I WOULD RATHER BURN IN HELL!
I would rather burn in hell!

With an open bible on his laps he sat
Cautiously, I ventured on
Reverend father!
Son, what troubles you, he responded
What would you do sir,
if you have to deny your faith
to qualify for eternal life

I got a glare, in the real sense of the word
And a retortion
‘I would rather burn in hell’

,.
He had a Koran and can pass for an Al naby
Full beard and a headful of turban
As salaam al lay kuum. I saluted
Wa al laykuum! was all I got
What would you do sir
If you have to deny your faith
to qualify for eternal life.

He actually rose, and I had to step back!
I am the great grandson of an Imam, I said in self defence
Miran Al shaytan rajiun, I would rather burn in hell!

The poem was originally published in the anthology of the Ife Festival of poetry 2001 or 2002.

This poem is the result of a real conversation between myself and a Muslim student at the Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile Ife Nigeria when I was an undergraduate there. When we were discussing generally I informed him that my great grandfather was a Muslim, he therefore took special interest in me and called me to the side to appeal to me that he wants me to become a Muslim and he will appreciate it a lot if I can and I allowed him to land then informed him that does he realize that there is nothing whatsoever that he can say which will make me convert to Islam, surprised at my tone, he looked at me straight in the eyes and we burst out together in laughter. We also discussed about alcohol in Islam and he said why does he need to take alcohol here on Earth when he just needs to wait for a while and he will get drunk to his heart's content in paradise with all kinds of booze. The statement surprised me. I then asked him that if per chance he gets to paradise and at the gate he was told that there is a new development and Islam is no longer acceptable but due to his good works he will be allowed into paradise if he will renounce Islam there at the gate of paradise. He never expected such a question but he gave his answer in a pitched voice 'I will rather go to hell!'. It did not really come as a surprise to me as I asked him in order to get such a response and make him see himself by himself. He did not miss a beat in answering and I can not even remember what transpired between us after the statement. The encounter I had with the Aafa led to the poem.
It goes to show that religion is not a man using the brain but an indoctrinated brain using the mind similar to a statement that CIA sources quoted Patrick Akinsanya a RCCG Pastor to have made. He said a stage comes when you think you are using your mind but infact it is the mind that is using you!. He made the statement when I was still staying in one of their duplexes after being released from my first psychiatric admission and after he had seen some of Enoch Adeboye's videos. When I told him Enoch Adeboye will be arrested, he said in Yoruba 'Ti apa won ba ka ki won lo mu' meaning all well and good, they should arrest him if they have arms long enough to do that!'.

Therefore the modus operandi of the spirits behind religion which is like a viral attack on the human psyche is to take over the brain via indoctrination and then begin to use the person. The fear of hell is there but it is not much the problem as the take over of the brain.

The poem fits into the Iwori Owonrin chapter of the Ifa corpus.

Learn the truth, Hell simply means Grave and all the dead goes there whether good or evil {Ecclesiastes 9:10} the reward of righteousness is a remembrance of them and it will result in their resurrection {Job 14:13-15} as for those that deliberately choose to be wicked they will be forgotten in their Graves! Psalms 9:17

FIRE mentioned in connection with unholy acts are parables and it symbolizes inactivity of the dead which is forever the true God detests the sight of tormenting living creatures in fire! Jeremiah 7:31

lawani:
I WOULD RATHER BURN IN HELL!
I would rather burn in hell!

MaxInDHouse:
Learn the truth, Hell simply means Grave and all the dead goes there whether good or evil {Ecclesiastes 9:10} the reward of righteousness is a remembrance of them and it will result in their resurrection {Job 14:13-15} as for those that deliberately choose to be wicked they will be forgotten in their Graves! Psalms 9:17

FIRE mentioned in connection with unholy acts are parables and it symbolizes inactivity of the dead which is forever the true God detests the sight of tormenting living creatures in fire! Jeremiah 7:31

I know that is JW teaching which does not align with the belief of the majority of Christians and Muslims. Hell of course does not exist because no just person can punish infinitely for a finite offense. I also wonder why JW would think that it can be possible for a human body to grow without ageing, fanning out, depreciating and eventually die. Everything dies.

lawani:

I know that is JW teaching which does not align with the belief of the majority of Christians and Muslims. Hell of course does not exist because no just person can punish infinitely for a finite offense. I also wonder why JW would think that it can be possible for a human body to grow without ageing, fanning out, depreciating and eventually die. Everything dies.

