Birth and Death of an Atheist

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Interesting story of an Atheist's conversion. Enjoy!
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Birth and Death of an Atheist

G. Zeineldé Jordan, Se.
(http://www.theism.net/authors/zjordan)
(Updated November 2004)
No copyright is enforced.


I will never be the same again. I will never return. I’ve closed the door. I will walk the path. I’ll run the race. And I will never be the same again.
-Hillsongs of Australia
Throughout my life, I observed people behaving differently in church than in daily living. I found such hypocrisy all too common in church-going Christians. I also observed they would accept "sin" in their lives, confess it or answer an altar call on Sundays, then continue it the next week. That taught me sin was preferable over God’s design. I deduced God might not even exist; if He were real, people would not discard Him as they exited church doors. If God did exist, His design for man evidenced flaws. I had my own design: sex, drugs, rock ’n’ roll, and a little bit of country.
In doubting God’s existence, I began doubting Christ’s historical existence. Let us face it: it is the most awesome story ever told. It is awesome beyond the basic resurrection aspect inasmuch as it represents love, forgiveness, and acceptance beyond man’s comprehension. After all, my high school education included "facts" about human origin conflicting with the "Holy Book." My secular government education taught me many things opposite biblical teachings. By my early twenties, I simply did not believe the gospel message. Many times people asked me how I could not believe in God. Such people amazed me. Why the confusion?
"I don’t believe it," I would answer. "I think it’s a fairy tale with moral teachings intertwined”. Further, I often said, "I think the Bible is used for milking money from the masses and controlling their minds and behavior".
I would say that as if I had some grip on controlling my mind and behavior. The fact of the matter is that my drug addiction had seized control of mine. I experienced continued failures the following years. In the end, when my size 30 pants grew baggy on me, and my eyes were ringed in that which remained of my eye sockets, I had failed my travel business, my clients, my family and friends, and my creditors. One drug buddy, Eddy, put a gun to his head and ended his agony. I considered following suit. Other drug buddies had either over dosed or were in prison.
One day, I took a ride, a long ride, up the California coast. I thought a lot, a whole lot. Still high as a kite on speed, I was arrested and the car impounded. I had lots of time to think throughout my stay in that northern California "County Hilton" that almost two-decade ago trip. More importantly, I had time to cry. For the first time in many years, I managed to shed a tear. Then I shed more, and more, and more. I thought of every person I had harmed. If tears had never "made the man," they made this one that day.
Possessing nothing but shame, disgrace, and unpaid bills, I appeared at Ma’s doorstep. She and my brother Tony nursed me back to health. I did not work for weeks. I ate, slept, and read. I survived. My drug addiction was behind me, and it has stayed there since. Praise God.
I had always enjoyed reading, particularly history. I found American history especially tantalizing. The more history I read, the more I despised Christians. I learned of my ancestors, the Portuguese. I learned of their conquering and enslaving African tribes, and their brutal treatment of peaceful natives who welcomed them as friends. Apparently, their Catholicism failed to circumvent their evil nature. I learned of the Spanish conquistadors doing the same in South America, and of the Spanish and Italian Inquisitions robbing the masses in the name of the church and Jesus Christ. I learned of the English Crusaders conquering, raping, and pillaging distant lands and claiming their spoils in the name of Christ. I read about America’s Christians massacring American Indians who had welcomed them with open arms. Surely, I wanted no part of the evils of what following Christ represented. Christianity repulsed me. I was so repulsed I chose to battle it. I grew outraged at Christianity. I felt conned.
At age 28, I joined American Atheists, a national organization of like-minded infidels. I learned so much that soon I banned Bibles from my home. Someone could enter my home with muddy shoes, but Bibles had to be left at the door.
I described myself as philosophically agnostic, for I believed there is not enough evidence to prove or disprove the existence of God, and a practicing atheist, meaning I lived on the premise no God existed. As far as an outright label, I identified myself as a "freethinker." I retain that label today, second only to "Christian."
American Atheists offered me an outlet from which to spew forth my venomous anger about Christianity. American Atheists rented space at the Arizona State Fair in 1990, which provided me an opportunity to vent my anger publicly.
