₦airaland Forum

So bandits are agitating for what exactly by killing and abducting innocent citizens for ransome? Has this man ever condemned the FG show of force and brutality on IPOB and Yoruba nation agitators? Government should give amnesty to killer thieves that are scattered all over the country without coordination or leadership? Blindfolded bigot.

Thieves, kidnappers, ritualists, robbers, rapists, terrorists, fraudsters etc that are still in active service, you need to have a rethink and make a resolution to desist from evil this year. Don't wait till you are caught, killed, lynched, or jailed. Repent and start a new life in 2018. Because no matter how long, one day monkey will go to market and not return.

Ikt

These Arewa youths are obviously misguided. I don't know how agitation for Biafra affects them. Must Igbos leave the north because they want Biafra? I don't understand why some Nigerians reason like they are still in the stone age.

Biafra or no Biafra, we all still have a common identity- we are Africans (the black race). There are hundreds of thousands of Ghanians and other Africans in Lagos and all across Nigeria. Should we give them quit notice because they are not from our country? Are these northern youths becoming like the xenophobic South Africans?


I quite agree there is need for referendum so the Igbos can decide what they really want by the various groups agitating for Biafra and those who are opposed to it. But let's leave our envisioned commotion in Biafra Republic for them to sort out once the majority are bent on having their autonomy. Though these Arewa youths are trying hard to tell us they were misunderstood, but there is absolutely no need for ultimatum and incitement knowing how volatile their environment is if truly you are only advising Igbos or trying to help them achieve their Biafra. They need to withdraw that 'Igbo must go' notice in a fresh statement to be issued and signed as the former.

So if OPC and Afenifere groups start agitating for Odua Republic now, they will issue another eviction notice or if the Niger Deltans wants to become independent they will also evict them.

As a full blooded Yoruba man, I condemn the action of these misguided and insensitive youths. I believe in one Nigeria and also in freedom of expression and identity.

Lagos generated more IGR than 30 States combined in 2016
By Wale Odunsi

Economic Intelligence Magazine, Economic Confidential,​ ​has released its Annual States Viability Index (ASVI) which shows that fourteen States are insolvent as their Internally Generated Revenues (IGR) in 2016 were far below 10% of their Federation Account Allocations (FAA) in the same year.

The index​ proved that without the monthly disbursement from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), many states remain unviable, and cannot survive without the federally collected revenue.

The IGR are generated by states through Pay-As-You-Earn Tax (PAYE), Direct Assessment, Road Taxes and revenues from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA)s.

The report indicates that the IGR of Lagos State of N302bn is higher than that of 30 States put together excluding Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, Edo, Kwara and Delta States whose IGRs are very impressive at more than 30% each. The 30 other states merely generated a total of N258bn in 2016.

​It reveals that only Lagos and Ogun States generated more revenue than their allocations from the Federation Account by 169% and 127% respectively and no any other state has up to 100% of IGR to the federal largesse.

The IGR of the 36 states of the federation totalled N801.95 billion in 2016 as compared to N682.67 billion in 2015, an increase of N119.28 billion.

While the report provides discoveries to the effect that 14 states which have less than 10% IGR may not stay afloat outside the Federation Account Allocation due to socio-political crises including insurgency, militancy and herdsmen attacks, others lack foresight in revenue generation drive coupled with arm-chair governance.

The states that may not survive without the F​AA due to poor internal revenue generation include Borno which realized a meagre N2.6bn compared to a total of N73.8bn it received from the Federation Account Allocation (FAA) in 2016 representing about 4%.

Others are: Ebonyi with IGR of N2.3bn compared to FAA of N46.6bn representing 5%; Kebbi N3.1bn compared to FAA of N60.88bn representing 5.14%; Jigawa with N3.5bn compared to N68.52bn of FAA representing 5.15% and Yobe with IGR of N3.24nn compared to N53.93bn of FAA representing 6.0% within the period under review.

Other poor internal revenue earners are Gombe which generated N2.94bn compared to FAA of N46bn representing 6.26%; Ekiti N2.99bn compared to FAA of N47.56bn representing 6.28%; Katsina N5.54bn compared to FAA of N83bn representing 6.65% and Sokoto N4.54bn compared to FAA of N65.97bn representing 6.88%.

Lagos State remained steadfast in its number one position in IGR with a total revenue generation of N302bn compared to FAA of N178bn which translate to 169% in the twelve months of 2016. It is followed by Ogun State which generated IGR of N72.98bn compared to FAA of N57bn representing 127%.

Others with impressive IGR include Rivers with N85bn compared to FAA of N134bn representing 63%; Edo with IGR of N23bn compared to FAA of N59bn representing 38%.

