On Nigerian Roads, Religion and the Nigerian Police Force

Mr. President, So What If Nigeria Is a Very Religious Society, the Curse on the Nigerian Roads remain Unbearable.

Sir, during your life interview with CNN Anchor Christian Amanpour in April of this year in Washington D.C. you proclaimed that Nigeria is a “very, very religious society”. But of what use is a religious atmosphere when the care of life and the disposal of dead bodies are handled with a Godless attitude?

Sir, no one should query with the office of the presidency as it is reportedly getting ready to buy three airplanes. Why, because the Nigerian roads are not routes in the civil, mechanical or actual sense. They are simply impassable and deadly.

The Nigerian Police Force in its style of traffic management remains crude at best, but how can one put all the blame on the police as its officers are products of an almost ruined society, in the institutional sense especially.

Who will like to maintain traffic rules in roads that lack updated or posted speed limits, adequate lighting, emergency telephones, rest spots, control of armed bandits and continue to lack operational rules in regards to curtailing abandoned vehicles?

For now there are crude like check-points set up by the police, mainly in busy highways and at times these check points have become temporal centers of unmanageable traffic jams, points for bribery negotiation and in some cases sites of deadly accidents.

In the face of these turbulences it is not uncommon to find victims of fatal accidents rotting away along the highway and in nearby bushes.

Mr. President, take the case of one 39-year old Egbosele Eronmosele of Uromi , Edo State. Just this past Wednesday, he left Uromi in his car on his way to the nation’s capital, Abuja.

Throughout Wednesday and Thursday attempts by his family to reach him on his mobile phone failed. He is a newlywed man and naturally his wife and family were concerned and heavily worried.

The family being disturbed by his unusual silence and by him not picking up his phone, some family members had no choice but to look for him. They then proceeded to do this manually by aimlessly travelling by car, as there are no functioning police emergency services for distressed callers. These family members on leaving Uromi, took the normal route which included Auchi, only to reach the town of Okene in Koji State, one of the leading towns to Abuja.

Sir, with bits and pieces of information around the surroundings, 39-year old Egbosele Eronmosele was found in the bush—all burnt up and dead.

His burnt body reportedly lay helpless facing the steering wheel in the burnt car. The family like every reasonable and concerned family proceeded to the local police station, Division 2 to inquire about the fatal accident.

They were reportedly informed by the attending station officers that the victim was involved in an accident with a trailer. As they requested to see the actual traffic incident report they were informed that there were no available reports of the accident. Also, there was no information provided on the trailer because the investigating officers were not currently on duty and could not be reached.

As to why the report which is supposed to be filed, kept and maintained in the police station, was not present the family were told, the report is with the investigators.

Mr. President, here is the most distressing part of the story. As to why the lifeless body of the victim was left rotting away from Wednesday up to Friday when the burnt car was found in the bush, the police reportedly stated that the body was left unattended due to religious reasons. What does that mean, the family asked the station officer? The apparent police response was gravely disturbing.

They were informed that Mr. Eronmosele died in a “very , very religious” area of Nigeria, a Muslim area. As such no casket could be procured, purchased, or publicly sold or allowed in the area. And neither was the body taking to any hospital mortuary as there is no fully functioning one in the area. Sir, all these occurrences generally resulted due to religion and as a consequence of the backward mentality that still exist in the policing of the Nigerian people.

The family then gathered the pieces of Mr. Eronmosele, and returned to Uromi to bury his remains this past Saturday. Sir, this reality!

Mr. President, fifty years later Nigeria the so called giant of Africa appears to be moving opposite to progress with a few Nigerians sharing in your sentiments that there is optimism for Nigerians.

No reasonable mind believes that the nation is finished but the evidence is openly clear that without sweeping improvement in the highways, traffic system, electric power, police system and in leadership; religion alone will not save the country from its quick entry into a state of an all-out collapse.

Mr. President, as you set out to declare a yes or no answer to the 2011 presidency on or about September 10th, 2010; hopefully you will remind the nation of the story of Egbosele Eromonsele as it relates to the need for a commons sense governance of the nation, despite the so called sacred state of the country.


~ By John Oshodi

John Egbeazien Oshodi, Ph.D, DABPS, FACFE is a practicing Forensic/Clinical Psychologist and the Interim Associate Dean of Academic Affairs-Behavioral Science, North Campus, Broward College, Coconut Creek, Florida. joshodi@broward.edu.

