Friday, April 17, 2015
Sunday, April 12, 2015
RELIGION POISONS EVERYTHING ON ITS WAY- PART 2
Slackness started in Africa when Africans let imported religions
crept into our lives and continent to stifle the lives out of our native
Gods and ways of life. In most countries earth-wide where they kept
European and their religion out, they’ve been blessed in full measures.
The Japanese knew from outset not to trifle with foreign evangelists.
They did everything humanly possible fighting tooth and nail to make
sure that foreign religions and ideologies doesn’t superimpose upon
theirs. The first twenty-six Christian missionaries that came to Japan
were murdered in cold blood in the year 1597. This was an attempt to
signal Caucasians that they weren’t welcomed with their faith into
Japan. And it worked. They went one step further when in 1614 they began
to torture and execute Christian missionaries and those of their
converts who refused to disavow their religion. The Japanese and co.
knew from onset that Christian religion and its cousin of Islam were
poisonous to progress
of native peoples: hence they moved double quick to stifle them before foreign faiths addict their countrymen into unthinking and impractical sky-hookers like it’s the case in Nigeria.
In part one of this article, I criticised Nigerian Christians who claim with all masculinity, that their pastors and religion are above criticism. Some of the Christians who rejoined my write-up called me all sorts of nasty names. They had a field day badmouthing me to their heart desires. A guy called me gay atheist. Others thought that I’m not better than the guttersnipes in Ajegunle and the caste people of Indian. And I wish to thank all Christians who cursed me solid for their efforts. You guys are wonderful. No man-mountain of Christian cursers can dim the sincere wish of most freethinkers and plenty other groups who’re open to all options and believe that all areas should be accessed when it comes to criticism. God and Devil; man and woman; creation and evolution, love and hate &co.&co. should all open up for criticism.
My second motive and core reason in writing this piece is to counter the spread of indignities poured on African Traditional Religion. Most Christian who responded to part one of my articles passed African religion as pure Luciferianism: full with devilment of sins. Too many ritual; better to serve a foreign God and religion than worship the African sort, they chanted with dutiful religious orgasm. I’ll state here two instances that narcissistic Christians should ponder about next time when bashing or cursing our native religions or others as a matter of fact.
To star with: Christian religion is not without its own Lucifer effect. Fingerprints of the Devil hovers around Christian religion like it does the African one. God of Abraham that today’s Christians are so beloved of, once told his convert Abraham to kill his son Isaac to appease Him. This is ritual murder solicitation by the Biblical God! Later on, He told Abraham it was a joke after all. A playful God of April Fool type defiling the baby-innocence of Abraham’s son and playing on the psychology of his subservient Abraham convert. What in today’s world could pass proper for child abuse and attempted murder in the law court. I’ve never stopped listening to the 'sweetest taboo' song of the Nigerian-born singer, Sade Adu. There’re certainly those who love to celebrate taboos, mostly foreign ones. And this brings me to Christian religion’s next taboo.
Jesus their Christ was born via the birth of a human woman Mary mating with spirit male. In English language, spirit sexing with humans is called 'incubus.' Human being mating with spirit in Nigeria and most societies is taboo. Incubus birth is also worth the while to worship by Nigerian Christians because everything foreign is good and the one African, is damaging. They may as well argue that old things have passed away with Abraham’s era even when their by-now New Testament lives aren’t different from the old one. I’m not interested to annoy faithist here. I’m only trying to keep the record straight with those who worship imported religion and swear the reason is because African ones are so naughty by nature. The ritual sacrifice taboo occurring in Nigerian religion is bad enough that the ones in the Bible call for celebration. Misnomer. Christians and Muslims in Nigeria should look inward before they criticise our native religions because if they point one accusing finger
as per ritual and bane to the direction of African religion four remaining fingers point to their imported religions and Gods. All religions are bedevilled back and front in like manners. There’s no doubt that religion gives hopes to the down and out in society, plus it helps to console people when they lost loved ones. All the same, that’s not to say that religion is as sure as egg is egg or truly a cure-all reality. The fact that doctors use "PLACEBO" to cure their patients via playing upon their faiths and psychology doesn’t mean that placebo is real or has medicinal content. Doctors must’ve taken cue from God of Abraham in faith-playing their patients, same way today’s publicist are making superstars from ordinary people after emperor Constantine made a world superstar out of human Jesus. Placebo is the medical answer to the Biblical ‘your faith has made thee whole.’ This not to say that non-religious people have no equivalents in soothing their loses.
Christians and Muslims in Nigeria have no problem cursing other people’s religion as if they have visas from 'Christ Embassy’ and 'Muhammad’s Consulate' to do so. They are the children of the Living God by their acclaim while those outside their faiths are sons of a gun. It’s out of the fact that Muslim feel their faith and God are above criticism hence they put a bounty on the head of Salma Rushdie who wrote the 'Satanic Verses,' whence he trashed Muslim religion and Muhammad together. A religion that gives away nine-year old girls for marriage is a shameful one. The concept that Christians and Muslims allow themselves the legroom to lampoon other faiths with narcissism of a big difference while disallowing them to swipe at theirs is as vexing as it’s a major irritant. There’s always the Satanic verses in all religion.
The madness for imported whatever in Nigeria is already cutting the edge sadly. This brings to mind the sorry episode in Bright Chimeze´s music some time ago where according him, he went to a disco party and requested for African sound/music and the people called him 'Okoro junior.' Okoro Jr. is a degrading name or word to mean a 'country cousin' or a bushman. African music is bad, African Gods and religions are bad. What is it our own that we are so proud of? Native intelligence and conventional wisdom would tell you that it’s better to serve a native God than a borrowed one. That’s if you’re a God addict. Left for me, I put my faith in the positive content of people’s character, a promotion of humanism to superimpose upon all Gods and religions. I’ll use Japanese and Chinese adherence to their native religion to explain why I’m of the mindset that Native religions should be preferred in case one is a faith-head and God addict and can’t let go. All addiction is
fatal: whether it is alcohol, drug, God addiction, cigarette, womanising, rigging election, looting commonwealth.
God of Israel! When shall we’ve God of Nigeria? The booming chants about the God of Israel from across Nigeria is deafening. It’s time we start shouting God of Nigeria in place of that of Israel. In each bend and corner today in Nigeria, one is insulted with the singsongs of God of Israel. Information minister Dora should start by re-branding African religions and Gods for international consumption and to compete with Muslim and Christian Gods and religions as per foreign visitors that’d drove in with tourist and pilgrimage resources money to better Nigeria. Israel and Saudi Arabia should stop monopolizing the God industry. We need to re-brand our native Gods into shape so as to compete internationally.
The Chinese people, like their Japanese counterpart went via hell of hassles to keep their native Confucian belief system. Apart from when Chairman Mao Tse-Tung launched the 'cultural revolution' where he was bent on pooh-poohing Confucianism. Mao hated Confucius belief because it challenged leaders to take good care of their citizens. Mao’s motto was: 'do unto others as you’d not want them do unto you.' As leader of China, he was mean to his citizens plus those capitalist who’d not share his world-view of communist supremacy.
Japanese and China developed along their native system, God and religion and with these are now in the forefront of scoring modern goals in the global world. While Nigeria with Her preponderance of imported religions is lagging behind amid nations and civilisation and still pretend not to be aware. God of Abraham and Muhammad are a drawback to Nigeria and Africa. We could choose what is beneficial with foreign influence and do away with the burdensome ones. Imported religions should be chucked away from Nigeria and thrown into the trashcan.
It’s all sham the antics of Muslims and Christians in Nigeria to claim and believe that our amazing grace lies in foreign Gods. Their acting and talking to the gallery that we owe our total existence and forward march as individuals and a nation to Jesus and Muhammad are all junk posturing that have no iota of empirical truth. Their lies are seen in the development of Japan and China. Japan developed as the second richest nation not because they have or believe in Jesus and Muhammad. China is pacing ahead via its native belief systems and military tenacity. Europe and the U.S. had to separate religion from state and embraced 'Science and Technology' as their modern God. In Europe for example, their churches are unattended and nobody gives a flying hell about God, while at the same time, their lives are progressing economically with life expectancy hitting the rooftop. While in reverse, the Nigerian churches are doing roaring trade packed to the brim while our lives get misbegotten
by the day. The world at large is aware that bygone is the era of religion, aside from Nigeria that’s living in the past in the 21st century.
The futuristic Japanese people knew from word go that: religion poisons everything on its way. They thwarted it. Ask the Chinese and native Indians of the Americas of all histories to educate you better.
S. Njokede writes from The European Union.
www.rig2011electionyoudie@rocketmail.com
of native peoples: hence they moved double quick to stifle them before foreign faiths addict their countrymen into unthinking and impractical sky-hookers like it’s the case in Nigeria.
