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Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by PastorAIO: 2:49pm On Jun 03, 2015 |
joseph1013: Even critical thinking has criteria that are arbitrarily determined. It seems to boil down to values. And a persons values are often conferred to him from his environment. In a society that values survival above everything, a man well indoctrinated by that society will happily kill another man to get by and consider his actions a good thing. In a society that values other ideals, a man well indoctrinated by that society will/may give us his life to defend that ideal and will consider his actions a good thing. But those values that form the criteria for critical thinking are provided arbitrarily by his society/environment. There is another way though. And that is one whereby the criteria that provides the foundation of a man's thoughts are found, not externally in the environment, but rather deep inside of him in the heart of his very being. |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013: 4:13pm On Jun 03, 2015 |
PastorAIO: Example? |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by PastorAIO: 5:14pm On Jun 03, 2015 |
joseph1013: Presuming that a man is not just a blank slate that is then 'programmed' with all the characteristics that become his personality, but rather that the man has an essential nature, a true being, an adamant core .... Then such behaviour that accords with this, and such thinking that serves this would be based on a criteria that is all his own, not one imposed from without. But that would presume that there was such an essential nature, and that we are not just accidents of our environment. |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013: 6:33pm On Jun 03, 2015 |
PastorAIO:What sayeth thou about genes and our individual genetic makeups? |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by PastorAIO: 7:22pm On Jun 03, 2015 |
joseph1013: Hmmm... Okay. Let us take that as the adamant core. If a man is therefore genetically predisposed to be aggressive towards his neighbours, but due to socialization and indoctrination he actually exhibits quite mild attributes, would he be left with a deep seated feeling of unfulfilment? Even though he me be respected for his mildness by society, even lauded, would it all leave him dissatified within? Furthermore would it be morally right for him to shake off such indoctrination and revert to his original aggressive nature? |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013: 9:19am On Jun 04, 2015 |
PastorAIO: Then I refer you to the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs. If his in-born aggressiveness is his idea of self-actualization, then he'd let go if it will hinder Love/Belonging and Esteem. You seem to think nature trumps nurture when it has to do with behaviour. Why is that? |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013: 1:20pm On Jun 07, 2015 |
[b]I was involved in a discussion with a friend recently. Here is what she said: "I am a Christian and I believe that miracles abound. In fact, the fact that I wake up everyday without some bomb going off, or some earthquake ripping the place apart, or waking up unable to use one side of my body (a stroke), or just waking up is a miracle for me. There have been cases where God in His infinite mercy healed people of medically-diagnosed chronic illnesses. There are people who were unable to walk who started walking after prayers. There are many other shocking cases, with medical confirmation." This is a very popular cliche among Nigerian Christians. I once used to speak like that too. But that's until I began to question everything: 1). If heaven is such a fantastic place as Christians tell us, then why do they pray for longevity and dislike the thought of dying? Why would any Christian wish to spend a day longer in this sinful world rather than in the loving bosom of Jesus? 2). The cliche is insensitive to the families of those who have lost loved ones in bomb attacks, earthquakes or woken up with a stroke etc. It shows a lack of empathy for the sufferings of others. What should the families of millions of children who die from malaria every year think? 3). Death does not discriminate - Christians die young, and from horrible diseases too. Being alive is not really a miracle - it is a state of existence which will end when you die. Therefore, you are either alive or you are not. If you call being alive a miracle, what will you say when you die? 4). There is no good evidence that prayers heal diseases or cause miracles to happen. They don't grow the limbs of amputees. The response is the epitome of solipsism, vanity ,wishful thinking and a complete lack of empathy . God is good because 9 million children die every year but mine are okay? Such a callous dismissal of the suffering of others. [/b] 2 Likes 1 Share |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013: 2:04pm On Jun 07, 2015 |
