Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction - Blaise Pascal
Most of us would express horror at the sight of a middle-aged man slapping a young woman around the face in public. Yet if the perpetrator is called a “man of god”, or it takes place in a church, a different morality appears to operate.
The recent reaction to the video of “Papa” Bishop David Oyedepo slapping a young woman in church has raised the question of whether some Christians are able to discern right from wrong when blinded by faith. Read more…
I haven’t blogged for a long time now, partly, due to cyber-fatigue (although it didn’t stop me tweeting), a certain fuzziness in my head, and laziness when faced with all those half-finished blog posts. I woke up this morning, updated my facebook status, and felt I wanted say a few words on my blog.
I find a lot of pressure as Christmas approaches. Pressure to prepare, pressure to Read more…
Imagine you had a life-threatening illness and were being kept alive with medicine. Would you stop taking that medicine if someone asked you to?
Normally we would say no but there are some circumstances in which people are saying yes. Read more…
Africa, Education, Ghana, Religion
Africa, christianity, evangelical, Faith healing, Ghana, HIV, intercessory prayer, pastor, Prayer
My sister on Twitter, always sends me thought-provoking links and has a blog that is well worth reading. She sent me an interesting article on homosexuality prompting me to think again about who is defining our understanding of the world and creating the yardstick by which we judge ourselves. I also thought it would be interesting to explore the implications of the article and be a bit provocative in the process! Read more…
Inspired by Samuel Obour’s post The ‘Devil’ on our roads I’ve finally decided to spill the beans on my experience at a Ghanaian driving school.
I had never driven a car before but I did go to motorbike training school in the UK and took a test. Much of the advice I was given by my instructor stuck in my mind and served my in good stead whilst driving a car.
Let me say that I absolutely loved my classes and thought the teaching was very good, well-structured and enjoyable. I would do it again! Yet Read more…
Slightly overdue, but here is my impression of the highly stimulating 2011 National Humanist Convention in Nigeria held in Abuja at the beautiful Vines hotel over two days.
The Nigerian Humanist Movement was started by Leo Igwe in 1996. People gave it a short shelf-life and warned Leo he was starting on a fruitless and impossible quest to bring non-religious ideas to a fiercely religious country. 15 years later the organisation is Read more…
Whilst attending the recent National Humanist Convention in Abuja, Nigeria, I was curious to discover how the participants had become humanists and came to attend the convention.
Nigeria is not just a highly religious country but a country in which religion is god. From the highly paid government ministers, to its millionaire pastors, to the education system, academics, scientists, the legal system and the media, religion is the foundation which informs. Read more…
Here’s a press release from the Nigerian Humanist Movement. By the time you read it I’ll be on my way!
On 22-25 September 2011, humanists from across the Federation will be gathering in Abuja for their national convention. This event, to be held at Vines Hotel Durumi will be the first of its kind at the nation’s capital. It promises to be the largest gathering of non-religious people in the history of Nigeria. The convention marks the 15th anniversary of the Nigerian Humanist Movement (NHM). Founded in 1996, Read more…
Nkrumah‘s controversial life and legacy continues to provoke passionate debates amongst Ghanaians to the present day. Nkrumah is both praised for his vision and castigated for it. His vision of a United States of Africa and support for other liberation movements, prompted his critics to accuse him of not spending enough time and resources on his own country. Egotist or visionary? Read more…
Today I am 50. Getting here wasn’t as scary as when I was approaching 30 and 40 but, as always, it felt good to finally arrive. The journey to this place was always unplanned, at least consciously. Perhaps my love of music has been my centre and organising principle.
With each passing decade a greater calmness and feeling of being grounded arises, Read more…
Fokn Bois recent song, Thank God I’m Not A Nigerians, has caused some controversy as it was meant to do. The controversy itself is interesting for the issues that it raises.
Explaining a joke means it loses its humour. It also becomes incredibly pedantic. So if you’ve already got the joke, I suggest you go and read something more interesting! Read more…
Ghana is truly unique within the African continent. It has a thriving democracy, is advancing economically and has maintained peace. For these reasons, Ghana is rightly held up as a model for other African countries whose leaders are brought here to observe how things can be done.
Ghana should also be proud of its freedom of speech. The proliferation of newspapers, magazines and radio stations is evidence of this. Again this is an unusual situation within Africa.
