Atheism in my own opinion is not really am African thing. I am Saying this because our forefathers worshipped one deity or the other.
But the growing number of people claiming to not have a belief in the existence of God or a god is alarming which made me want to ask why it is happening.

I also believe that in the present Nigeria of today, there is no family that can be termed an athiest family. Every person who claims to be athiest where actually born into a home that had a belief in God or a god( this is an assumption )

So something must have happened to you that made you decide to abandon the idea of God.please let all the athiest share with us.

N/B. I am a christain

Did you choose to be Christian? honestly.. remember in order to choose you must have weighed the available options from.. giving each equal experience.. did you.. I know i did

lastmessenger:
Atheism in my own opinion is not really am African thing. I am Saying this because our forefathers worshipped one deity or the other.
But the growing number of people claiming to not have a believe in the existence of God or a god is alarming which made me want to ask why it is happening.

I also believe that in the present Nigeria of today, there is no family that can be termed an athiest family. Every person who claims to be athiest where actually born into a home that had a belief in God or a god( this is an assumption )

So something must have happened to you that made you decide to abandon the idea of God.please let all the athiest share with us.

N/B. I am a christain

Atheism is not a kind of philosophy or religious creed than people just explore or choose.

Some people are naturally allergic to bulkshyte, while many others grow allergic to bullshyte over time with education and enlightenment.

Religion is something that is forcefed on people before they even begin to articulate thoughts, and reinforced with deadly threats.
The average mind yearns to be free from lifelong episodes of mental contradiction s and cognitive dissonance.
Some are brave enough to ditch religion, while others are too scared to free themselves.

Many times, one or more incidents forces people to re examine their beliefs, and sometime the journey to mental sovereignty takes a lifetime with a series of small steps.

plaetton:

Atheism is not a kind of philosophy or religious creed than people just explore or choose.

Some people are naturally allergic to bulkshyte, while many others grow allergic to bullshyte over time with education and enlightenment.

Religion is something that is forcefed on people before they even begin to articulate thoughts, and reinforced with deadly threats.
The average mind yearns to be free from lifelong episodes of mental contradiction s and cognitive dissonance.
Some are brave enough to ditch religion, while others are too scared to free themselves.

Many times, one or more incidents forces people to re examine their beliefs, and sometime the journey to mental sovereignty takes a lifetime with a series of small steps.

Nice thoughts but apart from the fact that there is much treats associated with religion especially christainity and Islam. Don't you think that some of the values and morality taught in religion is good and should be adhered to even without being under the treat of eternal condemnation.

voltron:
Did you choose to be Christian? honestly.. remember in order to choose you must have weighed the available options from.. giving each equal experience.. did you.. I know i did

I have red the Quoran and the other books from different religions and I came to the conclusion to continue with Christianity.

lastmessenger:

Nice thoughts but apart from the fact that there is much treats associated with religion especially christainity and Islam. Don't you think that some of the values and morality taught in religion is good and should be adhered to even without being under the treat of eternal condemnation.

The issue of moral values is probably the one tends to force people to think about religion and it's many contradictions.

Where are these moral values that you refer to?
Religion only has a moral pretence.

Africa's moral values are originally cultural, not religious.
I can make a strong argument that foreign religions ha e eroded and decimated our core moral value system..
The histories of our two Abrahsmic religions are filled with grand acts of immorality that even the adherents are shameful about, even in their holy scriptures.

One of the first contradictions that struck me in my youth was that the average religious person displayed no superior moral character than any non religious person.
Therefore, I began to see religion as a convenient pretence, a camouflage to hide character flaws.

How can you, how can anyone still associate religion and moral values when slave ships were named " the good ship Jesus", and were mannedby devout bible carrying men who composed and sang hymns while transporting human cargo, human tradeable merchandise?

How can you associate religion with morality when Sunnis and Shiites are still murdering each other on account of sectarian differences?

plaetton:


The issue of values is probably the one tends to force people to think about religion and it's many contradictions.

Where are these moral values that you refer to?
Religion only has a moral pretence.

Africa's moral values are originally cultural, not religious.
I can make a strong argument that foreign religions ha e eroded and decimated our core moral value system..
The histories of our two Abrahsmic religions are filled with grand acts of immorality that even the adherents are shameful about, even in their holy scriptures.

One of the first contradictions that struck me in my youth was that the average religious person displayed no superior character than any non religious person.
Therefore, I began to see religion as a convenient pretence, a camouflage to hide character flaws.

Please when you talk about the atrocities recorded in the bible as a case against Christianity. first you have to remember that the history recorded there does not in any way represent Christianity. It may show how christainity emerged but it does not mean that chriatianit support those things you may want to refer to.
Secondly you have to also remember the timing of some of those events. Then humans behaved more like animals. Therefore people did a lot of stuffs that are too bad to recount.
Now to go back to issue of the moral values taught in religion, you made mention of the fact that those moral values were once our African culture but I beg to say that African culture stems from its belief in a deity. Our forefathers lives in a certain way because they believed that going against such way may attract the anger of the gods. So religion I believe teaches morals which in the long run tend to be incorporated into the peoples way of life.

lastmessenger:

I have red the Quoran and the other books from different religions and I came to the conclusion to continue with Christianity.