Growing Number of Americans Who Say Barack Obama is a Muslim

9 Aug 2010 05:01 Africa/Lagos



New Pew Research Center Survey Reveals Growing Number of Americans Who Say Barack Obama is a Muslim

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life finds that a substantial and growing number of Americans say that Barack Obama is a Muslim, while the proportion saying he is a Christian has declined. More than a year and a half into his presidency, a plurality of the public says they do not know what religion Obama follows.

According to the survey, nearly one-in-five Americans (18%) now say Obama is a Muslim -- an increase from 11% in March 2009. Only about one-third of adults (34%) say Obama is a Christian, a sharp decrease from 48% in 2009. Fully 43% say they do not know what Obama's religion is. The survey was completed in early August, before Obama's recent comments about the proposed construction of a mosque near the site of the former World Trade Center.

The belief that Obama is a Muslim has increased most sharply among Republicans (up 14 points since 2009), especially conservative Republicans (up 16 points). But the number of independents who say Obama is a Muslim has also increased significantly (up eight points). There has been little change in the number of Democrats who say Obama is a Muslim, but fewer Democrats today say he is a Christian (down nine points since 2009).

The new poll, conducted between July 21 and Aug. 5 among 3,003 respondents, also examines the link between Americans' perception of Obama's religion and their opinion of his job performance, and covers views on the President's approach to religion, including the influence of his religious beliefs on policy decisions. In addition, the survey explores Americans' attitudes toward churches' involvement in politics and religion's influence on American life and government, and looks at religion's impact on voting preferences for the upcoming 2010 congressional races.

The report, including a summary and topline questionnaire, will be accessible on the Forum's new Web feature, "Religion & Politics 2010," which provides a variety of election resources, including:
-- Poll analyses and survey reports on topics related to the midterm
elections
-- Links to news stories about religion-related issues impacting 2010
congressional and gubernatorial races around the country
-- "Election news briefs" highlighting interesting articles and common
themes making news headlines

The Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life conducts surveys, demographic analyses and other social science research on important aspects of religion and public life in the U.S. and around the world. As part of the Washington-based Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan, nonadvocacy organization, the Pew Forum does not take positions on any of the issues it covers or on policy debates.
Source: Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life

CONTACT: Liga Plaveniece of Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion &
Public Life, Communications Coordinator, +1-202-419-4586
Web Site: http://www.pewforum.org/

A Different Kind of Religious War

Happy Easter with Our Best Wishes from Nigerians Report.


2 Apr 2010 15:00 Africa/Lagos


A Different Kind of Religious War

WACO, Texas, April 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "Who do you say that I am?" asked Jesus of his disciples. And the rest of humankind has been struggling to answer that question ever since.

Nowhere has answering this question been more divisive and more of a struggle than in resolving the tension between two seemingly rival claims: Jesus was both fully human and fully divine, and Jesus was only fully divine. This schism was central to Christianity during the Church Councils of the fifth century, when it seemed inevitable that the church would abandon its belief in the humanity of Jesus.

It also is a schism that led directly to the collapse of Roman power in the east, to the rise of Islam, to the destruction of Christianity throughout much of Asia and Africa, and to the strengthening of Christianity in Europe. The mainstream Christian church kept the belief that Jesus was fully human - but at the cost of losing half the world.

This battle to "keep" Jesus human is recounted in "Jesus Wars: How Four Patriarchs, Three Queens and Two Emperors Decided What Christians Would Believe for the Next 1,500 Years," written by Philip Jenkins and published this month by HarperOne. Jenkins, a religious historian with joint appointments at Baylor University's Institute for Studies of Religion and Penn State University, explores the violent and bloody controversy that erupted between the Western and Eastern churches. These battles, says Jenkins, had enormous impact on the future of Christianity and the world.

It was the Council of Chalcedon, near Istanbul in 451, that seemingly settled the matter, formulating the statement that eventually became the official theology of the Roman Empire. This acknowledged Christ in two natures, joined together in one person. This Chalcedonian definition stands today as the official view of Jesus for the vast majority of Christians.

"During the fifth century there were two sides, both of which thought Christ was God," Jenkins says. "What varied was the idea of how much humanity he held. The view that won and became orthodoxy was the view that Christ was both fully human and fully divine. The view that lost was the 'One Nature' view - the idea of Christ in which the human nature was wholly overwhelmed by divinity.

"But Chalcedon was not the only possible solution, nor was it an obvious or, perhaps, a logical one," Jenkins writes. "Only the political victory of Chalcedon's supporters allowed that council's ideas to become the inevitable lens through which later generations interpret the Christian message."

