Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

I read with great interest the brilliant article by Dr Jide Akeredolu, Why I am a Rationalist in The Guardian (Friday, August 1, 2008).
But I must say that I found objectionable most of the thoughts and conclusions in the two rejoinders- Tolu Ogunlesi's On Religion and Rationalism, The Guardian, (Wednesday, August 13, 2008) and particularly Gordy Onokpite's Why I am not a Rationalist, (Thursday August 21, 2008).  Before delving into my objections, I would like to commend Dr Akeredolu for his courage and thoughtfulness in stating clearly and persuasively why he subscribes to the rationalist, rather than the religious school of thought. He really exhibited a sense of frankness and candour that is uncommon in today's Nigeria. I have no doubt that there are many Nigerians like Akeredolu out there who have abandoned the religious baggage and embrace the rational light. But I know they are too afraid to go open and public with their doubts, disbelief and rationalist identity. My "prayer" is that one day they will muster the courage to leave the closet, and come forward so that we can help deliver this nation from the dark and destructive forces of religious fanaticism and irrationalism. Amen!
Because a nation that allows itself to be defined and be directed by unreason and sacred superstitions will stagnate and die. This is a message that runs through the article of Akeredolu. Incidentally, the authors of the two rejoinders failed to recognize that the seven reasons he gave for being a rationalist are the seven ways religions have under developed this nation. For instance, he noted that religions instilled "unnecessary fears of demons, witches, spirit-both evil and holy, principalities and powers, Satan or imaginary places like hell" in believers. That is the "gospel" truth. Religion thrives on fear and illusion. The fear of the Lord (or Allah) they say is the beginning of wisdom. So religious believers go through life fearful of imaginary, incomprehensible and nonsensical entities that they have been brainwashed to accept as real, true and powerful. Religious believers carry with them this sacred baggage that burdens their mind, debilitates their will, narrows their vision, shackles their intellect, distorts their perception, and corrupts their conscience. Believers spiritualize and mystify any thing that comes their way- cats, dogs, pigs, snakes etc or anything that happens to them-accidents, sickness, death etc. And as a result of this spiritual and supernatural corruption and coloration of phenomena, believers hardly entertain a clear, real, and true idea, knowledge and understanding of things, issues and events. They find it difficult to take their destiny fully in their hands. Because they hold that without God they can do nothing. That is why a combination of religion and rationalism as suggested by Tolu Ogunlesi is not tenable. And this is the fault of religion, not of rationalism. Religion is dogmatic, absolutist, authoritarian and intolerant of other worldviews. Every religion sees itself as the one and only truth. The religions are in conflict and in contradiction with each other. And, if religions cannot combine among themselves, how does one expect them to combine with the rationalist worldview. Religions do not recognize or acknowledge the validity or veracity of views and perspectives that are doubtful, opposed to or critical of their teachings. That is why it impossible to forge a mutually inclusive synergy out of religion and rationalism. One cannot be dogmatic and be critical at the same time. A person filled with faith cannot be fully rational.  Combining rationalism and religion is like trying to merge light and darkness, modernity and primitivity. It is like trying to force a square peg into a round hole.  Because in actual fact, religions embody the thoughts and reasoning of some persons who existed at the infant stage of human race. Simply put, religion is out of date and disconnected from contemporary reasoning and reality. This bitter truth should not make a non rationalist to misrepresent rationalism, and misinform the public as was the case in the piece by Gordy Onokpite. Mr. Onokpite jumbled too many things together and argued so incoherently in order to explain why he is not a rationalist.
First of all his thesis on rationalism is wrong. Rationalism is not strictly speaking in contrast with empiricism. Reason comes into play in the evaluation, organization and interpretation of observable and empirical phenomena. It is with reason that humans can make `sense' out of sensory data. Reason is employed and applied in everything human being do even though in varying degrees.
Again we must not forget that humans are rational beings. That it is reason that set us apart from other animals. So, one can say, in a loose sense, that we are all rationalists! That is why I was so surprised that Onokpite attributed the achievements of Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela, Barrack Obama, Philip Emeagwali to the so called spiritual and psychic powers and other abilities that transcend the natural and rational order of things. What a nonsense! Can anyone tell me anything that was achieved by these men that are not explainable and possible within the limits of reason? All the feats achieved by human beings in history have been as a result of the ability to exert, not abandon, their rational capabilities. So the time has come for all Nigerians to recognize this: That religion has served us badly. That irrationalism has caused so much darkness, misery and stagnation. The time has come for all Nigerians to move to the next level - the Age of Reason. Yes the time has come for all Nigerians to embrace the rational light and realize a civilization with a global dimension.