Like anything which is relatively new, Ghanaians are exploring how to use this freedom. They are finding their voice and exploring the ways it can be used. Unlike some countries, where loose talk brought terrible conflict, Ghana’s stability has, perhaps, encouraged a slight recklessness from some commentators. Read more…
This is my A-MOBO awards – Atheist Music of Black Origin. It’s to showcase some of the musicians I listen to that give me strength and encouragement whilst I’m driving my car around Accra. Too often the musicians performing at the real MOBO awards appear to be God focussed as evidenced in their “I want to thank God…” statements whilst receiving their recognition. Encouragingly there is an increasing diversity of other artists who are stating there is no God to thank. For those artists who are black Read more…
Culture, Music, Religion
Atheism, atheist music, atheist musicians, atheist rap, atheist RnB, black atheists, black freethinkers, christianity, god
The struggle against free-market capitalism is usually seen as a progressive movement. It is often influenced by Marxist thought and an anti-capitalist ideology.
This struggle is predominately economic; to gain economic independence and to assert African power by refusing to be passive.
There is no doubt that international capital seeks new markets in Africa and to exploit its resources and people. It is without doubt that Read more…
Africa, Culture, Development, Ghana, Identity, Society
Africa, anti-globalisation, economic dependence, globalisation, liberation, revolutionary rhetoric, Social conservatism, un-African, Wole Soyinka
I’m not a Ghanaian but I found myself bursting with pride when I looked at these marvellous photos by photographers Nana Kofi Acquah, Francis Kokoroko, Gerard Nartey, Kwesi Black, Gary Al-Smith and Emmanuel Bobbie. They document the recent Chale Wote Street Festival. If you don’t know what this was read about Jemila’s post Taking Accra By Storm, Chale Wote Style!
The festival initially felt like a treasure hunt. We walked the long road hunting out the pockets of artistic activity. Read more…
Africa, Culture, Ghana, Media, Music
Accra, Africa, African people, Arts and Entertainment, Chale Wote, Dr. Sionne Neely, Emmanuel Bobbie, Events, Festivals, Francis Kokoroko, Gary Al-Smith, Gerard Nartey, Ghana, Ghanaian photographers, James Town, Kwesi Black, Mantse Aryeequaye, music, Nana Kofi Acquah, Photograph
A recent story raised an issue that I wanted to share.
It came to the fore when it was announced that Ghana’s Kotoka International Airport had won an award for best airport in Africa. I was struck by the large number of people who immediately dismissed it as foolish, sometimes before even reading the article.
The award was given because Read more…
Two recent stories have come out in Ghana which most rational people will read with despair.
The first is an update on a man whose penis disappeared, got a vagina, got impregnated by another man, and then gave birth to a baby. All without surgery! Read more…
Education, Ghana, Religion, Society
Africa, christianity, fake prophets, fetish priest, Ghana, Nana Kwabena Bennie, Prophet Segbene Xenodzi, Religion, Religion and Spirituality, religious charlatans, traditional priest, tricksters
In my youth I became a Marxist-Leninist. I knew, without doubt, that I had found the Truth. Not a bit of truth, not an aspect of truth, but the entire truth. Everything about it was so blatantly, obviously true.
I therefore had to go out and tell other people because the more people that would accept the truth, the better the world would become. But to my amazement, some people refused to accept it. They wilfully denyied the truth. Read more…
Identity, Religion, Truth & Meaning
christianity, Communism, evangelism, fundamentalism, Marxism, Marxism–Leninism, politics, Religion, Socialism, truth
I read this parable a long time ago and felt I wanted to share it with those who’ve not come across it. I don’t know it’s origin but it sums up my attitude to life which prompted me to leave the UK. Read more…
Development, Ghana, Philosophy, Society
diaspora, Ghana, happiness, hard work, idleness, life, meaning to life, migrants, simple life, success, voluntary simplicity, work, work ethic
After attending a wedding in a Presbyterian church in Ghana, I was struck by the way the submission of Christ was used as a bludgeon for women.
Much of the service focussed on Pauls’ letter to the Ephesians dealing with submission and it revolved entirely around the women’s position to such an extent that Read more…
Africa, Ghana, Religion, Society
bible, Christ, Christian, christianity, church, church leaders, Epistle to the Ephesians, Ghana, Jesus, male power, marriage, patriarchy, Religion, rights, submission, the submission of women, women
