Hello and Happy New Year to all.

Just to give you guys an update. Last week I informed my pastors and elders of the church about the difficulties I have been having with the message they have been preaching and how I find no correlation between that message and what is happening in my life. I also told them that I was going to stop coming to church and that I was investigating other churches/religions/ideas, and that I feel like I have been milked dry for my money and services from their church. They said they understood and that many people go through crisis of faith and that with more prayers from the congregation I should find my way back to faith.

I have now received, through other sources, some information that the pastors and elders don't want other church members to meet me and discuss my problems. It appears that they are scared that I might convert them to my way of thinking and that they might lose their congregation. So much for brotherly love!!

I am now, for the first time in my life, feeling that I am begining to stand on my own feet and making a path for myself. I am beginning to feel that I am making the right decision, without relying on some religious persons or some external factors.

JeSoul:

  Verilee, you should have been testing everything you're told against the light of the scriptures and not simply accepting it based on the person be it pastor, bishop or pope. This is why so many are led astray and held captive to the baseless, sensationalized teachings of "men of god".

Another thing you must also understand is people are people, they are not infallible. They may be honest and sincere in their advice, but they could be wrong and more often than not - God has not spoken to any of them, they're simply giving their opinion, not God's. When I had to make a huge decision years back I got differing advice from a few friends I asked - godly friends. But in the end, I made my decision myself and from my heart with help from the Holy Spirit.

I encourage you to go ahead and examine everything you've been taught. I will add this caution, be careful in whatever resources or "historical facts about the world and bible" you seek to discover, because at the end of the day, your belief in God and Christ is not based on facts and figures and statistics but simply on faith, reinforced by the hand and work and touch of God you experience in your life everyday.

All the best in your quest brother.

Hello JeSoul,

Thank you for sticking with me. This is the mark of a true friend. As you can see, I am going through some rather difficult emotional and spiritual turmoil and over the last few months it has affected my relationships with my family and friends and others. It has even affect my productivity at work because I seem to have lost my usual easy-going and happy attitude at work, because this is such a weight on my mind. The decision I have taken is not an easy one and I am sure that this would further disturb my relationships with my community. Unfortunately, I had to come to this decision because I felt I was getting far too many mixed messages from people I had very high regard for. I also felt that these people had been touched individually by God, so it came as a big surprise that there was no uniformity in their advice. It has felt a big question in my mind, namely; what is the point of God having ministers, pastors on earth if God cannot use these people to touch the lives of his children? Yes - I understand these are people, but I was given to understand that these ministers and pastors are people who God had specifically chosen to serve him. Is this now not true? If you pastor said to you that he has received a message from God, you you believe him or not?

You say above that ultimately, everything rests on faith. I see you point, but this is not what constitute my biggest problem. I have taken on faith that God had a plan for me, that his ministers on earth were chosen by him, that he could reveal his plan to me, etc, etc. Should I carry on hold to these views on faith? How do I know Christianity is true? Should I just believe it is true on faith? Well, that would make it no difference from someone who believed on faith that Islam or Buddhism are true?

You said above that you once had to make a difficult decision, so I am sure you appreciate my position. I had been in this state of indecision for many many months and it got to a point where I thought I was going crazy. So my decision to pull out of my community for some time will allow me time to think and reflect and bring some sanity back into my life. You said you had some help from the Holy Spirit - Please, can you advise how the Holy Spirit helped and how did you recognise that it was the Holy Spirit and not some other entity?

Many thanks.

Hello and thanks to everyone who tried to advised me. I think I have come to a reasonable decision as to how to deal with these difficult questions in my life and there are as follows:

1) I have put off my marriage question until sometime into the far further. I have informed my family about this and they are now supportive of my decision. My decision to postpone the marriage question was made because I realise they are many other things that influence the marriage issue and until I sort out what these things are, I will not be able to properly address the marriage question. And the biggest of this influential issues is the quality and type of advice I have been getting from friends, family, pastors, and strangers, which brings me to the second issue:

2) Advice from Friends, Family, Pastors and Strangers. As Christian, nearly all the people around me are also God-fearing Christians and they are highly respected in the community. These people are approach by the community for all manner of problems and their wisdom is generally accepted and adopted by seekers. But in my case I had many different advice from all these people:

i) I had respected Christians friends and Pastors who said God hand a definite plan for me and that all I need do was pray had for God to reveal that to me.
ii) I had other respected Christian who said there was a plan but God cannot reveal it to me.
iii) I had advice that there was no plan at all and that I make up the plan minute by minute as I go along in life, but that I should ask God for guidance as I make these plans.
etc, etc, etc.