Kwara State however with low receipt from the Federation Account has greatly improved in its IGR of N17bn compared to FAA of N49bn representing 35% while Delta with IGR of N44bn compared to FAA of N126bn representing 6.88%.

The Economic Confidential ASVI further showed that only three states in the entire Northern region have IGR above 20%. They are Kwara, Kano, and Kaduna States. Meanwhile eight states in the South recorded over 20% IGR in 2016. They are Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, Edo, Delta, Cross River, Enugu, and Oyo States State.

The states with the poorest Internally Generated Revenue of less than 10% in the South are Imo, Bayelsa, Ekiti, and Ebonyi States while in the North we have Niger, Nasarawa, Sokoto, Katsina, Gombe, Yobe, Jigawa, Kebbi and Borno States.

Meanwhile​, ​the IGR of the respective states can improve through aggressive diversification of the economy to productive sectors rather than relying on the monthly Federation Account revenue that largely come from the oil sector.

http://dailypost.ng/2017/05/29/lagos-generated-igr-30-states-combined-2016-see-index/

Look Where You Stand – Made loads of resolutions last New Year’s Eve? Accessed how far you have stood by them? If not, it is time you did!


Accomplish the Incomplete – If you still feel that the resolutions you made last year and abandoned midway are worth a second shot, give it another chance!

Realistic Resolutions – Instead of weaving dreams in the air, make a resolution that would have significance in and add a meaning to your life.


Monitor Progress – Resolve this year to monitor how far you are holding on to your commitment – it will help you to hang on.


Quit an Addiction – It will not take you anywhere good, trust us. If it does you no good, why stick to it? If needed, seek help of support groups or professionals. If you have the will, you shall find the way.


Back to School – Learning has no age. Pick up where you left off.


Fit in Fitness – Secure a future with fewer trips to the doctor – exercise. Select a regime you can stick to. A group activity may add the element of fun to the routine. Lose some flab. But don’t set any strict target, for then the chances are you may get de-motivated and quit.

Soak up New Skills – Learning something new and interesting is always fun and a value addition too.


Healthy Hogging – Think before you put any morsel in your mouth. Occasional indulgence should be there.


Lose the Loan – Pay off any debt you may have and feel light at heart.


Sack Stress – This sounds easier than it actually is, and there is no magic tip. You have to find your own haven.


Contribute for a Cause – Giving back to the society is the least we can do to make the world a better place to live in.


Treasure your Treasures – Splurge is fun, but saving should be the way of living. Plan with your future in mind. Relax the grip once in a while for that blissful indulgence. But should be just one or two annual affair.


Liven up Your Lifestyle – Professional growth is okay, but your personal life requires attention too. Strike a balance.


Organized – This is the key to make life easy, manage time and live stress free. Make a proper To-Do list, and you are half way there already.


Fun With Family – Bonding with the family will add a treasure trove of memories for you to cherish all your life.


Wowed By Wanderlust – If new places interest you, plan to reach out to them. You may consider including a fund for your trotting in your annual budget.


Adopt a Pet – The devotion, love and loyalty of a pet can never be matched. Feel the bliss by giving one a home.


Wreck a Record – This does not necessarily have to be a world record. It could be your own set standards — getting better grades in school, saving more than last year – anything.


Relive your childhood – Bring back the simplicity in life – dance in the rain, jump in a puddle, lick a Popsicle – just be carefree.


Spice up the Mundane – Bring some sizzle to your daily life. Plan a candlelight dinner. Bring some fresh flowers to your bedroom. This will make life seem more beautiful.


Unleash the Angel in You – Nothing feels better than seeing a smile on someone. Do your bit to stand by people who need support. Every little help matters.


Get Struck by Cupid – Falling in love is the most beautiful thing to happen in a New Year. And if you are rosy eyed enough, you could even ring the wedding bells.


Snooze away to Slumber-Land – Catch up on the sleep you lost and see a beautiful glow back on you – bid farewell to those dark circles for good!


Pep up your habitat – Beautifying where you live is the easiest way to beautify your life with a feel good factor.


De-clutter the accumulated junk – Life will be more organized with the unnecessary extras gone — donate the unnecessary stuff to charity. If you want, organize a garage sale – the incoming cash may motivate you to de-clutter.


Get a Gadget – Has there been a gadget you have been longing for? An expensive one? Save up to make it your own!


Step up or Step Down Social Media Activity – If you have been out of touch with your pals and peers, social media would help you get back to the grove. But if your virtual life is affecting your personal life, it is time you remedied that.


Tame the Mane – A brand new makeover will be a great way to discover a new you.