In part one of this article, I criticised Nigerian Christians who claim with all masculinity, that their pastors and religion are above criticism. Some of the Christians who rejoined my write-up called me all sorts of nasty names. They had a field day badmouthing me to their heart desires. A guy called me gay atheist. Others thought that I’m not better than the guttersnipes in Ajegunle and the caste people of Indian. And I wish to thank all Christians who cursed me solid for their efforts. You guys are wonderful. No man-mountain of Christian cursers can dim the sincere wish of most freethinkers and plenty other groups who’re open to all options and believe that all areas should be accessed when it comes to criticism. God and Devil; man and woman; creation and evolution, love and hate &co.&co. should all open up for criticism.
My second motive and core reason in writing this piece is to counter the spread of indignities poured on African Traditional Religion. Most Christian who responded to part one of my articles passed African religion as pure Luciferianism: full with devilment of sins. Too many ritual; better to serve a foreign God and religion than worship the African sort, they chanted with dutiful religious orgasm. I’ll state here two instances that narcissistic Christians should ponder about next time when bashing or cursing our native religions or others as a matter of fact.
To star with: Christian religion is not without its own Lucifer effect. Fingerprints of the Devil hovers around Christian religion like it does the African one. God of Abraham that today’s Christians are so beloved of, once told his convert Abraham to kill his son Isaac to appease Him. This is ritual murder solicitation by the Biblical God! Later on, He told Abraham it was a joke after all. A playful God of April Fool type defiling the baby-innocence of Abraham’s son and playing on the psychology of his subservient Abraham convert. What in today’s world could pass proper for child abuse and attempted murder in the law court. I’ve never stopped listening to the 'sweetest taboo' song of the Nigerian-born singer, Sade Adu. There’re certainly those who love to celebrate taboos, mostly foreign ones. And this brings me to Christian religion’s next taboo.
Jesus their Christ was born via the birth of a human woman Mary mating with spirit male. In English language, spirit sexing with humans is called 'incubus.' Human being mating with spirit in Nigeria and most societies is taboo. Incubus birth is also worth the while to worship by Nigerian Christians because everything foreign is good and the one African, is damaging. They may as well argue that old things have passed away with Abraham’s era even when their by-now New Testament lives aren’t different from the old one. I’m not interested to annoy faithist here. I’m only trying to keep the record straight with those who worship imported religion and swear the reason is because African ones are so naughty by nature. The ritual sacrifice taboo occurring in Nigerian religion is bad enough that the ones in the Bible call for celebration. Misnomer. Christians and Muslims in Nigeria should look inward before they criticise our native religions because if they point one accusing finger
as per ritual and bane to the direction of African religion four remaining fingers point to their imported religions and Gods. All religions are bedevilled back and front in like manners. There’s no doubt that religion gives hopes to the down and out in society, plus it helps to console people when they lost loved ones. All the same, that’s not to say that religion is as sure as egg is egg or truly a cure-all reality. The fact that doctors use "PLACEBO" to cure their patients via playing upon their faiths and psychology doesn’t mean that placebo is real or has medicinal content. Doctors must’ve taken cue from God of Abraham in faith-playing their patients, same way today’s publicist are making superstars from ordinary people after emperor Constantine made a world superstar out of human Jesus. Placebo is the medical answer to the Biblical ‘your faith has made thee whole.’ This not to say that non-religious people have no equivalents in soothing their loses.
Christians and Muslims in Nigeria have no problem cursing other people’s religion as if they have visas from 'Christ Embassy’ and 'Muhammad’s Consulate' to do so. They are the children of the Living God by their acclaim while those outside their faiths are sons of a gun. It’s out of the fact that Muslim feel their faith and God are above criticism hence they put a bounty on the head of Salma Rushdie who wrote the 'Satanic Verses,' whence he trashed Muslim religion and Muhammad together. A religion that gives away nine-year old girls for marriage is a shameful one. The concept that Christians and Muslims allow themselves the legroom to lampoon other faiths with narcissism of a big difference while disallowing them to swipe at theirs is as vexing as it’s a major irritant. There’s always the Satanic verses in all religion.
The madness for imported whatever in Nigeria is already cutting the edge sadly. This brings to mind the sorry episode in Bright Chimeze´s music some time ago where according him, he went to a disco party and requested for African sound/music and the people called him 'Okoro junior.' Okoro Jr. is a degrading name or word to mean a 'country cousin' or a bushman. African music is bad, African Gods and religions are bad. What is it our own that we are so proud of? Native intelligence and conventional wisdom would tell you that it’s better to serve a native God than a borrowed one. That’s if you’re a God addict. Left for me, I put my faith in the positive content of people’s character, a promotion of humanism to superimpose upon all Gods and religions. I’ll use Japanese and Chinese adherence to their native religion to explain why I’m of the mindset that Native religions should be preferred in case one is a faith-head and God addict and can’t let go. All addiction is
fatal: whether it is alcohol, drug, God addiction, cigarette, womanising, rigging election, looting commonwealth.
God of Israel! When shall we’ve God of Nigeria? The booming chants about the God of Israel from across Nigeria is deafening. It’s time we start shouting God of Nigeria in place of that of Israel. In each bend and corner today in Nigeria, one is insulted with the singsongs of God of Israel. Information minister Dora should start by re-branding African religions and Gods for international consumption and to compete with Muslim and Christian Gods and religions as per foreign visitors that’d drove in with tourist and pilgrimage resources money to better Nigeria. Israel and Saudi Arabia should stop monopolizing the God industry. We need to re-brand our native Gods into shape so as to compete internationally.
The Chinese people, like their Japanese counterpart went via hell of hassles to keep their native Confucian belief system. Apart from when Chairman Mao Tse-Tung launched the 'cultural revolution' where he was bent on pooh-poohing Confucianism. Mao hated Confucius belief because it challenged leaders to take good care of their citizens. Mao’s motto was: 'do unto others as you’d not want them do unto you.' As leader of China, he was mean to his citizens plus those capitalist who’d not share his world-view of communist supremacy.
Japanese and China developed along their native system, God and religion and with these are now in the forefront of scoring modern goals in the global world. While Nigeria with Her preponderance of imported religions is lagging behind amid nations and civilisation and still pretend not to be aware. God of Abraham and Muhammad are a drawback to Nigeria and Africa. We could choose what is beneficial with foreign influence and do away with the burdensome ones. Imported religions should be chucked away from Nigeria and thrown into the trashcan.
It’s all sham the antics of Muslims and Christians in Nigeria to claim and believe that our amazing grace lies in foreign Gods. Their acting and talking to the gallery that we owe our total existence and forward march as individuals and a nation to Jesus and Muhammad are all junk posturing that have no iota of empirical truth. Their lies are seen in the development of Japan and China. Japan developed as the second richest nation not because they have or believe in Jesus and Muhammad. China is pacing ahead via its native belief systems and military tenacity. Europe and the U.S. had to separate religion from state and embraced 'Science and Technology' as their modern God. In Europe for example, their churches are unattended and nobody gives a flying hell about God, while at the same time, their lives are progressing economically with life expectancy hitting the rooftop. While in reverse, the Nigerian churches are doing roaring trade packed to the brim while our lives get misbegotten
by the day. The world at large is aware that bygone is the era of religion, aside from Nigeria that’s living in the past in the 21st century.
The futuristic Japanese people knew from word go that: religion poisons everything on its way. They thwarted it. Ask the Chinese and native Indians of the Americas of all histories to educate you better.
S. Njokede writes from The European Union.
www.rig2011electionyoudie@rocketmail.com
Thursday, April 9, 2015
RELIGION POISONS EVERYTHING ON ITS WAY
Religion is a mere construct, a Disneyland of fantasy. Taking
religion to a higher level in Nigeria is like Emperor Constantine taking
Jesus Christ from mere human mortal and skyrocketing him into divinity.
Jesus followers and tribesmen had known and addressed Him as human son
of Marry and Joseph. It was Constantine and his Council of Elders in
Rome in about 325 A.D. who divined Christ into God-character and
Godhead. Contemporary TV shows have taken cue from emperor Constantine
in making ordinary people into superstars in 'who wants to be a star?'
worldwide. Most musical and film superstars of today are product of:
‘who wants to be a star?’ A throwback to how the Pagan emperor
Constantine made a superstar out of ordinary human Jesus. It’s well
historised that He was recognised as no more and no less the son of man
by his followers and townsmen contemporary of that bygone era.
