OPINION: The God Who Does Not Exist
NigerianEye
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Monday, April 01, 2013
I feel very sorry for people like Douglas Anele who maintain God does not exist.
At university, I was a student of Philosophy. You had to be, if you studied Political Science. I therefore find it highly amusing that, in a discussion about the existence of God, Douglas Anele tries to dazzle me by dropping the names of philosophers like David Hume, Immanuel Kant, and Bertrand Russell. But I need no such shenanigans in order to confound Douglas' atheism. I will only present here a token of my relationship with the God Douglas foolishly says is non-existent.
"Non-existent" meetingI was standing in the parking lot of the building where I lived in Lagos, talking to Bimbo Dada, now Director of Library, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, when a man walked through the gate and came to talk to me. He said he worked for an oil-company but had recently been posted out of town. There was a lunch-hour fellowship meeting every week in his house and he was at a loss what to do about it now he was leaving. So he had been asking the God Douglas says does not exist for guidance. On that particular day, the "non-existent" God told him to stop praying. He told him to go out of the house and walk down the road. When he got to our gate, the "non-existent" God told him to go in. Then he said to him:
"You are to hand over the lunch-hour fellowship to that man talking to the lady over there." So the man said to me: "The Lord says I should hand over the lunch-hour fellowship meeting in my house to you." After getting the confirmation I required from the God "who does not exist," I agreed to take over the fellowship. That was how I inherited a 20-man lunch-hour fellowship in 1994. Soon, I rented a flat in Victoria Island for the fellowship from Chief Olisah Metuh, now PDP National Publicity Secretary.
Two years later, the God "who does not exist" told me he has given me an entire building. I jumped to the conclusion he had given me Olisah Metuh's building. As a Christian then schooled naively in the sacrificial system, I concluded God would sacrifice the landlord's interests for my sake. I got a prayer group to surround the building and quickly claimed it in the name of Jesus, according to the principles of Joshua: wherever the soles of my feet tread, I take possession. (Joshua 1:3). I don't know if someone quickly alerted Olisah Metuh he was in danger of losing his building to a determined prayer-warrior. Or perhaps he received a warning about me in a vision or a dream. But shortly after I embarked on these ungodly prayer-sessions, the landlord gave me summary quit notice and I had to move out. Hand of GodWhen I started looking for alternative accommodation, my estate agents, Diya Fatimilehin, first took me to a big dilapidated building in the same Victoria Island.
I did not like it and rejected it out of hand. But later that evening, the "non-existent" God told me the building I despised was the one he had given me. Therefore, I went back the next day to take a second look. I discovered my "Promised Land" was formerly occupied by the Palestinian Embassy and, significantly, it has quite a number of fruit trees. I moved into the building in 1997 and spent a small fortune renovating it, confident it belonged to me. In 1999, at the expiration of my lease, the landlady, Eniola Vanderpuye, offered to sell the building to me through her lawyers, Abiola Morgan & Associates; even though I never asked to buy it. I later discovered she had never even seen it before. It had been willed to her by her late father. But she lives in Chicago with her American husband and has no desire to return to Nigeria.
The realtor she hired to value the building turned out to be Pastor Seinde Adegbonmire of RCCG, a good friend of mine. He asked me how much I could afford. We finally agreed on a price convenient to both the landlady and me. Moreover, I was allowed to pay unconventionally; in installments over four years. Nevertheless, after four years, I was still unable to complete the payment for the building.God's bailout One day, Mrs. Nike Shonibare, a woman I had never met before came to see me. She was then Head of Commercial and Community Banking at MBC International Bank. She told me her bank would like to encourage me to buy a new car.
I would deposit one-third of the cost in their bank and they would finance the rest. She told me to go to Coscharis Nigeria Limited to choose any car I liked.I went there and chose a Land Rover Freelander. But while the deal was still being negotiated by my lawyer, Pastor Tokun Pedro of RCCG, the "non-existent" God told me he did not send Mrs. Shonibare so I could buy a car. He told me he sent her so I could secure a loan to pay off my outstanding debt to Eniola Vanderpuye. Accordingly, I borrowed N10 million from MBCI (now First Bank) to pay off my former landlady. I serviced the debt and brought it down to N5 million. But then I fell on hard times and it grew back to N10 million. Then the "non-existent" God appeared to me in a dream and promised to send me money "from Canada." Within eight days, I received miraculously a number of unsolicited gifts totalling N11 million. One friend I had not seen for years, walked into my office and said: "The Lord says I should give this to you." He placed a cheque on my table face-down. When I turned it over, it was for N6,300,000.
I asked for a meeting with MBCI and insisted they should knock N2.5 million off my debt since I was prepared to clear it outright. They agreed to knock off N2.1 million. Thus, I completed the payment for the building, while still leaving me with a generous balance of nearly N3 million.Foolish atheists In effect, the "non-existent" God gave me a lunch-hour fellowship. He then gave me a big building at 12 Babatunde Jose Street, Victoria Island, a prime location in Lagos, in which to have the fellowship. He then arranged a loan for me to finance the payment for the building. Then, he arranged for gifts to enable me clear my debts. Today, barely nine years later, the value of the building given to me by the God who is "non-existent" is now over fifteen times the purchase price.
