Black Nonbelievers: An Interview with Adebowale Ojowuro
An interview with Adebowale Ojowuro: Author of Echoes of Common Sense
by Mandisa Lateefah Thomas, President of Black Nonbelievers
First posted on Black Nonbelievers.Org November 10, 2011
A D E B O W A L E O J O W U R O
Adebowale Ojowuro, a native of Nigeria, is the author of The Crisis of Religion and Echoes of Common Sense. I recently had the pleasure of speaking with him about his literary work, as well as the important role he plays in the freethought movement through his writing and activism. Enjoy!!!
What is the motive behind the title of your latest book—Echoes of Common Sense—and what special stories have you shared with readers in the new book?
Let’s admit it, common sense is undoubtedly the major casualty in religious aspects of human life. Despite being at liberty to exercise the aptness of reason, the fundamental theology that binds humanity to religious beliefs continues fallible. It’s mind boggling to conceive how recurrent ignorance from past ages still largely compels complacent imbecility upon modern humans. This, openly, has become a disturbing question for ethics in several communities of rational minds. It is upon this alarming spectacle of irresponsible ignorance—that I yet again decide to echo another voice of reason, from a bleeding heart that’s been harrowed by the foulness of religion, to kindle the common sense of the people to the decency of holding the right belief. Read More…
Bigotry of High Order
“If we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them.”
– Karl Popper
Disturbing trepidations, shock, upset, alarming hatred, intolerable heresy, disloyalty to ancestors, infidelity to God, and so on… This record of startling bigotry is what the mere mention of the word ‘Atheism’ regularly ignites all over the continent of Africa. All African communities perceive a handful of Atheists in their midst as immoral disciples of Satan, dissidents of inherited faith, extreme adversaries of evangelism, infidels, and activists of satanic doctrines, whose licentious lifestyles engender organized apostasy against a compassionate God unfairly hurt by iniquities of their immoral conducts. Many Africans still believe the Atheist is a legal outcast in the society; “a nondescript monster created by Nature in a moment of madness,” as William Gillespie has wrongly observed some 150 years ago.
In the face of these tainted opinions, does Atheism truly represent any aspect of the ailing stigmas, which advocates of dogmatic faith have deceitfully impressed in the minds of Africans? Are the abject calumnies with which organized religions have branded Atheism truly sensible and just? The answer to these questions is a resounding no. It is, therefore, on the reward that our society may succeed in removing some of the many prejudices that numerous people under the influence of superficial bigotry have, without good ground, erected against the holders of Atheistic opinions that I decide to write this chapter for the benefit of pious readers.
Certainly, the widespread prejudices against Atheism are blatant societal errors, which invasive ignorance of credulous believers chronically festers throughout the length and breadth of the African continent. These offensive stigmas and invalid perceptions about Atheism are indeed outside the realms of value judgments and all decent contemplations in the mind of any reasonable person in the civilized world. The words of the French Philosopher, Voltaire, still hold true today in Africa: “On religion, many are destined to reason wrongly; others not to reason at all; and others to prosecute those who do reason.” Read More…
THE BLIND GUIDE
A D E B O W A L E O J O W U R O
(Excerpts from the 5th Chapter of Echoes of Common Sense)
by
Adebowale Ojowuro
“Wandering in a vast forest at night, I have only a faint light to guide me. A stranger appears and says to me: ‘my friend, you should blow out your candle in order to find your way more clearly.’ This stranger is a theologian.”
− Denis Diderot
Organized religions contrive to make the universe a blind alley for the entire human race. Over the human world, complacent imbecility reigns supreme; as ethical science and wisdom that stand for irrefragable logic suffocates under the folly of religion. Beyond words blossom the dogmas of popular superstitions in every part of our communal society. Those in whom the faculty of reason is vital solution and means to the advancement of human civilization struggle for recognition amid the dominant influence of preachers who propagate nothing but outmoded customs and traditional beliefs of uneducated worshippers.
Today, the entire world yearns for more light, but the faith mentality unreasonably suppresses the premium that nature and common sense constantly places on reality. That, which we consider universal enlightenment and call reason, the despotism of faith unfairly subjugates for the hag of superstitious belief and ancient system of theism. The big claim by ignorant men who pretend to be oracle of God on earth excites the reverence and cheerful gratification of humankind far greater than the deeper fact that pragmatism best indicates in the philosophy of insight and scientific knowledge.
The iron grip of organized religion forbids that old things should pass away; it is thus written. Ancient theologies and worship of the old still lamentably dominate the control of human lives and rule their world in the 21st century civilization. In religion resides the Dark Age with mankind.
As far as we can trace the natural history of theology, the Bhagavad-Gita, the Sanskrit, the Torah, the Quran, and the Bible, etc, are not by any means Holy Scriptures. They are altogether a bunch of historical records, written by primitive men—savages who told tribal versions of events that entrench bigotry and intolerance, unruly deeds and violence, including hatred, brutality, and slavery into the culture of humankind at the fabricated commands of the imaginary gods of antiquity. 
It’s out of the ordinary to imagine how unrestrained fallacies of pious men, in their despicable con job of heralding spurious ‘word of God’ to others, have made persistent mockery of the human race through all ages. Imagine how thinkers and men of astute nobility can no longer find a new emphasis of their own amid repressive rule of faith that saddles their critical faculties with the domination of absurd and contradictory theologies; which of course, can be so easily proven false by any adolescent schoolboy. It’s much baffling to imagine how humans can no longer think for themselves in their own world.