And, the "official victory of Chalcedon," as Jenkins terms it, came with a cost. Violence, bloodshed and death occurred, driven both by the quest for the "right belief" and the secular concept of honor prevailing at the time, which fostered vendettas and feuds. People of the fifth century had no qualms in justifying violence to support their view of the Christ they worshipped.

The struggles recounted in "Jesus Wars" remind us today that beliefs form and reappear throughout time - and must be engaged and confronted. While the violence prevalent then is abhorrent in today's world, the church must still explore new ideas - or risk extinction.

Writing in "Jesus Wars," Jenkins says, "...dialogue can itself be a positive thing, a way in which Christian thought develops its own self-understanding. A religion that is not constantly spawning alternatives and heresies has ceased to think and has achieved only the peace of the grave."

About Philip Jenkins

Dr. Philip Jenkins, one of the world's leading religion scholars, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Baylor University's Institute for Studies of Religion, a position he has held since 2009. He is also is the Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Humanities at Pennsylvania State University, where he has taught since 1980. An historian by training, Jenkins' work has been lauded in many different disciplines including sociology, criminology, and religious studies. Jenkins earned his bachelor's, master's and Ph.D. in History from Cambridge University. He is the author of 24 books, more than 100 book reviews and approximately 100 book chapters and refereed articles.

Provided by Newswise, online resource for knowledge-based news at www.newswise.com

Media Contacts: Jill Scoggins, 254.710.1964, jill_scoggins@baylor.edu

Source: Baylor University

CONTACT: Jill Scoggins, +1-254-710-1964, jill_scoggins@baylor.edu

Web Site: http://www.baylor.edu/

1 Apr 2010
23:12	Lion Energy grants incentive stock options
20:39	The African Union deploys an Election Observer Mission to Sudan
18:11	ICC: Judges Approve Kenyan Investigation / Witness Protection Key Challenge in Investigation

Majorities Reject Banning Defamation of Religion: 20 Nation Poll

23 Nov 2009 06:01 Africa/Lagos


Majorities Reject Banning Defamation of Religion: 20 Nation Poll

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Nov. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the UN General Assembly prepares to debate a proposal calling for nations to take action against the defamation of religion, majorities in 13 of 20 nations polled around the world support the right to criticize a religion.


On average, across all countries polled, 57% of respondents agree that "people should be allowed to publicly criticize a religion because people should have freedom of speech." However, an average of 34% of respondents agree that governments "should have the right to fine or imprison people who publicly criticize a religion because such criticism could defame the religion."


WorldPublicOpinion.org conducted the poll of 18,487 respondents in 20 nations. This includes many of the largest nations -- India, the United States, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Russia -- as well as Mexico, Chile, Germany, Great Britain, France, Poland, Ukraine, Kenya, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Turkey, Iraq, Pakistan, the Palestinian territories, and South Korea. Polling was also conducted in Taiwan and Hong Kong. The margins of error range from +/-3 to 4 percentage points. The surveys were conducted across the different nations between April 25 and July 9, 2009.


Support for the right to criticize religion is strongest in the United States, with 89%, compared to just 9% support for government restrictions. Though the strongest supporters of restrictions on criticism of religions are in Muslim countries, a separate poll by WPO in 2008 showed that overwhelming majorities said it is at least somewhat important for people to have the right to express any opinion, including criticism of the government or religious leaders. In fact, clear majorities in every one of the 20 nations included in that poll took the same position, ranging from 69% in India to 98% in the United States.


The two non-Muslim countries where majorities responded to the recent WPO poll by saying governments should be able to fine or imprison people for criticizing religions are India and Nigeria. This suggests that their support of government restrictions may stem not from a popular push to defend Islam -- Muslims make up roughly half of Nigeria's population but just 13% of India's -- but from a broadly shared desire to reduce incidents of inter-religious violence.


Source: Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland

CONTACT: Steven Kull of the Program on International Policy Attitudes
(PIPA) at the University of Maryland, +1-202-232-7500

Re: Why ATHEISM is GREAT (for those who don't think it is).

Orikinla Osinachi says:
Atheism is based on ignorance of the origins of our existence.
We have a beginning and our beginning has an author and the author is God. May I advise anyone who thinks the existence of God, spirits, and other heavenly beings are myths to read Scientists Discover Hell: As Astronauts Find Heaven by Olisaemeka A. G.
The book has facts based on actual testimonies.

The above response is my reply to the discussion on Why ATHEISM is GREAT (for those who don't think it is) published on Amazon.