Nigerian Christians are so God delusional that you wonder what magic wand their pastors used in turning adult men and women into amenable and unthinking zombies. Is it the brainwash of coercive persuasion, the Moses rod employed by pastors to charm their converts into closed mindset people as if they’ve been churned out of a robot factory from some where in communist Russia where people must ply by set down rules with no option to think for themselves? It’s way too vexing to contend with the arrogant idiocy of Christians who maintain that pastor Enoch Adeboye and his co-pastors are above criticism just by the say-so of the Christian Bible. What differentiate these kinds of Christians from homosexuals who claim that their deviant behaviour is their manifest destiny allowed by God and therefore they should be left alone? What stops us from allowing those who kill others for money ritual make their case why they and their God of Money should not be criticised? And why wouldn’t we believe Rastafarians who contend that their religion allow them to smoke marijuana and get high as the only way to get close to their God Jah Haile Selassie? Why’d we not let president Yar´Adua be, after he rigged election and claim God made him president? Who’s the rightful person to say who should be criticised and whom not, and why?
This kind of herd mentality of keeping up with the Joneses led a bunch of over eight hundred American Christians belonging to the ‘Peoples Temple’ agree to commit mass suicide in Guyana in 1978. While their pastor Jim Jones made his followers to take the poison Cyanide to kill them, pastor Jones chose to die by gunshot. Poison death is slower and painful with all the convulsion and whatnot before dying, while gun shot death is quicker and less painful. Even in death, pastor Jim Jones cheated his amenable believers by choosing a more speedy and less painful way to die while his followers had to go through hell of poison to die for the sake of a manipulative Christian religion. His converts just went with the flow of Christian paranormal lies of the existence of omnipotent sky God, to end their own lives without asking questions as to why. Should most followers of pastor Jim Jones wake up today to the news that they, the converts, died as per poison while their pastor died the easy way out via gun death, they’d have felt done in, and their pastor, a letdown.
In the event that those pastors in Nigeria call their sheepish followers out to commit mass suicide to appease their Christian God or the ego of the pastor himself, I assume most believers would kill themselves for nothing sake, judging by the senseless fanaticism with which they spit fire and brimstone to consume those who criticise Adeboye and other pastors. Should that happen, Nigerian pastors would choose the easy way to die while they’d sadistically make their converts die painful deaths like the believers of Peoples Temple Christians of America did in Jones Town, Guyana in 1978.
Nigerian pastors live swell lives of spending church thrift for their earthly personal enjoyment while their converts who donate the tithes live ghetto lives. Pastors live in apartness from the brunt of squalor their converts bear each day. It´d not be surprising whence pastor choose a more comfortable death as their pliable converts would clap to Amen songs and praises to their miserable deaths. There’s no Jupiter that can stop Christian and Moslem converts in Nigeria from committing religious hara-kiri when their pastors call them to die for their tithe-money and total obedience-demanding Gods. Boko Harem is modern pointer in this direction of senseless obedience to foreign Gods of Christian and Muslim fraternities. It´d be a form of hypocrisy to be seen only to lampoon those who criticise their pastors without dying howsoever-weird pastors dictates are. Most pliable believers across religion in Nigeria are doggone and still don’t know it yet. They’re endangered species.
The Guyana Christian mass suicide is enough warning for believers to desist from being fantasist who’d not question issues before they swallow hook, line and sinker under they’re brainwashed to subservient yes-men and women.
There’s this wisecrack: 'sex sells.' But I tell you; religion sells more that sex in Nigeria.
When the Israelites set up to formulate Christian religion in the manner resembling Christ’s activities and the local tradition of his countrymen then, they hadn’t Nigerians in mind. Nigerians and non-Israelites membering the Christian faith are gatecrashers. 'Amebo' and 'tafia' people. Israeli, Jewish worldview is narrowly restricted to the Jews alone. They hardly marry strangers and likewise, their socialisation is parochially restricted amid themselves. It’s out of misconception, ignorance, and low self-worth that Nigerians would abandon their native Gods and religions to become partakers of the scam of monotheism that came out of the Middle East.
For Christians of Israeli nativity, all non-Israelites are uncircumcised pagans not minding whether you co-profess Christian faith as they do. Jesus and Israelites of his time had never intended to include non-natives in their religious worldview, how much more today’s Nigerians. It was emperor Constantine that rigged early Christian scriptures, manuscripts and writings to make it seem as if non-Israelites are included, when he collated the Bible. Constantine himself a Pagan, was unaware that his scam of political brinkmanship to unite every one of his then citizens under one religious fold for political expediency would blaze this far in 21st century Nigeria. Religion is the hottest currency in Nigeria where pastors have hijacked emperor Constantine universal Christianity for their personal egos and pockets.
Nigerian believers, who’re hooked to the sky and can’t divorce their sky-Gods omnipotent, should at least look before they leap. They shouldn’t agree to all their pastors and Holy book tell them. There are many pastors in Nigeria like Jim Jones who’d coercively persuade their converts to mass deaths just for their personal egos and self-inflicted palavers. Most Nigerian pastors, like Jim Jones, wouldn’t want to be the last man standing, they’d confuse their believers with threat of hell damnation to go with whatever flow are their fancies and fantasies.
Since we lampoon everything under the sun on this earth, pastor Adeboye and other top faith-workers in Nigeria shouldn’t be made loners. It’s arrant make-believe to think that there are those who are more sacred than others based on the dictate of an imported religion. The culture of sacred cow belongs to Indian and not Nigeria. To see things before one believes them make for more rational sense of purpose.
By S. Njokede writes from The European Union
Nigerian Christians are so God delusional that you wonder what magic wand their pastors used in turning adult men and women into amenable and unthinking zombies. Is it the brainwash of coercive persuasion, the Moses rod employed by pastors to charm their converts into closed mindset people as if they’ve been churned out of a robot factory from some where in communist Russia where people must ply by set down rules with no option to think for themselves? It’s way too vexing to contend with the arrogant idiocy of Christians who maintain that pastor Enoch Adeboye and his co-pastors are above criticism just by the say-so of the Christian Bible. What differentiate these kinds of Christians from homosexuals who claim that their deviant behaviour is their manifest destiny allowed by God and therefore they should be left alone? What stops us from allowing those who kill others for money ritual make their case why they and their God of Money should not be criticised? And why wouldn’t we believe Rastafarians who contend that their religion allow them to smoke marijuana and get high as the only way to get close to their God Jah Haile Selassie? Why’d we not let president Yar´Adua be, after he rigged election and claim God made him president? Who’s the rightful person to say who should be criticised and whom not, and why?
This kind of herd mentality of keeping up with the Joneses led a bunch of over eight hundred American Christians belonging to the ‘Peoples Temple’ agree to commit mass suicide in Guyana in 1978. While their pastor Jim Jones made his followers to take the poison Cyanide to kill them, pastor Jones chose to die by gunshot. Poison death is slower and painful with all the convulsion and whatnot before dying, while gun shot death is quicker and less painful. Even in death, pastor Jim Jones cheated his amenable believers by choosing a more speedy and less painful way to die while his followers had to go through hell of poison to die for the sake of a manipulative Christian religion. His converts just went with the flow of Christian paranormal lies of the existence of omnipotent sky God, to end their own lives without asking questions as to why. Should most followers of pastor Jim Jones wake up today to the news that they, the converts, died as per poison while their pastor died the easy way out via gun death, they’d have felt done in, and their pastor, a letdown.
In the event that those pastors in Nigeria call their sheepish followers out to commit mass suicide to appease their Christian God or the ego of the pastor himself, I assume most believers would kill themselves for nothing sake, judging by the senseless fanaticism with which they spit fire and brimstone to consume those who criticise Adeboye and other pastors. Should that happen, Nigerian pastors would choose the easy way to die while they’d sadistically make their converts die painful deaths like the believers of Peoples Temple Christians of America did in Jones Town, Guyana in 1978.
Nigerian pastors live swell lives of spending church thrift for their earthly personal enjoyment while their converts who donate the tithes live ghetto lives. Pastors live in apartness from the brunt of squalor their converts bear each day. It´d not be surprising whence pastor choose a more comfortable death as their pliable converts would clap to Amen songs and praises to their miserable deaths. There’s no Jupiter that can stop Christian and Moslem converts in Nigeria from committing religious hara-kiri when their pastors call them to die for their tithe-money and total obedience-demanding Gods. Boko Harem is modern pointer in this direction of senseless obedience to foreign Gods of Christian and Muslim fraternities. It´d be a form of hypocrisy to be seen only to lampoon those who criticise their pastors without dying howsoever-weird pastors dictates are. Most pliable believers across religion in Nigeria are doggone and still don’t know it yet. They’re endangered species.
The Guyana Christian mass suicide is enough warning for believers to desist from being fantasist who’d not question issues before they swallow hook, line and sinker under they’re brainwashed to subservient yes-men and women.