Just imagine how the despotism of faith has built extensive territories of gullible bigots across the length and breadth of the blue planet. If we should ask ourselves, what precisely are the benefits of the mental cruelties that program countless heads all over the globe into believing embroidered myths that are totally untrue? Of what gain does it profit humanity when organized religions compel the worship of fictionalized gods upon the general populace? As far as the generally accepted history of religion is concerned, where exactly has the journey of dogmatic belief systems led humanity, except for the business of propheteering and fattening the wallets of preachers and proponents of religious trades?
The enduring mental manipulations that fill the heads of little kids with the dogmas of the greatest lies of all times, and preset infants long before they could either reflect or think wisely, into subjective believers of popular superstition called the ‘word of God in print’ clearly depict the suppressive nature of faith. The very essence of this despotic propensity goes all out to show how organized religions commonly covet for no autonomous logical thoughts, born out of one’s own reflective convictions, to ever exist in this world; and for every sound mind in whom the rational mentality is truly alive to perish with the logic of his/her personal intellect. In fact, I am sincerely at a loss to conceive how the commission of this infamous system of suppression has been of any significant benefit to the progress of human civilization. My early childhood indoctrination into the Christian religion culminates into the study of nothing but a confused fable, featuring the character of a mythical, three-headed ‘supernatural God’ who is a lead actor and commander-in-chief of brutal wars amongst earthling creatures; together with gullible obedience that is inconsistent with freethought. Who can imagine what the world has lost by the evil execution of this notorious plot of dominating the minds of the world’s most valuable future resources with mountains of theological gibberish? Read More….
OUT WITH A BANG!
ECHOES OF COMMON SENSE
(A PROVOCATION)
by
ADEBOWALE OJOWURO
“The questions whether God exists and even if so, if religion is a good, useful thing, have always seemed to be the exclusive property of European and North American writers. Now, Ojowuro brings an authentic African voice and African point of view to the debate.”
• Professor Michel Clasquin-Johnson, Dept of Religious Studies, University of South Africa.
He, who hath ears to hear, let him hear. In spite of all threats, the rational property of truth can never be shattered or suppressed. Instead, its realistic vanguard will continue to advance in progressive dynamism to help heal the delusion of the world. At the front-line of a new worldview radiates the luminous hope of rationality to free souls held in bondage by imprudence of faith-based unreason.
The terrible error in the course of human civilization is undoubtedly the defective judgment that allowed religious authorities usurp the foundation of societal morality, in which all collective ethics of humankind must take a cause. This appalling blunder is comparable only to assigning the leper exclusive franchise to run beauty clinics in the society; this can only lead to cycles upon cycles of common infection syndrome.
No one can deny the fact that religion is, indeed, the most horrible infection ever to infest the rational mentality of humankind. Undeniably, discordant religious doctrines have prevented the priceless values of common humanism from blooming forth amongst the entire human race. The evidence of how religious practices have terribly Balkanized our world into troubled and conflict-ridden communities today disturbs and irritates our individual knowledge. We are all baffled observers to outrageous bigotry in the name of God. Each and every one of us is a perplexed eyewitness to unthinkable, disgusting intolerant conditions where diverse religious sects cannot live at peace with one another. Unto this day, religion still remains a potent force for enmity, violent behaviour, hostility, and hate in all human communities as it was, indeed, from the beginning of recorded time.
It is common knowledge that dogmatic believers do not only despise the infidels, they by the same token, extend extreme hatreds to each other. Pentecostals have refused to worship in the temples of Catholics; and the Sunni Muslims abhor the worship of Allah in the mosques erected with the monies of Shiite Muslims. Devotees of these religious sects forbid one another with passion, and horribly despise each other’s faith with abysmal fervour. Between Muslims and Christians, the terrible history has been that of unrelenting conflict. It has been brutal war amongst Islamist Arabs and the Jews. Recurrent clashes and bigotry endure between Orthodox Christians and Protestants, Muslims and Hindus, Buddhists and Hindus, etc.
Many indications clearly show that extremists of these religious sects are becoming more and more dangerous in the society. Ugly memories of the 9/11 terror attacks still worry Americans to this present day. More recently, Nigerians can no longer sleep with their two eyes closed, because jihadist suicide bombs are increasingly being detonated in their country by Islamist terrorists group known as ‘Boko Haram’.
For humanity to uphold its own inviolability, we indeed must expose the false certainty of religion and remove the spirit of worship from our communities. Religion demands worship—the very thing that man should give to no being, human or divine. Robert G. Ingersoll gave humanity this argument in his work, entitled, The Enemy of Individuality:
To worship another is to degrade yourself…It is the spirit of worship that elevates the one and degrades the many; that builds palaces for (liars), erects monuments to crime, and forges manacles even for its own hands. The spirit of worship is the spirit of tyranny…We should all remember that the intellect has no knees, and that whatever the attitude of the body may be,the brave soul is always found erect.
The resonant chord with uttermost echoes of commonsensical validity, in any admirable society, is the stern ethics that upholds the sacredness of humanity in taking a stand on reason. In this way we make every effort to build a rational alternative to faith-based unreason by erecting our ethics and moral outlook on humanity rather than imaginary gods of organized religion.