Basically, I have received so many conflicting and contradictory messages I have decided to no longer seek advice from these people. I have no lost all confidence about the source of these people's knowledge and wisdom of God's words. How could two different Pastors come up with two different answers about whether God has a plan for my life? This is really worrying. Could these Pastors be making up most of the things they tell us in church?

TO this end, I have now decided to look into the teachings of the pastors and the bible with a more critical eye and examine very carefully whether the teachings correspond with history and the facts about the world. To think that these pastors could have beeen lying and deceiving us all these years really HURTS me. So my second big decision is that I have decided to suspend my belief and investigate more the teachings of the bible and listen more carefully to some of the critics of religions and Christianity. There really may be something out there that we (I) have not been exposed to having be raised in a very cloistered Christian home.

JeSoul:

  My brother, you already know! His will is live a life that glorifies God.

As for your dilemma on who to marry - this too you will know with time. I don't believe God already has everything in our lives planned out. Not at all. Rather He allows us to make decisions, using His word as a guide and the Holyspirit as confirmation and in this, he brings about good as long as we are in His will (living the word).

Some people have given solid advice on this thread. There's no need to get married right now, make a decision when you are sure in your heart beyond all doubt. No one can tell you, I daresay the Holyspirit is not in the business of pointing out which partner is best suited for us. But instead use the godly wisdom in you to make a decision you will be at peace with in your spirit.

Finally, the one way I know I am making a good decision, is the peace I feel in my spirit. Which is why its important to take all the time you need, and then decide with confidence and peace of mind and heart. This way, you will not second guess yourself in the future. Godbless brother!

JeSoul,

Many thanks again. What your have said sounds reasonable and rational. I shall stop relying on God and the Holy Spirit to reveal to me my plan and to guide me. My destiny is all in my hands and not in the hands of God. This all makes sense to me now.

Thanks very much.

JeSoul:

Verilee,
I wasn't going to post this initially, but I feel urged to do so. Here's an article on the very subject that I posted on NL on a similar thread a while back. I hope you take something away from it. Godbless!




What if God does NOT have a plan for your life?

I love eureka moments.

And I have been having a eureka moment this entire month.

If you're anything like me, then you've wondered and pondered, sometimes struggled and wrestled with what "God's will is for your life". Many christians are living in a state of limbo, walking around under a self-induced spell that God will someday show up in grand fashion, whisk them away from their current 'secular' predicament otherwise known as a job, and bring to pass His great and awesome "will" for their lives.

However, I have come to the realization that God's will is not some far off event in the future, not some soon-to-be occurrence, not some great or small thing that I will be assigned to do, not a position or an allocation of work or job, but that God's will is right here, right now, and that will is for me - and you- to live lives that glorify His name. God's will for us is to obey, love and serve Him. Could it really be this simple? I also realized that I had been trusting more in my ability to be spiritual enough to hear God, than in God's ability to lead me.

---

-Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will"

-Colossians 4:12 "Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured"

-1 Thessalonians 4:3 "It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality"

-1 Thessalonians 5:18 "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

-1 Peter 2:15 "For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men".

---

   In all the above, God's will is a very present event, but even more importantly, this big word called "God's will" is already known!. It is not something that is being furiously searched out, it is already recognized, or in the process of being "tested and approved". When we hear the word's "God's will" today we think of this grand thing God has planned for us to be or do. . . what if God just wants you to live a quiet, and relatively uneventful life? Only significantly impacting a small group of people around you? What if God does not have as grand a plan as you think all mapped out for you in the future? What if God does not have anything more than what you are (in a worldly sense) and where you are right now planned out in your future? what if where you are is where He wants you to be? what if this is really it? For you to be simple and unknown, unaccomplished by worldly standards, quietly serving and worshipping Him?