There’s this wisecrack: 'sex sells.' But I tell you; religion sells more that sex in Nigeria.
When the Israelites set up to formulate Christian religion in the manner resembling Christ’s activities and the local tradition of his countrymen then, they hadn’t Nigerians in mind. Nigerians and non-Israelites membering the Christian faith are gatecrashers. 'Amebo' and 'tafia' people. Israeli, Jewish worldview is narrowly restricted to the Jews alone. They hardly marry strangers and likewise, their socialisation is parochially restricted amid themselves. It’s out of misconception, ignorance, and low self-worth that Nigerians would abandon their native Gods and religions to become partakers of the scam of monotheism that came out of the Middle East.
For Christians of Israeli nativity, all non-Israelites are uncircumcised pagans not minding whether you co-profess Christian faith as they do. Jesus and Israelites of his time had never intended to include non-natives in their religious worldview, how much more today’s Nigerians. It was emperor Constantine that rigged early Christian scriptures, manuscripts and writings to make it seem as if non-Israelites are included, when he collated the Bible. Constantine himself a Pagan, was unaware that his scam of political brinkmanship to unite every one of his then citizens under one religious fold for political expediency would blaze this far in 21st century Nigeria. Religion is the hottest currency in Nigeria where pastors have hijacked emperor Constantine universal Christianity for their personal egos and pockets.
Nigerian believers, who’re hooked to the sky and can’t divorce their sky-Gods omnipotent, should at least look before they leap. They shouldn’t agree to all their pastors and Holy book tell them. There are many pastors in Nigeria like Jim Jones who’d coercively persuade their converts to mass deaths just for their personal egos and self-inflicted palavers. Most Nigerian pastors, like Jim Jones, wouldn’t want to be the last man standing, they’d confuse their believers with threat of hell damnation to go with whatever flow are their fancies and fantasies.
Since we lampoon everything under the sun on this earth, pastor Adeboye and other top faith-workers in Nigeria shouldn’t be made loners. It’s arrant make-believe to think that there are those who are more sacred than others based on the dictate of an imported religion. The culture of sacred cow belongs to Indian and not Nigeria. To see things before one believes them make for more rational sense of purpose.
By S. Njokede writes from The European Union
Sunday, February 15, 2015
RELIGION IS A MUCH GREATER FORCE FOR EVIL THAN IT IS FOR GOOD
The pros and cons of religion, or the question as to whether or not
religion is relevant in the contemporary society, has been the subject
of extensive debate within the fields of sociology and anthropology.
The intention here is thus not to repeat what has generally been posited
by academics, but to present a brief personal commentary on the issue.
The decision to come up with this write-up is partially influenced by
the philosophy contained in the documentary film, ‘Religulous’, which
blatantly mocks religion and religious belief.
Please note, that the term religion, which of course has a very extensive connotation, is used quite narrowly in this piece to refer specifically to Christianity and Islam.
The Christian and Islamic religions are supposed to safeguard human dignity, and promote friendship, love, unity, harmony and righteousness. Ironically however, these two religions are fast becoming a much greater force for evil than they are for good in today’s society. The former has unfortunately come to be associated with promiscuity, money and deception; and the later, intolerance, violence and killings.
A considerable number of Christians and Muslims, as many are aware, are hiding behind a façade of religion to commit some of the mightiest atrocities in human history – crimes ranging from theft and sexual misconduct, through deceit and riot, to terrorism and genocide. Many of these are crimes that even the “non-religious” may not contemplate, let alone executing them.
The appalling comportment of members of these two major religions is inducing some people (chiefly agnostics) to pronounce that the world is safer and humankind is better off without religion. Even though I disagree with this school of thought, the evidence in support of its proposition is so overwhelming that convincingly contesting it becomes a colossal task.
Obviously religion helps humans to find answers or explanations to those phenomena that cannot be subjected to empirical investigation. Both Christianity and Islam serve as a means of explaining the unexplainable; they provide answers for how we got here, why we are here, who brought our world into existence, and where we go from here. Even though their explanations might not be the objective truth, such responses give humankind a huge sense of relief, direction and purpose in life.
The contribution religion makes towards the socio-economic development of communities is supreme. It has played and continues to play a massive role in the areas of education, health, sports, science and technology, and even governance; not to mention the moral and emotional support it offers, as well as its unifying role.
But in the name of this same seemingly wonderful institution – religion, humankind has committed some of the most outrageous deeds in the history of humanity – sex crimes, manipulation and exploitation, persecution or torture, mass suicides/murders, terrorism (i.e. suicide bombing, hijacking and kidnapping), and wars which ultimately lead to underdevelopment and poverty. Religion seems to be losing sight of its own principle of serving, helping, and living peacefully with others regardless of their personal beliefs and ideologies.
In Africa, religion has ironically become an anchor, holding people back from their marital and societal responsibilities, and from developing socio-economically. It seems to show no respect for basic laws and human life. Many people have been jailed or executed, particularly in Islamic countries for attempting to propagate a “rival” faith, Christianity. Others have been tortured or lynched, mainly by some so-called Christian religious figures, on suspicion of being witches and wizards.
It is probably this obnoxious behaviour of “religious people” that compelled the philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, to declare that ‘God is dead’, and Mahatma Gandhi to make that paradoxical statement: ‘I love your Christ but I hate your Christians because your Christians are unlike your Christ’.
Nonetheless, calling for the ‘elimination’ of religion on the basis of its identified demerits is certainly an unintelligence cause to champion. Thus, it will not just be hasty and simplistic, but foolhardy of any group or individual to conclude that religion is a force for evil and should be rejected in human society. Humans, according to an Oxford University study, are predisposed to embrace religious concepts. One may not need religion but sound conscience to know the difference between right and wrong, but they will certainly need religion to constantly guide their thoughts and actions and to provide the needed moral impetus.
In the documentary film, ‘Religulous’, Bill Maher, like Rene Descartes, suggests, that ‘doubt’ is one of the most important human attributes; and that our ability to doubt and question things such as authority, existence or nature and society, is vital for human progression. But religion, according to him, suppresses doubt by replacing it with a false or unsubstantiated surety (i.e. God and heaven). He thus concludes that our authentic progression, which he believes is achieved through doubt, is often lost within religion.
I find his argument interestingly shallow, as he fails to convince his audience as to how he arrives at the conclusion that the ‘surety’ he claims religion has replaced with doubt, is false. He refuses to realize that, even though the veracity of that surety (God or Heaven) may not be compellingly proven; no one has also ever succeeded in convincingly demonstrating that it is not authentic.
Because neither the existence nor nonexistence of the Divine can be persuasively proven, each and every individual is given the freedom to decide whether to embrace religion or reject it. This is what the French religious philosopher, Blaise Pascal, calls a ‘wager’ or gamble, in which the chances of winning and losing are equal (50 – 50). So if Maher thinks ‘doubt’ is or leads to the truth, let him immerse himself in the pool of doubt; and if others believe that religion is or leads to the truth, let them stick to it. Pushing one’s ideologies down other people’s throats is certainly not on. After all, gambling that God exists, is clearly the wiser option as one has all to gain and nothing to lose.
It is apparent that humankind is inherently evil, but sadly, some despondent folks are consciously or unconsciously using religion as an excuse to unleash the mischievousness (greed, lust, theft, fraud, hate, violence, etc.) in them. It is quite tempting to perceive therefore, that if religion didn’t exist, many people would find nothing as an excuse to commit crimes. But we should also have every reason to believe that even if religion did not exist, people would still hide behind the façade of other seemingly harmless ideologies such as environmentalism, individualism, hedonism, ethnocentrism, nationalism, etc. to commit heinous crimes as it is happening now.
No one can deny the huge number of entities and situations that religion has transformed from bad to good. It could in fact be argued, that the wickedness and misery being witnessed on earth today would be twofold or bigger if religion didn’t exist.
The core principle, in fact the substance of Christianity and Islam is love, human wellbeing, peace, unity and hope. But some miserable elements, out of selfishness, greed and/or the lack of understanding of the doctrines of their own religion, are committing serious crimes using religion as a defence. The problem therefore is not with that entity called religion; the problem is with the disposition of that group called followers of religion.
It follows therefore, that religion, like almost all human institutions, has both merits and demerits, and individuals are affected differently by it. So the debate should not focus solely on the relevance or credibility of Christianity and Islam in today’s world, but also, and more importantly, on what could be done to make these religions reflect their true values and principles – love, hope, harmony and progress.
Emmanuel Sarpong Owusu-Ansah (Black Power) is an Investigative Journalist, a researcher and the author of Fourth Phase of Enslavement (2011) and In My End is My Beginning (2012). He may be contacted via email (andypower2002@yahoo.it).
