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Originally Posted by Black Lion
Isn't communism is an athiest culture? They wrote about it with the opinion that it was a hinderance to mankind, the chinese consider/ed it to be a poison something in the way of outright rule over their people.
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sounds more like political propaganda to me.
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Would think that most Afro-centrics are athiest, although not 'in practice' perhaps, think many lack or would say they lack a substitute to relate to. Where others turn to Kemit for their spirituality the majority probably have an understanding of our past, culture, politics and so on but not take it much further than that.
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exactly my point on the issue of attacking the authenticity of an Atheistic African-minded/centered person vs. one who considers themselves Afrocentric (in the Western definition and history of the word).
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Out of intrest, what do you follow Shemsi?
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I am not him, but I can say with confidence that I recall him saying he considers himself Agnostic. So I am confused at his difficulty in understanding the concept of Atheism. Here, I found the post.
Theres no such thing as an athiest.
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There is a defining line between somone who dosent belive in God and someone who chooses to not do so. In western terms God is replaced by technology, by science with no boundries as to what it can and can't do seeing itself as God in that sence, something with all the answers... an Afro centric athiest would have to belive in the rationalization of God in the same way they do to be an athiest proper. We (mankind in general) would be savage if it wasn't for the higher understanding so called religion afforded us (self cultivation), a lack of it would need replacing with something.
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IMO religion can be, and has been shown to be offensive in the destruction of societies. I'm not saying it's a bad thing and everyone should be Atheist, but other than Stalin there just isn't enough evidence of mass persecution of Atheists on non-atheists to make me believe that religion is the saving grace when there have been so many conflicts over religion.
For some, religion is the sole reason for their savagery.
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If you belive in everything African then in my opinion you should at least follow some understanding. Mankind originated in Africa although science ''proves'' it its something we've always known as is seen in Kemitian theology. If you are to relate to culture and religion Afro-centrically, and study other cultures, history and so on from that perspective then to stifle onself in entertaining questions such as; ''what energies were present to create the big bang?''... having to resort to western scientists attempts to answer, quoting Hawkings and so on then you can't call yourself Afro-centric, especially as it would involve beliving that we decended from monkeys... that our ancestors were common apes who eventually grew to become some modern man who in turn looks toward ancient civilizations in awe while lacking the ability to emulate the success of the past.... that's a western contradiction not an African one.
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I understand what you are saying but as someone who does not rely on religious explanations then yes, it is natural that I would be more inclined to probe other explanations. I am not Atheist because I CHOSE a Westernized explanation of evolution (which I don't know enough about to really have an opinion one way or the other) over an African explanation of creation, I am Atheist because I do not believe in conscious higher powers...regardless of my feelings about "that other stuff" I would still consider myself an Atheist.
I think the matter of this thread is that I simply do not believe in the same definition of African-centered thinking as you and Shemsi en Tehuti do. I do not think that to be an African-minded person, one who attempts to see the world from an African perspective, who uses the WORLD and what they learn from it for African gain, and one who comprehends and promotes African culture and African peoples, means to disregard every contribution of every non-African entity. If that were the case than every one of us here on BN that attended a Western school system, or university (some form of indoctrination of Western perception is inevitable and to believe that it is not is unrealistic), grew up outside of Africa, married an African diasporic, or bought a pair of NIKES would have to be suspect as well.
I agree. That is why Atheism is and continues to be a very individual thing and cannot be blamed on an entire society of peoples.
That's like saying Western tolerance of gays creates gaydom (which, incidentally, many do believe--I don't)...and there's no buggery going on in Jamaica. Trust that there is buggery going on all over the world, just most of it behind closed doors.