From Vocation to Profession – When your hobby becomes your profession it not only brings in money but also makes working a fun experience.


Positive approach to life – Vow to always view the glass to be half full. This will help you solve any obstacle you may face in life.


Speak Your Mind – Chuck the niceties. It is mandatory to say No at times. However remember, politeness pays too. Judiciously decide according to situation.


Get Pictured at the Wonders of the World – This is for the travel bugs. This would be an experience of a lifetime, but needs advanced planning.


Learn Language – Language skills are always an added plus.


Chuck the Couch – Whether we use a slang to call it being a Couch Potato or an ornamental term like Sedentary Lifestyle, if you belong to the category, you need to break out of the vicious cycle.


Present to hand make tokens or cards with every gift – Add a personal touch to every gift with a handmade note card or a greeting card.


Go for a Blind Date – For the adventurous souls, a blind date may be fun. But take care to consider the risk factors and take adequate precautions.


Wake up to World News – Newspaper may seem boring, but not staying abreast with current affairs will make you a bore in a crowd. Stay informed.


Groom Your Green Thumb – A patch of greenery is a solace in the concrete jungle we live in – well if a garden seems too much, even a few potted plants would liven up your living space.


Patron the Prints – E-books and softcopies are all great and convenient, but nothing compares to the luxury of snuggling up with a nice read. Hit the library and feel it.


Waste Not, Want Not – If there is something you don’t want – food, extra medicine, etc — hand it down to those who do.


Terminate the Tantrums – Being opinionated is okay. But having your fuse blown off at the slightest pretext is not. Neither are mood swings. They make you out of bounds for friends even if they do not want that.


Pep up your parents – Doing something nice for your parents will bring you guaranteed bliss – you are the best to know what will light up their face with a smile.


Give up on a bad habit – Old habits die hard – some really need to – like, biting nails, biting your lips etc.


Endear a Diary – Letter writing is a dead art. But expressing feelings is not. And nothing pleases a literary mind more than a few solitary moments with pen and paper. Pour your heart out in a diary.


Remember the Important Dates – Remembering birthdays, anniversaries etc will make your loved ones feel special, wanted and cared for. If your memory doesn’t help, take the help of technology!


Pamper yourself once in a while – You deserve it – do whatever your heart desires – but remember not to go overboard.


Enrich your vocabulary – Communication is vital in any sphere of life – enrich your vocabulary to master the art of reaching out.


Overcome a fear or mental block – This will make you feel liberated – it will free your mind of shackles.


Be sincere about punctuality and commitments – This is a resolution, if followed, would help you succeed in life and be respected too.

http://www.123newyear.com/newyear-resolutions/

I WISH YOU A PROSPEROUS NEW YEARS!

LadyZika2:
i can't believe this, so you people think that we are worshiping our mother Mary?

.

LadyZika2:
this question needs yous own opinion and bible backup,for me, Roman 16:6 makes me to understand that its God's instruction. it says, " Greet Mary who have work so hard for you" please help me by giving mr your own view.

The answer is NO. There is nothing of such in the Bible. Jesus gave us prayer model in Mathew 6:9 and he never said a rosary would be needed for prayers. Let me ask you; can you not pray without a rosary? Did Jesus, Peter and other disciples use the rosary to pray and perform miracles?

He that has ears let him hear what the spirit is saying. There is no repentance in the grave. As all propheses concerning the birth, death and resurrection of Christ came to fulfilment, so shall the second coming of Christ come to pass.

Christ is coming back again to take the elects. Let us have our lamps filled with oil and not be caught unaware like the foolish virgins. The love of many will continue to wax cold and many will derail/backslide as the end draws near in fulfilment of the scriptures. For those of us who are still running the race, let us also be watchful. May the Lord uphold us to the end. Amen.

.

So its para-military agencies that encourage duplicity of camouflage uniforms. Let us see if that would stop impostors. Watching in 4D

luvinhubby:
Looks like a primary school teacher from Osun state State of Osun.

I think she studied law

.

If it is true reconciliation, then they should stay together forever. How can the pastor resist the devil completely amidst thousands of advances when he stays in a different continent from his wife for several years. This kind of separation is simply not biblical.

truthman2012:
No, the occurrence could not be witnessed by other people:

Who was there in hell when it made the complaint?

Muhammad told the people that a stone used to salute him before he became a prophet, meaning people were not there.

Did the people hear Muhammad's patient's abdomen telling a lie?

Muhammad was always the only witness in Islam. The only one Allah revealed the quran to through Jubril for many years. The only one who can tell us the inspiration that produced the quran.

zasd:
Edit out the France and German analysis..
Cool piece though..
Are you Igbo?