    This is not to say God's plans for us are not good, but oftentimes our definition of "good" is not the same as God's definition. Remember, as high as the heavens are above the earth, so far are our thoughts from His. What if He just wants a simple, plain, regular joes life for you? what if? What if His plan for you is to suffer for His name and His glory? not doing anything great or wonderful ever in your life? what if your dreams and goals are not what He wants? what if your vision and aspirations are not part of His plan? What if you're not destined for "greatness"? what if? The bible teaches us we're not promised tomorrow, it teaches us not to fret or worry about tomorrow. So how did we get to this place where we're looking into a spiritual crystal ball, in a futile attempt to "discover" God's future "plans" for us? And you know what the plain truth is, we spend so much time and energy trying to figure out "what God's will is", instead of just trusting God to lead us into His will as we serve Him today. You see the difference?

  The first part places the emphasis on us, on how deeply spiritual we are that we can hear God's voice, that we can attain some level of holiness that God's will will then suddenly become apparent in some kind of vision or revelation. The latter part places the emphasis on God, and how faithful He is in answering a genuine prayer seeking His direction. And as He directs and leads, we become aware He has led, and that we are already in His will and His name is glorified in that. Here the glory goes to God- alone, whereas in the former the glory goes to us, to how "spiritual" we are. Now please don't get me wrong, there's nuthin wrong with having goals and things you'd like to accomplish, there's nuthin wrong with wanting to live and walk the path God has for you, but we must keep things in perspective. As we're setting the dreams and goals, how much of it is God-centered? And how much of it is you-centered? How much of your dreams seek to glorify God vs. glorifying you? And you may very well have noble intentions with your dreams, to win souls and share Christ, but it doesn't always necessarily mean they are God's intentions for you. So let us not cajole ourselves into believing that just cos we have good motives it justifies the dream. David had good intentions to build a temple for God, but God did not want him to. And if David had persisted in that dream, it would have been an act of disobedience toward God.

    I can relate so much because I've been a position where I've simply been wondering, to the point its been robbing me of my present, what God's will is for me, for my future. When it is all just so simple: live your life today, in accordance to His word, giving the glory to His name, and without even breaking out the Christian books or running to the Christian conferences that promise to "unlock your destiny", you will already be in His will. We need to stop trusting so much in our spirituality, in our ability to discover what this high and lofty and all too often elusive "will of God" (as we've defined it) is. Instead pick up your bible, live according to God's precepts and ways, yield and submit to the direction of the Holy Spirit- this is God's will for you. Then you would have been living your life already in His will, instead of looking to the skies or self-proclaimed prophets for some supposedly foretold event that might never take place.

thanks Jesoul,

That seemed to be very edifying until I read you last paragraph, which brought me right back to the start of my problem. You said I should yield and submit to the will of the Holy Spirit and that this is God's will for me. But this is exactly the problem I am facing.

How do I know what the will of the Holy Spirit is? If I do not know what the will of the Holy Spirit is, I would never be able to know whether I am submitting to my will, or somebody else's will. In the case of my marriage question, how would I know which of these ladies is the preference of the Holy Spirit for me?

A_K_O:

Whatever you do, don't make any decisions against your conscience. I subscribe to the view that God will make all things work for your good if you do all things out of integrity.

Thanks for your kind suggestions. Many folks at my church and community belief that God has worked out a predetermined path or plan for everyone and all we need to is be in communion with Him for Him to reveal it. I have had many people recount to me how they got on their life's plan by "discussing" with God, who revealed it to them. But the one thing common with all their stories was that they did not seem to have many alternative options, and they just seemed to have taken the one available and in the end it turned out OK-ish.

In my case, I seem to be sitting on the horns of a multilemma, with no finality in the decision anywhere close. I am now beginning to wonder whether God has a plan for me, and/or whether he is listening to my prayers.

Is God waiting for me to make a decision and then he is going to jump behind me and support me, if I continue to believe in Him?

kcjazz:

For marriage- What is your heart telling you to do? I suppose you have prayed; it depends what you want out of your life. However marriage is an important step in life, you want to be with someone who will be sharing your vision as well as you sharing theirs and making it to happen. So who among this three shares your vision. I doubt they all do, so pray and make your decisions based on that.

Career, the same principle applies whats more important, do not be pressured to get married if you are not ready. If you have the money and you believe this training ties into your future then pray and make the decision.

I wish I could give you a formula, but none to give. Just talk to God about it, lay out your fears and make a decision. Some decisions might seem like a mistake today but they turn out well in the future and vis versa. Remember David's adultery and Jesus lineage.

