The Black Gods and Goddesses of Africa

Move over Odin, Ra, and Zeus, there's a new really old pantheon in town. Using photo-manipulation, artist James C. Lewis makes us wonder why the Orishas don't have their own comic book series


When asked about his inspiration for the set, Lewis had this to say:

Throughout my formal education from elementary up through college I never heard tale of African deities. A little over a month ago I began to research online to find information in regards to the gods & goddesses of Africa. To my surprise there were many, however the ones that stood out the most were the deities of Nigeria and Benin, West Africa which they referred to as Orishas.

I wanted to portray the regal beauty of each Orisha while also representing their majestic sensuality. Each iconic depiction was rendered to lend strength to our resilience as a great race of people and to show our youth that they are beautiful, bold and brilliant just they way God created them to be. […] each Orisha's name is written in the Yoruba dialect and captures imagery of powerful men, women & children of various complexions who are all of African descent.

Read more: https://www.buzzfeed.com/donnad/these-african-deities-are-the-best-gods-youve-never-heard-of

Ajibola Adigun — Religious Fundamentalism Taking Hold in Nigeria?

The Nigerian reformer, free-market activist and writer, reflects on the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Nigeria:

He writes: "In a state in northern Nigeria where Mallam  Ibrahim Shekarau, its former governor, publicly burned secular books eight years ago, nine people have been sentenced to death for blasphemy.  Abdul Inyas, Hajia Mairo Ibrahim and seven others were convicted of disrespecting the Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be unto Him) and sentenced to death in a closed sharia court in Kano during the fasting month of Ramadan.

This is not unusual in Nigeria’s most populous state and second largest city. A religious riot killed over 100 people in 2001. Amina Lawal was sentenced to death by stoning in 2002 for adultery, resulting in the boycott and relocation of the Miss World beauty contest that was scheduled to have been held in Nigeria. Her conviction was later overturned after an appeal buoyed by a global outcry. Earlier this year in April, churches were burnt and a pastor’s daughter was killed in the process. The present governor, Mallam Abdullahi Ganduje, presided over the destruction of truckloads of alcoholic drinks.

In a state where they have burned books, it is no surprise they are killing people for dissent and punishing people who have chosen a different lifestyle, a right the constitution of the country allows in all parts of the federation."

Read the full article HERE.

Anthony B. Bradley ― New York City is Post Secular and Highly Religious

Anthony B. Bradley is professor of theology at the King's College in New York City. He is also a research fellow for The Acton Institute.

                          

(The Acton Institute) 

"Large cities in the northeast like Boston, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, and so on, are often caricatured as wastelands of non-religious, unchurched, overtly secular theaters. Caricatures of this type seem odd given the fact that many of America’s oldest religious institutions are actively operating in those regions. One of my friends is quick to point out that every week people sit on church pews in northeastern churches that older than many states out west. For example, by looking at the Christian presence in the New York City area alone, research shows that the northeast might not be as religiously barren as many believe.

I recently contacted Tony Carnes, editor and publisher of A Journey through NYC Religions, to set the record straight on the New York City area. Since 2010, Carnes and his team have visited thousands of religious houses of worship, from all religious traditions cataloging the religious activity in New York City. In light of what he and his team have seen on the ground, Carnes has come to the conclusion that the best description of New York City is that it is a “post secular” city—a condition somewhere between a secular and sacred.

Within the Christian tradition alone Carnes reports, in the past two years there has, at times, beenone new evangelical church founded every Sunday in Manhattan. “By September 2009,” writes Carnes, “there were 197 evangelical churches in Manhattan Center City, the part of the city below 125th Street on the West Side and 96th Street on the East Side. A majority were founded since 1988, 40% since 2000. The number of congregates in Manhattan Center City has tripled in ten years."

Read more: http://blog.acton.org/archives/78942-new-york-city-is-post-secular-and-highly-religious.html

Stephen L. Carter ― The Atheism Gap

Stephen L. Carter, a Bloomberg View columnist, is a professor of law at Yale University, where he teaches courses on contracts, professional responsibility, ethics in literature, intellectual property, and the law and ethics of war.                 

 

 

(Bloomberg News)

CNN’s special report on atheists this week didn’t draw many viewers, and has been kicked around a bit in the blogosphere. Certainly the program had its gaffes. Most important, as other critics have noted, the report trotted out the hoary -- and ridiculous -- claim that 1 in 3 millennials are atheists. (The correct figure is closer to 3 percent.)

But that wasn’t the biggest mistake. By focusing on the lives of atheists, CNN swept into the wings, with only the briefest of mentions, atheism’s significant race and gender problems.

According to a much-discussed 2012 report from the Pew Research Center on Religion and Public Life, only 3 percent of U.S. atheists and agnostics are black, 6 percent are Hispanic, and 4 percent are Asian. Some 82 percent are white. (The relevant figures for the population at large at the time of the survey were 66 percent white, 11 percent black, 15 percent Hispanic, 5 percent Asian.)