Comprehensive usage is the only condition attached to nature’s gift of reason. The use of reason and sceptical enquiry appends no senseless creed and unreasoning obedience to its ethical values; rather, it bequeaths upright consistency to those who genuinely search for natural truth. Therefore, people should not hesitate to resourcefully make use of this free gift of nature at all times, for our society to be free from the scourge of complacent imbecility that imposed malignant retardation upon the progress of human civilization for millennia of years.
Echoes of Common Sense brings the library of rationality and reason—the matter-of-fact reflection—with every engine of logic to stimulate the minds of the populace to the probity of right belief and the path of natural truth. As Baron d’Holbach has rightly held, “The Atheist is a man who destroys the chimeras that afflict the human race, and so leads men back to nature, to experience and to reason.”
I leave the variety of opinions and propositions articulated in this book, which are genuinely conceived in liberty of rational thoughts, to rest in the mind of the reader. Certain as Gloria Steinem has very truthfully observed, “The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.”
*****
COMING SOON…!!!
ECHOES OF COMMONSENSE
by
ADEBOWALE OJOWURO
COMING SOON!
The way to change a society is to impart rational thoughts into the minds of the people. Observable transgression against the law of sanity and common sense is a disturbing question for ethics in the human society.
Despite being at liberty to exercise the aptness of reason, the fundamental theology that binds humanity to religious belief continues fallible. Echoes of Common Sense brings the library of rationality and reason—the matter-of-fact reflection—with every engine of logic to awaken the common sense of the people to astute ethics of belief, which habitually gets misplaced in the common imbecility of human nature.
The author delivers fully packed commonsensical arguments to stimulate the minds of the populace to the probity of right belief and the path of natural truth. From the usage of articulate expressions, critical and coherent arguments, Ojowuro employs rational analysis in such a comprehensive and engaging manner to present several cases under reflection in this book. Echoes of Common Sense is a complete, satisfactory depiction of every virtue of reasoning. The book is scintillating and thought-provoking in its entire details. It’s emphatically a compendium of information and knowledge—enlightening and eye-opening—a resounding masterwork!
Interview with Donald Wright
Interview with: Donald Wright, Vice-President of the Humanists of Houston, and Author of the Freethought book, The Only Prayer I’ll Ever Pray: Let My People Go
Donald Wright
Echoes of Commonsense Editor, Nathalie Woods, discusses significant issues relating to the Author’s transformation from a life of redundant delusion as a Deacon in the Christian faith, into embracing a new life in astute affirmation of all that is rational and factual as an Atheist, Secular Humanist, and Free-thought activist.
Donald Wright resolutely proclaims in this interview: “If there is a god that answers prayers, I would request releasing black people in America from their extreme addiction to religion.”
You were born into the Christian faith, and served the Christian church as a Deacon for several years. Certainly a grave cause must have instigated you into renouncing your deep faith; why did you forsake the religion of your birth?
I was a member of this pre-dominantly black mega-church in Houston for 19 years. It was the church where I was a deacon. In 2003, the pastor was exposed in a homosexual scandal. It found its way into the local and national media. The pastor was portraying a happy heterosexual marriage. This was devastating to the membership. A special meeting was held to determine his fate. The membership voted and by a small margin, the majority preferred him to remain as pastor with the condition that he would agree to counseling.
Our family was not alone in leaving, as a substantial number of members immediately chose to find another church. This situation was very disturbing because within two years the church membership decreased well over 50%. Homosexuality is a major theological challenge for most Christians and obviously I did not accept it as a lifestyle choice for a church leader.
This incident initiated my religious renouncement. Following the decision to find another church, I committed to becoming a greater student of the Bible and the religious practice of Christianity. I was no longer going to be dependent on the preachers and anointed Bible teachers for interpretation and instructions. The next two years involved intense self-study in addition to enrollment in a local Bible college to obtain a Bible teaching certificate. Some family members and friends suggested I was being called to the ministry. The study required me to ask hard and challenging questions. It required me to pursue the history and origin of the Bible. It led me to observing clear contradictions in Bible. Eventually I would find my way to reading the Age of Reason by Thomas Paine and in September 2006 my religious journey was terminated. Self-study and the pursuit of truth led me away from religion and into a life-stance centered on Humanism and Atheism, not the pastor’s homosexual scandal. I am glad I finally decided to scholarly study the Bible.
Has life fared any significantly better since being atheist? Are you happier with no religious beliefs?
A better perspective on life and being happier are both products of my revised life stance being free from religion and that is because I am no longer in mental bondage confined to religious dogma.
There are some many things that can affect our lives. Being an Atheist, Christian, or any other belief system does not prevent negative experiences. I am uncertain as to whether a better life can be experienced as long as humans are being oppressed and exploited by other humans.
The title of your new book—The Only Prayer I’ll Ever Pray: Let My People Go—is pregnant with profound array of meanings. What’s the true story behind the title? Is it in any way an advocacy for freedom from religion?
The title is a reflection on a major activity within the Christian religion that I view now as a waste of time—Prayer. As we (wife and daughter) were discussing some religious concepts during the writing of 
the manuscript, my daughter reminded me of not having to pray any more. Coupling this with the overall purpose of the book lead to the title; which, of course, is an advocacy for freedom from religion. If there is a god that answers prayers I would request releasing black people in America from their extreme addiction to religion.
What’s your purpose for writing the book? Is it aimed at converting your people into Atheism or Secular Humanism because you’ve come to realize a new world view that exposes religion as a hoax that has for a long time misled them?