After a personal encounter with American Atheists president Madalyn Murray O’Hair, I decided American Atheists was not worthy of my time and energy. I sensed ugliness and evil in her that her printed materials masked. I canceled my membership.
For family reasons, I relocated from Phoenix, Arizona, to Marietta, Georgia, in 1991. There I met up with the Atlanta Freethought Society (AFS), another group of infidels. It was a local chapter of the national Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF).
FFRF seemed to offer what I pursued. I strongly desired to be a part of Christianity’s destruction. I wanted to contribute my small part in "restoring the wall of separation between church and state," a wall I would later learn was nonexistent. It was merely a phrase coined by America’s third president, Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to a Baptist congregation assuring them the federal government had no power to interfere with their religious practices.
The AFS seemed to offer the ideal activism. Their first pro-active event after I joined them was to display a banner in the park on the square in McDonough, Georgia in 1991. Being there made me feel a part of the educating of America. The event made national news.
One problem I encountered with atheistic organizations is that they seemed to require a religious reverence for their non-religion. When O’Hair visited Phoenix for a solstice celebration, members argued over which blessed atheist would buy her dinner, drive her around, lay out red carpet, etc. Her papal arrival had me wonder if I could cure my cigarette smoking addiction by touching the hem of her garment.
I let my AFS and FFRF memberships lapse because I tired of the continued bickering amongst members about what "freethought" should mean. The local AFS chapter later severed its tie with the FFRF after its president, Tom Malone, pouted over a disparaging remark made by the FFRF. Later, other members split off to form Humanists of Georgia, while others stayed behind to argue about trivial matters as if they were of national interest. I would join again, lapse again, and so on. I grew unfavorably impressed by how the "intellectual elite" couldn’t seem to get along even on a local level. I often described them as the "Catholics and Baptists going at it again."
I did not like Christians, and I would have nothing to do with someone once I learned of their Christianity. Then in 1992 I met a man named Jim. I learned of his Christianity, but I liked him anyway. I respected his honesty, intelligence, and good character. We became friends despite our disparate theistic positions. He made an example of not condemning, but trusting his light to shine onto me. That shocked me because I had grown accustomed to "religious fanatics" attempting to force other people to conform to their religiosity or spewing forth condemnation on dissenters. Jim accepted me as a friend and left the rest of the work to the "Holy Spirit." His attitude and obedience to the Lord opened the door for someone else who would show me just who Jesus Christ really was, is, and will always be.
It happened one day as I scanned the radio dial. I came across an argument between an atheist and a Christian. The Christian was former U.S. Congressman-turned-radio-talk-show-host Patrick L. Swindall. The caller expressed his venomous anger towards Christians. The host behaved much like my friend Jim. The Christians I usually heard debating atheists cut off callers very quickly when the callers spoke outside a "Praise the Lord" direction. Not that Swindall fellow, though. He treated the caller with utmost respect and patience. To me, Swindall won the debate hands-down merely because of his manner. I listened to the rest of his show. Then I listened daily. His politics intrigued me. Every political solution he espoused met the concerns of atheist activists and honored the rights of Christians. I grew to admire Swindall. I eventually sent him a letter commending him on his show, his politics, and his religiosity. He responded with an invitation to my wife, Vickie, and me for lunch, and drove half way across the Atlanta metropolis to meet us. He shared his personal testimony. He did not convince me of God’s existence at that luncheon, but he demonstrated true Christian outreach. I grew so impressed with his politics and religiosity I decided to write about him, for I felt even we atheists should support his show and, ideally, his run for a return to office, if ever he decided to run again; hence, the birth of Perjurer or Saint? (A Freethinker Introduces Pat Swindall). I titled it such because Swindall had been charged and convicted of perjury in a case my lay investigation convinced me was a frame job to remove him from office. The more I looked into his innocence, the more certain of it I grew. More importantly, the more I looked into his case, the more I learned about the Jesus Christ Swindall worshipped.
In my research (for Perjurer or Saint?), I closely examined Christian and atheistic political propaganda. I compared those two versions of American history. To illustrate that America’s history is being rewritten, I include the following excerpt from my manuscript:
The atheists, Ed and Michael Buckner cited a 1975 edition of National Geographic as their source in citing Benjamin Franklin’s words in their publication Quotations that Support the Separation of State and Church (1993, page 27).
I believe in one God, Creator of the universe . . . . That the most acceptable service we can render Him is doing good to His other children . . . . As to Jesus . . .I have. . .some doubts as to His divinity.
In America’s Real Religion, Gene Garman (1994, page 110), presents the same quotation citing Albert Henry Smyth’s Writings of Benjamin Franklin (1905). The omitted phrases follow.
After universe: ". . . that He governs it by His providence. That He ought to be worshipped."
After children: "that the soul of man is immortal."
After As to Jesus: " . . .of Nazareth . . . I think the system of morals and His religion, as He left them to us, the best the world ever saw or is likely to see."
After I have: " . . . with most of the present dissenters of England."
In the Buckners’ defense, they presented other Franklin quotations expressing a value for religion. Quite possibly, the omission came from their source, and they merely trusted it.
Patrick L. Swindall’s personal relationship with his Lord and Savior ultimately changed my life, literally forever. His example of walking closely with his Lord, yet honoring the rights of non-believers, sang to my political soul.
G. Zeineldé Jordan began changing. I changed so much I submitted an article to the AFS newsletter entitled My Appeal to the AFS. I did not expect it to make print. I was right, but I felt good that I made an attempt to open some eyes. I charged AFS with committing the same poor ethics they charged Christians with, such as using government-funded (public) schools for proselytizing their religious faith (Humanism). I reminded the AFS I was a member because I opposed religious tyranny, including our anti-theistic religious tyranny. I claimed they rejected a God of spirit only to embrace a God of government. They applied a double standard in what they battled Christians about because, after all, they "had it right."
At that point, despite my lack of belief in the existence of God, I decided the Christian movement in America was worthy of support. My "net results" orientation led me to question America’s current state of affairs. I had no doubt America was better off when up was up, down was down, good was good, and bad was bad. It became clear to me that America’s revolutionary morals shift of recent decades produced infanticide, fatherless children, increased drug use, and violence in classrooms.
Then a friend of a friend put Tim LaHaye’s Battle for the Mind in my hands. LaHaye did not convince me a God existed, but he clearly depicted I believed what I believed merely because I had been indoctrinated.
In an attempt to gain cross-cultural insight, I decided to visit a Christian church. I was convinced I could better understand Swindall’s religiosity by witnessing a Christian congregation first-hand. I chose West Cobb Baptist Church because I knew a member. I enjoyed the service and the sermon. A few days later, its pastor, Scott Beasley, and a church member visited us. We had a delightful time with them. They appeared quite sane. The congregation drew Vickie (also a philosophical agnostic and practicing atheist). She expressed a desire to return. I consented. I encountered none of the "religious fanatics" I expected to encounter. The congregation exhibited warmth, love, and, to use Vickie’s term, a "fuzziness." We continued our learning expedition for seven weeks. I experienced serious intellectual battles over the attraction. I felt my brain would break at any moment because the sermons were making sense. However, to accept such realities meant to discredit all of my cherished beliefs. Also, what I had been hearing on the Pat Swindall show about theism kept validating the sermons in practical terms.
When Jim learned of my West Cobb Baptist Church visitation, he supplied me with a New King James Version Bible to use as a reference source to review scripture first-hand. A Bible finally made its way to the Jordan library. I used it to look up scripture referenced in my atheist literature and "Pastor Scott’s" sermons.
Vickie and I discussed Christianity and Jesus almost every night throughout our seven weeks of church visitation. One evening, I confessed to Vickie that despite my years-long venomous disgust toward Christians, I had to admit, "Anything that Jesus fella actually said or did is not particularly offensive. It is what has been interpreted about it that is harmful." I went on to deduce, "Vickie, it reminds me of the old saying, ‘The only thing wrong with Christianity is not that it has failed, but that it has never been tried.’ That statement was actually made in opposition to Christianity but let’s examine it. Christians claim this Christ fella is without blemish. They worship Him and claim no one can match His purity. Actually, if there is any truth to the Bible, it demonstrates the conquistadors and other barbarians would need that Christ figure. I have to ponder this further because, viscerally, I am beginning to think that Jesus fella took a bad rap, and sadly, mostly because of those who claim to follow Him. After all, I have always admired Mark Twain’s claim that ‘If Christ were real, there is one thing He would not be, and that is a Christian.’"