According to scientists the cells in human body always replace themselves with new ones so that at a point in time humans can stop aging if nothing happens to our body cells but they can't just explain why we begin aging growing weaker and weaker until we expire.
Note that people lived longer before our generation and lifespan keep decreasing faster now so that people aren't expected to be healthy after 90 whereas people before do live 180-190 years.

Do you know why?

Well the Bible revealed that the first set of humans lived over 900 years! Genesis 5:5, 8, 11, 14, 20, 27

Of course you will find it really difficult to believe this but ever since mankind can't get life preserving food like what God created in Eden we have continued to grow weaker and weaker and life expectancy keep dropping till today.

So if the God who revealed to us what really happened that caused aging say:

And he showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, flowing out from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of its main street. On both sides of the river were trees of life producing 12 crops of fruit, yielding their fruit each month. And the leaves of the trees were for the healing of the nations! Revelations 22:1-2

Remember what He said in the first Bible book:

“Here the man has become like one of us in knowing good and bad. Now in order that he may not put his hand out and take fruit also from the tree of life and eat and live forever" Genesis 3:22

So He knows what our body needs so that we will continue to glow as youths forever {Job 33:25} without aging! Psalms 37:29

MaxInDHouse:


According to scientists the cells in human body always replace themselves with new ones so that at a point in time humans can stop aging if nothing happens to our body cells but they can't just explain why we begin aging growing weaker and weaker until we expire.
Note that people lived longer before our generation and lifespan keep decreasing faster now so that people aren't expected to be healthy after 90 whereas people before do live 180-190 years.

Do you know why?

Well the Bible revealed that the first set of humans lived over 900 years! Genesis 5:5, 8, 11, 14, 20, 27

Of course you will find it really difficult to believe this but ever since mankind can't get life preserving food like what God created in Eden we have continued to grow weaker and weaker and life expectancy keep dropping till today.

So if the God who revealed to us what really happened that caused aging say:

And he showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, flowing out from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of its main street. On both sides of the river were trees of life producing 12 crops of fruit, yielding their fruit each month. And the leaves of the trees were for the healing of the nations! Revelations 22:1-2

Remember what He said in the first Bible book:

“Here the man has become like one of us in knowing good and bad. Now in order that he may not put his hand out and take fruit also from the tree of life and eat and live forever" Genesis 3:22

So He knows what our body needs so that we will continue to glow as youths forever {Job 33:25} without aging! Psalms 37:29

Longer lifespan definitely possible but immortality is unlikely. For what purpose?. All things die

lawani:

Longer lifespan definitely possible but immortality is unlikely. For what purpose?. All things die

The Bible God created man in His own image {Genesis 1:26-28} that means Adam and His descendants supposed to be alive today we're to continue celebrating our achievements God ordered us to subdue the planet so instead of dying and passing the continuity of what we discovered.
So ọmọ do not be surprised we can live forever when Jehovah remove death completely! Isaiah 25:8 compare to Revelations 21:3-5

JEHOVAH promised to gather obedient mankind under one umbrella {Isaiah 2:2-3} they will agree among themselves to do away with hatred, weapons and wars {Isaiah 2:4} they will speak as if they're from the same tribe {Zephaniah 3:9} God promised to call them by another group name when all these things are coming to pass {Isaiah 65:15} and today a global family of peace loving worshipers has sufficed despite being imperfect like all others instead of bearing the usual common religious name "CHRISTIANS" they're known globally as JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES and everyone can see them doing the work Jesus commissioned in the first century and there is LOVE, JOY and PEACE permeating their gathering {John 13:34-35} just as Jesus prayed for them to have the same line of thought! John 17:22

If all these are being fulfilled today ọmọ there's nothing impossible for that God to achieve! Matthew 19:26

So wait and see another fulfilment of God's word regarding His worshipers:

“Happy are you when people reproach you and persecute you and lyingly say every sort of wicked thing against you for my sake. Rejoice and be overjoyed, since your reward is great in the heavens, for in that way they persecuted the prophets prior to you". Matthew 5:11-12

Despite the fact that only this group speaks about love for neighbours and fellow believers while others often kill not just other religionists but members of their own religion in the face of politics and racism yet Jehovah's Witnesses are been accused of being a cult! Matthew 10:25

I was born by a religiously divided home my mum a traditionalists (ifá) but after marrying dad she converted to Islam so i have access to both ifá and Islam (though i never took any of them seriously) yet even those claiming Christians carrying the Bible without loving their neighbours as Jesus commanded also call Jehovah's Witnesses "CULT" just as Jesus said they will do to his true disciples.

