to you.


1. Who really are you?
Are you really your physical body or the consciousness that lives inside your body?
2. How are you certain that at death your consciousness will be completely annihilated?

The issue has not nothing to do with supportive scriptural references but whether what you are talking about has any basis in reality or if there can be any other independent confirmation of humans having a soul and spirit that transcend death.

I am sure you know that there are some group of christhians who do not agree with all you have been saying and would even quote the same Bible to dispute you.

If you think you have had an experience which confirms your theory why not share it. You might be surprised that there are others who have had the same experience but do not know what to make of it.

Subjective to me, doesn't mean not true. If everyone else has also experience what you have experienced, then it is no longer subjective. But when you are the only one who have experienced it, then what can we make of it ?

If your experiences are true, it is possible that others may have experienced the same thing too but may not know or understand what it represents.

Let me be honest with you. I agree to some extent with you some of the things you have said but what I disagree with is your explanation of the difference between soul and Spirit. You don't sound like someone who has had any experience about what you're describing .

It is for this reason I want to know if you have experienced yourself as soul or spirit. You description does not agree with those who have done so.

shadeyinka:
Only a dead person lives independently of his body.

1Ths 5:23:
"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

But then who really are you?
Are you really your body or the thing that lives inside your body?

If it is only dead people that can live independently of their body, how are you certain that at death you will be separated from your body?

Or have you experience death before?

Any other experience you have had to prove your soul --- spirit theory would be welcomed..
Thanks

@shadeyinka

How were you able to confirm that you have a soul and a spirit?

Have you at anytime lived independently of your physical body before?

What I have observed from my association with persons who say Christianity is not a religion is that most of them are religious fundamentalists living under the false assumption that their subjective experiences while practicing their faith are evidences enough to justify that what they believe in is true.

And so, apart from now thinking that they have a special or direct relationship with Jesus, they see others who have not had the same experience they have had as practicing a religion.

Honestly, people who think this way are already experiencing a delusion without knowing it. You can sometimes see this from their irrational behavior .

At this point, there is nothing you will say that they will listen to unless it agrees with the "Truth" their subjective experiences has made them to accept.

Christianity is a religion nothing can change this fact

Ogonimilitant:
It will be nice if this Covid-19 choose politicians and their families
for cleansing. They are the ones keeping the common Nigerian in this mess

Stop thinking this way. The virus knows no boundary . It can affect anyone.

The reason most of you think it can only affect prominent people is because the media has been reporting what is happening to them or they the victims are doing so.

If you happen to contact the virus would you announce it on your Facebook page?

Congrats for the new born baby

cihofo:
What gap does God fill that highlights his presence?

Happiness?
There' millions of people who don't believe in a god but are happy

Love?
There are millions who feel love without any god

Purpose?
There are millions that have found purpose in their life in the absence of any god

What gap does God fill?

And if he doesn't fill any, then how is he needed

I am no longer affiliated to any religious group or concern with what they believe in. But I know from past experience and those of others too, that the believe in a God or gods certainly fills certain need in the life of true believers or deeply religious people.

Your level of involvement and the value placed in an activity, is what can actually bring happiness or love and not the activity itself .

So it doesn't matter whether God exist or not . What matters is what you're doing while believing in a God or gods. This can result in fulfilment for the religious person.

Is it possible to engage in religious activities or practices without believing in a God or something?

Maximus69:
In most cases it's neighbours living next to us that will first notice the problems that we are facing.
That's why humans try to belong to one group or another just in case they want to share happy moments, problems and mostly unforseen occurrences like this.
Though the social media has been of help to many but not as effective as your close neighbours who are eyewitnesses of what you're saying.
That's why intellectuals who have traveled to so many places still hold onto Religion because it helps keep them closer to their neighbours who would have been strangers to them.
Presently i'm somehow helpless but i'm sure God will raise an helper for you my friend!

This is not the time to proselytize. That can come at another place and time.

Moreover, you're not under any compulsion to give. But if you want to,. money is not the only thing that can be given.

Beey:
Am not a medic so the little knowledge I have was not acquired in med school �.Yes you are right that antidepressants manage but don’t cure. I don’t know much about the science involved, but antidepressants manage the illness by boosting serotonin and dopamine, pretty much like insulin works for diabetics. My main aim was to explain to the person that depression is not just a problem for the poor, but an illness that can be suffered by the rich.