A discussion on Bruce Jenner Transgenderism I feel compelled to respond to the comments I have read on Bruce Jenner and his gender re-assignment treatment. Some of the comments are absolutely hateful, judgemental and nauseatingly ignorant. No wonder that transgender people are believed to have higher than average suicide rates. But here is the irony - the most toxic comments I have read have come from Christians, the same people who ask for respect for their beliefs all the time, and to whom the bible says "don't judge". Most of those who condemn transgender-ism do not know anything about the condition. Nor do they know the degree of emotional/psychological stress that transgender people endure on a daily basis. I don't understand transgender-ism or how it comes about or the best way to treat it. I don't know if gender reassignment surgery is necessarily the right treatment for the condition. But I will not complicate life for transgender individuals by denigrating them and suggesting that they are corrupting their bodies when they seek a way to manage their problems. The issue to me is not whether gender re-assignment surgery will convert a man to a "real woman". I do not believe that this is physically possible. The issue is whether the treatment can alleviate suffering. Or should we let these people commit suicide because the treatment they seek does not conform to your moral code? Why do you talk down an intervention that has helped SOME transgender people when you yourself know of no better treatment or a cure for the condition? How is it your place to judge how others must live their lives? How do you not see that your attitude and comments hurt other people so much? Why not live, and let live? Maybe this real life encounter from a medical doctor friend will help to soften some minds: When I was a 'fundamentalist' Christian, I was anti-gay. In medical school I learnt 'theory', but it was in 500L when I came face-to-face with a 33-yr old male pseudo-hermaphrodite in Ogbomosho, that I got the jolt of my life, because there was absolutely nothing we could do for him/her in that village setting. Dressed in maxi-dress and head-tie, with earrings, and s/he genuflected when s/he walked in, said, "e kaaro sir", and the deep bass voice almost threw me off my seat! S/he was huge but not muscular, no breasts or bum, s/he had a tiny blind-ending vagina, no womb, no ovaries; had testes in the abdomen. S/he had been socialised as a female all his/her life, and though it was a Baptist Hospital, religious considerations were the last thing on our minds! We just did repeated bouginage (expansion/elongation) of the vagina, so that someday, if lucky, it might be wide and deep enough to accommodate a small penis, so s/he can have sex and feel 'normal' (you can only imagine the stigma in a village setting, his/her chances are zero, I didn't envisage a happy ending). S/he was also planned for surgery to remove the testes (to reduce the testosterone and also the cancer risk). That was back in 1999 (no access to high-fallutin technology), by now s/he would be about 50yrs old and I have often wondered what became of him/her (I hope not suicide). Since then I have seen various variants, especially in psychiatry, where you are often expected to help sort out the psychosocial issues, non-judgmentally. The reason they are lumped together as LGBTQIA, is that, they are all related, the issues are the same. I must confess I still cringe (in my mind only) with disgust, but, I think, with experience over the years, I am getting better at keeping it under control. I feel a lot of empathy, and try to contribute the little help I can. If you had met this Ogbomosho wo/man on the road, wouldn't you be asking why 'he' is dressed as a woman and behaving like one, in spite of 'his' 'strong face', large Adam's apple, deep bass voice, no breasts, no bum? You might even condemn 'him' in your mind, or to 'his' face, simply because you don't know the whole story. Newsflash: 'she' actually believes 'she' is female, and so did 'her' parents who raised 'her' up as one. What's 'her' gender identity? Female! This is in spite of having XY chromosomes, having testes and high levels of testosterone! What's her sexual orientation? Clue - can be homosexual, bisexual or asexual... anything BUT heterosexual; whose fault would that be? You as a man, would you marry this 'woman', knowing: - her voice is a deeper bass than yours - she has no breasts or bum - she has no curves, and her face 'strong pass your own'. - she has no womb, no ovaries, so would never conceive - she is XY like you, and has testes like you - you can't have sex with her because her vagina is like that of a new-born baby - would not even admit the tip of your little finger Assuming she decides to move to a different town where she is unknown, and start dressing and behaving like a man, you as a woman, would you marry this 'man', knowing: - he has no penis, instead, he has a vagina like yours - his testes are in his abdomen, and are very unlikely to produce sperms, but more likely to become cancerous - he still knows deep down, that he is a woman, despite the outward appearance of a man Ok, now that nobody has agreed to marry him/her, are you now suggesting s/he should remain single all her life, shouldn't love and be loved, shouldn't have oral or anal sex with a woman or a man, shouldn't dream of having children by IVF or adoption, etc? Should s/he just ignore all attractions, emotions and sexual drives, move into a convent or monastery (even if she has no interest in Catholicism) and remain celibate till death? Would you call him/her mentally disordered because s/he would not have a stable or straight-forward gender and sexual identity and orientation ( let's face it: whichever one s/he is inclined towards