I'm a Nigerian

I'm a Nigerian

‘Tom and Jerry’ relationship between Igbo and Yoruba

Azuka Onwuka

It is difficult to say if Igbo and Yoruba are friends or enemies or merely tolerating each other. On the surface, they seem to be friends, because you rarely hear of any clashes or killings between the two in over 100 years. People from the two ethnic groups work together, live together, laugh together, worship together, and play together. Everything seems all right. Nobody wants to be seen as publicly making any comment seen as tribalistic or intolerant.

But if you look deeper, there seems to be something you cannot truly place a finger on. It’s like a volcano waiting for the least provocation to erupt. It only needs an excerpt from Chinua Achebe’s There Was a Country to be made public, or for Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos to “deport” some Igbo to Onitsha for hell to be let loose. Commentators immediately line up behind their ethnic groups, releasing venom against the other side. Luckily, such altercations usually end in words and not in violent acts.

But on Nigerian online sites like the punchng.com and others, where commentators can use anonymous names, such fights are a daily affair, and they always get embarrassingly nasty. At such times, combatants throw caution to the wind and rake up gut-wrenching jibes dripping of hate and bordering on insanity. You wonder if the purveyors of such vitriol would feel at ease afterwards interacting with someone from the ethnic group they have maligned so viciously. Some see it as fun, but many don’t. They see it as a war that must be won at all costs.

Regrettably, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, whose direct and indirect action and inaction sowed the seed of hate and distrust between the Igbo and the Yoruba, have died without uprooting that dangerous plant or even denying it water and nutrients. Therefore, till this day, the Igbo and Yoruba still enjoy shooting at each other with accusations of betrayal, expansionism, hate, ingratitude, greed, as well as trying to prove that each ethnic group is superior to the other.

And it seems the contest for superiority is at the root of that frosty relationship. The Igbo and Yoruba are unarguably the most competitive in Nigeria. They are the ethnic groups that easily and forcefully ask for the removal of quota system in all national life. They believe that if things are done on merit, they will excel. The Igbo think that the Yoruba are the major competitors they have in Nigeria, while the Yoruba think that the Igbo are the key competitors they have in Nigeria.

This shows in almost all spheres of life. The Yoruba had a head-start in western education because the British colonialists and missionaries arrived on their land first. The Igbo, who resisted and rejected the British initially, eventually accepted them and thereby began a sprint to catch up with the Yoruba. And they succeeded.

Whatever the Igbo achieve, the Yoruba have an answer to it, and whatever the Yoruba achieve the Igbo have a response. So, if you have a Wole Soyinka from the South-West winning the first Nobel Prize for Literature in Africa, you have a Chinua Achebe from the South-East holding the record of the most popular and most-selling literary writer in Africa. If you have a Rangers International Football Club of Enugu shaking the Nigerian football scene in the 1970s and early 80s, you have the Shooting Stars Football Club of Ibadan shining brightly at the same period. If Rashidi Yekini is noted for scoring Nigeria’s first World Cup goal and being Nigeria’s all-time highest goal scorer, then Nwankwo Kanu boasts of being Nigeria’s most decorated footballer, while Austin Jay-Jay Okocha flaunts his status as Nigeria’s most glamorous and mesmerising footballer. If Genevieve Nnaji boasts of being named by Oprah Winfrey in 2009 among the most popular people in the world, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde will show off her name in TIME magazine’s most influential people of 2013. If P-Square and Flavour think they rock the music scene, D’Banj and Davido smash the charts.

So, in all areas of life, the Igbo and the Yoruba are competing, and in the process boosting the nation’s economy and bringing glory to the nation. Yet, some inferiority-complex-afflicted people who feel threatened within each of the ethnic groups look for every excuse to spread hate among the two peoples.

My close study of the Igbo and the Yoruba makes me see them as the Germans and the French of Nigeria respectively. Even the Igbo language is like the German language in many respects. In German and Igbo, there are no silent words. Excluding a few words in Germans which are sounded differently from the way the English sound theirs (like “j” which is pronounced like “y,” “w” which is pronounced as “v,” etc), whatever you say in both languages is what you write. For example, the “g” is always pronounced /g/ in Igbo and German and never as “j.” “Danke” and “obante” are pronounced as written.

But in French and Yoruba, what you say may be different from how you write it. Some letters are either silent or semi-silent. For example, the Yoruba and the French would pronounce “san” as if it were “saw,” or “son,” but the Igbo and Germans would pronounce it /san/: exactly the way it is spelt. Also, the “h” is usually silent or glossed over in French and Yoruba: Hospital or Kehinde.