Ok. I get you.
But the real reason I am against antidepressants as cure is that when you stop taking them you go into a relapse.
Also the side effects which comes from taking those drugs can create further problems or damages to ones health.

There are alternative remedies for depression.

However, I understand that some people are prone to being depressed due to other underlining health issues .

So for those group of persons, they would need some form of medication to manage what makes them susceptible.

Beey:
Depression is actually caused by a hormonal imbalance in the brain where hormones like serotonin that affect the mood are low.Just like diabetics need insulin, depressed patients need antidepressants. Depression cannot just be wished away. It’s real.

This is not completely true. Science does not know the actual cause of depression. The reason it is difficult to treat with medication.

Antidepressants are band-aids you continue to depend on them without really getting cured. Even when you do get cured you're prone to having a relapse when you're faced with the same situation which caused it in the first instance.

The hormonal imbalance you talked about is the effect of something they did not reach you in medical school.

If you want to put out a fire you don't blow at the smoke.

petra1:
Demons are responsible for suicide and depression



I do cast them out of people

How do know those who are depressed and how do you determine they have been cured after Prayer?

What are the symptoms of depression?

FOLYKAZE:
Help dying souls

Just a token now. Please keep my identity to yourself

petra1:
ITS THE WORK OF DEMONS!!

How do you know it is demons?

Have you been depressed before?

Contrary to what most people think or say, depression is not real .

I have experienced it before and came out of it without any form of medication.

You experience depression when you continually think to yourself that the problem you're going through will not end or has no solution .

However, if during this period you can force yourself to think or look around , you will find that there are others who are also going through the same negative experience as you, but are able to manage it or have found a solution to that same problem you erroneously believe has no solution.

The man who just committed suicide,in my opinion had no valid reason for doing so . Millions if not billions went through the same situation and people have not been commiting suicide because of this.

But he should not be entirely blamed or called a weakling .I think he didn't know what to do or how to handled the situation .He did not reach out to anyone and nobody bothered to check on him.He has not found himself in this kind of situation before and he didn't know what to do.

Please try to reach out to your friends and families especially when you have not heard from any of them for an unusually long time.

A person who is experiencing depression usually withdraws to himself since he falsely believes through wrong thinking that nobody can solve his problem or there's no solution and may not want to bother anyone.

And finally, don't hide your problems or think nobody cares.You can never tell where the solution might come from.Suicide is not a solution to life challenges

So here is my reasons or story for leaving and not wanting to associate with any religious group or movement ever again.

But before I do so, I would like to share a parallel story which exactly described how I felt when I got exposed to the real truth about the religious group I was part of then.

My colleague in the office where I am currently working told me an interesting story of what happened two years ago when she took two of her sons to attend a father Christmas show that was put together by the management of the school her children are currently attending.

On the day of the event, they left home early enough and arrived at the school before the time fixed for the show to start. And as she and sons waited for things to get going, one of the boys excused himself to make use of the toilet.

On his way to the toilet, which was some walk from the hall they have been waiting, the boy's attention was suddenly drawn to some activity going on in one of the classrooms block. So he looked through the window and was shocked, confused and surprised to see one of his classroom teachers putting on the father Christmas costume. Not wanting the teacher to see him, he quickly moved away and continued to the toilet. After he was done, he went to meet with his mum and his other sibling.

The mother said she immediately noticed her child's mood has dramatically changed and she tried to find out what was the problem.
And when she asked "what's problem with you "
The child angrily blurted out " I don't want to see father Christmas again"

" Why" the mother asked in confusion.
Still angry, the boy replied " I saw my teacher wearing the father Christmas clothes .He is not from Australia."
At this point ,she said she then fully understood her son"s disappointment.

Before now, in order to build excitement for the kids ,the school management has been announcing that father Christmas is coming from Australia and asking them to tell their parents to pay the required fee to enable them visit him in his grotto and collect exciting gifts.

The children believed this story and each day would remind their mum to pay so they could attend.

Now they are attending but before they could see him one of the boy's just discovered the truth, father Christmas is not from Australia but thier classroom teacher.
He no longer wants to see him and he is no more interested in collecting any gifts.
Nothing the mum said could make him change his mind .