Please note, that the term religion, which of course has a very extensive connotation, is used quite narrowly in this piece to refer specifically to Christianity and Islam.
The Christian and Islamic religions are supposed to safeguard human dignity, and promote friendship, love, unity, harmony and righteousness. Ironically however, these two religions are fast becoming a much greater force for evil than they are for good in today’s society. The former has unfortunately come to be associated with promiscuity, money and deception; and the later, intolerance, violence and killings.
A considerable number of Christians and Muslims, as many are aware, are hiding behind a façade of religion to commit some of the mightiest atrocities in human history – crimes ranging from theft and sexual misconduct, through deceit and riot, to terrorism and genocide. Many of these are crimes that even the “non-religious” may not contemplate, let alone executing them.
The appalling comportment of members of these two major religions is inducing some people (chiefly agnostics) to pronounce that the world is safer and humankind is better off without religion. Even though I disagree with this school of thought, the evidence in support of its proposition is so overwhelming that convincingly contesting it becomes a colossal task.
Obviously religion helps humans to find answers or explanations to those phenomena that cannot be subjected to empirical investigation. Both Christianity and Islam serve as a means of explaining the unexplainable; they provide answers for how we got here, why we are here, who brought our world into existence, and where we go from here. Even though their explanations might not be the objective truth, such responses give humankind a huge sense of relief, direction and purpose in life.
The contribution religion makes towards the socio-economic development of communities is supreme. It has played and continues to play a massive role in the areas of education, health, sports, science and technology, and even governance; not to mention the moral and emotional support it offers, as well as its unifying role.
But in the name of this same seemingly wonderful institution – religion, humankind has committed some of the most outrageous deeds in the history of humanity – sex crimes, manipulation and exploitation, persecution or torture, mass suicides/murders, terrorism (i.e. suicide bombing, hijacking and kidnapping), and wars which ultimately lead to underdevelopment and poverty. Religion seems to be losing sight of its own principle of serving, helping, and living peacefully with others regardless of their personal beliefs and ideologies.
In Africa, religion has ironically become an anchor, holding people back from their marital and societal responsibilities, and from developing socio-economically. It seems to show no respect for basic laws and human life. Many people have been jailed or executed, particularly in Islamic countries for attempting to propagate a “rival” faith, Christianity. Others have been tortured or lynched, mainly by some so-called Christian religious figures, on suspicion of being witches and wizards.
It is probably this obnoxious behaviour of “religious people” that compelled the philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, to declare that ‘God is dead’, and Mahatma Gandhi to make that paradoxical statement: ‘I love your Christ but I hate your Christians because your Christians are unlike your Christ’.
Nonetheless, calling for the ‘elimination’ of religion on the basis of its identified demerits is certainly an unintelligence cause to champion. Thus, it will not just be hasty and simplistic, but foolhardy of any group or individual to conclude that religion is a force for evil and should be rejected in human society. Humans, according to an Oxford University study, are predisposed to embrace religious concepts. One may not need religion but sound conscience to know the difference between right and wrong, but they will certainly need religion to constantly guide their thoughts and actions and to provide the needed moral impetus.
In the documentary film, ‘Religulous’, Bill Maher, like Rene Descartes, suggests, that ‘doubt’ is one of the most important human attributes; and that our ability to doubt and question things such as authority, existence or nature and society, is vital for human progression. But religion, according to him, suppresses doubt by replacing it with a false or unsubstantiated surety (i.e. God and heaven). He thus concludes that our authentic progression, which he believes is achieved through doubt, is often lost within religion.
I find his argument interestingly shallow, as he fails to convince his audience as to how he arrives at the conclusion that the ‘surety’ he claims religion has replaced with doubt, is false. He refuses to realize that, even though the veracity of that surety (God or Heaven) may not be compellingly proven; no one has also ever succeeded in convincingly demonstrating that it is not authentic.
Because neither the existence nor nonexistence of the Divine can be persuasively proven, each and every individual is given the freedom to decide whether to embrace religion or reject it. This is what the French religious philosopher, Blaise Pascal, calls a ‘wager’ or gamble, in which the chances of winning and losing are equal (50 – 50). So if Maher thinks ‘doubt’ is or leads to the truth, let him immerse himself in the pool of doubt; and if others believe that religion is or leads to the truth, let them stick to it. Pushing one’s ideologies down other people’s throats is certainly not on. After all, gambling that God exists, is clearly the wiser option as one has all to gain and nothing to lose.
It is apparent that humankind is inherently evil, but sadly, some despondent folks are consciously or unconsciously using religion as an excuse to unleash the mischievousness (greed, lust, theft, fraud, hate, violence, etc.) in them. It is quite tempting to perceive therefore, that if religion didn’t exist, many people would find nothing as an excuse to commit crimes. But we should also have every reason to believe that even if religion did not exist, people would still hide behind the façade of other seemingly harmless ideologies such as environmentalism, individualism, hedonism, ethnocentrism, nationalism, etc. to commit heinous crimes as it is happening now.
No one can deny the huge number of entities and situations that religion has transformed from bad to good. It could in fact be argued, that the wickedness and misery being witnessed on earth today would be twofold or bigger if religion didn’t exist.
The core principle, in fact the substance of Christianity and Islam is love, human wellbeing, peace, unity and hope. But some miserable elements, out of selfishness, greed and/or the lack of understanding of the doctrines of their own religion, are committing serious crimes using religion as a defence. The problem therefore is not with that entity called religion; the problem is with the disposition of that group called followers of religion.
It follows therefore, that religion, like almost all human institutions, has both merits and demerits, and individuals are affected differently by it. So the debate should not focus solely on the relevance or credibility of Christianity and Islam in today’s world, but also, and more importantly, on what could be done to make these religions reflect their true values and principles – love, hope, harmony and progress.
Emmanuel Sarpong Owusu-Ansah (Black Power) is an Investigative Journalist, a researcher and the author of Fourth Phase of Enslavement (2011) and In My End is My Beginning (2012). He may be contacted via email (andypower2002@yahoo.it).
Sunday, January 11, 2015
WARNING: ROBBERS AT WORK IN THE CHURCHES
“It used to be robbers who mugged pedestrians. Now it’s a gang of priests assaulting worshipers” (Hosea 6:9).
A colleague of mine insists he is still looking for a Pastor with a Centre in London. He said: “Anybody who knows where I can find him should let me know.” “Why are you looking for him?” I wondered. “He owes me money,” he maintained.
Money Doublers
He had attended one of the services conducted by the pastor as guest-preacher in his church. The Pastor preached a sermon entitled: “24-Hour Miracle.” At the climax, he asked the congregation to write cheques for as much money as they possibly could, with the iron-clad guarantee that it would more than double within 24 hours. In that time, he assured them, someone would send them a ridiculously large sum by divine ordinance. You might get a call or a visit from someone about the miracle money, or notification that it had been deposited in your bank account.
This gentleman was so hoodwinked by this hocus-pocus that he first wrote a cheque for half of his entire savings. Then, on second-thoughts, he gave the other half as well. The next day, he did not go to work, waiting for the miracle call; but nothing happened. He thought perhaps he had made a mistake. Perhaps the 24 hours would start counting later than he had expected; so he waited for another day. Still nothing happened. After two weeks, it dawned on him that he had been scammed. By that time, the cheques had long been cashed. He went looking for the “man of God,” but he had left the country.
Let me let you in on a secret. Pastors don’t usually do a scam of this scale in their own churches. They do it at the invitation of another pastor. But they have an agreement beforehand that for every naira raised, the host pastor would give them a certain percentage as commission. This is then done on a tit-for-tat basis. When they do the scam in your church, you reciprocate by doing it in theirs.
Sometimes it gets really wild and this scam is done over several days. People are told to go and bring their televisions, stereos, fridge-freezers, cars, jewellery, money; anything and everything. Some even bring the Certificate of Occupancy of their homes. Some give the very suits they are wearing and go back home in their underwear, confident that God is going to astonish them. It usually takes a while before they realise they have been conned. But some never wake up from the hypnosis.
Daylight robbery
Jide Ayanfalu inherited a generator from his late “guardian.” He used it for business purposes by renting it out to people who needed it on special occasions. It so happened that the generator in his church, Zoe Ministries Worldwide, was stolen. The pastor insisted that church-members should not be told about the theft; otherwise they might conclude that God was not in the church. He asked Jide if they could use his generator in the meantime.