The Igbo and the German are bullish and technology-minded. They have fought and lost wars but staged successful comebacks in a short time. Conversely, the Yoruba and the French are subtle and supercilious, with good administrative skills, regaling in their years of history and culture.

A country that has such two success-driven ethnic groups should be at a great advantage. The Yoruba have been great hosts to the Igbo; and the Igbo have reciprocated by contributing immensely to the building of Yoruba land, especially Lagos State, including buying swamps at a high price and turning such places to residential or commercial estates. The sleepiness of Lagos during the Christmas-New Year period, when the Igbo usually travel home en masse, bears testimony to their contribution to making Lagos lively.

Just like the French always wish they could cut the Germans to size, so do the Yoruba to the Igbo, but it will never work. And just as the Germans always try to flaunt their success at the French, so do the Igbo do to the Yoruba, but it is completely pointless. The Yoruba can never be like the Igbo, and the Igbo can never be like the Yoruba. There is nothing the Yoruba can do to suppress the Igbo, neither is there anything the Igbo can do to suppress the Yoruba. Both of them can actually succeed without the other, but working closely together will be very beneficial to each of them as well as the nation.

The younger generations are forging greater ties, despite the baggage of enmity the older generations handed over to them. Working together, attending church together and living together seem to have increased the rate of marriage between the two people. Most Sundays when I look at the church bulletin, I see increasing higher number of banns of marriage between Yoruba and Igbo people. These days, it is common to see women whose names are Temilade Amadi or Ngozi Adesanya because of marriage. The ethnic barriers are being broken, even though ethnic jingoists continue to spread hate. Such hate speech and thoughts need to be stopped, for ethnic bloodshed or xenophobia does not burst out in one day.

Since the older generations are passing away without bringing these two great ethnic groups together, the onus is on those born after the Civil War to consciously take steps to bring the two ethnic groups together for their own good and for the good of the nation. It is high time this Tom and Jerry relationship between the two ethnic groups ended, for the good of both and the nation at large.
http://www.punchng.com/opinion/tom-and-jerry-relationship-between-igbo-and-yoruba/

Horus:
My post was only for people who had Christians parents, so why did you answer my post if it was not your case?.
After all your rambling you still have not provided evidences of the existence the so-called resurrection.

I have stopped debating people who are not open-minded: pretentious individuals with pre-conceived opinions. Educate yourself a little here http://www.everystudent.com/features/bible.html

The question parents need to ask themselves, Carter said, is, "Do we do things to make our children happy because they are happy when we provide them with an iPad to play with or an ice cream cone? Or do we teach them the skills that they need to lead happy, meaningful, fulfilling lives?"

One of the most important skills our kids need to learn to find a truer form of happiness is the ability to be resilient in the face of difficulty so they can find a way to "get back to their happy place when things inevitably go wrong," she said.

But too often, we modern-day parents want to do whatever we can to prevent our children from feeling discomfort and disappointment.

"I think that the parent who is really focused on helping their children be happy all the time is going to protect them from making mistakes and disappointment because disappointment seems like the opposite of happiness and gratification," said Carter, whose newest book is "The Sweet Spot: How to Find Your Groove at Home and Work."

Laura Markham, a clinical psychologist and founder of AhaParenting.com, said we can teach our kids these important skills even when they are toddlers. Think about when you have a very young child and they break a toy, how often is your first instinct to promise you'll buy the child a new one?

"When we say to the child 'Oh don't worry. We'll get you another one. Don't cry,' we're giving the child the message that there's something wrong with feelings, bad feelings, the kinds of feelings we think of as bad: sadness, grief, disappointment, fear," said Markham, whose newest book, which will be out in May, is "Peaceful Parents, Happy Siblings: How to Stop the Fighting and Raise Friends for Life."

"There are a lot of feelings that don't feel good to us, but if our goal is to make our child happy by stopping them from feeling those feelings, by preventing suffering ... we're giving our child the message that there's something wrong with half of the feelings that make us human," she added.

So when your son or daughter doesn't get the part in the school play they worked so hard to get, instead of trying to distract them from that disappointment, we should let them feel it, said Markham, who is also the author of "Peaceful Parents, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting."

"Instead of trying to cheer that child up initially, we could, as parents, honor that grief," she said, telling our kids something like this: "You loved that part. You thought you'd be perfect for it. I know, sweetie. I'm sorry. It's hard when we don't get what we want when we've worked hard to get it."

The child might cry a little and feel glum for a while, but the "next morning, they wake up, the sun is shining and life is still worth living, and not only that, they don't always get what they want, they learn, but they get something better. They get Mom and Dad who understand and who accept all of their feelings so they don't have to hide it when they're disappointed in life," she said.

Harming our kids trying to make them happy

The issue is a huge one for parents today, the experts I spoke with said.