I considered perhaps He would be -- a God?
"At this point, I would be lying to you, myself, that congregation, and their God if He exists, if I were to claim I don’t believe that congregation has something from on high. I’m not saying I believe in a God, or I can anthropomorphize that force. I’m saying there’s more to it than I have knowledge to explain. Don’t expect me to run up the altar. However, they deserve a new respect."
Vickie responded with, "You realize if that Jesus is anything, He is everything." Her observation stuck with me unshakably.
I obsessed over Christianity and atheism. I disliked what was happening. I began thinking I had been wrong and had unfairly blamed Jesus Christ for what humans had done in His name. I felt somewhat shamed and remorseful. After great agonizing and investigating, I determined:
1. Unconstitutionally, Secular Humanism is America’s governmentally established religion despite the "wall of separation" value secularists espouse. I devoted years of support to organizations that professed to be protecting that wall, while in practice were actually forcing a non-theistic religion onto the public.
2. Humanists control mainstream media, politicians, and the entertainment industry.
3. Religiosity was a factor in America’s history. That history has been re-written or omitted in some public [government-run] schools. For example, some public school texts omit George Washington’s religious references from his Farewell Address.
4. Currently, American governmental entities have grown totalitarian and coercive, whereas Jesus still seeks voluntary hearts.
5. Jesus endured attacks from His corporeal visit through today yet survives. Christianity flourished against all odds.
6. Jesus’ teachings do not support the Christian atrocities I have condemned throughout my atheism. Jesus should not be charged for those atrocities. Further, atheistic regimes have committed equally and worse atrocious acts in the name of "the people." Both atrocious histories merely demonstrate just how much Christ’s teachings are needed.
7. I reject the idea the apostles allowed themselves to be persecuted over something they knew to be false. I also reject that the apostles and the 500 witnesses to His ascension into Heaven experienced joint hallucinations. Science has yet to prove such hallucinations are possible. The apostles had everything to lose by practicing their faith and nothing to gain. Cultists are convinced of a future happening; W.W.II Japanese kamikaze pilots (similar to other religious and political martyrs) were youth indoctrinated from birth regarding the Empire/God unity concept. The disciples were neither cultists nor kamikaze styled religious fanatics, for they were steadfast over something they personally witnessed.
8. If Jesus and His apostles (authors of the New Testament) existed and were truthful, His absent body is beyond secular explanation if kept in harmony with secular explanations for His followers’ visions. If Jesus and His disciples did not exist, who wrote the New Testament and why? I reject that some loonies wrote it, then ignoramuses followed their insanity for 2000 years. There had been other virgin births and saviors in actual religions that died. Why would a fantasy version live on? Why would lives be changed by it?
9. Bible prophecies have come to pass against enormous odds.
10. Women are not the subjugated male-inferiors that non-Christians perceive the Bible teaches. Husbands are to sacrifice themselves for their wives as Christ did for the church (Ephesians 5:25).
With those 10 points in mind, I further determined that, even if Jesus had been a mere man, I could support His teachings with vigor and zeal, if the supernatural aspects were applied figuratively. Later, I questioned whether I was correcting the teacher by omitting the supernatural of which He spoke. Still fighting it, I owned up that following is following, whereas tailoring is tailoring. Deep down inside I knew He actually deserved to be accepted and followed by His standard, not mine. I questioned that millions of people have accepted Him via a sinner’s prayer of admitting guilt and repenting. Was I the insightful sage who knew what millions of others did not? I thought not.
I knew decision-making time was approaching. I strongly felt called. It was beyond my intellect and I did not want to give up my cherished intellectualism. Little did I know I would not have to give it up, just be willing. I began thinking I was. I could not go so far as to say "Jesus is Lord." However, I felt I was being called to accept Him and the rest would take care of itself.
Vickie and I went through this intellectual turmoil together. She was going through definite changes. I felt it was wrong to have married her as an atheist, then embrace Christianity. However, I sensed her own altar call growing near. I decided I may have to answer the call without her, but I doubted it would come to that. Then, on March 1, 1998, on the way to church I put my hand on her knee and said, "Don’t be concerned about me. I’m pretty sure I’m ready, if ever you are. I don’t want to hold you back, and I don’t want to entice you."