would be the wrong one!) Is s/he likely to face a tumultuous life, whichever direction she goes? Is s/he likely to develop a mental illness due to all these pressures? Would it be fair for you to stigmatise this unfortunate wo/man, condemn and persecute him/her simply because s/he doesn't fit into your neat male/female categories, or because s/he explores sexuality in a different way than what your scriptures dictate? This is not a hypothetical scenario, we are talking about a real human being with real problems, that have no straight-forward answers, due to no direct fault of his/hers. Now you know this one' s story, so you might be more understanding, but do you ever attempt to know the whole stories of all those people you are condemning? Don't be quick to condemn what you know absolutely nothing about. These people need support and understanding, they have enough problems already, don't add more to their burdens. The best you can do is do your own research and understand it more, and since you can't help them, why not just let them be? 7 Likes 2 Shares |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by AllNaijaBlogger(m): 2:09pm On Jun 07, 2015 |
joseph1013: What does a man who does surgery to become a woman have to do with christianity? |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013: 2:38pm On Jun 07, 2015 |
AllNaijaBlogger:Please read the post again. This time, more carefully. CLUE: "He created them male and female..." (Gen 5:2) 1 Like |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by AllNaijaBlogger(m): 4:18pm On Jun 07, 2015 |
joseph1013: Yes and so? Does it stop a man from changing his gender? |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013: 7:08pm On Jun 07, 2015 |
AllNaijaBlogger:How is an hermaphrodite changing its gender? Is a hermaphrodite also part of 'male and female'? |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by AllNaijaBlogger(m): 9:17pm On Jun 07, 2015 |
joseph1013: Hermaphrodite is both genders. But Jenner isnt a hermaphrodite. |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013: 9:29pm On Jun 07, 2015 |
AllNaijaBlogger:You still don't get it. Please read the post that started this discussion. That's the one that was specific about Bruce and why it does not make sense to judge what you don't understand. Hey, you still have not answered my question about why you believe what you believe. 2 Likes |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by LeeCodeman: 11:35am On Jun 08, 2015 |
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Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013: 12:33pm On Jun 15, 2015 |
MY FEAR OF HELL Almost every day a Christian will warn me that I will burn in hell if I do not repent and accept Jesus... well you know the rest. I feel like telling these sad people that I fear Christian hell as much as they fear Jahannam (Islamic hell), Hifhel (Norse hell) or as much as they fear being reincarnated as a slug. Why don't my Christian friends fear these horrible afterlives? Because they are ridiculous, that's why... "The day you understand why you dismiss other gods is the day you will understand why I dismiss yours." |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013: 1:15pm On Jun 15, 2015 |
[b]I am not a superstitious person. As a matter of fact, I think religion is by nature, a form of insanity. When folks talk about spiritual things and mystic stuff and voodoo and black magic and jazz and and satan and devil and stuff, I get really bored and this stupid look creeps into my disbelieving face, like, what da ...? Is there a higher force? I'm not sure. I'm open to extraordinary proof, however. When folks say I must be an atheist because I don't share their insanity, I'm like, hey, come on, what are you on about? I cannot describe myself using your insanity as a yardstick. I don't pretend not to be fool. I know too little about the physical universe. The gods in my locality are more culture than religion, and I'm sure no Igbo farmer cultivated yams and believed Amadioha would personally ensure a rich harvest. Folks become so involved in their adopted middle eastern religions that they speak of their "personal relationship" with a being they cannot see, like seriously?! Even the priests who served the gods of old in West Africa could never claim to know those deities personally. Yet the colonialists thought our ancestors were quite crazy. In the final analysis, there are many ills of religion, and I have seen the lot. Call me anything you will, one thing is sure: I would not stop campaigning against "more religion". Believe anything you like, but don't tell us to make it our own way of life.[/b] 4 Likes 1 Share |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013: 1:54pm On Jun 21, 2015 |