Studies have found that so-called helicopter parents, the ones likely to do whatever they can to make their children happy, can be hurting their kids.

Helicopter parenting can lead to anxiety and depression in college students, and decreased feelings of autonomy and competence, according to a 2013 study in the Journal of Child and Family Studies.

An investigation led by the University of Arizona found an exaggerated sense of entitlement and more doubt about being able to overcome challenges in adults who were overparented.

And just last month, a new study found that children whose parents overvalued them were more likely to develop narcissistic traits, such as superiority and entitlement.

Carter, the author of "The Sweet Spot," said well-educated and affluent kids are at higher risk for crippling depression and anxiety than they ever have been before.

"They are so stressed and so pressured, they do not know what makes them happy," she said. "They know what Mom and Dad want for them. They know what would make society happy. ... They know what everybody else expects for them. They do not know who they are or what they want."

Child and family psychologist Kristen Race, founder of Mindful Life, which provides brain-based solutions for families, schools and businesses to cope with today's stresses, points out how last year, an American Psychological Association survey found that when school was in session, teens were the most stressed group of people in America.

A big part of the problem is that connection, a core ingredient for happiness, is missing, said Race, author of "Mindful Parenting," which provides solutions for raising happy kids in today's chaotic world.

"We don't experience as much connection as we did a generation ago. We no longer live in multigenerational homes. We communicate differently, very much through screens or phones or texts and all of that really impacts our happiness," she said.

Race said people who have a lot of close relationships with friends and family experience a greater well-being and personal happiness. They are also less likely to experience sadness, loneliness and low self-esteem.

"When we're well-connected and attached to our kids, they are more likely to share things with us, they're more likely to do what we ask them to do and they're just much more enjoyable to be around, so we have to be intentional about creating those connections," she said.

http://m.ktuu.com/lifestyle/why-trying-to-make-kids-happy-can-backfire/32165764

Horus:
The truth is that those so-called wise and prudent theologians know absolutely nothing about the so-called resurrection simply because it never happened. Easter, or the celebration of the resurrection, is merely a tradition, a tradition that you have been taught from childhood, and coming into maturity you have accepted it because that is what you were taught. That is what you read bout. That is what your parents made you observed every Easter Sunday. Thus, you continued to go along with it and before you knew it, you had carelessly assumed what you now believe without question or proof. Easter is the feast of feasts celebrated in honor of the risen Christ. You have even reached the point where you will defend vigorously and emotionally your belief, a belief that can lead you straight to hell. It has become human nature to flow with the stream, and to go along with the crowd, to believe and perform like those around you. And, even when you stumble on the truth, you will not believe because like the majority of the people, you stubbornly refuse to believe what you are unwilling to believe. There is an old saying that says: He who is convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.

Stop this 'parents thought you from childhood' trash. You have no idea of what led to my faith in Christ and how long I have been studying religion and why I think its more rational to believe in Christ.

davien:
You're basically using a circular argument here....lol

New testament writers are evidence of "jesus" existence as the author of Harry potter is evidence of hogwards'

And perhaps you don't know that early historians were mostly Christians for the first half of western development....

You are really a funny buddy. There were prophesies concerning Christ in the OT and the Jewish Talmud confirmed the life of Christ. Don't be deceived to think that the NT writers also wrote the Jewish Talmud.

You discredit the accounts of Peter, John, Paul, James and all other NT writers. You are also claiming early historians were mostly Christians in order to keep believing that Jesus never existed.

malvisguy212:
also brother,this link help too

http://www.rationalchristianity.net/jesus_extrabib.html


Tacitus (c. A.D. 55 - c. A.D. 117)
Annals, book XV:
Consequently, to get rid of the report,
Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted
the most exquisite tortures on a class
hated for their abominations, called
Christians by the populace. CHRISTUS,
from whom the NAME HAD ITS ORIGIN ,
SURFERED the extreme penalty during
the reign of Tiberius at the hands of
one of our procurators, Pontius
Pilatus, and a most mischievous
superstition, thus checked for the
moment, again broke out not only in
Judaea, the first source of the evil,
but even in Rome, where all things
hideous and shameful from every
part of the world find their centre and
become popular.

Thanks Bro. As we commemorate His death and ressurection, may our strenght and hope be renewed.
Death could not hold Him captive... Alleluia

davien:

Most antiquities scholars think that the New Testament gospels are “mythologized history.”
In other words, they think that around the start of the first century a controversial Jewish rabbi named Yeshua ben Yosef gathered a following and his life and teachings provided the seed that grew into Christianity.




http://www.alternet.org/belief/5-reasons-suspect-jesus-never-existed



The rest are answered here...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwUZOZN-9dc

Pls read the article in the link below. Its titled ' WHY YOU CAN BELIEVE THE BIBLE'. I do not expect you to believe in Christ's ressurection since you consider the NT gospels as mythologized history.