That morning, I felt Vickie’s hand tap me during the invitation. Hand in hand, we walked the aisle. I reached into the congregation and pulled Sam Rothrock, the Sunday School teacher, out and told him, "We want to get this right. Help us out." There on the altar of that tiny, mobile West Cobb Baptist sanctuary, Sam led us through the sinner’s prayer of repentance and acceptance.
The moment I rose from my knees, Jesus Christ became my Lord. I could speak it; I could shout it; I could sing it; I could write it. Jesus Christ is Lord.
Standing there, only Hollywood’s special effects could paint a picture of what happened to me inside. I asked Him in and He entered. I felt an unknown peace flow through me. I did not know I lacked peace until peace flowed. The Gaither Band describes it best in It Is Finished with: "These were battlefields of my own making; I didn’t know that the war had been won. Oh, but then I heard that the king of the ages had fought all the battles for me, and that victory was mine for the claiming; and now, praise His name, I am free. It is finished; the battle is over. It is finished; there’ll be no more war. It is finished, the end of the conflict. It is finished, and Jesus is Lord."
Then thoughts of my atheistic former colleagues flowed through my mind. Throughout my metamorphosis, I had developed an animosity toward them and what they represented, but that disappeared. A love and compassion only Jesus could feel for them, and us, flowed in. I felt wise. I felt insightful. I enjoyed the peace. I knew I was saved. A few weeks later, Pastor Scott Beasley baptized us.
There were immediate character changes in me, and there have been more changes over time. It was not a conscious effort to "clean up" my language, but expletives lost their usefulness. My taste in music changed. There really just is not anything worth singing about other than Jesus. Being saved is, in fact, a born-again process. Now, over four years after my salvific experience, God’s Word continues gradually replacing layers of Secular Humanism.
One morning shortly after my salvation, Vickie and I began intellectualizing over morning coffee in bed. The conversation went in such a direction that I said, "Hey, let’s go through my atheist magazines and find the articles that challenge the Bible’s historicity and present its contradictions."
Surprisingly, locating such an article required searching. I had never noticed until then that the articles primarily simply bash Christians. Eventually, I found one.
"Okay, let’s look up these passages," I challenged. We did. The claims were false.
Then a thought occurred to me and I turned to Vickie saying, "For many years Christians claimed I accepted my atheism by faith. I argued with them. Now, I realize that I read these articles without ever looking it up myself. I took it as a given that the scholars were the ones exposing the truth. Remember, I would not allow a Bible in my home. I thought these ‘contradictions’ were factual. I have the feeling that God, early on, began shaping me (the freethinking, Christian-bashing, atheistic agnostic) into a writer for Christ. Well, so be it."
Weeks after I embarked on my new path, my mother mentioned to me that although she always considered me a wonderful son, and considered Vickie the finest daughter a mother-in-law could have, we were even better after committing to Christ. Indeed, she began evaluating her own religiosity. A couple months later, I sat in the congregation at Sunset Hills Baptist Church with camera in hand to snap pictures of my mother’s baptism.
So goes the birth and death of an atheist. What I want atheists to know is that we have been lied to, my friends. The religion of Secular Humanism has infiltrated America’s schools, newspapers, magazines, and television networks. Its adherents use taxpayer dollars to indoctrinate an unsuspecting populace with their religious tenets. Unfortunately, they are succeeding.
What I want Christians to know is that your walk, your example of living the faith, or swaying, is crucial to the salvation of others. If you live in hypocrisy and duplicity, a lost person will see our Lord Jesus Christ as phony, impotent, and useless. He shed His blood on a cross that all may have eternal life. How will you serve Him -- by making a poor example?
I came to know Christ as my personal Lord and Savior because devout Christians accepted me and did not condemn me. They loved me. They followed Christ’s teachings of loving their neighbor as themselves, and allowing their light of Jesus Christ to shine so brightly I could not deny it. Keep in mind, at the heart of my atheism and now at the heart of my devotion to Christ lies the fundamental, life-changing, salvation-grabbing principle of distinguishing Christ’s teachings from "Christian" behavior. Please make His example your daily-living guide. He works. Meanwhile, I pray I remain the same at work, home, and play as on Sundays. To God be the glory!
I now share what Swindall shared with me in my cherished autographed copy of his A House Divided:
"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power.”
-Colossians 2:8-10