Read more at  Bloomberg News http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-03-27/the-atheism-gap

Adamu Shauku ― Franklin Graham and Ferguson

A.K. Shauku was named a Humane Studies Fellow for the academic year 2011-12. This libertarian award was granted by the Institute for Humane Studies (IHS). The IHS provides support to students and scholars with research interests in individual liberty. A.K. Shauku is a law student at the University of Alabama School of Law and a PhD student in Political Science at the University of Alabama Graduate School.

Franklin Graham recently posted the following statement on his Facebook page:

“Listen up—Blacks, Whites, Latinos, and everybody else. Most police shootings can be avoided. It comes down to respect for authority and obedience. If a police officer tells you to stop, you stop. If a police officer tells you to put your hands in the air, you put your hands in the air. If a police officer tells you to lay down face first with your hands behind your back, you lay down face first with your hands behind your back. It’s as simple as that. Even if you think the police officer is wrong—YOU OBEY. Parents, teach your children to respect and obey those in authority. Mr. President, this is a message our nation needs to hear, and they need to hear it from you. Some of the unnecessary shootings we have seen recently might have been avoided. The Bible says to submit to your leaders and those in authority ‘because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account.’”

Certainly there is a degree of wisdom in these words. That many police shootings would be avoided if the individual who finds himself confronted by a law enforcement official complies with all instructions, makes no threatening movements, and is generally polite seems an unassailable proposition. But one wonders to whom this statement is directed.

It does not appear to be directed to those who recently suffered the devastating loss of a loved one at the hands of a police officer. It lacks the empathy and compassion that surely Mr. Graham would evince if he were speaking face-to-face with such a person. Surely Mr. Graham would not respond to the grieving mother ushered into his office with such sound advice about how her remaining children are to avoid such instances in the future. Surely he would not console her with the conclusory “It’s as simple as that.” Looking into her eyes, he would know better. 

Read more here: https://theopolisinstitute.com/franklin-graham-and-the-problem-of-reaction/

Dr. CHE Sadaphal — True Freedom: Free Minds, Religion, And Speech

C.H.E. Sadaphal is a board-certified physician and Libertarian writer.

"In the contemporary world, we’re at an interesting crossroads, brought about by a flurry of recent events both nationally and abroad. At the center of many of these events is the issue of “true freedom” which seems not to be an ironclad concept, but a constantly evolving ideology that conforms itself to the situation. On the issue of gay marriage, for example, the practice is now legal in 36 states, with the recent addition of the state of Florida last month. “Equality” is increasingly being codified as law, and a typical response from religious conservatives is that their religious freedom is being trampled in the pursuit of egalitarianism.

Now, let us all be clear about marriage-equality laws. They do not in fact mandate what happens inside of a church, so the State cannot force a clergy member to wed a same-sex couple. Civil weddings are what the law applies to. However in spite of this, many members of society are being penalized for refusing elective services to same-sex couples. A bakery in Oregon became one example by refusing to serve a wedding cake to a lesbian couple. The bakery is under investigation for a civil rights violation, according to a 2007 Oregon law. With similar cases popping up all over the country, I can sadly envision a future where a same-sex couple brings up a legal case against the Church for standing by the truth and refusing to allow secular authority to tell spiritual authority who has ultimate dominion."

Read complete article here

Dr. CHE Sadaphal — Why Atheism Fails

Why atheism fails becomes evident for one overwhelming reason: it crumbles under the burden of proof.

"An immediate objection to this statement is that because theism is belief in something and atheism is disbelief, non-belief, or a lack of belief, the burden of proof rests exclusively on the believer who makes a positive assertion. Other than being intellectually lazy, dishonest, and dismissive of self-scrutiny, non-belief in God remains an active choice—belief in non-belief. (In fact, if non-belief were the reasonable starting point, then all adults should begin not believing in climate change and demand to be convinced otherwise by compelling evidence). So, an adamant atheist who quickly says, “I don’t believe and that’s my non-choice” is the same as an ignorant believer who says, “I do believe and that’s my choice.” Both are walking through life with blinders on."

He continues his commentary:

"Socrates once said that the unexamined life is not worth living. In the same line of thought, the late theologian Helmut Thielicke compared the human experience to a good play. As discerning audience members, we ask questions about the play’s writer, the actors, the good guys, the bad guys, and what the plot “really means.” With the answers to these fundamental questions, anyone is better equipped to approach the play in a more meaningful way and make sense of the drama that unfolds onstage. If these questions are not considered, then the actors merely rehearse their dialogue as a cyclical and pointless exercise of regurgitation where they state their lines, play their roles, and are limited to the boundaries of the script. When the play is over, there is nothing. Hence, both men fully grasped the paramount importance of taking time to contemplate the complexities, intricacies, and meaning of our very existence and how that invariably adds value to our lives."

Read complete article here