You are probably not aware that other writers in the New Testament aside those of the synoptic and John confirmed the death and ressurection of Jesus Christ on account of which they also suffered and martyred. You may have also forgotten that the Jewish Talmud and other early historians acknowledged the existence of a man called Yeshua/Jesus.
http://www.everystudent.com/features/bible.html

JESUS’ EXISTENCE. That Jesus was a historical individual is granted by virtually all historians and is supported by ancient Christian, Jewish, and pagan sources. Yet modern skeptics often feel that their best strategy for denying the evidence of his resurrection is to deny that he even existed.

JESUS’ DEATH. The most popular counter to the Resurrection in non-Christian and heretical beliefs is to deny that Jesus died on the cross (e.g., this is the position of Islam). However, historians regard the death of Jesus by crucifixion as ordered by Pontius Pilate to be as historically certain as any other fact of antiquity.

CRUCIFIED MESSIAH. Crucifixion was a horrible, shameful way to die, so much so that it would never have occurred to anyone in the first century to invent a story about a crucified man as the divine Savior and King of the world. Something extreme and dramatic must have happened to lead people to accept such an idea—something like his rising from the dead.

JOSEPH’S TOMB. All four Gospels agree that Jesus’ body had been buried in the rock tomb owned by Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Jewish high council (the Sanhedrin). This is an unlikely Christian fiction, because Christians blamed the Sanhedrin for their role in having Jesus executed.

WOMEN WITNESSES. The four Gospels all agree that the first persons to find the tomb empty were Jewish women, including Mary Magdalene. It is very unlikely that anyone would make up such a story, since women’s testimony was devalued compared to men’s and since Mary Magdalene was known as a formerly demon-possessed woman. If the empty tomb story were fiction, one would expect that Joseph of Arimathea, already identified as the tomb’s owner and a respected male leader, would be credited with the discovery.

ANCIENT THEORIES. The earliest non-Christian explanations for the origin of the Resurrection belief (mentioned in John and Matthew) were that the body had been taken from the tomb—either moved to another burial place or stolen to fake the Resurrection. These explanations conceded three key facts: Jesus died; his body was buried in Joseph’s tomb; the tomb was later found to be empty.

TOMB WAS GUARDED. Critics routinely dismiss Matthew’s story about the guards being bribed to say that they fell asleep, giving the disciples opportunity to steal the body (Matt. 28:11-15). But Matthew would have no reason to make up the story about the guards being bribed except to counter the story of the guards saying they fell asleep (see v. 15). Either way, the guards were there: the body had been in the tomb, the tomb had been guarded, and the body was no longer there.

PAUL AND LUKE’S INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTS. Paul’s list of resurrection witnesses in 1 Corinthians 15:5-7 coincides with Luke’s account at several points, but in wording and in what is included Luke’s account is clearly independent of Paul. For example, Paul calls Peter by his Aramaic nickname “Cephas,” not Simon or Peter; he refers to “the twelve,” Luke to “the eleven”; Luke does not mention the appearances to James or the five hundred. Thus Paul and Luke give us independent accounts of the appearances they both mention.

CLOPAS AND THAT OTHER GUY. Luke gives the name of one of the two men on the road to Emmaus who saw Jesus (Clopas) but not the name of the other man. If he was making up names he would presumably have given both of the men names. The fact that he identifies only one of the two men by name is best explained if that man, Clopas, was the source of Luke’s account. In short, this fact is evidence that the account came from an eyewitness.

BROTHER JAMES. Although Luke does not mention the resurrection appearance to James (the Lord’s brother) mentioned by Paul in 1 Corinthians 6, Luke does report that James had become a leading member of the apostolic group (see especially Acts 15:13-21). Since Jesus’ brothers had rejected Jesus during his lifetime (John 7:5), Paul’s reference to Christ appearing to James is probably based on fact.

JOHN’S EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT. The author of the Gospel of John emphatically states that he was an eyewitness of the death of Jesus, of the empty tomb, and of resurrection appearances of Jesus (John 19:32-35; 20:2-9; 21:7, 20-25). Either he sincerely had these experiences or he was lying; appeals to legend or myth are out of the question here.

ANCIENT SKEPTICISM. Luke reports the skepticism of the men disciples the morning the tomb was found empty (Luke 24:22-24), and John reports Thomas’s skepticism about Jesus’ resurrection (John 20:24-26). These accounts (see also Acts 17:32; 1 Cor. 15:12) demonstrate that the perception of ancient people as gullible hayseeds who would believe any miracle story is a modern prejudicial stereotype.