The Holy Koran. In English or Arabic. Let me ask you one simple Bible question. How old was Jesus Christ when the book of Mathew was written

Btw which other religious books have you read

voltron:

The Holy Koran. In English or Arabic. Let me ask you one simple Bible question. How old was Jesus Christ when the book of Mathew was written

I don't know where you are driving at

lastmessenger:

I don't know where you are driving at

Just testing your knowledge of the Bible your religions tome of knowledge

there is Godooooooo

plaetton:
How can you, how can anyone still associate religion and moral values when slave ships were named " the good ship Jesus", and were mannedby devout bible carrying men who composed and sang hymns while transporting human cargo, human tradeable merchandise?

How can you associate religion with morality when Sunnis and Shiites are still murdering each other on account of sectarian differences?

The men who carried bible and at the same sold humans into slavery were actually working against the teachings of what is writing in the bible. The teachings of Christ has never encouraged hurting Your fellow human. The fact that some men went against it does mean that Christianity does not emphasize on moral values.the idea of morality is rooted in religion.
As for Islam, I don't have anything to say there. There problem is more of a misunderstanding among the different sects.

lastmessenger:

The men who carried bible and at the same sold humans into slavery were actually working against the teachings of what is writing in the bible. The teachings of Christ has never encouraged hurting Your fellow human. The fact that some men went against it does mean that Christianity does not emphasize on moral values.the idea of morality is rooted in religion.
As for Islam, I don't have anything to say there. There problem is more of a misunderstanding among the different sects.

Your assertions are false. The bible is replete with support for slavery and man inhumanity to man. I will just give you two examples-one from Old Testament and another from New Testament:

Leviticus Chapter 25:44:

Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. You can will them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly.

It is clear here that God states where you may purchase your slaves, and clearly specifies that slaves are property to be bought, sold and handed down.

Luke, Chapter 7:2:

Now a centurion had a slave who was dear to him, who was sick and at the point of death. When he heard of Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his slave. And when they came to Jesus, they besought him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he built us our synagogue." And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this he marveled at him, and turned and said to the multitude that followed him, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith." And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave well.

Even Jesus shows that he is completely okay with the concept of slavery. Jesus heals the slave without any thought of freeing the slave or admonishing the slave's owner. The question is : of what use is good health to a slave in bondage? Would it have been better for him to be a freeman in his grave than living in bondage as a slave?

As for the Arabs they started the slavery of Africans before the Trans Atlantic slave trade.

lastmessenger:
Atheism in my own opinion is not really am African thing. I am Saying this because our forefathers worshipped one deity or the other.
But the growing number of people claiming to not have a believe in the existence of God or a god is alarming which made me want to ask why it is happening.

I also believe that in the present Nigeria of today, there is no family that can be termed an athiest family. Every person who claims to be athiest where actually born into a home that had a belief in God or a god( this is an assumption )

So something must have happened to you that made you decide to abandon the idea of God.please let all the athiest share with us.

N/B. I am a christain

Everyone was born an atheist. Without a religion. Before your earthly parents begin to enforce their religion on you. Which is why a child born into a Muslim family grows up to become a Muslim, a child born into a Christian family grows up to become a Christian and a Child born into a family practising ATR grows up that way.

Atheist are people who decide to do away with the bullsh.it and restore themselves back to the default settings. And live their lives free of the bullsh.it of religion.

lastmessenger:


So something must have happened to you that made you decide to abandon the idea of God.

Actually it's the other way around. NOTHING happened.

One day I realized that prayers offered to Jesus were answered at the same rate as prayers offered to any random object.

On top of that, I had NEVER heard Jesus speak to me. In my ENTIRE LIFE. Not even once.

So when the time came, I counted 1,2,3, and asked the man to speak or present himself for the last time.

Obviously, nothing happened. The laws of nature remained the same.

Jews hates the christians,christians hates the muslims,muslim hates the buddhist,buddhist hates the Hindus,hindus hates the Taoist and it goes on and on so,my take is I don't see the difference between the wrong and the wrong since they hate themselves secondly universal truth is not measured in mass appeal to make me join the populace to worship an unknown whom 1 of my 5 senses can't sense. Christianity(catholic,protestant,Penticostal,anglican,jehovah witness bla bla bla) it all sound like game to me

When i started thinking i became an atheist

lastmessenger:

Nice thoughts but apart from the fact that there is much treats associated with religion especially christainity and Islam. Don't you think that some of the values and morality taught in religion is good and should be adhered to even without being under the treat of eternal condemnation.

Because it teaches moral doesn't mean it is right.I have my conscience i don't need religion

omonuan:


Your assertions are false. The bible is replete with support for slavery and man inhumanity to man. I will just give you two examples-one from Old Testament and another from New Testament:

Leviticus Chapter 25:44:

Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. You can will them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly.

It is clear here that God states where you may purchase your slaves, and clearly specifies that slaves are property to be bought, sold and handed down.

