God to His Children: There is No God

by Sabella Ogbobode Abidde

“I am thoroughly convinced there is no God; if there is a God, I am thoroughly convinced he does not listen to Africans. He couldn’t have been listening to them.”

I know a lot of people who believe in God. They swear by God and in God’s name. Their faith is such that one cannot convince them otherwise. There is nothing one can say to the believers to change their mind or worldview. So, there is no use trying. If they think and believe there is a God, oh well, that’s their prerogative; to each his own. After all, there are billions of people around the world who believe in magic and witchcraft and juju and voodoo and doomsday and things like that. They believe in some second coming. They believe in physical hell and paradise and angels and saints. They believe in nonsense.

They believe in arrant nonsense. So, asking me to prove there is no God is a complete waste of my time. And yours. In the same vein, do not attempt proving to me that there is a God. Such an exercise is going to be a complete waste of your time. And mine. But since you are reading me, listen carefully: there is no God!

Ha an African ever heard the voice of God? Has an African ever seen the shadow of God? It would be foolhardy of me trying to convince anyone, especially Africans, that there is no God. Or, telling and convincing them that there was nothing special about that Middle Easterner named Jesus Christ. He was just one of a hundred such men who roamed that region claiming to have a direct line to a made-up God. Others have claimed to be born of Virgins. Others have claimed to hear the voice of God. Others have claimed resurrection and a second coming. Others, like him, have claimed a lot of things. He or anyone else may claim this or that; but this or that doesn’t make this or that factual.

Of all the people on the face of the earth, Nigerians are the most gullible. They are the most gullible when it comes to religion and religious beliefs. And then there are other Africans. How gullible could any one or any race be for allowing raiders to come and tell them their own way of life is false and injurious and backward and primitive? Nonsense! Religion is nothing but a business and political enterprise; religious faith is nothing but a psychedelic potion used to mess with people’s psyche and their sense of self. The less educated, less assured, and less complete one is, the more susceptible one become to its tentacles.

Nigeria is home to millions and millions of religious zealots. Nigeria is also home to millions and millions of religious fools. Not too long ago President Olusegun Obasanjo informed the nation that whether he contested the 2007 election or not was up to almighty God: “The decision will be made by God…Whatever God decides, you can be assured that I will abide by him.” Waoh, did God made him steal and misrule and messed up our institutions? In any case, he has yet to tell us how he received his directives; and has also yet to tell us why God disappointed him in his Third Term bid.

In the case of Mr. Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, millions and millions of Nigerians believe that his Presidency was/is God’s doing. (Na God ooo: an act of God.) God, they maintained, made it feasible for Yar’Adua and Jonathan Goodluck to be where they are today. Heck, what does God have to do with our elections? Considering the state of affairs since its independence, what influence has God had in Nigeria? Who listens to God in Nigeria? If there really was a God, why aren’t Nigerians listening to him? If indeed there is a God — an omnipotent, omnipresent, sometimes loving and sometimes vengeful God — why has millions and millions of Nigerians refused to listen to him? Why have they consistently refused to obey his commands?

Whenever I am really bored, I have been known to get a kick out of listening to Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Creflo Dollar, TD Jakes, Jack van Impe, and the most comical of all — Benny Hinn. And on my periodic trips to Nigeria, when I am bored stiff, I listen to Nigeria‘s “men of God.” All these men have something in common with the Nigerian politicians: the use of religion as an instrument of servitude and subjugation. They all use God and religion to evoke fear in the hearts of the people. The rich, the powerful and the mighty use God and religion to justify their failings and shortcomings; they use God to excuse their incompetence and lack of vision. Most things are done in the name of God, and in the name of religion.

For the slightest reason (1:100b) that God does exists, does he truly listen to Nigerians? Does he listen to our prayers? I wonder because if he truly does listen — how did we end up with most of the presidents and ministers and governors and religious men we have had since independence? What’s the matter with God? While some regions of the Global South are gradually developing and “moving on,” Nigeria and Nigerians are waiting for divine interventions. Sorry folks, that’s not the way of this world. When it comes to the affairs of men and of the nation-state – men and women makes all the decisions.

If God ruled the affairs of men and of the state, then Nigeria would have been the most economically, politically and technologically advanced of all nations — considering the number of Churches and Mosques that litters that land. But in spite of the absence of a God — or of any God — Nigerians are using God and religion as a ruse to misrule and swindle. These same politicians who place their hands on the Bible or on the Koran would be the first in line to take bribes, inflate contracts, and ignore the most qualified job-applicant in favor of someone from their ethnic group. These “children of God” are adept at colluding with foreign nationals in bilking the public purse.

In so many ways, the current pack of the Nigerian and or African elite remind me of the early missionaries (to the African continent) who came with guns and ammunitions in one hand and the Bible and Holy Water on the other. Then and now their reasons and objectives are the same: lie, cheat, steal, and misrule, subjugate and enslave. Subjugate and enslave, especially the soul. And nothing makes a man or a woman mindless and unquestioning than religion. Nothing makes a man or woman more slavish than the fear of the unknown. There are dozens and dozens of things the Africans do not know and are afraid of. Taken in its totality, religion is bad for the people. It is bad for anyone.