Jide was agreeable to this: some of his best customers were churches. But one week, two weeks, three weeks, one month, after the church took his generator; Jide was not paid a dime. Two months, three months, four months afterwards; still no payment for the use of the generator. Finally, Jide summoned up courage to confront the pastor. If they would not pay him for the use of his generator, at least they should give it back to him. The pastor was very offended.
He preached a fiery sermon in which he told the people in no uncertain terms that their destinies were tied to his church. “Don’t you know,” he asked menacingly, “we have the power to withhold your blessings?” The royal “we” referred to the pastor himself. Then he button-holed Jide after the service and went for the jugular: “Don’t you think you should give the church your generator?” he demanded.
Jide was troubled and could not answer. He came to me to seek counsel as to what he should do. I immediately pointed out to him that a robbery was in progress. I said to him: “Jide, forget about having any discussion with your pastor. Hire a van and go and remove your generator from the church.”
Gangs of priests
In biblical days, Shechem was a “city of refuge” as well as a city of Levites and priests. The cities of refuge were established to provide hiding-places for the guiltless refugee on the run for his life from a stubborn-pursuer. But the priests banded together as a gang of robbers, and they waylaid the hapless on the way to Shechem.
In effect, those appointed to teach the people the truth of God that they might live were the very ones who endangered their lives. Thus, Hosea observes that: “It used to be robbers who mugged pedestrians. Now it’s a gang of priests assaulting worshippers.” (Hosea 6:9). Today, pastors are no longer preoccupied with the rehabilitation of thieves. They are now single-minded in swindling members of their congregation. Offerings by extortion My wife and I had gone one Sunday to worship at our local parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Lagos. But what ensued that morning caught us off-guard. The pastor was in a nasty mood. The new church building was not progressing at a desirable pace. Apparently, the funds for it had dried up. So the entire service was devoted to reprimanding church-members for not contributing enough money to the Building Fund.
Suddenly, he ordered the entire congregation to stand up. Then he asked those prepared to contribute a very high amount of money to raise their hands. When they did, he instructed the ushers to write down their names. He then told them to sit down. Then he mentioned another sum a little lower than the previous one, and went through the same process again and again. By so doing, he was determined to extract a commitment from everyone present by hook or crook.
We were not opposed to contributing to the Building Fund, but were determined not to be arm-twisted. We were also opposed to the making of public pledges. Jesus says: “When you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will himself reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:3-4).
So we resolved not to oblige to the pastor’s demands. He kept going one sum lower than the next and soon, he was down to one hundred naira in the attempt to shame those of us still on our feet. But we kept on standing and refused to make any public commitment. Then he did something strange. He asked an usher to give me a cordless microphone and then he asked: “Dr. Aribisala, maybe you can tell us how we are supposed to pay for the new building.”
The eyes of the entire church were upon me. I noticed that many were even embarrassed for my sake. But I refused to be intimidated. So I answered him: “Pastor, I am not qualified to answer that question. I think we should fast and pray and ask the Lord.”
By Femi Aribisala
Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/01/warning-robbers-at-work-in-the-churches/
“It used to be robbers
who mugged pedestrians. Now it’s a gang of priests assaulting
worshippers” (Hosea 6:9).
A colleague of mine insists he is still looking for a Pastor with a
Centre in London. He said: “Anybody who knows where I can find him
should let me know.” “Why are you looking for him?” I wondered. “He owes
me money,” he maintained.
Money Doublers
He had attended one of the services conducted by the pastor as
guest-preacher in his church. The Pastor preached a sermon entitled:
“24-Hour Miracle.” At the climax, he asked the congregation to write
cheques for as much money as they possibly could, with the iron-clad
guarantee that it would more than double within 24 hours. In that time,
he assured them, someone would send them a ridiculously large sum by
divine ordinance. You might get a call or a visit from someone about the
miracle money, or notification that it had been deposited in your bank
account.
This gentleman was so hoodwinked by this hocus-pocus that he first wrote
a cheque for half of his entire savings. Then, on second-thoughts, he
gave the other half as well. The next day, he did not go to work,
waiting for the miracle call; but nothing happened. He thought perhaps
he had made a mistake. Perhaps the 24 hours would start counting later
than he had expected; so he waited for another day. Still nothing
happened. After two weeks, it dawned on him that he had been scammed. By
that time, the cheques had long been cashed. He went looking for the
“man of God,” but he had left the country.
Let me let you in on a secret. Pastors don’t usually do a scam of this
scale in their own churches. They do it at the invitation of another
pastor. But they have an agreement beforehand that for every naira
raised, the host pastor would give them a certain percentage as
commission. This is then done on a tit-for-tat basis. When they do the
scam in your church, you reciprocate by doing it in theirs.
Sometimes it gets really wild and this scam is done over several days.
People are told to go and bring their televisions, stereos,
fridge-freezers, cars, jewellery, money; anything and everything. Some
even bring the Certificate of Occupancy of their homes. Some give the
very suits they are wearing and go back home in their underwear,
confident that God is going to astonish them. It usually takes a while
before they realise they have been conned. But some never wake up from
the hypnosis.
Daylight robbery
Jide Ayanfalu inherited a generator from his late “guardian.” He used it
for business purposes by renting it out to people who needed it on
special occasions. It so happened that the generator in his church, Zoe
Ministries Worldwide, was stolen. The pastor insisted that
church-members should not be told about the theft; otherwise they might
conclude that God was not in the church. He asked Jide if they could use
his generator in the meantime.
Jide was agreeable to this: some of his best customers were churches.
But one week, two weeks, three weeks, one month, after the church took
his generator; Jide was not paid a dime. Two months, three months, four
months afterwards; still no payment for the use of the generator.
Finally, Jide summoned up courage to confront the pastor. If they would
not pay him for the use of his generator, at least they should give it
back to him.
The pastor was very offended. He preached a fiery sermon in which he
told the people in no uncertain terms that their destinies were tied to
his church. “Don’t you know,” he asked menacingly, “we have the power to
withhold your blessings?” The royal “we” referred to the pastor
himself. Then he button-holed Jide after the service and went for the
jugular: “Don’t you think you should give the church your generator?” he
demanded.
Jide was troubled and could not answer. He came to me to seek counsel as
to what he should do. I immediately pointed out to him that a robbery
was in progress. I said to him: “Jide, forget about having any
discussion with your pastor. Hire a van and go and remove your generator
from the church.”
Gangs of priests
In biblical days, Shechem was a “city of refuge” as well as a city of
Levites and priests. The cities of refuge were established to provide
hiding-places for the guiltless refugee on the run for his life from a
stubborn-pursuer. But the priests banded together as a gang of robbers,
and they waylaid the hapless on the way to Shechem.
In effect, those appointed to teach the people the truth of God that
they might live were the very ones who endangered their lives. Thus,
Hosea observes that: “It used to be robbers who mugged pedestrians. Now
it’s a gang of priests assaulting worshippers.” (Hosea 6:9).
Today, pastors are no longer preoccupied with the rehabilitation of
thieves. They are now single-minded in swindling members of their
congregation.
Offerings by extortion
My wife and I had gone one Sunday to worship at our local parish of the
Redeemed Christian Church of God, Lagos. But what ensued that morning
caught us off-guard. The pastor was in a nasty mood. The new church
building was not progressing at a desirable pace. Apparently, the funds
for it had dried up. So the entire service was devoted to reprimanding
church-members for not contributing enough money to the Building Fund.
Suddenly, he ordered the entire congregation to stand up. Then he asked
those prepared to contribute a very high amount of money to raise their
hands. When they did, he instructed the ushers to write down their
names. He then told them to sit down. Then he mentioned another sum a
little lower than the previous one, and went through the same process
again and again. By so doing, he was determined to extract a commitment
from everyone present by hook or crook.
We were not opposed to contributing to the Building Fund, but were
determined not to be arm-twisted. We were also opposed to the making of
public pledges. Jesus says: “When you do a charitable deed, do not let
your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable
deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will himself
reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:3-4).
So we resolved not to oblige to the pastor’s demands. He kept going one
sum lower than the next and soon, he was down to one hundred naira in
the attempt to shame those of us still on our feet. But we kept on
standing and refused to make any public commitment. Then he did
something strange. He asked an usher to give me a cordless microphone
and then he asked: “Dr. Aribisala, maybe you can tell us how we are
supposed to pay for the new building.”
The eyes of the entire church were upon me. I noticed that many were
even embarrassed for my sake. But I refused to be intimidated. So I
answered him: “Pastor, I am not qualified to answer that question. I
think we should fast and pray and ask the Lord.”
Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/01/warning-robbers-at-work-in-the-churches/
Friday, January 2, 2015
END OF YEAR PROPHECIES
Every night on New Year's Eve day, Nigerian Christians throng to
churches in their millions to pray and listen to prophecies that they
believe will guide their lives in the new year. This has become a
culture and a way of life. Needless to add that offerings and donation
are almost always collected during these church services.