Kcjazz,

Many thanks for your most helpful advice.  I wish it was that easy.  Yes, I have prayed and prayed and prayed, for many months now, but I seem to be getting no nearer a decision.  The problem is that each one of these ladies has good qualities that I admired and want.  If only I could squeeze them all into one person, that would make my ideal lady.

I get the impression that my family would prefer the lady abroad as she is from a wealthy and respectable Christian family and is in a stable and respectable career herself. But my heart tells me that she is the one I am least attracted to.  I am most physically attracted to my childhood friend, but her "rough" past makes her look bad in the eyes of my family.  She is a very strong spiritual and God-fearing Christian now, but her prospects in terms of career is rather limited.  My philosophical friend is the most intelligent of them all and has very good prospect careerwise. She is the sort of person who would be successful at almost anything she does. My doubt about her is that she is the most likely to change into another religion, although she says that is unlikely to happen.

Apart from my faith, my family and career are very very important to me, and that is why I find making the decision by myself so difficult. I sometimes wonder whether I have over-analyse the options to the point where I have driven out that spontaneous love. But I am the sort of person who analyses all major decisions in my life. That is why I think I really need to hear from God now.  I am sure that whoever God chooses for me would be the right person, But if I make the decision by myself I am 100% that I am going to have regrets in the future.

tpia.:

well, your first step of course is to pray

However, your questions are very general and you also said you dont know[b] if[/b] God has a plan for you.





are you having some ideas but you dont know if its your plan or God's?

Or you just want directions on what steps to take next?

Hello,

Basically,  I am just trying to understand whether the plans I make for myself are the same as God's plan, as I do not wish to be led astray. I am at several crossroads in my life right now and the decisions I will or will not make in the next few months will determines the course of the rest of my life. So I want to make sure that these decisions are consistent with what God has planned for me.  These are very important decisions, such as;

1)  The decision about who to marry.  I am very friendly with three good God-fearing Christian ladies, each of whom, I think would make a very good wife.  I have known these ladies for different length of time. The one that I have known the least lives abroad and if we were to get married, this would entail a relocation on my part as she is in a stable and well-paid career. The one I have known the longest is a friend from childhood and is someone who has had a "rough" past, but has now given her life to God and appears to be making progress in many areas of life. The other one is a very intelligent and "spiritual", and philosophical person with the sort of mind that wants to investigate everything. Although she says she is God-fearing because she was raised in a Christian home, she also says she is open to looking into other religions and ideas.

This is my very brief characterisation of the ladies although I am sure there is more to them than I have seen so far. These ladies have different levels of physical attractiveness, although I am not sure whether I should take this into account.  In fact, this is one of the dilemmas I would like to have some guidance from god about.  In my eyes, the lady abroad is the least physically attractive to me, while the childhood friend is the most.

So, my dilemma is  - Who has God planned for me?  Could it be one of these ladies or is it someone else?


2)  Career and Business.  This concerns whether to stay in my current career or to go abroad for some further studies which will cost quite a lot of money and disrupt my plans for marrying as I have explained above. However, the potential benefits of pursuing the line of studies are enormous and it would be something I could regret not doing in the future.



These appear to be main issues in my life right now and as they are very important issues I want to make sure I do not make a decision that is not God-guided. Basically, I do not want to make a decision from my HEAD but from the "HEAD of God", if there is such a thing.  If I do make a decision, how can I be sure that it is the decision that God has planned for me?

tpia.:

what's[b] your[/b] plan for your life?

what you need to do is figure out if its in line with God's word, imo.

not set in stone though.

Unless you're one of those people who prefer to have someone else guide them. Nothing wrong with that if its your style. Who am I to judge except if it gets extreme.

So, is my plan for my life the same as God's plan for my life if it is in line with God's word?

I need some help and advice from you all, if you don't mind. I don't seem to be able to realise what God has planned for me and it has just occurred to me that it could be because I don't know whether God has such a plan for me, or if He has, what the content of the plan is. So I how do I come to know:

1) If God has a plan for my life?

2) What is the content of the plan, if one exists?

I would be very grateful if people who have realised their personal God-given plan could advise me.

Thanks

Jesus said "No one cometh onto the Father but through me".  Should we believe this?  Is this really true?   In view of this Jesus comment,  which of these people are in hell or will go to hell?

1)  All non-Christians

2)  Your grand-parents, or great grand-parents

3)  A child who died aged 2 months old

4)  Hitler

6)  Yourself

8.)  Rapists

9)  A sorcerer

.

