The BN Village - View Single Post - The Afrocentric Atheist...Can it Exist???

Black Lion · (#26 (**permalink**))

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Take a baby. A new born, new to the world, eyes still unfocussed baby.

He doesn't believe in a damn thing. Not Judaism, Buddism, Unicorns or faries. He isn't monotheist or polytheist. He can't even control his ass let alone decide his concept of the world. The baby is an atheist.

.lol. Was wondering if you'd post, my comments were based around this. If someone dosent indoctrinate the child then on a desert island on his own with no one to bring him into any theology he will become savage. He will conduct himself like an animal, again a flaw in the theory of evolution showing that man can regress completely without a construct, that the western interpretation of the evolution of ''modern'' man and his technological gadgetry and science has nothing to do with the furtherment of the inner faculties of man, as it is external and so isn't ''evolution'' at all.... Until he finds a female somewhere on the island and raises children they will have to start again from scratch they won't be Man and Woman until they begin to strive to be so, until generation after generation sets down an understanding or a way/means for them to develop an inner faculty that asks of them to strive to become something they cannot comprehend as of yet, to realize the 'god' within themselves as well as that within nature and their surroundings in order to work with it and not against it as a savage otherwise would.

My argument is that people seem to have forgotten the purpose of religion, to lift or attempt to lift man from savagery any religion that doesn't do what it is supposed to is essentially flawed as the core purpose of religion is as said, to reunite wo/man with God, the christians attempt this through Christ but (in my opinion) do not realize themselves as him and so haven't strived to be anything more than themselves, the spiritual doctrines of the main religions seem to be missing making them corrupt.... leading people into a disgruntled mentality regarding religion in general where other understandings don't fail their purpose.

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2) Non atheists can not, it seems to me, understand the concept of atheism. You keep on describing the viewpoint of a belief in nothing, in terms of being another religion. This is nonsensical. There is no ethos or creed or even proscribed set of beliefs involved in being an atheist (beyond the obvious). There are no groups, to have them would be contrary to the point. No two atheists would have arrived at the same conclusions in the same fashion or even believe themselves in the same things.

Given that there is nobody to pray to, no groups to indoctrinate one, no holy books to quote as unquestioned faith, no missionaries in African history, no mystique or languages to take on, no names to wash yours away with etc etc.... only a decision that an individual makes about a specific thing; how can it be a credo contray to Afrocentrism when it isn't even a credo to begin with?

Exactly, it is ''nothing'' which is why it cannot survive past itself, a parent cannot teach atheism to his or her child if they did it would have to be based off of the rationalization of God and the universe as mentioned, that everything is somehow explainable and it would have to done so in a country, a society where theres something in place of religion.

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3) One doesn't have to believe in a god to observe the ravages of europeans on Africa and Africans throughout history. One doesn't need a God to see themselves as African and decide Europe is not the center of the world or see things as an African observer. The very definition of Afrocentric.

No. Because there is something already in place where religion would otherwise be, religion is held separate from social affairs in the west where a rationalized left brained mentality is promoted, they couldn't live by religion and gave it up in the middle ages. To be African on the other hand is to be Igbo, to be Yoroba, Zulu and so on. Our problem on the continent is that we aren't abiding by the cultural values that were exsistant pre colonialism (place emphasis on that), we would otherwise have abided by rules and laws within Yoroban religious theology, within Zulu/Shonan theology, traded within them, went about technological advance with them, went to war with them and so on.

To be Afro-centric is to survive in the face of westernization (white supremacy) to help undo what has/is being done and raise children who are well equipped enough to do the same. Of course a person can be atheist and concern themselves with the cause but theres being an atheist, as someone who isn't interested in religion and therefore uses (western) societal standards and culture to base themselves off of and someone who would defend their stance, ''I don't believe in God because....'' which would then need filling in with, the big bang theory or exault science in place of religion in order to reason with the issue, one would be an athiest and the other would be more agnostic, wouldn't have some theory formed around their disbelief in religion and therefore wouldn't avoid it or risk passing that on to their children as they would then take to western social constucts in place of an African outlook proper.

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4) It seems amusing to me to see especially people of Abrahamic faiths question atheism as anti African when they won't back up their own convictions and at least believe in an African system. Those who would follow their invasionary religious masters and call voodun or animism pagan faiths and heathen or infidel peoples have no business questioning those who stand aside from any beliefs at all.

Same boat I agree, none of them are African what so ever and have no place on the continent or perpetuating a problem within our communities.

5) My last and sort of unrelated bit, why do people confuse theism with the origin of the universe? Surely that can't be the only reason you believe in an elabourate set of proscribed and drawn out complicated beliefs? Here's a few things for general info

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a) Not all atheists believe in the big bang. If they all did then that would be a common belief wouldn't it! The big bang is not the conerstone of the atheist religion (there being no such thing after all) so why theists always step to me with that is beyond me.

Again, westernization, science has allowed for the rationalization of religion so yes, the big bang is the corner stone for many ''practicing'' atheists... atheists who would defend their stance on their disbelief in religion.

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b) The big bang and abiogenesis are two seperate concepts. If you need help, ask lol

big bang theory n. A cosmological theory holding that the universe originated approximately 20 billion years ago from the violent explosion

abiogenesis n. The supposed development of living organisms from nonliving matter.

Please explain what Hawkins and his chums are theorizing now... then continue on how it is Afro-centric and not western (white supremacist).

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c) As an atheist myself I'm far far less concerned about the origin of the universe or even of life than I am over how I decide and govern things for myself. Secular belief can be summed up as a decision to act for oneself as opposed to acting in fear of a magical deity. I don't bleat for salvation in an afterlife I don't believe exists. I am under no geis to be pacifist or violent in needs of a imaginary force who speaks to me through other human writings and people. I (me one) decide what I'm going to do to improve my short life now and later. I'm struggling to see self determination and afrocentrism as oppossing forces here but perhaps you'll help me?

.lol. Here is why I was wondering whether you'd post in this thread or avoid it completely as you are an atheist, not just someone who is loose with the term. You contradict yourself in stating that you aren't bothered and yet are somehow able to break down the latest theory on abiogenesis and it not having anything to do with the big bang... you can't defend western concepts and call yourself Afro centric. Simple. Hopefully you wouldn't mind your children taking to a Traditional African religion or would you feel let down by them and their, ''bleating for salvation'' their belief in, ''imaginary'' forces and so on?

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e) In any case, even if there were, atheism doesn't prevent you from being human and because of that won't stop you being evil. Humans can be evil no matter what they believe or subscribe to. Claiming moral superiority over a set of beliefs is redundant. It's as redundant as me claiming Christians did xyz so they're evil or muslims did abc.

Here is where people feel disgruntled, that hopeless disparity I was talking about... religion is supposed to be about self furtherment the three main religions have failed in that regard. Buddhism involves cultivation of self for a specific end goal concerned with the spiritual evolution of mankind as were many of the practices of pre colonial Africa where even the buildings we built with an understanding of the stars, energies in the earth and so on. You could well do as the west is doing and promote a separatism between religion and the rules and laws governing society but it would result in your falling into savagery as is seen in the west where people aren't striving to cultivate themselves as a religious/spiritual based culture would otherwise demand.

Personally find it baffling how people could assume that for thousands of years our ancestors were somehow fooling themselves in practices that did nothing for them/us, our spirituality is inherent we wont be free without a belief in or understanding of it. Ultimately the aim of Afro-centrism is to free ourselves from the west (and other vices) well enough to then rebuild the continent as a whole. How does atheism or faith in any foreign religion (or culture) help us achieve that?