The point of focus in the book is on organized religion, primarily Christianity, and why I think blacks in America
should strongly and urgently consider disregarding the need for religion. It is about my journey and it is based on a practical, common sense perspective of religion and its harmful influence in the society. It is not aimed at converting people into Atheism, but I do think that Secular Humanism is a better alternative. I agree with the expression that religion is a hoax that has misled too many people, not just black people in America, but the entire human race.
What is the relevance of your book to the community of African-American? Do you think your people will ever listen to any thought that may constitute a hindrance to their very strong attachment to religious practices?
African-Americans should find my book to be thought-provoking and a candid display of a logical process by which I came to a very difficult decision. It encourages each of us to ask the tough questions and demand fact-based answers. It takes courage to change, but I have come to the realization that with the right information and a little motivation and desire, attitudes and behaviors can be modified regardless of the attachment. I expect a gradual increase of African-Americans that will find freedom from religion.
How did you come to the conclusion that the God of religion is imaginary? Are you in any way influenced by the work of any Atheist or Freethinker?
It was my desire to find the origin of the Bible, Christianity and other religions. This study advanced my knowledge of the three dominant world religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—and that the Bible is a common thread. A thorough objective study of the Bible guided me into a discovery of how human imagination can be posted as divinely inspired without any factual proof. When a statement is challenged to be supported with facts and evidence, and it fails, it is very reasonable to conclude human imagination is involved. God speaks to Moses in a burning bush but the plant is not destroyed by the fire—Human imagination. I was and I am still influenced by a number of individuals that are Atheists and freethinkers, but the Age of Reason by Thomas Paine had the greatest impact on me. After reading it, I could no longer justify the practice and support of any organized religion.
Looking at the complex structure of the universe from the point of view of a rational thinker, do you believe Atheists truly have any logical indication to refute the powerful Argument from Design that Theists have advanced in support of the existence of a creator-God?
I am an Atheist because there is not enough evidence to support the existence of a god. Especially the gods of the various religions. I don’t believe in a god because I don’t have to. From my perspective as a rational thinker, it is never a requirement to prove the negative. The theists should have the burden to prove the existence of a god as the creator of this magnificent universe especially since they promote the concept that life, human and non-human, is governed by this supreme being. I prefer science rather than theology as a means to understanding this complex structure. This debate is led by individuals with brilliant minds and I am not one of them. At this point in my life, I am a lot more concern about the conditions affecting our existence in this universe than how or who created it. It appears that the god of the theists enjoys human suffering.
We have had stories of discrimination against Atheists, especially in black communities; have you in any way experienced any form of unfair prejudice? Are your Christian friends still your friends, or do you now fraternize with like minds only?
I have not experienced or detected any discrimination or unfair prejudice as an Atheist. However, I am almost certain that some Christian friends, associates, and probably a few relatives would prefer to limit their contact with me. The majority certainly would rather avoid the conversation. Some are still in shock of my transition and lack the words to substantiate their position other than, “well, all I need is faith.” I continue to maintain relationships with many Christians, but I would like to increase the number of quality relationships with other Atheists and humanists.
There are several cases of Atheists re-converting to religious practices because of the feeling of loneliness? Don’t you sometimes feel there’s a vacuum in your life? Ain’t you missing something in religion that Atheism cannot provide?
I am certain in my declaration that there is nothing about religion that I miss. The most common positive aspects of the religious experience in the black community are the fellowship and the music. The church fellowship is replaced by many other opportunities to meet with family, friends, and acquaintances through other special occasions, organizational meetings, and business activities. The many genres in music provide endless opportunities for listening pleasure. Sunday is no longer a day of obligation; church attendance and placing money in the basket whenever it is passed.
Do you see the need for Atheists or sceptics to belong to liberal religious group, such as Unitarian Universalism? Is there any contradiction in an Atheist merging non-belief with religious tradition, because s/he deeply misses the practice of an act s/he had been initiated to perform from childhood?
As individuals, we continue to evolve regarding needs that will sustain us socially. It is a necessity for group
participation and gatherings for some but not for others. Currently, I am opposed to all religious type institutions and find it unnecessary for me to participate in non-religious organizations that deem it relevant to offer
practices or rituals similar to religious institutions. I have no interest in being reminded of church worship services. I would not call it a contradiction, but it would be rather surprising that an Atheist would need to maintain similarities to religious practices learned during childhood to sustain a secular life.
If I got the information right, the “Day of Solidarity” is a project you’ve proposed to boost solidarity among African America non-believers. Did you record an impressive turnout for the first edition of the event?
Instead of impressive, I would call the turnout or response noticeable considering I made the proposal only three weeks in advance. The responses were all positive. There was a gathering here in Houston, in the D.C. area, and Los Angeles. I have formed a committee to assist in promoting next year’s observance and to give ample time for event planning. In the African-Americans Non-religious Day of Solidarity, I visualized a special day of observance once a year on the fourth Sunday in February, Black History Month, to promote fellowship, share experiences, meet new non-believers, and discuss the lives of black non-believers that our typical history books omit. Also, this could be the opportunity to encourage community activism. Obviously, my hope is for this to become an annual event organized in cities and towns across the entire United States.