Do all Nigerian men cheat on their wives?

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The title of this post may seem strange to people that know me quite well. I'm not one to generalise about groups of people. A more appropriate title would have had most or some in the title. It's no more appropriate than "why are all Nigerians criminals"?, "why are all Americans ignoramuses"?, or "why are all Australians knife-wielding, crocodile hunters"? But I couldn't resist the urge for a little bit of sensationalism and attention grabbing! So on with the post. This topic is borne out of my personal experience over a few years of marriage and of course my interaction with people. Just today, someone asked me if a "babe" was trying to seduce me. Another colleague keeps trying to become my infidelity buddy. Of course I rebuke the two of them in a non-threatening way. These men can't fathom the fact that there are people who just don't do these things. After a trip to Brazil two years ago, someone asked me what I got up to while I was there. I avoid these types of people like a plague of course.

When I was growing up I was quite naive and believed that men are naturally faithful to their wives. I recollect a conversation with two very close relatives of mine when I was just 19. I told them would never cheat on my wife. One of them said he doesn't plan to as well but as a man, these things happen. The second one said he will definitely do it. After all body no be wood. Don't ask me if they have been true to their promises.

Quite a few Nigerian men, even those who have some strong religious profession or the other do it. More than you can even imagine. It's sometimes "accidental" but most often premeditated. And once it has happened, it becomes difficult to stop.

The problem is not helped by Nigerian women who have been conditioned to believe that their husbands will cheat on them no matter what they do. They have bought the lie that it's okay as long as he provides for the children, comes home regularly and doesn't flaunt his extra-marital affairs in her face. The truth is that most of them know about their husband's philandering ways before marriage but assume they can change after marriage. Some of them are so tired of people asking when the big day is going to happen they settle for the worst guy in town. I have even heard that women too now do it. Some of them do it in retaliation for their husband's cheating ways and possibly to get more excitement into their marriage.

As a Christian, the major reason I won't do it is not because I love my wife to bits, but because I fear God!

So I ask, if you have ever cheated on your wife or husband, please tell me why you did it. I'd really like to know.

And if you know anybody that has, do you know why they did it?

If you have never done it and don't want to ever do it, how have you managed to stay faithful?

If you have done it in the past and repented, should you tell your spouse?

Any opinions on why people cheat?

....Great....and Small!!!

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I came across a wonderful piece written by a senior brother of mine, Kunle Durojaiye. I thought I'd reproduce the post here in it's entirety.

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....Great....and Small!!!

By Kunle Durojaiye


It’s such a wonder to realize how we forget so easily that we weren’t born as 5 or 6 footers. Some would even as much as remember their infant days, back in kindergarten or primary school, secondary or high school (depending on your background, “butters’ went to high school’ or “paki’s’ did the secondary/grammar school”); but not many have actually embraced the fact that as grown as we may be currently, we evolved from a very minute embryonic form in a woman’s womb.

No man was born full grown (apart from the likes of Sat Guru, who claim to have just appeared on the scene). Nobody just appeared! Every big thing started from an inconsequential, seemingly insignificant beginning.

• Forests grew from a small seed sown in the ground. Seed gave birth to a tree, to produce fruits with more seeds, to eventually grow a forest or plantation.

• The sayings still holds that oceans are formed from a gathering of little water droplets.

• The journey of a thousand miles begins with the very first step.

• Every business venture started with the initial paltry investment.

• Large families originated from one small phrase that passed from a man to a woman “Will you marry me”. Generations have been created from a single phrase of ultimate intention.

• Great networks and years of devoted friendship have been kindled by one of the shortest words in the English dictionary – Hi!

• Large edifices and infrastructural installations have been consumed by huge conflagrations just by a single small spark.

• The four stroke engine is ignited to produce power for motion also by a spark.

• The information age was birthed by the discovery of an infinitesimally small piece, the chip.

Apparently, every great achievement in life is simply the full grown version of an initial small embryonic idea, thought, or chip. Everything great started small. This is essentially the paradox of life. One of the greatest discoveries still reshaping the way we live and work in the 21st century, is the chip (microchip).

Literally speaking, a chip is defined as a small piece of wood/stone, or a small piece of food e.g. potato chip. To a wood worker, the chips are the tiny pieces that are seen to fly off the main wood, while the saw-man slices the log. To an electrician, a chip is a miniaturized electronic circuit that has been manufactured in the surface of a thin material. Chips, by physical appearance and size tend not to be reckoned with as major contributors and the tendency to dispose of them is pretty high. After all, they’re just chips.

And basically, that’s what we tend to do with our personal chips. They become just passing thoughts, unrealistic ideas, far-fetched imaginations, and the likes.

However, it is obvious that our world today is changing and modifying continuously premised on one factor - the emergence of small pieces, not just of electronic circuits, but small ideas, small thoughts, small phrases, small concepts, small opinions, small imaginations, small muses - The very small things!

Rather than sweep them off and dispose of them as superfluous, or over bloated, you and I need to begin to gather our chips, thoughts, concepts, and ideas together, no matter how insignificant they may seem.

Your little idea, almost swept away and discarded, when fully developed, may be the ground breaking strategy to address the complexity of traffic in Lagos.

Your infinitesimal thought, so reticent, yet so latent, may be the final piece to fit in the Nigerian democratic puzzle.

