For quite a long time, in fact since I Joined Nairaland, I and many atheists on this forum have been trying our very best define to the theists what atheism really means.
So far, no luck.

It seems that no matter how much efforts we put into it, no matter what language, no matter how subtle, no matter how plain, the people of faith never seem to, or perhaps, refuse to comprehend what atheism means, and that it is not a competing religion nor philosophy.

I figure that perhaps it has to do with something called onomatopeia .
This is the phenomenom whereby a word is associated with an act , behavior or another word, due to the pronounciation.

For example, everyone knows what Theism or Theist means.
Atheism or Atheist sound similar but opposite.
This is not correct.

Atheism and theism are not opposites.

One believes in a set of things without proof, the other does not believe same for the very obvious lack of proof.
If theists had a shred of proof for any one of their beliefs, then their beliefs would no longer be a matter of faith.

Now, for some strange reasons, theists, especially Christians, seem treat atheism as a competing religion.
It baffles me in no small way when Christians open threads trying use half baked logic to show (PERHAPS TO THEMSELVES) how asking for proof is flawed.

I have thought about this , and I think the best and easy way to make ourselves and our viewpoints understood is to rebrand ourselves.

I suggest we stop calling ourselves atheists, because there soo much misunderstanding behind that word.

I suggest we call ourselves Toothfarians

This way, we would be standing on the same pedestal with the goddists, and thereby making it very easy for them to understand where we are coming from, objectively criticize our beliefs/nonbeliefs , and vise versa.

I mean, I would rather love to hear malvisguy212, kingebukasblog, Deepsight etc to tell me that my belief in the Toothfairy is flawed, ask me to show proof, and to mock my foolishness.
That way, we could have an even match, smooth flawless arguments and debates about god and the Toothfairy.

That makes sense. Now we have a proper name for our religion. No blind faith zone

Toothfarian! I like that. Oh merciful toothfairy have mercy on me

Toothfarians? Lol.

The truth is, nothing we do can change any theists point of view and ill tell you why. The answer is simple, "you have to realize you've been believing in fairytales". Nothing beats realization. Besides that, you have to understand that we are arguing with people who went through an education system that is antique at best.

These same people who believed that salt could cure ebola, that cannot differentiate between detergent and omo or live in a society where, "the devil pushed me to it" is an excuse for child molestation. These people don't read and find it hard to imagine that they are actually more intelligent and exposed than ancient goat herders and that's why you'll hear them say, "science has only made the world worse". If they bothered to read, they'd realize atheism is not a religion like they assume.

We live in a society that doesn't work and thus have to look onto good for miracles such as electric power supply, yes people actually pray to god to restore power, lack of quality health services and that's why out of desperation people have to pray to be healed from common malaria because it is not certain you'll live when you visit a hospital. There's no justice so the best we can do is pray god punishes those who offend us and so on and so forth.

Belief in god is what keeps most people sane in this insane society we live in.

I believe as atheists we should concern ourselves more with helping the poor, sharing books to schools, running for political posts etc if we really want to see change. Arguing with theists won't change anything because religion has created a comfort zone where ignorance is treated with high regard and you're considered evil when you seem knowledgeable and attack dogma.

hahn:
Toothfarians? Lol.

The truth is, nothing we do can change any theists point of view and ill tell you why. The answer is simple, "you have to realize you've been believing in fairytales". Nothing beats realization. Besides that, you have to understand that we are arguing with people who went through an education system that is antique at best.

These same people who believed that salt could cure ebola, that cannot differentiate between detergent and omo or live in a society where, "the devil pushed me to it" is an excuse for child molestation. These people don't read and find it hard to imagine that they are actually more intelligent and exposed than ancient goat herders and that's why you'll hear them say, "science has only made the world worse". If they bothered to read, they'd realize atheism is not a religion like they assume.

We live in a society that doesn't work and thus have to look onto good for miracles such as electric power supply, yes people actually pray to god to restore power, lack of quality health services and that's why out of desperation people have to pray to be healed from common malaria because it is not certain you'll live when you visit a hospital. There's no justice so the best we can do is pray god punishes those who offend us and so on and so forth.

Belief in god is what keeps most people sane in this insane society we live in.

I believe as atheists we should concern ourselves more with helping the poor, sharing books to schools, running for political posts etc if we really want to see change. Arguing with theists won't change anything because religion has created a comfort zone where ignorance is treated with high regard and you're considered evil when you seem knowledgeable and attack dogma.

Well said.