Almost every other Pentecostal church leader produces an end-of-year prophecy. Sometimes, the prophecies contradict one another, causing one to wonder how the same God can say contradictory things to different pastors and prophets.
The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) represents the largest body of Pentecostal Christians in Nigeria; so, it is apt to use Pastor Adeboye’s prophecy for 2015. This is accessible from his Facebook page but can also be found here.
At this juncture, it is pertinent to ask – have any of these pastors and prophets ever said anything of consequence for this nation in the last 10-15 years that end-of-year prophecies have been trending? Let's consider Pastor Adeboye's phopecies for 2015 as expressed on his website.
PROPHECY FOR THE YEAR 2015 BY PASTOR ADEBOYE OF RCCG
Individual: For those who fasted for 100 days last year
1. The Lord says the harvest for the 100 days fast will be given this year.
2. Daddy says this year will be full of testimonies; those who have none before will have this year.
3. Daddy says some of you will swim in the river of abundance this year.
4. Daddy says there will be miraculous completion of projects.
5. Daddy says there will be fulfillment of dreams.
6. Daddy says there will be miraculous restoration.
7. Daddy says the song of many will be - The Lord has been good to me.
International
1. Scientific and medical breakthrough will be many, particularly in the areas of lack of sleep, dreams and brain disorder.
2. Daddy says Ebola will die out.
3. Daddy says all over the world insurgencies will be considerately weakened.
4. He asked us to pray against massive calamities.
5. He asked us to pray against massive earthquakes, strong hurricanes and typhoons.
For RCCG
1. This year all you need is to charge off your batteries by fasting for 40 days only. Those of you who want to fast continuously 20 days and 20 nights will cover the 40 days. If you miss one day, you have to cover it with two days.
Nigeria
By the end of the year - you will say all is well that ends well.
The fasting begins January 2nd 2015.
Notice how the prophecy:
a). Is non-specific with respect to who, what, when, where and how
b). Says nothing about what really matters to Nigerians i.e. national security, Boko Haram, corruption and the elections which come up in February
c). Says nothing about the whereabouts of the abducted Chibok girls
d). Implies that earthquake, typhoons and hurricane can be averted by prayers and fasting Incredible, coming from a former university Mathematics lecturer!
Nigerians pray and supplicate more than any other people I know. Either God does not care about what is important to them or these pastors just make these prophecies up. I am sure that most of you would agree that anyone, including a smart child, could come up with the prophecy above. Yet, these are the words that millions of Nigerians stay up all night to listen to and live their lives by.
To me, a prediction (or prophecy) should not only be time and place-specific but it must be consequential. For instance, it is not enough to say there would be an earthquake; we should know its estimated magnitude, where and when it is going to occur. These will determine whether or not we evacuate people to safety, an action that saves lives. I have reviewed Pastor Adeboye’s prophecies from 2012 till date; he has not said anything consequential in that period.
Before I end, let me remind Nigerians that it was Pastor Adeboye who claimed he drove from Ore to Lagos on an empty fuel tank. And I have encountered many a Nigerian intellectual who believes this story. They are not even willing to consider other possibilities such as:
1. The fuel level could have been on reserve, and the car could have had a large fuel reserve
2. The fuel gauge could have been faulty
3. The pastor could have been hallucinating or having a déjà vu experience
4. He could have been out-rightly telling lies
5. He could have been driving a top fuel-efficiency car. After all, he can afford the best out there, can't he?
And what sort of God grants such frivolous requests but watches on as millions of children die from malaria every year?!
Whilst most Nigerians may not even see anything wrong with this claim, the real problem is that these pastors have succeeded in corrupting our way of thinking and help to develop a culture where our people cannot distinguish fantasies or magical thinking from reality. Heck, even our universities have become both breeding and dumping grounds for such ideologies. Unfortunately, the world clock does not stop for us; for whilst we are engaged in magical thinking, our competitors are landing robots on comets. How are we ever going to be able to compete for the same resources as them? We should know that manna does not drop from heaven. But I am sure most Nigerians will disagree!
Like I said in my last article for Sahara reporters (bit.ly/1sZJ20V), this brand of religiosity is holding back the progress of Africans. You can be spiritual without believing and acting on these kinds of stories and prophecies. If these pastors are not going to divulge the celestial secret codes for scientific and technological innovations, or tell us something else of consequence that can move our nation forward, then why are we reliant on their proclamations and making them wealthy with our scarce resources?
It is time to begin introspection and self-examination. We are a society of very gullible and superstitious people brought up to obey, and to never question elders or those in authority. We are not critical thinkers. We scorn scepticism. Perhaps, that is why we are where we are.
I am persuaded that, now, more than ever before, is the time to start thinking and asking questions! That is how the nations which now explore outer space got to where they are. Not by wishful thinking and/or superstitions!
Ijabla Raymond is a medical doctor of Nigerian heritage, who writes in from the UK. Email: Ijabla.Raymond@facebook.com
Almost every other Pentecostal church leader produces an end-of-year prophecy. Sometimes, the prophecies contradict one another, causing one to wonder how the same God can say contradictory things to different pastors and prophets.
The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) represents the largest body of Pentecostal Christians in Nigeria; so, it is apt to use Pastor Adeboye’s prophecy for 2015. This is accessible from his Facebook page but can also be found here.
At this juncture, it is pertinent to ask – have any of these pastors and prophets ever said anything of consequence for this nation in the last 10-15 years that end-of-year prophecies have been trending? Let's consider Pastor Adeboye's phopecies for 2015 as expressed on his website.
PROPHECY FOR THE YEAR 2015 BY PASTOR ADEBOYE OF RCCG
Individual: For those who fasted for 100 days last year
1. The Lord says the harvest for the 100 days fast will be given this year.
2. Daddy says this year will be full of testimonies; those who have none before will have this year.
3. Daddy says some of you will swim in the river of abundance this year.
4. Daddy says there will be miraculous completion of projects.
5. Daddy says there will be fulfillment of dreams.
6. Daddy says there will be miraculous restoration.
7. Daddy says the song of many will be - The Lord has been good to me.
International
1. Scientific and medical breakthrough will be many, particularly in the areas of lack of sleep, dreams and brain disorder.
2. Daddy says Ebola will die out.
3. Daddy says all over the world insurgencies will be considerately weakened.
4. He asked us to pray against massive calamities.
5. He asked us to pray against massive earthquakes, strong hurricanes and typhoons.
For RCCG
1. This year all you need is to charge off your batteries by fasting for 40 days only. Those of you who want to fast continuously 20 days and 20 nights will cover the 40 days. If you miss one day, you have to cover it with two days.
Nigeria
By the end of the year - you will say all is well that ends well.
The fasting begins January 2nd 2015.
Notice how the prophecy:
a). Is non-specific with respect to who, what, when, where and how
b). Says nothing about what really matters to Nigerians i.e. national security, Boko Haram, corruption and the elections which come up in February
c). Says nothing about the whereabouts of the abducted Chibok girls
d). Implies that earthquake, typhoons and hurricane can be averted by prayers and fasting Incredible, coming from a former university Mathematics lecturer!
Nigerians pray and supplicate more than any other people I know. Either God does not care about what is important to them or these pastors just make these prophecies up. I am sure that most of you would agree that anyone, including a smart child, could come up with the prophecy above. Yet, these are the words that millions of Nigerians stay up all night to listen to and live their lives by.
To me, a prediction (or prophecy) should not only be time and place-specific but it must be consequential. For instance, it is not enough to say there would be an earthquake; we should know its estimated magnitude, where and when it is going to occur. These will determine whether or not we evacuate people to safety, an action that saves lives. I have reviewed Pastor Adeboye’s prophecies from 2012 till date; he has not said anything consequential in that period.
Before I end, let me remind Nigerians that it was Pastor Adeboye who claimed he drove from Ore to Lagos on an empty fuel tank. And I have encountered many a Nigerian intellectual who believes this story. They are not even willing to consider other possibilities such as:
1. The fuel level could have been on reserve, and the car could have had a large fuel reserve
2. The fuel gauge could have been faulty
3. The pastor could have been hallucinating or having a déjà vu experience
4. He could have been out-rightly telling lies
5. He could have been driving a top fuel-efficiency car. After all, he can afford the best out there, can't he?
And what sort of God grants such frivolous requests but watches on as millions of children die from malaria every year?!