Given what you know about the history of humanity, when do you think is the best time to have lived?

Would you prefer to have lived in the time of Moses?

Would you prefer to have lived in the time of Abraham?

Would you prefer to have lived in the time of Jesus?

Would you prefer to have lived in the time of the Trans-atlantic slave trade?

Would you prefer to have lived in the time of colonial imperialism?


OR, maybe you prefer to have not been born now but in sometime in the future.


Would you prefer to have been born in the year 2050, or 2150, or 3000 years?

There are plenty of relgions across the face of the planet, with the practitioners of these religions each claiming that their religion or beliefs plays an important role in the conduct of their lifes. It is also true that in some place, this diversity of religions breeds tensions and disharmony across the inter-religious lines. It could be argued that a great deal of this tension is the result of ignorance of the other person's religion. So in the interest of smoothening out such tension, I would like to invite people to educate their friends, neighbours and strangers about the nature of their religion. You could structure your discussion along the following lines:

1) What the core tenets of your religion are.


2) How long you have been a follower of this religion and the changes it has made in your life.


3) What you know about other religions.


4) What the core similarities/difference are between your religion and other religions.


5) The prospects of the world in view of the diversity of human beliefs.



Many thankz

Does God answer the prayers of non-Christians like muslims, hindus, mormons, etc.?

SirJohn:

[center]Death by faith[/center]



This is what was adopted by Kenneth Hagin who writes in his book “In the name of Jesus” on the topic of divine healing and health. “I have so often said, I haven’t had a headache in so many years (45 to be exact) ,  Just a few months ago, as I left the office building and started home, suddenly my head started hurting, someone might say, “well, you had a headache. No, I didn’t have one! I don’t have headaches. I haven’t had a headache since August 1934. 45 years have come and gone. And I haven’t had a headache…but if I had a headache, I wouldn’t tell anybody. And if somebody asked me how I was feeling, I would say, I’m fine, thank you.” (In the Name of Jesus, p.44) Notice he says he wouldn't tell you how he really feels because his words override the pain. Is this honest? Is it true? Is this the way someone is to represent the Lord. Did Jesus teach this nonsense? Of course not.

Oh, yes! What did Jesus teach?

SirJohn:

Did anyone die after Jesus pronounced them healed? Of course not. Do you ever see anyone leave the stage at the Healing Crusades not being healed. Is everyone getting healed? Because that is the impression they give. If miracles actually convinced people, Jesus' own family would have been convinced, but they were not.

Interesting. Are they still alive today? I would like to meet them. Have you got their contact details?

What is the correct biblical approach to conduct a divorce?

the God of the Old Testament?

The Catholic clergyman says there is no such thing as the soul.  Wow!    Is that real?

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Part 7:

Nigeria's Educational System Needs Freethought
by Leo Igwe http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/shb/igwe_19_2.htm



Freethought is lacking in Nigeria's educational institutions. This is because the country's schools were originally established by religious groups, mainly Christian missionaries from Europe who used them as tools for proselytizing and converting the Nigerian "heathens." The curricula were faith-based and overwhelmed by religious indoctrination, dogma, and brainwashing. Education was used to get Nigerians to embrace Christianity or Islam. It was not an avenue for self-realization or intellectual growth.

But in the early 1970s, the Nigerian government took over all the schools in order to instill secular ideals and values into public education. But the Nigerian educational system has retained its religious character-Islamic in the north and Christian in the south. The government's secularization project was never achieved. So, two religions have maintained their corrupting influence on Nigeria's schools and students, allowing no space for free, independent, and secular thoughts to thrive and flourish.

Consequently, most educated Nigerians are intellectually inclined to blind faith and unreason. They have a pathological aversion to critical thinking and free inquiry. The current educational climate is not only repressive but dangerous. For over a decade, Nigerian schools, colleges, polytechnics, and universities have been bedeviled by the actions of cultists and criminals. Tertiary institutions especially have been scenes of indescribable violence against students by other students. School authorities have often attributed the problems to students' lack of faith, godlessness, or religious indifference. Some have turned to religious leaders for help, and they now flock to the campuses to hold crusades, prayer sessions, and revivals. But the problems have not been solved.

Other problems have been created. Nigerian campuses have been turned into religious supermarkets, and Nigerian education has become sectarian. Religious meetings are now conducted virtually everywhere in schools—in libraries, lecture halls, and even in laboratories. A number of lecturers have abandoned teaching and researching to become clerics and evangelists.