The reason it is so imperative to engage, mock and degrade silly posts here on this religious section is that children, impressionable youth might be reading these bullshytes from the likes of kingebukasblog, Uyi iredia, malvisguy212, Anas02, etc.

I think we have an obligation to protect our youth from mental assaults, stone age concussions, IQ dilutants and toxic emanations from the Middle East.

plaetton:


Well said.

The reason it is so imperative to engage, mock and degrade silly posts here on this religious section is that children, impressionable youth might be reading these bullshytes from the likes of kingebukasblog, Uyi iredia, malvisguy212, Anas02, etc.

I think we have an obligation to protect our youth from mental assaults, stone age concussions, IQ dilutants and toxic emanations from the Middle East.

I agree. But nairaland is not real life. Most times when I engage theists in real life, they don't bicker back and forth as opposed to online arguments where you can reply a question with a question and then log out of your account and then conclude you've won the argument.

There's so much we can do offline to help this country become a better place and even here on nairaland we should be more active on the education section instead of here in the religious section because by default we are crossing enemy lines, so to say, here.

There's so much to read about and learn about that are not taught in average Nigerian schools. I've read some of your arguments and learnt a lot from you, johnnydon22, ifeness, teempakguy, menesheh etc but I just believe most of this knowledge should be posted in the science or education section.

Whayasay?

hahn:


I agree. But nairaland is not real life. Most times when I engage theists in real life, they don't bicker back and forth as opposed to online arguments where you can reply a question with a question and then log out of your account and then conclude you've won the argument.

There's so much we can do offline to help this country become a better place and even here on nairaland we should be more active on the education section instead of here in the religious section because by default we are crossing enemy lines, so to say, here.

There's so much to read about and learn about that are not taught in average Nigerian schools. I've read some of your arguments and learnt a lot from you, johnnydon22, ifeness, teempakguy, menesheh etc but I just believe most of this knowledge should be posted in the science or education section.

Whayasay?

I understand perfectly what you are saying.

But the religious section is the battle front for young minds.

Sure, those of us who could should encourage children and youths to read and expand their minds.

But, I am telling you, as a father of a young teen, the amount of religious poison given to our kids in schools and in church adversely affects their intellects, their scientific curiosity, their imagination.
I see it first hand while discussing oxygen and how plants produce oxygen during photosynthesis. My young teen quickly asserted that god created oxygen. I asked how, she could not explain.
I tried to refresh her mind on how plants produce oxygen. Again She still insisted that god did it.

When I finally asked how she came about that fact, she said her biology teacher said so.

My point is, that we have to, at every given opportunity, push back on religious indoctrination.

plaetton:


I understand perfectly what you are saying.

But the religious section is the battle front for young minds.

Sure, those of us who could should encourage children and youths to read and expand their minds.

But, I am telling you, as a father of a young teen, the amount of religious poison given to our kids in schools and in church adversely affects their intellects, their scientific curiosity, their imagination.
I see it first hand while discussing oxygen and how plants produce oxygen during photosynthesis. My young teen quickly asserted that god created oxygen. I asked how, she could not explain.
I tried to refresh her mind on how plants produce oxygen. Again She still insisted that god did it.

When I finally asked how she came about that fact, she said her biology teacher said so.

My point is, that we have to, at every given opportunity, push back on religious indoctrination.

So did you show your sweet young teen how plants derived the propensity to produce oxygen ? You do realise that your explanations of the mechanisms involved in the production by oxygen by plants yearns for a designer ? Yeah?

toothfarian sounds fair...atleast when they understand the reason they debunked other religions for that which they practice,they'd understand why we debunked their religion for toothfairy

KingEbukasBlog:


So did you show your sweet young teen how plants derived the propensity to produce oxygen ? You do realise that your explanations of the mechanisms involved in the production by oxygen by plants yearns for a designer ? Yeah?

That's MY point.

WE Africans are very lazy thinkers.

I would rather that she concentrate on understanding the processes, challenge her mind to visualize the microscopic cells doing their work, than to invoke a nebulous, magical designer.

It's about challenging our faculties of thought.

This tendency not to attempt to understand natural processes is the reason for too much superstitions, ignorance and technological underachievements.

How do we find a drug to finally rid us of baby-killing malaria if we are alwys too lazy or afraid to study and understand natural biological processes ?

If god designed oxygen, then why also, did god design mosquitos to kill our children ?

toothfarian? hmmn. okay, maybe.


both hahn and plaetton are right. there is nothing stopping us from multitasking, no?

KingEbukasBlog:

So did you show your sweet young teen how plants derived the propensity to produce oxygen ? You do realise that your explanations of the mechanisms involved in the production by oxygen by plants yearns for a designer ? Yeah?

no it doesn't . . .

plaetton:


Well said.