THE CRISIS OF RELIGION by ADEBOWALE OJOWURO
Impression of Arthur Jackson (San Jose, California) Author of How to Live the Good Life: A User’s Guide for Modern Humans Posted on Amazon.com on Thursday the 3rd of March 2011
Arthur Jackson
“I have just finished Adebowale Ojowuro’s amazing book, “The Crisis of Religion.” And, I salute him for the great work he has produced. He has examined the Jewish/Christian Bible in more depth than I’ve ever seen before…
If anyone stays with him on his journey I can’t imagine that they could remain a True Believer.
He presents his material from a different perspective from those of us raised in a Western setting. Very fresh. Very startling. Very growth promoting.”
– Arthur Jackson (San Jose, California) Author of How to Live the Good Life: A User’s Guide for Modern Humans rated The Crisis of Religion 4 Stars on Amazon.com
Culled from Amazon.com
REVIEW OF THE CRISIS OF RELIGION: By Shelby K. Sherman
- Shelby Sherman
American veteran Atheist, writer, and Ebon Mussing contributor, Shelby K. Sherman rates The Crisis of Religion by Adebowale Ojowuro — ‘Five-Star’
In his recent review of The Crisis of Religion by Adebowale Ojowuro — posted on Amazon.com — Shelby Sherman echoes his impression of the work thus:
I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated this wonderful, thoughtful book by Adebowale Ojowuro. The reader, be they atheist, agnostic, skeptic or believer should be impressed by the scholarship, depth, and wordsmithing that the author carefully conveyed to the reader. Adebowale pens eloquently and respectfully the questions that all of us should be asking about organized religion, and the thoroughly disappointing answers. The author shines a bright light on man’s seemingly insatiable gullibility and dissects the holy tenets of the religious writs, exposing them for what they are, damn lies.
This book goes beyond the typical rants that justifiably skewer the failed and ambiguous prophecies, the impossible virgin birth and the failed line genealogy of Christ’s divinity. It goes further than just gleefully pointing out the hundreds of inconsistencies and contradictions in the Bible; it shows a certain passion, an anger and disappointment in the dishonesty of the religious stranglehold that infects the human race. Nowhere is this passion more evident than in the Lamentation for Africa, a heartbreaking but exquisitely accurate indictment of the failure of the Black inhabitants to avoid the trappings of religions foisted upon them.
This fine work should be on every Skeptic’s top shelf; it is a great triumph for Adebowale and certainly recommended reading.
This review is extracted from Amazon.com
Stains That Just Won’t Come Out
by David Ince
I think it’s the dream of many atheists. The use of the tool of logic to chip away at a person’s belief so that eventually they abandon faith and lean instead on reason. Often I hear atheists’ excitement when they make a religious person start to doubt. They believe that this is the first step to out and out non belief. I am quickly realising that this is usually not the case. I think it’s important to keep pushing people into looking at the logic of their beliefs, since many will never do so on their own. I personally find it fun and it can get people to engage in more critical thinking which is important in all aspects of life. Guy P. Harrison in his book, ‘ 50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God’ does a great job in breaking down the fallacies in theists’ reasoning. However, I recognise that people can live with serious doubts for years without ever getting to the point where they accept that belief in a God is unjustified. I myself was a doubting Christian for more than 20 years.
I think the problem is that whereas many atheists see questioning a believer’s dogma as leading to the eventual collapse of their wall of faith, religious people tend to view the contradictions, questionable morals and scientific implausibilities pointed out by atheists like stains on a carpet. Stains that must be immediately removed. Doubts are not things to make them think twice about religion, they are nuisances that need to be eliminated so that they can get back to worshipping their God in peace.
Many of us know that getting stains out of a carpet is an onerous task. Blood stains are often the worst, they leave a deep colour and are extremely hard to cover up. Surprisingly, many Christians don’t see, until skeptics point them out, that there are blood stains all over the fabric of their faith. Stains seen through things like the order from God to kill the Amalakites, the numerous animals sacrificed whose burnt blood is “pleasing to Yahweh”, the negotiated sacrifice of Jephthah’s daughter, the plagues of the first-borns in the exodus story, the genocide of the global flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. All this on just the first half of the carpet!
Beyond these, there are other more subtle but just as persistent stains. There are logical contradictions in the gaps between the carpet’s threads that jump out at you when you look at the fine details. Contradictions that hold that prayers of request from believers have power to influence God but still insist God has a plan set from the beginning of time that cannot be altered by mere humans. When you step back a little further other contradictions enter your field of view, such as the one that holds that God is everywhere and has been with us from the beginning, yet is undetectable to us since he exists entirely outside of space and time. These stains may not be as horrible as those bloody ones but they are pesky little annoyances nonetheless.
On the surface, believers and non believers admit that regardless of their genesis all these stains are ugly, but Christians are confident they can fight them. They just know that they must be some ‘solution in a bottle’ that can work. So, they hurry off to the “Apologetics Hardware Store” to find the right concoction. There are many brands you can get off-the-shelf sold by popular distributors such as Lee Strobel, Josh McDowell and C. S Lewis. More recently Christians have been opting to order their ‘Apologetic Solutions’ online. Whatever the case, the believers always seem to have faith that pouring these neatly packaged arguments on the stains will make them go away like the magic of Oxyclean. But, just like the late night infomercials the cleaning agents never quite work as advertised.