[b] HOW EFFECTIVE HAS PRAYERS BEING? Here are some of the pointless verses that Christians like to quote for protection. 1). A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. - Psalm 91:7 2). The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. - Psalm 121:7 3). The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. - 2 Timothy 4:18 So where were Jesus and his father when nine of their worshippers were shot dead in Charleston? They ask for worship in exchange for protection but they never fulfil their own end of the bargain. Probably because they don't exist. I've said it before, prayers are a waste of time. They never grow the limbs of amputees. They don't stop Christians from getting shot even within church premises or getting killed in plane crashes. Whoever thinks they can alter the outcome of anything in life by soliloquy! I am always confused when people say they are praying for the families of dead people like those from Charleston - what exactly is the point of such prayers? Were these people not praying when they got shot? Will the prayers resurrect them? Will they retroactively prevent the crime that resulted in death? Will they stop future crimes? Will they stop the families from hurting? If the prayers couldn't stop the crime, of what use are they now? Here is another thing I can never get my head around - if heaven is such a fantastic place as Christians tell us, then why do they mourn death and are scared to die? Why do they buy life insurance? Why would any christian wish to spend another day in this sinful world when they could be with Jesus? If they truly believe the stories about heaven, shouldn't Christians be eager to die so they can get there swiftly and be united with Jesus? I know that this post might sound insensitive but I believe that every situation presents us with learning opportunities. The event at Charleston presents an opportunity to reflect on some of these pointless practices and traditions which do not advance our people. Black people are enslaved by religion, which impacts on their productivity and progress. In Nigeria, for instance, Christians regularly pray all night and even attend morning prayer sessions during work hours. Bob Marley sang - "Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds." I agree with him and I am repeating his call today![/b] 5 Likes 1 Share |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013: 9:07am On Jun 27, 2015 |
[b] AMERICA'S HOMOSEXUAL LAW AND NIGERIA A friend put this on facebook and while I re-edited it for my use, I would say it is succint: You know I just can't help but love my Nigerian people. Electricity, we don't have. Security of human lives is almost non-existent. You have to hire your own security. Good roads are far in between. Malaria is still killing our children. Governance is a big comedy show as lawmakers are bent on making the present government inefficient due to internal party politics. Because we don't understand democracy just yet. Civil servants are not paid salaries and elected officials continue to loot the treasury dry. Yet, Nigerians on the internet are reeking of 'how God will judge America for legalizing Sodom and Gomorrah.' Don't you ever get tired, you bunch of hypocrites who cannot call on God to take our nation out of pitch darkness since 1960? A nation of imported religionists who believe in the choice of a God they have never seen but cannot respect the choice of fellow human beings who do them no harm. May the god of iron, ogunlakaaye, the god of chickenpox, sonponna , and the god of thunder, sango, open your eyes to know that marriage as defined by an average Nigerian today is a foreign idea. Our fathers married/marry tens of wives in the West. Our underage girls - as young as 12yrs- were/are given away in marriage in the North. Our women married other women in the East so they can procreate. And what Gomorrah are y'all talking about? Is it the one where Lots' daughters rape their fathers in turns so they can have children. Or is it the one Lot prefer his wicked neighbors to Bleep his daughters in lieu of men - because girls lives don't matter? What Sodom are y'all talking about, Naija of God? A friend of mine yesterday told me: 'I feel sad for America for this decision.' And I replied: 'Right. And Nigeria is such a great country filled as it is with people feeling sad for America.' They will be applying for visa to go to "Sodom and Gomorrah" and keep giving testimonies for visas to "Sodom and Gomorrah". This country is filled with clueless hypocrites. Wake the Bleep up and #Live[/b] 5 Likes 1 Share |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013: 5:45pm On Jun 29, 2015 |
[b]THE PAEDOPHILE ARGUMENT I was chatting with a muslim friend today and she probed me on my stance on the homosexuality case that has been ruled in the US. I told her exactly what I said in one of my posts here. I dont care what happens between two adults that are mutaully consenting to each other. Like most religionists, she poured her displeasures on why God hates it and then added another of the silly arguments I have heard a thousand times. She said hat making homosexual sex legal will lead to making paedophile sex legal. This style of argument is known as the slippery slope fallacy--it does not follow that legalising one will inevitably lead to the other. And there is a good reason why one will not lead to the other. Like all interpersonal sex, homosexual sex is legal only between freely consenting adults. Paedophile sex can never be between freely consenting adults because one party, by definition, is never an adult. There is also an evidential reason to dismiss this argument. There are 117 countries in which homosexuality is legal. It has been legal in Martinique since 1791, in Brazil since 1831, Mexico since 1871 and in Argentina since 1887. So, there's been plenty of time for the slippery slope to operate. Now, how many countries have legalised paedophile sex? Precisely none.[/b] 1 Like |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by Nobody: 6:35pm On Jun 29, 2015 |