Your microscopic opinion, though never heard, could be a solution to the syndrome of bad roads in our country.

Your miniaturized chip could be all you need to change your world.

Your minute concept could modify societal and cultural styles and create a better world for us all to live in.

Your chips, when fully grown, will announce you, advertise and publish you, and take you to places. You see, it’s all about those little things deep rooted in each of us.

Pen down your thoughts, gather your chips, document your ideas…..everything great starts small.
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Inverters - a solution to Nigeria's power problem?

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The last few months have been really dreadful with the near closure of PHCN (Power Holding Company of Nigeria) in my estate. It has gotten so bad that we barely have two hours of light everyday. My small Elemax generator was so overworked that is finally gave up in April. We used to switch it on at 7pm and switch it off at 12 midnight. At a time the heat at night was so terrible, my kids would wake up crying and itching from the heat rash. Sometimes I would wake up at 2am and wouldn't be able to sleep. Some of my estate people alleged that PHCN was diverting power to other neighbourhoods that were paying bribes. We hoped the situation would improve but alas it only got worse. So what did I do? I got an inverter.

"An inverter is a power conversion and conservation device. It converts electricity, which essentially comes in form of alternating current (A/Current) into a stable form of current known as direct current (D/Current) so that the D/Current can be stored in batteries for use during power outages. The system works by converting the A/Current which is the normal current supplied by PHCN (or a secondary source i.e. generating sets) into direct current which is a more stable form of electricity that can be preserved in batteries. During outages, the inverter converts the stored current back into A/Current for use in the home, office or business place. " (Culled from Top-M Nigeria)

I had planned to buy one for a while so I called a couple of companies to find out about the cost of their inverters.

Su-Kam inverters are made in India while Xantrex and Outback are American. I decided on the Budtron inverter which is made in Nigeria because of the low cost and also the ability of the manufacturers to provide after-sales service. I wasn't convinced that the other vendors had the technical know how to provide the required support. Installation took about 2 hours while the initial charging took about 8 hours.

Xantrex Inverter/Charger and Auto-Switch

SuKam Inverter

So basically what I do is to run my generator for 3-4 hours between 7pm and 11pm at night if there is no power from PHCN. At 11pm we shut down the generator and the inverter automatically takes over. If at any point in time PHCN restores light, the inverter's in built change over switch changes back to PHCN. So we use two or three fans throughout the night and pretty much swithc eveything else off. During the day it powers the TV, decoder, home theatre and s few low power electronics. The wiring is done such that the inverter does not power the ACs and iron. On a full charge and depending on what is switched on, we have power for the next 20-22 hours. However, if the fridge and/or all the lights are switched on, it lasts only 8 hours. An alternative setup can be to add solar panels to the installation. This means that during the day, if there is no power supply from PHCN, you can still charge the inverter.

With the cost of diesel at N135/litre it it certainly has its advantages. If I were to run my generator without shutting it down and assuming PHCN stopped working altogether it would cost an additional N270,000 to enjoy constant power supply. It is also noiseless and doesn't require starting up, oil, water or plugs. It is almost zero maintenance. The disadvantage is that if you use wet cell batteries, you have to top up the distilled water every 6 months. Even with dry cell batteries, you have to replace the batteries every 3-5 years depending on the level of usage. I suspect mine will need replacement in 3 years because of the poor power supply from PHCN. The initial cost is also quite high when compared with a generator of comparable power rating.

Overall I have enjoyed using it for the last three months and highly recommend getting one. Now my kids don't wake up crying in the middle of the night and my wife is cheerier!

Boiled Over - South Africa

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The last couple of weeks have been so tragedy laden. What with the cyclone that hit Myanmar, the earthquake is China and then the pipeline explosion at Ijegun. Now poor hungry black South Africans have turned on other poor hungry Africans. With all the talk of African unity it is amazing how easily African brothers turn on each other. In Nigeria it's Ife vs Modakeke, Umuleri vs Aguleri, Tiv vs Junkun e.t.c. If small tribes can fight each other over land and other such trivial matters while their taskmasters in high places wine and sup then you can imagine how easily tempers can become flared over "foreign occupiers". Tutsis and Hutus in Central Africa have hated each other for centuries eventually leading to wars in Rwanda and Burundi. Nigeria has had it's own issues with the Igbos claiming to be marginalised eventually leading to the Nigerian Civil War. The boiling Niger-Delta has continued to defy attempts at a peaceful resolution.