There is no longer any clear demarcation between religious duties and academic work.

As Islam and Christianity continue their decades-long battle for control of the nation's educational system, Nigerian schools have been turned into breeding grounds for religious militants, terrorists, and bandits. Since the 1980s there have been recurring instances of crises and violence-at the University of Sokoto (1986), the University of Ibadan (1987), Queen Amina College Kaduna (1987), Ahmadu Bello University Zaria (1988), Government Vocational Training School Markafi (1990), Government Girls' College Jalingo (1992), Kaduna Polytechnic (1992), and many others. Many incidents have been sparked by efforts to introduce and implement Islamic law in the country. In February 2003, Muslim and Christian students clashed in some secondary schools in Oyo State over the wearing of the Islamic veil.

I find this situation deplorable. I am using this opportunity to call for an immediate end to this dangerous trend in Nigerian education. I submit that, rather than too little religion, it is too much religion that is at the root of the problem of intellectual decay on the campuses. All in all, religion is part of the problem facing Nigerian schools. And religion cannot be the solution. All who think that more religion or faith is required to eradicate the problems in Nigeria's educational system are terribly mistaken.

Even though religious groups may have something positive to contribute to Nigerian education, such offers are corrupted and complicated by the extremes of religious fundamentalism, militancy, and rivalry in the schools.

Beside cultism, religious fanaticism remains one of the greatest threats to education and academic freedom in Nigeria. Religious fundamentalism sanctifies ignorance, glorifies conformity and blind obedience, and rewards lack of curiosity and intellectual stagnation. All religions have a way of turning young and docile minds into stone, making them impervious to critical intelligence and rational thought. This is the tragic situation in Nigerian schools.

And now, what is the way forward? Personally, I am of the view that Nigerian campuses are in dire need of an intellectual awakening that would tackle religious fundamentalism and occultism, foster academic freedom, and restore genuine scholarship and intellectual culture. To this end, I am strongly recommending that the following take place on all Nigerian campuses: a decline in religious belief and observance and an explosion of humanism, skepticism, and freethought.

Religion and dogma must decrease; reason, science, and freethought must increase. Theism, supernaturalism, and occultism must shrink; secular humanism and skepticism must expand and flourish. The culture of faith and blind belief must be replaced with a culture of intellectual curiosity and critical thinking. Nigerian students should rededicate themselves to the pursuit of the ideals of enlightenment and intellectual and moral progress.

As part of its efforts to improve the quality of learning and instruction in schools nationwide, the Nigerian humanist movement has initiated a Campus Freethought Project, in coordination with the Council for Secular Humanism's Campus Freethought Alliance (CFA). The Project is aimed at countering religious fundamentalism and encouraging critical inquiry into every area of human endeavor. It will support and stimulate student humanism, skepticism, and freethought through the publication and distribution of literature, news and information services, and lectures and seminars on campuses nationwide—much like CFA has done across North America.

CFA Nigeria seeks to encourage students to cultivate open-mindedness, to exercise their creative and critical faculties, and give free rein to their moral and intellectual energies by following a secular and reasoned approached to life and learning
I call upon all Nigerian students who entertain humanist, freethought, and skeptical sentiments to organize into groups and take up the task of secularizing life and learning in schools. All students should see this as part of the efforts to salvage Nigerian education and its institutions. I hope the Nigerian Campus Freethought Project will help enlighten, liberate, and bring joy to life and learning in Nigerian schools, colleges, polytechnics, and universities.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leo Igwe is the executive director of CFI-Nigeria.

Nigeria's Educational System Needs Freethought
by Leo Igwe
http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/shb/igwe_19_2.htm


Freethought is lacking in Nigeria's educational institutions. This is because the country's schools were originally established by religious groups, mainly Christian missionaries from Europe who used them as tools for proselytizing and converting the Nigerian "heathens." The curricula were faith-based and overwhelmed by religious indoctrination, dogma, and brainwashing. Education was used to get Nigerians to embrace Christianity or Islam. It was not an avenue for self-realization or intellectual growth.

But in the early 1970s, the Nigerian government took over all the schools in order to instill secular ideals and values into public education. But the Nigerian educational system has retained its religious character-Islamic in the north and Christian in the south. The government's secularization project was never achieved. So, two religions have maintained their corrupting influence on Nigeria's schools and students, allowing no space for free, independent, and secular thoughts to thrive and flourish.