And so, just like this child who suddenly stumbled on the truth about father Christmas and decided not to partake in the show anymore and also not to collect any gift, I had also decided long ago not to ever associate with any religious group or related due to what I discovered about them.
What did I discovered?
I will modify and come back to complete my own story

kingxsamz:
Everyone has the ability to reason. When you grow older, you begin to ask certain questions, and when you aren't getting any reasonable answer to those questions, the whole thing begins to unravel.
What do you do when you realize you've been told a lie all your life?

What made you or how did you realize you have been fed with lies all along?
I don't intend to drag this further with you.I would respond to the op later with my own experience..

I believe the purpose of this thread is for non religious persons to share their deconvertion stories to enable others understand the actual reason or reasons they left.

I believe this would clear certain misconceptions some religious persons hold against those who have abandoned their Faith.

You know when someone is in the dark about something, the usual tendency is to come up with all sorts of illogical speculations to explain what they really don't understand.

For instance,a religious person would say the reason you started to question your belief was because you were possessed by the devil and quote a Bible verse to support this.

So tell us what led to you questioning your Faith.

Bacteriologist has already done that and I enjoyed reading his story.

I already promised mine but at the moment I have a seminar to attend in less than an hour's time .Will be back later with it

kingxsamz:
How was what possible?

You said something without explaining what led to it.

Is it possible for a religious person to suddenly start applying logic to everything without any reason for it?

Jman06:
When I started thinking critically about the fairytale in the bible, it dawned on me that they were all balderdash.

Like how am I supposed to worship a god that receives thanksgiving from some people after surviving a mishap in which others perished

What made you to start thinking?

kingxsamz:
The day I started applying logic to everything.
Something that religion is devoid of.

How was this possible?

Righteousness89:
When has sex become your Trophy?

Sex outside Marriage is Fornication! It is evil! It is Wrong! It's sin against GOD!
You don't justify or modify sin!

If sex is the paramount stuff in your life Ho and marry!

Be Fruitful and Multiply is GOD'S Blessings for Married Couples

May GOD Have Mercy on you!

You won't say you don't know the truth!

Garbage in garbage out.

You cannot answer a simple question but to rant emotionally.

How do you know I am not married?

This is how religious fanactics like you put unnecessary pressure on people ,especially young ladies who most times end up not getting married , to get married simply to have sex.And when they don't they either have spirit husbands or need deliverance from ancestral spirit.Not everyone will get married and that is a fact.

Moreover, an adult does not need anyone's approval or permission to have sex.

If your religion says otherwise ,I can understand and respect what you believe .But the reality is that normal people (adults) will have sex if they have a need for it.

Don't cry over this

alBHAGDADI:
When someone cannot hold an argument, they tend to make accusations against you. You are blind to the truth. I pray God saves you.

You have not before now responded to anything I have said.How come the argument ?

I said you're a potential rapist and the evidence is there in the op.Anyone who cannot see this, is as blind as you are.

You need the God saving more

alBHAGDADI:
I mentioned instances where despite dressed like a masquerade, some ladies still get raped. Demon possessed people don't need to see indecency before they rape. Also, note that some rape are ritual inclined. That should explain why babies are raped, even mad women. Asides that, mental disorder which is also demon possession causes a man to see himself as a pedophile only aroused by babies.

So, dress code is not the only reason for rape, but one of the reasons which must be addressed to avoid being a rape victim.

Dressing or dress code as you put it is not a reason for anyone to be raped.

There are lots of societies where women go almost naked and the men there don't even attempt to rape them.

If you go to some villages here in Nigeria you still find young ladies going about without little clothing on without anyone bothering how they dress or attempt to rape them. Why is this so?

It's your religious indoctrination that has blinded your from seeing that how a lady dress is not the problem.

I have gone through your op over and over again and all I can see is you presenting yourself as a potential rapist.
Yes. Go through the op and read you saying that a lady who mistakenly exposes her thighs can be raped by anyone and you are not exempt from it.

My friend you are sick and you need professional help

Righteousness89:
Irrespective of whoever does it! Be you a pastor, Doctor or whoever, it is sin!

When you see GOD U Ask Him your second question!

You have not even answered my first question.
You skipped it.

I am asking you again. When and how can those who cannot get married due to no fault of theirs have sex?

Is it not a sin if they don'tuse their God given "talents" ?
The Bible says be fruitful and multiply and you can only do this by having sex when you are ready as an adult.

So how can Christians obey this injunction if some of them may never get married?