So what exactly happened in South Africa? We all know that a bunch of criminal gangs got together and decided that foreigners are the cause of their poverty, unemployment and lack of social amenities. Zimbabweans, Malawians and other nationals had put them into years of economic backwardness and repression. The solution? Kill all the foreigners and the jobs would come back, electricity would be restored and the shantytowns in Alexandra and Hilbrow would magically be converted to Sandton. So off they went on a killing rampage that has left 46 dead at the last count. But what could the real cause be?

In my humble opinion, the fault lies with Thabo Mbeki and the ruling African National Party (ANC) for a number of reasons:

1. The South African Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) and Previously Disadvantaged Individuals (PDI) programmes were designed to correct years of imbalance in the earnings of blacks and whites post-apartheid. It was supposed to take ownership and management of companies away from whites while increasing the number of blacks occupying these same positions. But there was a snag. The apartheid South Africa had undereducated blacks and left very few qualified to take on these positions. Meanwhile SA companies that wanted to remain in business had to comply so they resorted to taking anyone that had even a whiff of a University degree. Never mind that they were put in non-technical positions where they couldn't so much damage or exert any influence. Instead of reducing the imbalance, it only created a new breed of rich blacks with strong ties to the ruling African National Party (ANC). People like Mosima Gabriel Sexwale (aka Tokyo Sexwale) and Cyril Ramaphosa have become billionaires because of this legislation. So rather than creating equality in wealth distribution it further widened the gap and eventually increased the level of violent crime. Why are South Africans so violent? Maybe years of toughening up under apartheid? South Africa has some of the world's worst levels of violent crime, with 52 people murdered every 24 hours, for an annual murder rate of 43.1 per 100,000 people. Added to that each year are 200,000 robberies, 55,000 rapes, and half a million cases of assault and attempted murder. (culled from Time). Unemployment is at an all time high of 40%.
   
   
2. Secondly, Thabo Mbeki failed to apply the appropriate sanctions to the Government of Robert Mugabe for his years of misrule. Although the policy of land redistribution seemed smart at the time, taking well-run and productive farms from whites and turning them over to blacks who subsequently turned the farms into squatter settlements ruined Zimbabwe. Inflation of over 100,000% and a ruthless civilian dictator forced millions to flee to neighboring and more prosperous South Africa. Unless I'm missing something here, Thabo Mbeki should have stopped Robert Mugabe from ruining his country if only to prevent a refugee crisis on his hands. That's why Nigeria intervened in Sierra Leone and Liberia! Instability in one part of a closely knit region can easily spill over as it happened in the aforementioned countries and Rwanda/Burundi.
   
   
3. Lastly his Government's inability to deal with the HIV/AIDS crisis also exacerbated the problem. His denial that HIV causes AIDS and his insistence that traditional methods cure AIDS increased the prevalence of the disease. He also appointed a Health Minister that shared his views on the matter. A high number of AIDS related deaths and illnesses added to existing levels of poverty means poor families' resources are directed towards taking care of the disease and fending for each other without the breadwinner. In some cases both parents die of AIDS leaving the children to relatives already burdened with taking care of their own children. The result? Further hopelessness and despair.
   So with this background, why would poor people turn on other poor people who are not the cause of their problems? Transferred aggression. If at all these people wanted to revolt, they could have turned on the affluent members of their society who keep getting richer while they get poorer. These poor foreigners are prepared to work while black South Africans think the Government owes them a living. Even if all poor foreigners are killed, the situation with black South Africans will not improve. More lasting solutions will have to be found. BEE should focus on equality for all South Africans and not just ANC cronies. It should ensure the word "township" is a thing of the past. Hey, this country has enough for everyone so this should not be happening. Focus should be on increasing the quality of education so that BEE can really make an impact.
   

With the impending presidency of Jacob Zuma it is doubtful things will change any time soon. What can Nigeria learn from this? Should we riot like we did in the late 70s chanting, “Ghana must go” and face the reprisal from Ghanaians as we are now experiencing? Kick out all Indians, Lebanese, Chinese and other foreign nationals? I doubt that what happened in South Africa can happen in Nigeria. Immigration is a natural occurrence and can lead to the development of a country as it has done for the US. We can't deny the contribution of other nations to Nigeria. So to my South African brothers I say, direct your anger elsewhere. Use all that aggression in a coal mine. Killing your brothers will not solve the problem.