Consequently, most educated Nigerians are intellectually inclined to blind faith and unreason. They have a pathological aversion to critical thinking and free inquiry. The current educational climate is not only repressive but dangerous. For over a decade, Nigerian schools, colleges, polytechnics, and universities have been bedeviled by the actions of cultists and criminals. Tertiary institutions especially have been scenes of indescribable violence against students by other students. School authorities have often attributed the problems to students' lack of faith, godlessness, or religious indifference. Some have turned to religious leaders for help, and they now flock to the campuses to hold crusades, prayer sessions, and revivals. But the problems have not been solved.

Other problems have been created. Nigerian campuses have been turned into religious supermarkets, and Nigerian education has become sectarian. Religious meetings are now conducted virtually everywhere in schools—in libraries, lecture halls, and even in laboratories. A number of lecturers have abandoned teaching and researching to become clerics and evangelists.

There is no longer any clear demarcation between religious duties and academic work.

As Islam and Christianity continue their decades-long battle for control of the nation's educational system, Nigerian schools have been turned into breeding grounds for religious militants, terrorists, and bandits. Since the 1980s there have been recurring instances of crises and violence-at the University of Sokoto (1986), the University of Ibadan (1987), Queen Amina College Kaduna (1987), Ahmadu Bello University Zaria (1988), Government Vocational Training School Markafi (1990), Government Girls' College Jalingo (1992), Kaduna Polytechnic (1992), and many others. Many incidents have been sparked by efforts to introduce and implement Islamic law in the country. In February 2003, Muslim and Christian students clashed in some secondary schools in Oyo State over the wearing of the Islamic veil.

I find this situation deplorable. I am using this opportunity to call for an immediate end to this dangerous trend in Nigerian education. I submit that, rather than too little religion, it is too much religion that is at the root of the problem of intellectual decay on the campuses. All in all, religion is part of the problem facing Nigerian schools. And religion cannot be the solution. All who think that more religion or faith is required to eradicate the problems in Nigeria's educational system are terribly mistaken.

Even though religious groups may have something positive to contribute to Nigerian education, such offers are corrupted and complicated by the extremes of religious fundamentalism, militancy, and rivalry in the schools.

Beside cultism, religious fanaticism remains one of the greatest threats to education and academic freedom in Nigeria. Religious fundamentalism sanctifies ignorance, glorifies conformity and blind obedience, and rewards lack of curiosity and intellectual stagnation. All religions have a way of turning young and docile minds into stone, making them impervious to critical intelligence and rational thought. This is the tragic situation in Nigerian schools.

And now, what is the way forward? Personally, I am of the view that Nigerian campuses are in dire need of an intellectual awakening that would tackle religious fundamentalism and occultism, foster academic freedom, and restore genuine scholarship and intellectual culture. To this end, I am strongly recommending that the following take place on all Nigerian campuses: a decline in religious belief and observance and an explosion of humanism, skepticism, and freethought.

Religion and dogma must decrease; reason, science, and freethought must increase. Theism, supernaturalism, and occultism must shrink; secular humanism and skepticism must expand and flourish. The culture of faith and blind belief must be replaced with a culture of intellectual curiosity and critical thinking. Nigerian students should rededicate themselves to the pursuit of the ideals of enlightenment and intellectual and moral progress.

As part of its efforts to improve the quality of learning and instruction in schools nationwide, the Nigerian humanist movement has initiated a Campus Freethought Project, in coordination with the Council for Secular Humanism's Campus Freethought Alliance (CFA). The Project is aimed at countering religious fundamentalism and encouraging critical inquiry into every area of human endeavor. It will support and stimulate student humanism, skepticism, and freethought through the publication and distribution of literature, news and information services, and lectures and seminars on campuses nationwide—much like CFA has done across North America.

CFA Nigeria seeks to encourage students to cultivate open-mindedness, to exercise their creative and critical faculties, and give free rein to their moral and intellectual energies by following a secular and reasoned approached to life and learning
I call upon all Nigerian students who entertain humanist, freethought, and skeptical sentiments to organize into groups and take up the task of secularizing life and learning in schools. All students should see this as part of the efforts to salvage Nigerian education and its institutions. I hope the Nigerian Campus Freethought Project will help enlighten, liberate, and bring joy to life and learning in Nigerian schools, colleges, polytechnics, and universities.