Whilst most Nigerians may not even see anything wrong with this claim, the real problem is that these pastors have succeeded in corrupting our way of thinking and help to develop a culture where our people cannot distinguish fantasies or magical thinking from reality. Heck, even our universities have become both breeding and dumping grounds for such ideologies. Unfortunately, the world clock does not stop for us; for whilst we are engaged in magical thinking, our competitors are landing robots on comets. How are we ever going to be able to compete for the same resources as them? We should know that manna does not drop from heaven. But I am sure most Nigerians will disagree!
Like I said in my last article for Sahara reporters (bit.ly/1sZJ20V), this brand of religiosity is holding back the progress of Africans. You can be spiritual without believing and acting on these kinds of stories and prophecies. If these pastors are not going to divulge the celestial secret codes for scientific and technological innovations, or tell us something else of consequence that can move our nation forward, then why are we reliant on their proclamations and making them wealthy with our scarce resources?
It is time to begin introspection and self-examination. We are a society of very gullible and superstitious people brought up to obey, and to never question elders or those in authority. We are not critical thinkers. We scorn scepticism. Perhaps, that is why we are where we are.
I am persuaded that, now, more than ever before, is the time to start thinking and asking questions! That is how the nations which now explore outer space got to where they are. Not by wishful thinking and/or superstitions!
Ijabla Raymond is a medical doctor of Nigerian heritage, who writes in from the UK. Email: Ijabla.Raymond@facebook.com
Thursday, December 25, 2014
HEAVEN CAN WAIT
I believe in heaven. And I bet you do.
Heaven is located somewhere across the bridge of life. It is a place devoid of the iniquities of this life. In heaven, tranquility abounds. It is a treasure trove where God keeps the best of everything.
All our pursuits in life can be divided into two: the pursuit of heaven and the pursuit of happiness.
Heaven is the only place where happiness is guaranteed. But for some reason, we are determined to pursue happiness here on earth when it has been proven that such is an impossible goal.
We dream of heaven when we face the travails of life on earth. We remember heaven when we lose someone we love. We embrace heaven when we face our own mortality.
Though the vision of heaven varies depending on our religious and cultural upbringing, the central ideas are the same. Heaven is a good place for good people who have a good report card from their stay on earth. We are expected to make sacrifices here on earth in order to get to heaven.
I recently lost a distant cousin. He died a heart-breaking death at a young age. He was such a nice guy that tributes came from far and wide. Everyone agreed he had gone to the bosom of the Lord to rest. One grief-sicken mourner wrote on Facebook, “Stay thee with the Lord, Tony, until we meet again – though not so soon.”
Yeah, even an assurance of a place in the bosom of the Lord will not make us leave, so soon, this world that we know.
I’m not a pastor. I do not play one in Nollywood. But I can use one simple example in the Christian religion to illustrate what I mean when I say that for us all, heaven can wait.
The Bible is ambiguous about who goes to heaven. It says that it is not those who cry my Lord, my Lord that will make it to heaven; but those who do what God wants. What does God want? Apart from the obedience to the commandments, what does God want?
Well, His son, Jesus Christ, in the only prayer He taught says, He wants us to forgive others. “Forgive us our trespasses,” he says, “as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
I consider that a very dangerous prayer. By saying it, you are agreeing to be forgiven of your trespasses only when you forgive those who trespass against you.
So if you do not forgive those who trespass against you, there is no forgiveness for you.
You would think that with that, Christians would have forgiving hearts. But churches are full of men and women who carry decade old grudges yet, are hoping for forgiveness.
As if to buttress that point, the Christ stated that if you were at the door of the church with your thanksgiving offering and remember that you have not forgiven your brother or sister, you should drop your offering by the door. Christ asked that you should go and forgive your fellow human before you come to offer your thanks. If not your offerings will be a waste.
Pretty serious stuff, if you ask me.
We know all this. But we just cannot help it. Deep inside us, heaven can wait.
The call to be human is one heck of a call. We answer the call without a clear understanding of where we came from and where we are headed.
What am I saying? We are going to heaven.
To be exact, we hope to go to heaven. After all, heaven is not just God’s abode. It is a place where comfort is assured after the troubles of this life.
Because of that, a great many ideals of this life are designed to get us to heaven. Laws about goodness and evil are designed to take us to the place where good people go as a reward.
We do not know when we shall be called to heaven. Whenever it happens, there is no way of knowing for sure that we shall be worthy of heaven. Only by His grace, the holy book says.
I, therefore, presume that the first question you will be asked in heaven is, did you ever live as if heaven can wait?
The only reason we do not commit every day of our lives to the pursuit of heaven is because of the other competing goal – the pursuit of happiness.
“We are all prompted by the same motives,” Samuel Johnson, the English writer noted. “All deceived by the same fallacies, all animated by hope, obstructed by danger, entangled by desire and seduced by pleasure.”
After looking at man and his environment, Thomas Jefferson, concluded that man has these inalienable rights- the right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Together, the pursuit of these rights has overshadowed the pursuit of heaven.
Our attitude seems to be; let us enjoy ourselves now. Let us take care of this business of life first. Let us secure our life, liberty and happiness.
We pretend that heaven can wait, even when we know that it cannot.
Merry Christmas.
By Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo OF Sahara Reporters
Heaven is located somewhere across the bridge of life. It is a place devoid of the iniquities of this life. In heaven, tranquility abounds. It is a treasure trove where God keeps the best of everything.
All our pursuits in life can be divided into two: the pursuit of heaven and the pursuit of happiness.
Heaven is the only place where happiness is guaranteed. But for some reason, we are determined to pursue happiness here on earth when it has been proven that such is an impossible goal.
We dream of heaven when we face the travails of life on earth. We remember heaven when we lose someone we love. We embrace heaven when we face our own mortality.
Though the vision of heaven varies depending on our religious and cultural upbringing, the central ideas are the same. Heaven is a good place for good people who have a good report card from their stay on earth. We are expected to make sacrifices here on earth in order to get to heaven.
I recently lost a distant cousin. He died a heart-breaking death at a young age. He was such a nice guy that tributes came from far and wide. Everyone agreed he had gone to the bosom of the Lord to rest. One grief-sicken mourner wrote on Facebook, “Stay thee with the Lord, Tony, until we meet again – though not so soon.”
Yeah, even an assurance of a place in the bosom of the Lord will not make us leave, so soon, this world that we know.
I’m not a pastor. I do not play one in Nollywood. But I can use one simple example in the Christian religion to illustrate what I mean when I say that for us all, heaven can wait.
The Bible is ambiguous about who goes to heaven. It says that it is not those who cry my Lord, my Lord that will make it to heaven; but those who do what God wants. What does God want? Apart from the obedience to the commandments, what does God want?
Well, His son, Jesus Christ, in the only prayer He taught says, He wants us to forgive others. “Forgive us our trespasses,” he says, “as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
I consider that a very dangerous prayer. By saying it, you are agreeing to be forgiven of your trespasses only when you forgive those who trespass against you.
So if you do not forgive those who trespass against you, there is no forgiveness for you.
You would think that with that, Christians would have forgiving hearts. But churches are full of men and women who carry decade old grudges yet, are hoping for forgiveness.
As if to buttress that point, the Christ stated that if you were at the door of the church with your thanksgiving offering and remember that you have not forgiven your brother or sister, you should drop your offering by the door. Christ asked that you should go and forgive your fellow human before you come to offer your thanks. If not your offerings will be a waste.
Pretty serious stuff, if you ask me.
We know all this. But we just cannot help it. Deep inside us, heaven can wait.
The call to be human is one heck of a call. We answer the call without a clear understanding of where we came from and where we are headed.
What am I saying? We are going to heaven.
To be exact, we hope to go to heaven. After all, heaven is not just God’s abode. It is a place where comfort is assured after the troubles of this life.
Because of that, a great many ideals of this life are designed to get us to heaven. Laws about goodness and evil are designed to take us to the place where good people go as a reward.
We do not know when we shall be called to heaven. Whenever it happens, there is no way of knowing for sure that we shall be worthy of heaven. Only by His grace, the holy book says.
I, therefore, presume that the first question you will be asked in heaven is, did you ever live as if heaven can wait?
The only reason we do not commit every day of our lives to the pursuit of heaven is because of the other competing goal – the pursuit of happiness.
“We are all prompted by the same motives,” Samuel Johnson, the English writer noted. “All deceived by the same fallacies, all animated by hope, obstructed by danger, entangled by desire and seduced by pleasure.”
After looking at man and his environment, Thomas Jefferson, concluded that man has these inalienable rights- the right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Together, the pursuit of these rights has overshadowed the pursuit of heaven.
Our attitude seems to be; let us enjoy ourselves now. Let us take care of this business of life first. Let us secure our life, liberty and happiness.
We pretend that heaven can wait, even when we know that it cannot.
Merry Christmas.
By Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo OF Sahara Reporters
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