NEWSWEEK Cover: Radical Islam Is A Fact Of Life. How To Live With It

In the March 9, 2009 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, March 2), "Radical Islam is A Fact of Life. How To Live With it" Fareed Zakaria makes the case for why the West needs to adopt a more sophisticated strategy toward Radical Islam. Plus: Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu and Avigdor Lieberman discuss the country's future in their first foreign media interview since winning in the recent election. Lastly: A review of the latest comic book inspired movie, "Watchmen." (PRNewsFoto/NEWSWEEK) NEW YORK, NY UNITED STATES 03/01/2009

1 Mar 2009 17:18 Africa/Lagos

NEWSWEEK Cover: Radical Islam Is A Fact Of Life. How To Live With It

Fareed Zakaria Writes, "It is crucial that we adopt a more sophisticated strategy toward radical Islam"

Not All Islamic Fundamentalists Support Jihad or are Potential Terrorists

NEW YORK, March 1 /PRNewswire/ -- In the March 9 Newsweek cover, "Radical Islam Is a Fact of Life. How to Live With It" (on newsstands Monday, March 2), Newsweek International Editor Fareed Zakaria argues that radical Islam is a fact of life, which we must learn to deal with. He emphatically does not say that we should accept the medieval values of the Islamists, or that we should not continue trying to destroy Al Qaeda. But to prevail in a generational cultural struggle, the West must learn to distinguish between those who have nihilistic philosophies and expansionist aims and those looking to apply their values at home.


(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090301/NYSU003 )


Reports from Nigeria to Bosnia to Indonesia show that Islamic fundamentalists are finding support within their communities for their agenda, which usually involves the introduction of some form of Sharia-Islamic law--reflecting a puritanical interpretation of Islam. No music, no liquor, no smoking, no female emancipation. "The groups that advocate these policies are ugly, reactionary forces that will stunt their countries and bring dishonor to their religion. But not all these Islamists advocate global jihad, host terrorists or launch operations against the outside world--in fact, most do not," Zakaria writes. "Consider, for example, the most difficult example, the Taliban. The Taliban have done all kinds of terrible things in Afghanistan. But so far, no Afghan Taliban has participated at any significant level in a global terrorist attack over the past 10 years--including 9/11." Zakaria also points out that while some elements of the Taliban are closely associated with Al Qaeda, "the Taliban is large, and many factions have little connection to Osama bin Laden. Most Taliban want Islamic rule locally, not violent jihad globally," he writes.


This is why "it is crucial that we adopt a more sophisticated strategy toward radical Islam," Zakaria writes. "This should come naturally to President Obama, who spoke often on the campaign trail of the need for just such a differentiated approach toward Muslim countries." The Washington Institute, a think tank often associated with conservatives, also agrees with this view. Its report due to be released this week recommends that the United States use more "nuanced, noncombative rhetoric" that avoids sweeping declarations like "war on terror," "global insurgency," even "the Muslim world."


"Anything that emphasizes the variety of groups, movements and motives within that world strengthens the case that this is not a battle between Islam and the West," Zakaria writes. "Bin Laden constantly argues that all these different groups are part of the same global movement. We should not play into his hands, and emphasize instead that many of these forces are local, have specific grievances and don't have much in common. That does not mean we should accept the burning of girls' schools, or the stoning of criminals. Recognizing the reality of radical Islam is entirely different from accepting its ideas. We should mount a spirited defense of our views and values. We should pursue aggressively policies that will make these values succeed. Such efforts are often difficult and take time--rebuilding state structures, providing secular education, reducing corruption--but we should help societies making these efforts. The mere fact that we are working in these countries on these issues--and not simply bombing, killing and capturing--might change the atmosphere surrounding the U.S. involvement in this struggle."


(Read cover article at www.Newsweek.com)


Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090301/NYSU003
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
PRN2
Source: Newsweek

CONTACT: Brenda Velez, +1-212-445-4078


Web Site: http://www.newsweek.com/

150 Years After 'Origin of the Species', Science and Religion Remain as Conflicted as Ever

9 Jan 2009 11:20 Africa/Lagos

150 Years After 'Origin of the Species', Science and Religion Remain as Conflicted as Ever

GEORGETOWN, Texas, Jan. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- When Charles Darwin published his landmark book On the Evolution of Species in 1859, his theories on evolution were quickly accepted by the vast majority of scientists. The general public, however, was not as eager to accept Darwin's ideas, due largely to the fact that they challenged established religious beliefs.