Everything just happened exactly as written in a book as old as 2000 years ago!

MaxInDHouse:

The Bible God created man in His own image {Genesis 1:26-28} that means Adam and His descendants supposed to be alive today we're to continue celebrating our achievements God ordered us to subdue the planet so instead of dying and passing the continuity of what we discovered.
So ọmọ do not be surprised we can live forever when Jehovah remove death completely! Isaiah 25:8 compare to Revelations 21:3-5

JEHOVAH promised to gather obedient mankind under one umbrella {Isaiah 2:2-3} they will agree among themselves to do away with hatred, weapons and wars {Isaiah 2:4} they will speak as if they're from the same tribe {Zephaniah 3:9} God promised to call them by another group name when all these things are coming to pass {Isaiah 65:15} and today a global family of peace loving worshipers has sufficed despite being imperfect like all others instead of bearing the usual common religious name "CHRISTIANS" they're known globally as JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES and everyone can see them doing the work Jesus commissioned in the first century and there is LOVE, JOY and PEACE permeating their gathering {John 13:34-35} just as Jesus prayed for them to have the same line of thought! John 17:22

If all these are being fulfilled today ọmọ there's nothing impossible for that God to achieve! Matthew 19:26

So wait and see another fulfilment of God's word regarding His worshipers:

“Happy are you when people reproach you and persecute you and lyingly say every sort of wicked thing against you for my sake. Rejoice and be overjoyed, since your reward is great in the heavens, for in that way they persecuted the prophets prior to you". Matthew 5:11-12

Despite the fact that only this group speaks about love for neighbours and fellow believers while others often kill not just other religionists but members of their own religion in the face of politics and racism yet Jehovah's Witnesses are been accused of being a cult! Matthew 10:25

I was born by a religiously divided home my mum a traditionalists (ifá) but after marrying dad she converted to Islam so i have access to both ifá and Islam (though i never took any of them seriously) yet even those claiming Christians carrying the Bible without loving their neighbours as Jesus commanded also call Jehovah's Witnesses "CULT" just as Jesus said they will do to his true disciples.

Everything just happened exactly as written in a book as old as 2000 years ago!

And those who don't believe the Bible and call God Jehovah will not partake of all that?. They will cease to exist?. Those who will go to heaven, is it with this our type of body?. Define heaven. A God that punishes people for doing no wrong, for following their brains, is that a virtuous God?. The premise of the JW argument is very faulty and it is a real danger despite their non violence. It is a very dangerous ideology

lawani:

A God that punishes people for doing no wrong, for following their brains, is that a virtuous God?

What punishment again?

People of all kinds are dying and my God said He will remember those that are faithful to Him by resurrecting them back to life! Job 14:13-15

All you need to do is call upon your own God to reward you my own God is only FAITHFUL to those that are FAITHFUL to Him! Exodus 20:6

MaxInDHouse:


What punishment again?

People of all kinds are dying and my God said He will remember those that are faithful to Him by resurrecting them back to life! Job 14:13-15

All you need to do is call upon your own God to reward you my own God is only FAITHFUL to those that are FAITHFUL to Him! Exodus 20:6

Not benefitting from your so called eternal life is punishment and if you keep repeating it, it will continue causing division that is best done away with. Only things academically defensible should be preached as absolute truth because so many people are very impressionable and anything being constantly repeated will continue gaining ground. God should always be described as just and fair. He has no holy book.

lawani:

Not benefitting from your so called eternal life is punishment and if you keep repeating it, it will continue causing division that is best done away with. Only things academically defensible should be preached as absolute truth because so many people are very impressionable and anything being constantly repeated will continue gaining ground. God should always be described as just and fair. He has no holy book.

You don't know what PUNISHMENT means!

Because if you're calling your children to come and eat only those that responded will be fed the ones ignoring your call will surely go hungry not so?

You and i haven't seen any God before so what we are discussing now has to do with deep thoughts regarding someone we haven't seen physically but then we can both figure out His attributes by reasoning on what is just.