You can now see why I feel very sorry for people like Douglas Anele. They use Philosophy to negate the existence of God. People like Douglas are victims of their own conceit. Since they don't know God, they conclude he does not exist instead of humbling themselves in prayer and asking God to reveal himself to them. Jesus says: "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in your sight." (Matthew 11:25-26).
By Femi Aribisala
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Dear Pastor Femi Aribisala. If all you have in your armada as arsenals against Dr. Douglas Anele to prove the existence of God is this superficial account(s) that can be attributed to time and chance,then you still have more work to do, exegetically. You appear to me to be one of the few lucky ones whose ruminations on the next step to take in life have been well met by stroke of luck .
ReplyDeleteI am a Theist like you that also believes in the supervening and superintending powers of the Supreme Grand Architect of the universe(GOD) in ordering our lives,yet would give credence to scholars who employ latitudinarian platforms to free our minds from the precluding influences of religion (religious chauvinism)as endemically prevalent in our society today. Sir, my gymnosophic articulation is that theistic arguments aimed at proselytizing, especially to those doubtful of the existence of God, sometimes requires more that testimonies of how you got it right in life; especially if its more of your material well-being. There is of course more to worshiping God, than accounts of material achievements, what about "'material abnegation' and 'spiritual immolation?'"
Mr.adeyemi are you born again? Do u v jesus in ur life as ur personal lord nd saviour. R u sure of heaven?
ReplyDeleteGOOD QUESTIONS @ADEYEMI. LET HIM ANSWER, BECAUSE IT IS ONLY A FOOL THAT SAYS "THERE IS NO GOD". THIS IS WHY I GET ANGRY WITH THE VARIOUS RELIGIOUS GROUPS!. THERE ARE BILLIONS OUT THERE WHO DO NOT KNOW GOD. CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS (DO THEY WORSHIP THE SAME gGOD) HAVE A LOT TO DO.
ReplyDeleteIt is only a fool that will say in His heart (even before speaking it out) that there is no God Psalm 14:1. I was also privileged to study Philosophy throughout my undergraduate study and I will only advised the atheist to go and study the last hours of the great philosophers that we read their works. What happen to them at their last few hours in life, how did most of them died and what was their last confession few minutes to the point of their death and where are they be presently. It is the truth that God exist and we can see Him in the nature and in all things that surrounds us. God is ready to reveal Himself to anyone that humbly desire His presence. Give your life to Him today and receive His free gift of Salvation and your life will be better for it.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very nice story. My favourite line is "Since they don't know God, they conclude he does not exist instead of humbling themselves in prayer and asking God to reveal himself to them". I think this is true for a lot of atheists.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I think Adeyemi is right on some level that if you want to confront atheists, you may need to consider other forms of non-experiential argumentation. For example, I always like to ask atheists these two questions:
1. If I told you that Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet came about by an explosion in a printing press, would you believe me? Then why do you believe that the entire universe, as complex as it is came about by a ginormous explosion, or some other random event?
2. You say there is no God because there is evil in this world, but on what moral bases do you determine what evil is? No two humans are the same, and if our morality is based on our individuality, then something that is immoral for you may not be for me. In other words, you have no right to criticize other people on moral grounds because morality in your opinion is subjective.
I have no doubt though, that God is powerful enough to use your story to reach out to people, but there are some that may need a little extra convincing.
When Douglas Anele and his type say God does not exist, it is like Ford Expedition ( the popular SUV) saying Henry Ford did not exist. If you were then to ask the SUV , but how did you come about? The SUV replies with pride and confidence "I came from the manufacturing plant in Michigan. I don,t know any Hery Ford , neither do I recognize him at all". Utter foolishness. Arguements with these people are needless.Thats what they crave, to give themselves a semblance of credibility.Just pray for these people to be healed of spiritual blindness.
ReplyDeleteThere is no point in arguing with a blind man because both of you are ''seeing'' at two different levels: His sight in defined by the dark surroundings, yours by light. Even at that, there are still things that can not be seen by the naked eye such as micro-organism. Imagine that two people have eyes, but one with the power of a microscope and the other without. How will the one that has no microscopic sight accept that what the other is seeing and saying is true. Except some form of eye surgery is carried out to correct the situation.
ReplyDeleteAs long as you are ignorant to the existence of ''anything'', you are blind to it. But when your eyes are open to it then you can say, ''once I was blind, but now I can see.'' When a man is blind to the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, there is nothing that you say that will make any sense to him/her whether he/she is atheist, religious church goer, native doctor, or ''stranger doctor.''
My advice: arguing with the blind brings you to that level. It becomes even more difficult if the blind has refused to see. So, appeal to the source of the microscopic eye to also operate on the blind for we at one point in time or the other were also blind.