Luke, Chapter 7:2:

Now a centurion had a slave who was dear to him, who was sick and at the point of death. When he heard of Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his slave. And when they came to Jesus, they besought him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he built us our synagogue." And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this he marveled at him, and turned and said to the multitude that followed him, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith." And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave well.

Even Jesus shows that he is completely okay with the concept of slavery. Jesus heals the slave without any thought of freeing the slave or admonishing the slave's owner. The question is : of what use is good health to a slave in bondage? Would it have been better for him to be a freeman in his grave than living in bondage as a slave?

As for the Arabs they started the slavery of Africans before the Trans Atlantic slave trade.

Please when you talk about slavery as you find it in the bible. Do you at all put in picture the timing of the events.slaves trade or slavery as at that time was a normal thing and that was just how the world goes.
The authorities at that time never saw slavery as a bad thing unlike now that the concept I slaves had been declares as an evil thing.
But I still want to know why you or how you turned athiest.

urcutecrush:

Because it teaches moral doesn't mean it is right.I have my conscience i don't need religion

Really? your conscience automatically teach you good morals without some religious undertone.Please is there any place that your conscience refers to in supporting your moral life style or does the morality just pop up fr nowhere and guide your daily living.
Meanwhile do you have any other special reason for abandoning the idea of God?

urcutecrush:
When i started thinking i became an atheist

Can you share some of those thoughts

Weah96:



Actually it's the other way around. NOTHING happened.

One day I realized that prayers offered to Jesus were answered at the same rate as prayers offered to any random object.

On top of that, I had NEVER heard Jesus speak to me. In my ENTIRE LIFE. Not even once.

So when the time came, I counted 1,2,3, and asked the man to speak or present himself for the last time.

Obviously, nothing happened. The laws of nature remained the same.

Wow you needed a prove to believe and it never came then off you go to athiesm.

lastmessenger:

Please when you talk about slavery as you find it in the bible. Do you at all put in picture the timing of the events.slaves trade or slavery as at that time was a normal thing and that was just how the world goes.

Do you realise that you are indirectly or directly refuting your religion's concept of morality- absolute?

Are you saying that "morality" evolves?

lastmessenger:

Really? your conscience automatically teach you good morals without some religious undertone.Please is there any place that your conscience refers to in supporting your moral life style or does the morality just pop up fr nowhere and guide your daily living.
Meanwhile do you have any other special reason for abandoning the idea of God?

In point of fact, we humans are a lot like animals and a number of other species have demonstrated that they have something that looks like a rudimentary conscience and a rudimentary system of morals. It has, for example,been observed that chimpanzees will exhibit what appears to be fear and shame when they do something that violates the rules of its group. Should it be assumed that the chimpanzee fears God? Or is it instead more likely that such feelings should develop in social animals?
It's not a surprise that something like this would evolve naturally. Morals are, basically, the rules by which our social groups function. They ensure that things are reasonably fair and that relationships run reasonably smoothly. Social groups simply wouldn't survive without rules, so the evolution of the ability to create and follow rules should be expected. Humans are social animals so it's also to be expected that, like other social animals, we would have social rules which regulate group behavior. We certainly don't need gods to explain it.

lastmessenger:

Can you share some of those thoughts

Do you believe in any other gods like ogun,osun,sango etc?

urcutecrush:

In point of fact, we humans are a lot like animals and a number of other species have demonstrated that they have something that looks like a rudimentary conscience and a rudimentary system of morals. It has, for example,been observed that chimpanzees will exhibit what appears to be fear and shame when they do something that violates the rules of its group. Should it be assumed that the chimpanzee fears God? Or is it instead more likely that such feelings should develop in social animals?
It's not a surprise that something like this would evolve naturally. Morals are, basically, the rules by which our social groups function. They ensure that things are reasonably fair and that relationships run reasonably smoothly. Social groups simply wouldn't survive without rules, so the evolution of the ability to create and follow rules should be expected. Humans are social animals so it's also to be expected that, like other social animals, we would have social rules which regulate group behavior. We certainly don't need gods to explain it.

Brilliant!

Morals are a by-product of the evolution of our social rules and social conscience. Religion simply takes credit for the work our conscience already does. Human beings do not need a book to tell them that killing is wrong. Nature in itself is self-regulatory.

@lastmessenger if you believe that humans need some form of religion to teach us morals. Please describe your opinion of human behaviour in a world of no religion. Anarchy? Humans will steal and kill themselves into extinction?

lastmessenger:

Can you share some of those thoughts

Do you believe in any other gods like ogun,osun,sango etc?

qstar:


Do you realise that you are indirectly or directly refuting your religion's concept of morality- absolute?

Are you saying that "morality" evolves?

Gog in his dealings with humans introduced perfection over a period of time.morality does not evolve in the eyes of God but for us us humans, He deals with us based on the level of our development( in terms of the acquisition of spiritual knowledge and wisdom).He may have allowed some things to happen in the past but that does not mean that He put a stamp of approval on them.

urcutecrush:

Do you believe in any other gods like ogun,osun,sango etc?

Absolutely not.

lastmessenger:

Absolutely not.

Please why not?

urcutecrush:

Please why not?

It takes a mile with him a journey you will complete in 2 steps.. do you really want to go that far?