Today, 150 years after the publication of Darwin's book, science and religion remain as conflicted as ever when it comes to the subject of evolution.


"There is a real disconnect between what science says and what the public believes, at least in the United States," says Ben Pierce, holder of the Lillian Nelson Pratt Chair in Biology at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.


Pierce is organizing one of the first events in 2009 that will mark the 150th anniversary of the publication of the Darwin book. The symposium, titled "Science and Religion: Conflict or Convergence," will be held at Southwestern University Feb. 5-6 as part of the university's annual Brown Symposium series.


Pierce points to Gallop Polls conducted between 1982-2004, which consistently found that 44 to 47 percent of Americans do not believe in evolution. Instead, they believe that humans were "created by God pretty much in their present form less than 10,000 years ago."


Meanwhile, a recent survey of more than 400 university professors in Texas, a largely conservative state, found that nearly 90 percent believe modern evolutionary biology is largely correct.


Pierce says there are four approaches to the conflict between science and religion. The "Warfare Model" presumes that one side is right, the other side is wrong, and the two are permanently conflicted. The "Separate Realms" approach -- which is taken by many scientists -- says there is no conflict between the two because they address very different questions. In the "Accommodation Model," science and religion each adjust their world views to accommodate findings from the other field. For example, some Biblical scholars reinterpreted the Genesis account of creation when science showed that the world is much older than previously thought.


The model Pierce plans to focus on at the February symposium is the "Engagement Model," which says that both fields can profit by understanding what is happening in the other fields.


For example, one of the conference speakers will be Dr. Andrew Newberg, director of the Center for Spirituality and the Mind at the University of Pennsylvania. Newburg has developed brain imaging techniques to determine what happens when people have a religious experience, and is co-author of the best-selling 2001 book Why God Won't Go Away: Brain Science and the Biology of Belief.


Pierce says students today are very interested in the subject of science vs. religion and are seeking ways to find a middle ground between the two fields. In his evolution course at Southwestern University last fall, four students wrote papers for their Biology Capstone project on ways science could be used to better understand religion. For example, one student wrote a paper on the health effects of prayer and meditation and another student wrote a paper on the genetics of spirituality.


"These students put into practice the notion that science and religion can indeed have something useful to say to each other," Pierce says.


Source: Southwestern University

CONTACT: Ellen Davis of Southwestern University, +1-512-863-1570

Good News From Nigeria!

I am 100% determined to spread the good news of this book Scientists Discover Hell: As Astronauts Find Heaven from my country Nigeria, because I am happy that such a great revelation is coming out where the rest of the world only expects 419 Yahoo-Yahoo Internet Scammers and shamelessly corrupt politicians,

I bought four copies of this book at $25 each and sent the four copies to the following people.

1. Oprah Winfrey
2. Prof. Francis Collins
3. Ariana Huffington and
4. Pastor Sunday Adelaja.

I have also succeeded in getting the publisher/distributor to reduce the price of the paperback from $25 to $16 only. But the new price is only available on their own website until next week when it will be effective on Amazon.com.
I am going to buy and send 20 more copies to other people.

The book chronicles the true life testimonies of people who were brought back to life by Jesus Christ in present Day Nigeria, a Russian woman who actually saw hell, an American pastor's experience of heaven and the scientific reports of scientists and astronauts who discovered the existence of hell, heaven and angels.

About the author:
The Guild Of Researchers International is an intelligentsia of scholars committed to theology and public enlightenment through both spiritual and scientific research.

Scientists Discover Hell: As Astronauts Find Heaven
Edited By Olisaemeka A.G.

About the Book:

This and other publications are in fulfillment of a mandate and in satisfaction of the curiosity to conduct, as much as possible, comprehensive and incisive research works on various topical issues that are of global consequences to the entire human race. The facts are presented the way they are and the researchers have no bias or religious inclination in their presentation as the researchers have different background and the facts adduced hereto are as verifiable as they are purely scientific, historical, contemporary and testimonial in their extent, intent content and impact. Proper citations and sufficient acknowledgments are made of the various sources of facts referred to in this work as required in any academic research.

Publication Date: Sep 27 2008
ISBN/EAN13: 1440429995 / 9781440429996
Page Count: 400
Binding Type: US Trade Paper
Trim Size: 8" x 10"
Language: English
Color: Black and White
Related Categories: Religion / Religion & Science

List Price: $16.00
CLICK HERE TO ORDER THIS GREAT BOOK NOW!