The reason it is so imperative to engage, mock and degrade silly posts here on this religious section is that children, impressionable youth might be reading these bullshytes from the likes of kingebukasblog, Uyi iredia, malvisguy212, Anas02, etc.

I think we have an obligation to protect our youth from mental assaults, stone age concussions, IQ dilutants and toxic emanations from the Middle East.

How can you degrade and mock misconceptions

You atheists better start coming out. The faster the better. Those of us wey don dey reason una online since go start to dey debate u face to face. Those that can't argue should pray cuz it matter even more. But una dey fear fear. Preach your atheism d way Christians preach their st*pidity.

Toothfarians. Sounds cool enough.

The problem is we are the little percentage and converting over 90% of Nigerians to sensibility is far-fetched. However I do believe strongly that Religion cannot last for long. Nigerians will eventually come to their senses. It may not be in our own generation or the next. But it will happen. The transition to that time lies in Education and Better Standard of Living.

KingEbukasBlog:


How can you degrade and mock misconceptions

well, for one thing, dalton claimed that the atom is indivisible. that was a misconception. imagine if someone then opened a thread. claiming that dalton was right.

he is asked for proof, and he says that we should prove him wrong. of course we can't because everything we say to him is waved away as part of the properties of this indivisible atom. i.e hydrogen is lighter than mercury, not because the latter has more protons and neutrons but because the indivisible atom is bigger. he then says the proof that he is right is that one scientist, not dalton, but another scientist who lived in dalton's time, said dalton was right. and that is his proof.


wouldn't you mock the sh*t out of such a bloody idiot?

hahn:

I believe as atheists we should concern ourselves more with helping the poor, sharing books to schools, running for political posts etc if we really want to see change...

Are there really atheists in the the Nigerian government?

I think running for political posts really makes sense, at least if atheists and other free thinkers could infiltrate the government in large numbers and also take up higher administrative positions in our tertiary institutions, that's where they'll have the collective power to reform the system.

The first thing is to tackle our educational sector, review the curriculum and make philosophy and logic a compulsory course, irrespective of the field of study. Also, the history of Nigeria could be made compulsory to all students for at least a session.

Students could also be made to study African traditional religions- all of them. This will help put the Abrahamic religions on the same scale as our traditional religions.

Etc.

Stconvict:
Toothfarians. Sounds cool enough.

The problem is we are the little percentage and converting over 90% of Nigerians to sensibility is far-fetched. However I do believe strongly that Religion cannot last for long. Nigerians will eventually come to their senses. It may not be in our own generation or the next. But it will happen. The transition to that time lies in Education and Better Standard of Living.

there are a lot more atheists n nigeria than you. most of them pretend to be theists because either their authority figure is theist, or they don't have enough conviction to come out. the next twenty years will be dramatic. trust me.

Teempakguy:
well, for one thing, dalton claimed that the atom is indivisible. that was a misconception. imagine if someone then opened a thread. claiming that dalton was right.

he is asked for proof, and he says that we should prove him wrong. of course we can't because everything we say to him is waved away as part of the properties of this indivisible atom. i.e hydrogen is lighter than mercury, not because the latter has more protons and neutrons but because the indivisible atom is bigger. he then says the proof that he is right is that one scientist, not dalton, but another scientist who lived in dalton's time, said dalton was right. and that is his proof.


wouldn't you mock the sh*t out of such a bloody idiot?

What the heck are you saying ?

You guys like regurgitating gibberish when you are nailed . You can't mock misconceptions . Its your fault you dont understand , go and seek for answers and you'll find them

plaetton:


That's MY point.

WE Africans are very lazy thinkers.

I would rather that she concentrate on understanding the processes, challenge her mind to visualize the microscopic cells doing their work, than to invoke a nebulous, magical designer.

It's about challenging our faculties of thought.

This tendency not to attempt to understand natural processes is the reason for too much superstitions, ignorance and technological underachievements.

How do we find a drug to finally rid us of baby-killing malaria if we are alwys too lazy or afraid to study and understand natural biological processes ?

If god designed oxygen, then why also, did god design mosquitos to kill our children ?

Its a complex process . I would have given my daughter a dirty slap if she insists God did it without delving to understand the processes . Christianity does not stop you from knowing , one's ignorant indolent mind does hold onto religion as the cause of not wanting to know more.

As for the mosquitoes , everything became in total disorder from the harmony that was once enjoyed after creation because of sin . This is the religion section and the above answer is appropriate .