PAUL’S CONVERSION. Paul was a notorious persecutor of the early Christians prior to his becoming an apostle. His explanation, that Christ appeared to him and called him to faith and the apostolic ministry, is the only plausible explanation for his 180-degree change. Moreover, Paul’s experience was entirely independent of the experience of the other apostles.

PAUL’S GENTILE MISSION. Paul’s encounter with the risen Jesus did not result merely in him accepting Jesus as the Jews’ Messiah. Instead, he saw himself, a trained and zealous Pharisee, as commissioned by Jesus to take the good news of the Messiah to uncircumcised Gentiles. The fact that Paul embraced such a calling against his former passionate beliefs and training makes any appeal to hallucination or delusion implausible.

http://www.reclaimingthemind.org/blog/2013/03/14-evidences-for-the-resurrection-of-jesus-christ-and-14-references/?nabe=6241452902318080:0

As the normal Holy Ghost Service, it begun with the normal proceedings till the end of the service, though, during announcement, it was announced that Daddy, as he is fondly called by the congregation, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor E. A. Adeboye want to have meeting with the ministers both ordained and non-ordained after the service. It was supposed to be a normal workers meeting, not until the general of overseer mounted pulpit to kick start the meeting.

Our magazine gathered, Daddy made it clear that he doesn’t want to waste their time. He went straight to the activities of the day. He told the congregation that the church has been polluted by some elements in the church hierarchy. Daddy went further to count so many atrocities perpetrated by some officials in the church without the fear of God in them. “So many of you here fake figures, lied about your church attendance, your weekly activities and so many things without the fear of God”. Adeboye who was really angry over several frauds that is rocking the church in recent times, he couldn’t hide his disappointments and frustrations. He said some pastors don’t pay their tithes. They still not remit the same as collected in their local parishes as expected by the authorities. Some even over pay to cover up non-growth and their lukewarm attitude towards evangelism. Some over pay to maintained steady growth chat as a proof to make them merit promotion as at when due.

Our magazine spoke with one of the pastors of one of the parishes in Ifako Ijaiye who doesn’t want his name in print, but was in full support of daddy’s action, said that Daddy’s anger must have root from the evil act performed within the ranks and files of the church. Nobody with a clear conscience will see all the aberration and keep quiet. Several conversations of church funds and properties for personal use, absconding with church funds, non-remittance of offerings and tithes.

Daddy further mentioned that some branches of the church are operating as an entity rather as the branch. Some of the parishes’ signpost doesn’t have RCCG, boldly written on them. Fore example, where Sanctuary of Grace, a name to identify the parish with is bigger than the name of the parent church, The Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG. He directed that such should be corrected with immediate effect. If the pastors feel to break off and start their church they should come he will bless them and send them off to start their ministry.
Daddy went on offensive when he called on those who do all these to come out for prayers so that God can forgive them. They took it for a joke not until Daddy told all that were present to stretch their hands towards him and prayer that if he is the problem of the RCCG, that God should kill him within 3months. One of the female ministers who spoke to us said when daddy made that statement that was when she knew that the whole thing has gone beyond normal advice and discipline usually witnessed. At first, she said she refused to pray but as daddy insisted that they should pray, she had to pray since her conscience was clear. She recounts several of such she witnessed in her parish.

After a session of prayer for daddy, daddy asked all those that are guilty of all the atrocities to come out so that he can pray for them but if they refuse to come out, they should be ready to face whatsoever will happen to them. So many trooped out for prayers. Daddy later told those who didn't go out to go home that he want to have a session with those that came out. It was a gory sight as over 70 per cent of those who attended the minister’s meeting rush out. Daddy prayed for them and advised them to turn a new leave.

In animal kingdom some animal are more distinguished than others. Daddy Adeboye has indeed showed his true commitment to the work of God. How many of those people that were cautioned will truly give up their evil enterprise that has eaten deep into their blood

http://hubpulpit.com/News/ArtMID/424/ArticleID/23/Fraud-Pastor-E-A-Adeboye-Goes-On-Offensive

AlBaqir:
Professor Hassanain Rajabali - Refuting the Original Sin & Crucifixion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqAy0805dFQ

How are you brother? It seems ages.

WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Words:Isaac Watts

Ask them why they kill, behead, amputate, rape, raid... They will tell you Allah commanded it.

What will it profit GEJ to distract GMB after being distracted and labelled clueless. I'm sure he will let the sleeping dog lye. That shows he truely put the interest of Nigerians in the front roll. I doff my hat for GEJ.