joseph1013:so do you believe in the non-existence of god? |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013: 11:22pm On Jun 29, 2015 |
timonski:To that question, I say I have yet to see enough evidence to convince me about the existence of a god. Wanna offer me some evidence? 4 Likes |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013: 4:47am On Jun 30, 2015 |
Someone sent me a PM yesterday night asking me if I was gay. I'm not. I'm also not a Niger Deltan. Or a Palestinian. Or a woman. But I support equality for Niger Deltans, Palestinians against the Jews, and I'm against domestic violence against women especially as we have it in Nigeria. What a funny question. As though one has to be a member of a group to sympathize with the way that group is being treated. Silly thinking! 5 Likes |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013: 5:07pm On Jun 30, 2015 |
There's a simple reason why religion shouldn't write our laws and the 9 people prosecuted for blasphemy in Kano are a poignant reminder why law should be based on reason and not religion. 1 Like |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013: 12:49pm On Jul 03, 2015 |
[b]There comes a time in a man's life, when he must stand for his convictions and fearlessly defend the same without violence. When I first decided to lend my voice to the struggle for the mental emancipation of our people, it was not an easy choice. I lost friends, alienated acquaintances and disturbed many valuable relationships. But I was brought up to courageously speak up for the truth and fight for what is right irrespective of the cost. Many have wondered what changed about me. The truth is, nothing changed! Except that I stopped being afraid. I removed the many mental chains that held me captive to fear and dogma. I stepped out of religion and ignorance, I chose to think and reason, and that changed everything. That is why today I speak against religion, because it is based on falsehood, fear and indoctrination. I detest it more because it contributes significantly to the under-development of our people, even if it is itself a PRODUCT OF OUR UNDERDEVELOPMENT. So I chose to fight it. I chose to confront the culture of FEAR and IGNORANCE. To set an example that no one and nothing is beyond scrutiny. I have tried to fight on the side of truth, of knowledge, of enlightenment and of freedom, because I believe these are timeless values that will outlive any race or religion. I fight because I believe my convictions will birth a better society and a better world for the coming generation. I speak and lend my name to this struggle because I am convinced the fight is just and imperative. I have tried very hard to make people think on these long held beliefs; I have been witty, funny, sometimes combative, seemingly provocative but at all times respectful of the right of others to hold their views. Today, I am proud of whatever contribution I have made and of whatever I have achieved in this pursuit. I am proud of the few I have inspired, of the few I have helped to think and become better, and of the few I have encouraged in their own path.[/b] 4 Likes 1 Share |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by PastorAIO: 2:17pm On Jul 08, 2015 |
joseph1013: Maslow's hierarachy is derailing from my point. I'm suggesting that if there is an essential character to a person, an innate core, then Society's values can detract him from that and while he becomes a model citizen of that society he will have an deep sense of discontent. I think a Nature/Nurture dichotomy is too simplistic to be applied to my point. |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013: 4:29pm On Jul 08, 2015 |
PastorAIO: What can be more of an innate core of a person than his GENETIC makeup? And this is where the nature (genes) vs nurture (society) question arises again? Isn't it possible for a man to raise above the this-is-just-the-way-I-am syndrome and still be remarkably better off? Or are we always at the mercy of our 'essential character' such that it alone determines our ultimate happiness? |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by PastorAIO: 4:54pm On Jul 08, 2015 |
joseph1013: A man with a certain genetic make up eats lots of food with high protein and grows very tall. A man with the exact same genetic trait for height eats food with less protein and doesn't grow as tall. What is the essential true height for that genetic trait? In other words, Do genes determine your core self or does it just provide you with a range of possibilities? NB. Genes are not primal urges. NB. I'm being hypothetical when I say of genetics, 'Let us take that as the adamant core'. |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013: 10:53am On Jul 16, 2015 |
PastorAIO: Let me twist your logic a lil: A man with a certain genetic for shortness eats lots of food with high protein and is still short. A man with the opposite genetic trait is malnourished and still grows taller than the privileged short kid. Genes are the core of the individual. It is like a bucket. The society and situations determine how filled or otherwise it will be. They work hand in hand and one is not essentially more important than the other. The potential is the core. How much of the potential you fulfill depend on alot of factor both within and outside of your control as you go along in life. |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013: 1:07pm On Jul 16, 2015 |