I have seen and read and heard it all. I have seen and read and heard of the life of the Africans: a life that’s self-subjected to subjugation and exploitation and misery and want. Only if they knew that their lives would be better and richer and happier and joyous without this bondage called religion, and without a God. Only if they knew! I am telling them now: there is no God. I am thoroughly convinced there is no God; if there is a God, I am thoroughly convinced he does not listen to Africans. He couldn’t have been listening to them.

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7 comments

naijaspeaks November 14, 2007 - 5:57 pm

After reading your article,i knew somebody,especially an african would one day wipe the "FOG" off his eyes and see clearly through the illusion and fantasy that most africans/nigerians have been buried in for decades.we cling to or rather worship "GOD" more than the people who "introduced" to him during colonial times and what have we gained from it? where is africa/nigeria today? if "GOD" supposedly takes care of those who glorify his name,why is africa such a mess,with all our churches,mosques and other so-called houses of worship? it's obvious they gave us their religion in exchange for our natural resources because it was no use for them and would'nt have done them any good considering their desire to colonize and rule us as they saw fit.for those of us who've been "CONDITIONED" to think some messiah is going to "FALL" from the skies and save us all,i would suggest they ask the europeans what they did with that "MESSIAH"!!!

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Shemeta Jone Abolarinwa November 13, 2007 - 4:00 pm

Sabella

I really must commend you on such a wonderful article. Well done!!!

I strongly agree with you on everything you have written. As one of the responders to your article wrote – Africans should free themselves from "Mental Slavery". Religion is nothing but "Mental Slavery" It rids the individual of basic common sense and the ablility to reason intellectually. I have always said that Religion is man made. Religion equals poverty!! Nigeria is a very good example. We are waiting for the so called divine intervention to arrive to solve our social problems that are created by human beings. Absolute Nonsense!!!!! We should keep on waiting and that is why we will always be considered "Third World".

The Europeans (The ones that brought us this so called Religion and brain washed us in the process) know this very well. They used this same religion to exploit us for so many years. Aren't they the same people that have abadoned this religion and moved on. The world is moving on – Europeans are forming alliances to retain their global dominance, China is emerging as the new super power, technology is advancing at an alarming rate but yet we stupid Africans (most especially Nigerians) are holding on to this so called Religion. Tell me what this Religion has done for us but create divisions among Muslims & Christians. Every Religion claims that theirs is the true religion – the only pathway to Heaven (an imaginery existence) but yet it is okay to kill in the name of God.

Human beings are very contradictory in their behaviour. The same people who profess God with their lips are the same ones who are ethnically biased among each other, kill, rob, rape and accept bribes!!!

Keep on waiting for God to come and solve your earthly problems created by the common man. You go wait tire oh!!!!

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BT November 13, 2007 - 3:40 pm

Dear Sabella,

It was really refreshing to hear a fellow Nigerian describe himself as an agnostic. First off may I recommend this weeks Economist it has an in depth study on religion, and Nigeria was mentioned in every single article! I consider myself to be agnostic, and it baffles me that as educated as some Nigerians are, they still love to embrace something so clearly anti – intelligence. It is almost a sin to "think” if you are a Christian. I can understand the need for hope in the masses. But the extremism of the middle classes smacks of something else to me – fear and greed probably. Otherwise how else do you explain so much bigotry within such a highly educated class? That said, I do not really believe the issues of corruption and bad governance that plague Nigeria are a result of religion, Although, I admit they are exploited by some religious leaders . In my opinion corruption and bad governance ensue because we have no checks and balances. Anybody – qualified or not, can rule Nigeria, you simply have to have the will and the means. This is not the case in most well governed countries. Without the checks and balances of a free press, the law, and democratic opposition any thug with a gun can rise to power. However, I do see a connection between our values, and the state of our country. Simply put, our values are better suited to the success of families not nations. And until we start to love our country the way we love our families, we will continue to experience what we have right now – some individual success coupled with collective failure.

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JMS November 11, 2007 - 5:27 am

Africans need to "emancipate themselves from mental slavery" and this slavery is extreme poverty for which they gave reason to religion instead of accountability in their governments. So for as long as we don't expect more, we won't get any more and can keep saying that God will take care of all. Indeed there is a God and if only we could believe it then we could stand and fight injustice.

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haba_02 November 10, 2007 - 11:34 am

Sabella , i've read some of ur write ups and can indeed say u are a good writer.

However ur opinion in this article is far from reality . While u are not acknowledging God (His existence ) because of the things he has not done you are however refusing to see the things he has done and still doing.

The Bible says " a fool says in his heart…there is no God " . Everything in the physical is being controlled by the spiritual. Believing it or not would not change the fact. God is real , He exists and doeth ONLY as it pleases Him.

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A.A.Nuhu November 9, 2007 - 3:12 pm

It is either you are thoroughly convinced there is no God or you are thoroughly convinced there is God who does not listen to Africans;not both.You are entitled to your opinion. It appears, however, that you have some doubts in what your actual convinction is,because no 'if' is supposed to follow a real convinction. As science is learned not from the social behaviors of scientists but from their teachings , likewise religious convictions are learned from religious teachings, and not from the behaviors of their adherents.Claiming religion is not the same as practising it; the religious scriptures do not promise salvation based on mere claims without good deeds. Check this out. I admire your writings but sometimes you seem to go off the road a bit.

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Rosie November 9, 2007 - 11:56 am

Okay, we get it. You believe there is not God. Get ready for the avalanche of Bible Thumpers that will call a "spawn of sata" Don't worry sha, you're a big boy. You can take it. Peace.

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