Cayon:

but tell me, how do you explain the great number of believers amongst people who work as scientists, as astronomers, as teachers, as physicists. They should be all atheists, no? their work is to discover the rules, the evolution, the universe, , and yet they see God and the perfection of his work better than anyone

hmm, oh what a tangled web we weave

Why you no try answer dey question nah?

Is there such a thing as White Privilege


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UJlNRODZHA&session=yHJHsjvbTWaknlqFwmtQGFkix9axs4EGe_bTbwpkQlDfkuH0C-C9v5ey1FAy3MiNGfdhXUGHUtCAPIWF_3kurGgsTYi4RzyjJNY8TXwDqpxKz1BLn2ytCzXcAEjoYr-CpwsS8GNY62PxoT5jIvi14kD278UnB9vuYUCyO1TQ13uy-GH34X-6YIkdLc56nohykoA4gYK0S-0xLgUA4zpORSA_xnnArPioAYQ2NvIe9-c-Wka-v1BXq8DJPEmg1pVp


Interesting

Mustay:

this is an example of another one:

This is a great site: http://www.inthenameofallah.org/

WOW, this is really a hot site. Just beware, you might get your mind roasted.

olabowale:

Huxley:
The word, "infidels," is not originally from Islam. Non muslims are mainly referered to as disbelievers, and because of bad behavior they are compared to donkeys, etc. Now, if somebody comes to your mom's home and begin to beat her and the old frail woman may die from the heavy and many hard blows. Your mom is yelling that the beast that is abusing her not to kill her. You happen to hear your mom yelling that huxley help me and get this mad man to stop. You will react and rush to trying to save your mother or what?


But when you get to your mothers bedroom, you found the bedroom locked. Will you not force it open? As you slam your heavy body against the floor, it was flung open, and to your surprise, theman came with a gun which he left on the table near the door as you enter. But what this guy is now doing is that he raised his handup, in it is a long stemmed sharp knife, positioned to strike your 70 something year old mother. Here is your test as a son of this woman who is now in a certain peril/danger.

Will you pick up the gun and ready to shoot at the man, while your mother is bleding and crying for mercy? Interestingly, in your bleeding heart liberalism, you yelled at the man to stop, that you have a gun in your hand. He just turned around and says to you that he knows that you are liberal and can't stand the sight of blood. He then reassured you that after he kills your mother, he is is coming to kill you. Now, he turns back to your mother who is laying there under the weight of his massive hand which he is using to hold her down.


As he now, reaied himself, to strike your mother, to bury the long sharp double blade of this knive in her, to kill her and then to concentrate his effort to killing you, too, what will you do? Will you not pull the trigger of this gun to end this man's life and save your mother? At least try to destroy his hands so that you can disarm him? Will you not do any of these two, but let your stupid unafrican liberalism dictated the course of your killing ypur own mother by being an accessory to her death and probably your own suicide, if this guy turns around and kill you, considering that he is younger, bigger and probably powerful than you, at least operates with vengeance?

If you will kill this bastard, then, know that peaceful religion, should not be considered to mean stupidly rediculously peaceful. There is a time that a person will have to engage in self preservation, even if it means that somebody else dies. Yet the concept of peace would never have been lost, through it.

What is all this rubbish, man. Answer the question.

Should you kill infidels whereever you may find them?

ayinba1:



Quran knowledge is not meant for show off. There is a thread for "favorite ayah/surah"

But of course, you didn't know that.

What exactly is your purpose with this topic?

That said, I shall amend the text, deleting the word "show-off".

The purpose is to make the full-depth and breadth of the koran available to everyone. Is there a problem with that?

I would like to invite posters to display their knowledge of the Islamic holy book here by quoting their favorite passages of the ko-ran under the following heading;

1) The most poetically subtle
2) The most intellectually challenging
3) The most scientifically prescient
4) The most love-inspiring
5) The most cruel, violent, barbaric and inhuman.

So guys display your knowledge of the great book.

Does God already know who would end up in Hell?

How sad! Every passing is a sad occasion; even sadder that he could not get the treatment he needed in Nigeria.

Very well said. I agree. We are at the crossroads now in Africa and religion will play an important part which way we go. Unfortunately we seem to be going down the road to the Dark Ages.

Where does society gets its morals from? Do we get them from the world's religions?