One of the popular ‘apologetic solutions’ is known as “Might Makes Right.” This, the marketers claim can deal with most stains; the idea is that God can do whatever he wants because he is God. If God feels that a people should be wiped out who are we to question? Well, it doesn’t take long after application to realise that this one just doesn’t penetrate through the stain even though it’s a powerful concentrate. Having ultimate power does not make every action you take good. Might does not make right after all. So that’s a solution they always have to take back for a refund. Still, the Christians keep trying, but the frustrating thing is that rather than stains coming out, more and more stains appear in the process. If an apologetic solution removes one stain it inevitably creates another one, which we atheist are always right on hand to point out.
The fact is that the more we show them the stains the harder they work to get them out and this constant cleaning makes them more determined to keep the carpet. This is exactly the opposite response that the we atheist “carpet inspectors” are hoping for. It often takes them a while but eventually the theist will realise what we have been saying all along. “Them stains just ain’t coming out.” So we say to them, “Now you’ll throw it out right?” No! The stains suddenly change their character and become a part of the carpet that the believer admires. They tell us that every stain is a mystery and mysteries are beautiful. It is just amazing that whatever they do to the stains they never disappear. They say that the whole experience reminds them how weak and lacking in understanding they are as humans, but it illustrates how great God is in comparison. For, he could remove all those stains with just a simple wave of his hand and he of course will do just that, when he’s ready, in his time. They go on to remind us that indeed Jesus removes stains every Sunday at church. Doesn’t the priest say he removes from us every stain of sin? If God can remove sin stains he can also remove trivial stains like logical contradictions. From carpentry to carpetry, Jesus can make any living room perfect.
So, the end result is that their stained carpet will stay. Well, at least most of the time. There are some shrewd entrepreneurs that will watch the failed stain removals and offer the believer a quick remedy. They will sell the disappointed Christian a brand new carpet which they will guarantee is stain resistant. It could be a a Muslim “prayer mat” carpet, a Mormon gold plated carpet or the Adventist “seven day wonder” carpet. At first the believer feels great about having a new product that is stain free. Predictably, the euphoria doesn’t last as they soon realise that the new is just like the old. The colours may be different, the texture smoother but the logical contradictions are still there along with the same questionable morals. Still, many will keep changing their carpets all through their lifetime, some even change back and never get satisfaction. Hours cleaning and hiring experts but no results. It’s just stain after stain after stain.
So, what can the non believer do about this irrational love of stained carpets? Well, some have tried going the hard way. Recently the American Atheists have tried to pull the carpet straight from under the believers feet with statements like, “You know it’s a myth” or “You know they are all scams.” These no doubt cause pain when the faithful topple haplessly to the ground. The fall does bring some to face reality, but in other cases it creates animosity to those that induced the fall. So results are likely to be mixed.
Perhaps, the best thing we atheists can do is to invite the faithful to visit our homes and see our carpet-less abodes, with a framed message on the wall simply saying, “We are good without God.” We can let them know that despite what Disney may say, there is nothing magical about a carpet. In our homes, they will see that the floor may be hard and cold but we don’t have to worry about stains. We have no cushion under our feet to make us feel protected, nothing we can use to sweep things we don’t like under, but we have reason to believe that we are standing on solid ground.
This scintillating article is culled from Caribatheist Blogspot – No Religion Know Reason
First posted on Caribatheist Blogspot www.caribatheist.blogspot.com
RESTORING NIGERIA’S MISPLACED HONOUR
BEING AN ADDRESS BY ADEBOWALE OJOWURO AUTHOR OF THE CRISIS OF RELIGION ON THE OCCASION OF THE INAUGURATION OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF YORUBA DESCENDANTS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA, HELD IN NELSPRUIT ON SATURDAY, 11th DECEMBER 2010 AT THE KABOKWENI CINEMA HALL
“For us in Namibia, the name Nigeria is that of a pillar of Africa’s Freedom and Independence. Nigeria is renowned for being at the forefront in the battle for Africa recognition in the global arena… I recall with a great sense of gratitude how in the past I visited Nigeria quite frequently as a freedom fighter…” – President Sam Nujoma of Namibia
These were the likes of motivating tributes and honours for which Nigeria is well renowned when I was growing up. Majority of you here today can attest to the truth of this piece of information. I have, after careful considerations, decided not to include any of the miserable and shameful media headlines for which the notoriety of Nigeria as a nation is now universally proclaimed; because, I do not desire to ruin the mood of several attentive participants in this occasion.
Adebowale Ojowuro
A thoughtful patriot who often reflects on the state of the Nigerian nation cannot help but notice the appalling status of national shame that has recurrently become apparent in our fatherland since half a century of its independence from colonial rule. The fact can no longer be denied that our national honour has been relegated entirely into mere paper accolades and praise songs of political bandits and capitalist criminals. Those excellent tributes, such as, “Pillar of Africa” or “Giant of Africa,” that would genuinely emanate from reputable leaders throughout the world, has now become a once upon a time honour that presently eludes Nigeria like chalk and cheese.
Fellow compatriots and distinguished guests, it is with great sense of humility that I stand here before you today to re-echo it once again into your ears that our country is disappointingly a backward nation; and this is a fact with which we are very much familiar. At this stage, however, after fifty years of self-governing, what we obviously do not know is the proper step forward.
During his lecture on Nigeria’s contribution to International Peace and Security on the 12th of October 2010, the High Commissioner of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to South Africa, Ambassador Mohamed Buba Marwa, re-echoed this fact yet again to all Nigerians resident in South Africa in a clarion call for policy proposals, aimed at getting Nigeria into the right direction. He affirmed: “Whatever perceptions that might exist about Nigeria; the real picture is much more complex. The 50 years anniversary presents the opportunity for a thorough interrogation and analysis that unravels the layers of what Nigeria has been, and to provide policy options in terms of the direction the country should potentially take, given its challenges and resources.” This is the call that has truly informed my preference for this discussion topic today.