At this juncture, it is imperative to state simpliciter the fact that the point am driving at has been missed here. Right about now in Unilag, Dr Anele is one of the richest Don on campus. In fact, I can categorically tell u that Dr Anele was the first lecturer to buy a Lincoln Navigator in Unilag (if am not mistaken)and currently has exotic cars(including HSE Range Rover)and landed properties which I strongly believe he got from legitimate sources as he has always been a hardworking, moral and truthful person. He is also earning pecuniary incomes from tributary sources making him breath expansively.
ReplyDeleteFrom the aforesaid, just as Pastor Femi had ostentatiously displayed his blessings as claimed to be bestowed on him by God in his article that is just the same way Dr. Anele can explicitly tell you about how he is doing better than even some Church-goers that are lectures in his department,faculty and Unilag as a whole. Some of these lecturers (including apprentice like me) even look up to him for guidance and sundry assistance. From my own point of view some of these lecturers,sometimes appear to be religious yet are imbued in some "funny" things that Dr. Anele as a "moral agent" would not want do... at least based on his antecedent that I know of - until he proves me wrong by displaying the "surprise element" in him which characterizes other Human beings too.
Basically, I want you to know that by the time he (Dr. Anele) begins to reel out the array of things: investments, cars , houses and connections he has made contemporarily, you will begin to wonder if he is not the one that really has the miracle working God as his father. Again,if Dr Anele alludes to his achievements so far, we might a fortiori be supplied with the view that regardless of him not worshiping Pastor Aribisala's God, he is still living large as if he is the owner of the most "HIGH ONE".
Without veering of course and being in tandem with my original adumbration(s) (preceding view), I will assertively say that that need to propagate religious views sometimes goes beyond the audacious display of the material achievements we have been able to acquire over the course of time. For us to win the heart of erudite, well-read, versatile sages that are analytical and critical minded, as it is the case with scholars like Prof. Jim Unah, Dr Anele and other learned colleagues of the same temperament, disposition and intellectual stature, we really need to advance logically-compact theological argument(s) which are beyond those employed to win DEMOI'S OR LAY-MEN (as in ordinary people or normal converts. Minds like that of Dr Anale aint just any kind of mind as we all know, so it requires more than just stories of material increase or surplus. Because of other engagement and the need to avoid ceaseless over-killing of the issue at the fore, I will conclude by saying that just has some people believe that there is the reality of "DOUBLE TRUTH", I will infer that some method(s) of proselytizing are good for instances when we are dealing with the vortex or Hoi-poloi, while others are best employed in cases concerning enlightened minds with high level of cerebral functioning. Alas, we should strive to avoid this categorical mistake!
Adeyemi Omikunle said...
ReplyDeleteRE: At this juncture, it is imperative to state simpliciter the fact that the point am driving at has been missed here. Right about now in Unilag, Dr Anele is one of the richest Dons on campus. In fact, I can categorically tell you that Dr Anele was the one of first lecturers to own a Lincoln Navigator in Unilag (if am not mistaken)and currently has exotic cars and other landed properties, which I strongly would want to believe was gotten from legitimate sources as he has always been a hardworking, moral and truthful person. He is also earning pecuniary incomes from tributary sources making him breath expansively.
From the aforesaid, just as Pastor Femi had ostentatiously displayed his blessings as claimed to be bestowed on him by God in his article that is just the same way Dr. Anele can explicitly tell you about how he is doing better than even some Church-goers that are lectures in his department,faculty and Unilag as a whole. Some of these lecturers (including apprentice like me) even look up to him for guidance and sundry assistance. From my own point of view some of these lecturers,sometimes appear to be religious yet are imbued in some "funny" things that Dr. Anele as a "moral agent" would not want do... at least based on his antecedent that I know of - until he proves me wrong by displaying the "surprise element" in him which characterizes other Human beings too.
Basically, I want you to know that by the time he (Dr. Anele) begins to reel out the array of things: investments, cars , houses and connections he has made contemporarily, you will begin to wonder if he is not the one that really has the miracle working God as his father. Again,if Dr Anele alludes to his achievements so far, we might a fortiori be supplied with the view that regardless of him not worshiping Pastor Aribisala's God, he is still living large as if he is the owner of the most "HIGH ONE".
Without veering of course and being in tandem with my original adumbration(s) (preceding view), I will assertively say that that need to propagate religious views sometimes goes beyond the audacious display of the material achievements we have been able to acquire over the course of time. For us to win the heart of erudite, well-read, versatile sages that are analytical and critical minded, as it is the case with scholars like Prof. Jim Unah, Dr Anele and other learned colleagues of the same temperament, disposition and intellectual stature, we really need to advance logically-compact theological argument(s) which are beyond those employed to win DEMOI'S OR LAY-MEN (as in ordinary people or normal converts. Minds like that of Dr Anale aint just any kind of mind as we all know, so it requires more than just stories of material increase or surplus. Because of other engagement and the need to avoid ceaseless over-killing of the issue at the fore, I will conclude by saying that just has some people believe that there is the reality of "DOUBLE TRUTH", I will infer that some method(s) of proselytizing are good for instances when we are dealing with the vortex or Hoi-poloi, while others are best employed in cases concerning enlightened minds with high level of cerebral functioning. Alas, we should strive to avoid this categorical mistake!