Teempakguy:
there are a lot more atheists n nigeria than you. most of them pretend to be theists because either their authority figure is theist, or they don't have enough conviction to come out. the next twenty years will be dramatic. trust me.

Lmao . You must be living in mumuland

KingEbukasBlog:


What the heck are you saying ?

You guys like regurgitating gibberish when you are nailed . You can't mock misconceptions . Its your fault you dont understand , go and seek for answers and you'll find them

shut the hell up.

you are yet to reply to my analysis of your fake bible references on satan and hell. i guess that one is beyond you.

anyway, i have gotten it. it seems you people only accept what the bible says. so, i will give you bible passages where misconceptions are being mocked.

1 kings 18 vs 27

27 At noon Elijah began to make fun of them. “Pray louder!” he said. “If Baal really is a god, maybe he is thinking, or busy, or traveling! Maybe he is sleeping so you will have to wake him!”

isaiah 44 vs 16-17

16 Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat as he roasts a roast and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire.”
17 But the rest of it he makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god.”

seriously, just this two are enough.

plaetton:
For quite a long time, in fact since I Joined Nairaland, I and many atheists on this forum have been trying our very best define to the theists what atheism really means.
So far, no luck.

It seems that no matter how much efforts we put into it, no matter what language, no matter how subtle, no matter how plain, the people of faith never seem to, or perhaps, refuse to comprehend what atheism means, and that it is not a competing religion nor philosophy.

I figure that perhaps it has to do with something called onomatopeia .
This is the phenomenom whereby a word is associated with an act , behavior or another word, due to the pronounciation.

For example, everyone knows what Theism or Theist means.
Atheism or Atheist sound similar but opposite.
This is not correct.

Atheism and theism are not opposites.

One believes in a set of things without proof, the other does not believe same for the very obvious lack of proof.
If theists had a shred of proof for any one of their beliefs, then their beliefs would no longer be a matter of faith.

Now, for some strange reasons, theists, especially Christians, seem treat atheism as a competing religion.
It baffles me in no small way when Christians open threads trying use half baked logic to show (PERHAPS TO THEMSELVES) how asking for proof is flawed.

I have thought about this , and I think the best and easy way to make ourselves and our viewpoints understood is to rebrand ourselves.

I suggest we stop calling ourselves atheists, because there soo much misunderstanding behind that word.

I suggest we call ourselves Toothfarians

This way, we would be standing on the same pedestal with the goddists, and thereby making it very easy for them to understand where we are coming from, objectively criticize our beliefs/nonbeliefs , and vise versa.

I mean, I would rather love to hear malvisguy212, kingebukasblog, Deepsight etc to tell me that my belief in the Toothfairy is flawed, ask me to show proof, and to mock my foolishness.
That way, we could have an even match, smooth flawless arguments and debates about god and the Toothfairy.

Impaired reasoning

Your non belief is based on absence of proof ? Do you need proof to admit that your pc/phone is designed - performing tasks as requested by you ? I know there is a creator but there are different concepts of this creator which has led to the formation of different religions . Its as simple as that .


Can you name religions that have their creator as uncreated ?

Teempakguy:
shut the hell up.

you are yet to reply to my analysis of your fake bible references on satan and hell. i guess that one is beyond you.

anyway, i have gotten it. it seems you people only accept what the bible says. so, i will give you bible passages where misconceptions are being mocked.

1 kings 18 vs 27


isaiah 44 vs 16-17



seriously, just this two are enough.

What are misconceptions schoolboy ?

KingEbukasBlog:


Its a complex process . I would have given my daughter a dirty slap if she insists God did it without delving to understand the processes . Christianity does not stop you from knowing , one's ignorant indolent mind does hold onto religion as the cause of not wanting to know more.

As for the mosquitoes , everything became in total disorder from the harmony that was once enjoyed after creation because of sin . This is the religion section and the above is answer is appropriate .

child abuse!
someone restrain this man!

in the same vein, how was man created? if you say God did it without delving into the processes, i will give you a DIRTY slap.

damn, we're over the internet.

Teempakguy:
there are a lot more atheists n nigeria than you. most of them pretend to be theists because either their authority figure is theist, or they don't have enough conviction to come out. the next twenty years will be dramatic. trust me.

Hmmm. That's hard to believe o.
All through my life up until now, all the people I've met physically are konk religious people. My mum even threatened to disown me recently because of my toothfarianism, I had to joke it out to save myself from missing free meals and shelter.