As a matter of fact, the preferred topic for this occasion as suggested to me by the Hon. President of this great association is: “My Africa, My Pride: A Celebration of African Culture, Value, and Dignity.” (With emphasis on the Yoruba culture). However, on a second thought, I decided to change the topic discussion, because I perceive it as utter sacrilege and absolute disservice, should I stand before you all to paint deceptive pictures of what the African culture is truly not. This is not being cynical in my judgments, but I sincerely do not see anything worthy of celebration amongst the remnant of what is left of societal values and dignity in the Nigeria of today. It is irrational beyond absurd to celebrate a culture that is more and more becoming desolate and subverted in downright discontent by its own people.
It is common knowledge that our culture as Africans has terribly been battered and eroded by imperialist, and finally laid to rest through the able support of several credulous Africans to give room to the pre-eminence of foreign culture over our ancestral heritage. The true picture of what is left of us as a nation is sadly that of a failed cultural legacy. We are undeniably in sheer deficit of any revered heritage that we can truly bequeath to generations yet unborn as our edifying ancestral tradition.
Half a century into our independence, the case of the Nigerian nation is very much a tragic one. Regrettably, the story of our nation has been that of unrelenting disaster that’s grossly invested in worthless civil war, brutal military dictatorship, and callous religious and ethnic conflicts. The story of Nigeria in the last fifty years is that of sheer poverty and hunger, despair and total economic collapse in the face of enormous natural and human resources. Allied to these extreme levels of desolation are unimaginable colossal frauds in the corridor of power. And the end result of these outrageous official swindle is complete breakdown of the society that is today called Nigeria.
Beyond doubt, our development as a nation has plainly not progressed at an expected pace in the last fifty years. The remnants of what Nigeria now possesses as integrity is nothing more than what I would term as artificial and paper-reputation. I have again noticed the torrent of these cosmetic and misleading praise-songs as they flood several media publications throughout Nigeria during our recent golden jubilee. In the actual sense of it, these bogus compliments are nothing near authentic; rather, they represent misleading accolades of political bandits and economic parasites in their grand design to loot Nigeria dry of its oil wealth. The loose ends of these deceptive praise-songs for the present day Nigeria confine greatly in sinister massage to the inordinate egoism of our uncivilized leaders who would credulously succumb their extreme self-interest to the fancy of such cosmetic sycophancy. And in return would award over-inflated contracts in outrageous figures as rewards to these organized bandits of praise singers, for a job well done.
Our backwardness as a nation is not a secret to the entire world. The signs of our lack of development are also very obvious to us, and we know it like the midday sun. The evidence of our deficiencies as a nation, whether in matters of government and economy, education and technological advancements, social cohesion and lack of respect for state laws, or our chronic indiscipline as a people, and so on, is very much apparent to us and the entire world.
We truly know that the trouble with Nigeria is predominantly the failure of leadership. We are also very much aware of the fact that the recurrent failure of leadership in Nigeria has subsequently metamorphosed into failure of followership. And, for the most part, our lack of development as a nation has perilously hanged on a quantity of dubious and filthy conducts, which we have oddly modelled into our national life as acceptable norms. This is the major tribulation that now stares us in the face on daily basis in our country.
As Ambassador Marwa has rightly said, “Whatever the perceptions that might exist about Nigeria, the real picture is much more complex.” It is more complex to explain the peculiar characters that are typically of Nigerians in any position of trust, or in any place we may find ourselves? It is of enormous remark how vastly bizarre anomalous run in our blood. Our apt to steal state funds and manipulate conventional systems is second to none on planet earth. The same is our propensity to shady deals, fraud, and appalling crimes. It is sincerely more complex for anyone to understand how these oddities have taken strong root in our culture and in our bloodstreams.
In my own assessment, the core complexities that chronically afflict the Nigerian society today lie mainly in these three tribulations – Ignorance – Indiscipline – Faulty Governmental System.
- The level of societal ignorance that resulted in the collapse of rule of law and moral values is exceedingly high in our national order.
- Gross indiscipline that culminated in collective failure to uphold, in high esteem, the precious values of our civil rights and obligations.
- And thirdly, our faulty federal system of government is too large and ineffective.
The recurring incidents of gross maladministration of the Nigerian nation by successive governments are lucid substantiations that practically betrayed the high level of societal ignorance that’s very much prevalent in Nigeria vis-à-vis the business of self-rule. We simply have no clear understanding of how to run a democratic state as at the time our colonial masters approved the system of government for us. Evidently, unto this day, we still do not have any clue as to how we can efficiently run a democratic state.
To several of our ignorant and uncivilized leaders in Nigeria, democracy is simply the opposite of what it entails. Democracy in our society means despotism, tyranny, absolutism, and official corruption; rather than being a system of government that provides for social equality. Democracy to Nigerian leaders is authority stealing, embezzlement, election rigging, political thuggery, economic sabotage, and the ‘share-money’ syndrome, commonly known as, “Egunje.” And to the Nigerian followership, democracy is simply the removal of brutal military dictatorship that gives room to free-for-all anarchism, societal commotion, ample disorder, and gross indiscipline that is totally devoid of any trait of social cohesion.