[b]ARE ATHEISTS CERTIFIABLY INSANE? Imagine if Christianity were true. The benefits would be undeniable. Imagine having an awesomely powerful and intelligent friend, who never sleeps, looking out for you 24 hours a day. Whenever you need guidance, you could ask advice from the most knowledgeable and intelligent being in the universe. He could perform miracles to keep you and your family safe. He could do things that the world's finest doctors and scientists could only dream about. He could cure any disease, stop earthquakes, divert asteroids, calm tsunamis and send volcanoes back into the centre of the earth. On top of all that God would love you billions of times more than we could ever love the person we cherish most in the world. And whilst human love is often tarnished with some degree of selfishness, God's love would always be wholly selfless and unconditional. As you learn more about this extraordinary god from the book he directly inspired, you would see everything making perfect sense. You would look around and see physical evidence proving the truth of his extraordinary deeds described in the Bible. Last, but far from least, the pages of the Bible reveal the ultimate benefit of God's love for you--the chance to enjoy a blissfully happy life forever in a place where aging, disease, death, pain and suffering cannot exist. ..... If all this were true, only the certifiably insane would ignore these fantastic benefits. But millions consider that God, all his supernatural friends and enemies, all the stories of his amazing deeds and the promises of an eternal afterlife to be stories invented by people who wished they were true. The people who arrive at this conclusion are not certifiably insane. Far from it. They are, on average, better educated than those who believe the stories. They hold responsible jobs; they are overwhelmingly good citizens and good parents. They are not insane but they are realistic. They see no evidence that such a god exists and, when they look at believers, they see no evidence of an awesome god working in their lives. Often, they see people who look as though they need such a god but lack one. If any insanity is at play here, it is not among those folk who objectively evaluate evidence to arrive at a rational conclusion...[/b] 4 Likes |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013: 11:13am On Jul 19, 2015 |
[b]For more than five years, religious people have been praying to God to wipe out Boko Haram from the face of Nigeria but unfortunately, BH still strive, kill, maim and render thousands of people homeless. Despite the prayers, fasting and crusades, BH still invade religious places killing and injuring hundreds with reckless abandon. Most clerics now seek for armed police and military escorts and protection right inside the house of their all powerful God. They pray and worship their God in fear. Some religious folks don't even bother going to church or mosque in Northern Nigeria anymore because they KNOW that when BH strikes, death and injury is a sure thing even when they are praying to their Gods. Some clerics still claim to be trusting in their God for divine protection but they can never move an inch without their armed escorts. So what is the use of worshiping a god who cannot protect you even in his place of worship? Or does it mean he is not whom you think he is? Does it mean he does not exist except in your imaginations?[/b] 7 Likes 1 Share |
Re: My Thoughts And Questions About Religion by joseph1013: 5:50pm On Jul 21, 2015 |
[b]FAITH vs EVIDENCE Faith and evidence are both used to help determine whether a proposition is true. Evidence is very widely used. It is used by the police to determine if a person has a case to answer and by the law courts to help a jury decide is a person is guilty as charged. Evidence is used in the form of examinations by schools and universities to determine if a student has achieved the required standard. It is used by doctors to diagnose illnesses and ensure the correct treatment is given. It is used by scientists to determine whether a hypothesis is correct. In fact, we all rely on evidence to help us understand things every day. Faith is very different and has a more limited application. Faith is generally used when there is no evidence available at all. It is commonly used to believe a god or gods exist or to believe the dogma of a religion. Faith can be used by two different people to arrive at contradictory conclusions which is certain proof that it is an unreliable method. Yet oddly, whilst evidence may leave you only partially convinced of the truth of a proposition, faith can leave you CERTAIN a proposition is true. People who use faith often try to deny the obvious fact that faith has no way to distinguish between true and false propositions. Next time you encounter a person who relies on faith, ask them if they would be happy if the police, the courts, schools and doctors abandoned evidence and relied instead only on faith. Faith that allowed them to be 100% certain they are correct, even when there is evidence that directly contradicts them. Honestly, only a fool would think that is a good idea. Faith--good for fools.[/b] 1 Like |
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