Oh yeah, I remember some boys from Philosophy when I was in UNILAG, although we were not friends, but I always heard their heated arguments.
I was a bit radical in school about my toothfarianism, but it didn't get me anywhere except for cheap insults and mockery. You know why already. I had no backup singer.

Sometimes I even wonder why I was born to Nigerian parents because if most Nigerians are thinking towards the north, I'm thinking towards the south. Many times I wake up and wonder if everything around me is real. How can so many people be gullible in this part of the world. Why can't they just realise the shit-covered cake they are being offered.

I still think I'm dreaming though. So many people cannot be this dumb. Many of them should have realised as they grow up that they are being fed fairytales. All my life, I've heard of juju and witchcraft and I've not seen any physical (or perhaps spiritual) manifestation of it. People go to church, the fall like trees when pastor touch them. Well many pastors tried that on me, it didn't work. Some even tried applying some force, I stagger back only to regain my balance. The pastor will glance sternly at me and walk away.

Coming to Nairaland to read fellow toothfarians posts seem like the only sane place I can go.

*Sorry for writing so much, all of these just poured out of me. A dude still wondering what the f*ck is wrong with thinking logically.

KingEbukasBlog:


What are misconceptions schoolboy ?

what sort of ridiculous question is this?

fine, from google.

a view or opinion that is incorrect because based on faulty thinking or understanding.

i.e the opinion that baal can make a wood burn, or the opinion that a wood idol is god, or the opinion that there is a personal God at all.
which are all wrong because they are based on faulty thinking or understanding. and are hence misconceptions.

Teempakguy:
child abuse!
someone restrain this man!

in the same vein, how was man created? if you say God did it without delving into the processes, i will give you a DIRTY slap.

damn, we're over the internet.

Seriously ?

How is that an abuse ?

Its left for scientists to discover how possibly man was created . Have you tried building a sand man or a making a car out of cardboard ? Please tell me , did you showcase your dexterity to build with your hands ?

Teempakguy:
what sort of ridiculous question is this?

fine, from google.



i.e the opinion that baal can make a wood burn, or the opinion that a wood idol is god, or the opinion that there is a personal God at all.
which are all wrong because they are based on faulty thinking or understanding. and are hence misconceptions.

1 Kings 18:27-29

27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.

28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.

29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

Pay attention to the words in bold . How on earth is that a misconception . Do you realise they actually did comply . If it were a misconception they would have told Elijah : we dont cry aloud to our god , we meditate or dance or sleep to get his attention .

Schoolboy reasoning

Mtcheew

KingEbukasBlog:


Seriously ?

How is that abuse ?

Its left for scientists to discover how possibly man was created . Have you tried building a sand man or a car made out of cardboard ? Please tell me , did you showcase your dexterity to build with your hands ?

an adult giving a kid a dirty slap can actually do a lot of damage. a lot.

anyway, science starts from the premise that God does not exist. it's impossible to do science without subconsciously assuming that a God somewhere exists. otherwise, science doesn't work.

also, jesus said in the bible that we are to ask of him, anything. and he will surely do it. so, why are you leaving it to scientists to discover that instead of just asking jesus?

meanwhile, science has ALREADY found out how man was created. they named it evolution and your people have so far rejected it. so, what's your stand?

Teempakguy:
an adult giving a kid a dirty slap can actually do a lot of damage. a lot.

anyway, science starts from the premise that God does not exist it's impossible to do science without subconsciously assuming that a God somewhere exists. otherwise, science doesn't work

also, jesus said in the bible that we are to ask of him, anything. and he will surely do it. so, why are you leaving it to scientists to discover that instead of just asking jesus?

Me after reading the bold words

KingEbukasBlog:


1 Kings 18:27-29

27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.

28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.

29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

Pay attention to the words in bold . How on earth is that a misconception . Do you realise they actually did comply . If it were a misconception they would have told Elijah : we dont cry aloud to our god , we meditate or dance or sleep to get his attention .

Schoolboy reasoning

Mtcheew

dude . . . how on earth did you enter the university?
the misconception here is NOT that, the misconception is that they think that baal exists. alright? that is the misconception. and baal doesn't exist so they were wrong. so he mocked them as we are mocking you.

lemme give you an example mocking of misconceptions.

jesus said to his disciples. these will be the signs that follow those that believe in me. they shall do signs and wonders.

so, do a wonder for me and have a pizza delivered to my door.

seriously, i meant that.

KingEbukasBlog:


Me after reading the bold words

you also conveniently omitted the last paragraph. science has already discovered how man came about. and they did it using the method you bolded. so crawl back where you came from and ask jesus to gimme that pizza.