Our federalism is needlessly too large, except for giving employment to too many executive rogues to take charge of ample state funds. Thirty-six states in the federation means thirty-six Executive Governors and their Deputies, with their retinue of aids. It means 36 State Assemblies, 36 Speakers and their deputies, outsized senatorial seats, excessive state ministries and commissioners, and endless executive offices for political bandits in a country with such an outrageous level of corrupt culture. How then should we expect anything other than complete breakdown of society as in our present state?
The Nigerian national Coat of Arm adorns the most inspiring motto I have ever come across in the annals of human civilization: “Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress.”But, in practical demonstrations, this inspirational slogan has no real meaning in our society. The contrary of its valid sense is the case for Nigeria. Our unity is rapidly dying out due to the menace of recurrent ethnic conflicts, and threat of secession from differing ethnic groups on the indictment of government for gross oppression and marginalization. On the other hand, our faith is unbelievably delusional, blind, and utterly sightless to a very baffling fault. We have gullibly allowed the stronghold of organized religion to breed very awkward delusions in our subdued mind of reasoning, to the detrimental level that has made us to be so irrationally contented with not understanding the world we live in. All over our land, as I speak now, the way to God for the entirety of Nigerians is ridiculously dependent on adherence to the creeds of foreign religions. And, day by day, our peace is troubled by constant religious conflicts; where sectarian extremists recurrently murder one another over rival interpretations of religious dogmas. In short, our progress as a sovereign state has ineffectively witnessed very chronic retardation since the last fifty years of independence.
Fellow countrymen, self-criticism is the beginning of self-reform. In the wake of another general election coming up early next year in our country, there is no better time to unleash a great deal of outrage and criticism against a corrupt political class than now; except we are in total accord with the current state of our nation.
As is usual in any customarily corrupt culture like Nigeria, the likes of this outrage are easily distorted and labelled as nothing more than dismal and unpopular noise of disgruntled elements and political losers. Unfortunately, our position is very hard to defend and very hard to garner support in a society that’s deeply immersed in utter corruption and misconduct over the last fifty years. How pretty much rewarding it would be if dissenting voices begin to intensify against corrupt practices in the Nigerian political arena, as a prelude to sensitizing the voters’ choice in our forthcoming general election?
Fellow countrymen, you all will agree with me that the entire world has now entered into the New Age of Reason. Now is the time for us to wake up from the nightmare of unlimited disgusts that compelled several of us into self-exile on foreign lands. The time has now come for us to resolutely begin to take the bull by the horn, and wrestle the power to govern our dear native land from the hands of uncivilized people who have foolishly misused their position of trust in the last 50 years.
Now is the time for great multitudes of Nigerians in the Diaspora who have witnessed true democracy in action in the civilized world to begin to assemble their humble selves into mastermind alliance to foster true development for our nation. We need to sound the clarion call very decisively to our new leaders back home that we can no longer afford the misfortunes of political misrule in our society. The way forward for us is now. Any patriotic citizen that truly loves Nigeria should, with all sincerity of purpose, encourage the masses to engage in collective reproach of the nation’s political leaders; rather than the ridiculous defence of our national failures that is usually common amongst our people.
Anything that all Nigerians in the Diasporas can do to weaken the stronghold of the old political brigades in Nigeria should be conscientiously done to flush these old crooks out of politics in our fatherland; and this in the end might be our greatest contribution to the progressive development of our dear native land. The time has now come for Nigeria to regain its lost glory as the “Pillar of Africa,” and begin to take giant strides that are comparable with the outstanding successes of the civilized world.
Here comes the big question: What hope is there for Nigeria? From my personal analysis of the current state of the Nigerian nation, the direct answer to this big question is that of a resounding yes. Oh yes! Nigeria can be back on its feet again as the ‘Pillar of Africa’ if we genuinely inculcate the foremost factor of nation building into our national life – discipline.
It takes a nation of disciplined people to embrace and uphold their native culture and religious identity in the uppermost esteem. That, you all will agree, we don’t have any more in our society. A nation of people with astute discipline will always cultivate a dignified respect for state laws, doing all things the proper way, and to the best of their ability; and this also is another chronic deficiency in our national life. In whatever tempo of change that life may bring at any given time, a nation of disciplined populace will always strive with grand dynamism in keeping a steady pace with the reality of life. The reality of life that seriously confronts Nigeria today is to wipe out the ills of our society. The foremost is to reform our mischievous and ill-discipline manners and decisively expel the utterly corrupt, greedy, uncivilized, old, and dim-witted politicians of past eras, completely from our political landscapes.
Go to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, etc, and see what their civilized leaders have done with their oil wealth in their respective countries. Go to Russia or Germany and see what their leaders have done with the money they are making from their steel products. Come to South Africa to see what on earth South Africans have done with Gold money. Very unfortunately for Nigeria, our case is awful and heartbreaking, as our oil wealth has all been stolen into several private bank accounts in Switzerland and other foreign countries.
In civilized nations like Europe, the Americas, South Africa, China, Japan, Korea, etc, their foremost culture is discipline; and this is the ultimate teacher that governs their everyday lives. As soon as we Nigerians make discipline our ultimate model, the high hope for our country will begin to restore in practical manifestations.
I thank you all for listening.
Your friend in reason
Adebowale Ojowuro, Author of The Crisis of Religion
Reason & Society
Echoes of CommonSense 