My God explained how the earth came to be and how suffering began then He goes further to reveal His plans to restore sanity on the planet, He is sending His worshipers to go and meet people in their homes to explain to them what He is planning to do. Matthew 10:11-13; 28:19-20
Yours have nothing to do other than you must worship now you've heard about mine and His plans so what is stopping you from embracing the God whose plans makes sense to you?

It's either you support His plans now so that He will remember you when He's rewarding those that served Him during the restoration of sanity on planet earth or you stick to your God.

Presently angels are penning down the names of those preaching zealously and industriously teaching throughout the earth about the Kingdom of our God and the names of those responding to the call {Malachi 3:16} so whoever is not found in that document will die and never be remembered! Revelations 20:15

The two books i quoted above significantly are ends of two eras:
Malachi is the last book of the Old Covenant.
Revelations is the last of the New Covenant.

Both books testify that names of respondents are penned down by angels so during the time to reward those that heed the call only those whose names are found will benefit. Nobody can say that's unjust!

MaxInDHouse:


You don't know what PUNISHMENT means!

Because if you're calling your children to come and eat only those that responded will be fed the ones ignoring your call will surely go hungry not so?

You and i haven't seen any God before so what we are discussing now has to do with deep thoughts regarding someone we haven't seen physically but then we can both figure out His attributes by reasoning on what is just.

My God explained how the earth came to be and how suffering began then He goes further to reveal His plans to restore sanity on the planet, He is sending His worshipers to go and meet people in their homes to explain to them what He is planning to do. Matthew 10:11-13; 28:19-20
Yours have nothing to do other than you must worship now you've heard about mine and His plans so what is stopping you from embracing the God whose plans makes sense to you?

It's either you support His plans now so that He will remember you when He's rewarding those that served Him during the restoration of sanity on planet earth or you stick to your God.

Presently angels are penning down the names of those preaching zealously and industriously teaching throughout the earth about the Kingdom of our God and the names of those responding to the call {Malachi 3:16} so whoever is not found in that document will die and never be remembered! Revelations 20:15

The two books i quoted above significantly are ends of two eras:
Malachi is the last book of the Old Covenant.
Revelations is the last of the New Covenant.

Both books testify that names of respondents are penned down by angels so during the time to reward those that heed the call only those whose names are found will benefit. Nobody can say that's unjust!

When talking about God, first thing is to discard holy books. God's name is different in every language but refers to the same person. I mean the closest thing to holy books are PhD thesis and such thesis are regularly discredited as knowledge is being updated. Therefore the greatest threats to civilization are holy books ie Bible and Quran. The only law of God is be fair to others, then fight evil doers. No traditional theology is wrong and it is wrong to say God is using other means to choose people as favourites

lawani:

When talking about God, first thing is to discard holy books. God's name is different in every language but refers to the same person. I mean the closest thing to holy books are PhD thesis and such thesis are regularly discredited as knowledge is being updated. Therefore the greatest threats to civilization are holy books ie Bible and Quran. The only law of God is be fair to others, then fight evil doers. No traditional theology is wrong and it is wrong to say God is using other means to choose people as favourites

If you call people for free food after preparing sumptuous meals are you to blame when some stubborn ones are dying of hunger?

lawani:


When talking about God, first thing is to discard holy books. God's name is different in every language but refers to the same person. I mean the closest thing to holy books are PhD thesis and such thesis are regularly discredited as knowledge is being updated. Therefore the greatest threats to civilization are holy books ie Bible and Quran. The only law of God is be fair to others, then fight evil doers. No traditional theology is wrong and it is wrong to say God is using other means to choose people as favourites

He should discard the source of knowledge and tell you his own philosophy?

lawani:


Longer lifespan definitely possible but immortality is unlikely. For what purpose?. All things die

Including the sun and moon right?
Are humans not nobler than the sun?
There are animals that even live longer than us
Yet we are most intelligent, we have this awareness, consciousness and longing to live forever and to see the sun and moon and to enjoy the environment
Science have for long to experimenting an immortal drug and I'm sure if you had the chance, you'll buy it but it will be very expensive but like you said, it is very unlikely they will. It will even cause chaos cos it's the bad that will get it more than the good

How much more the source of life giving and extending this gift free to all obedient mankind
Do you think the angels (if you believe they exists) are tired of living and will want to just die? No. They have meaningful work in a peaceful and beautiful environment
Same thing will happen to us here on Earth

Aemmyjah:


Including the sun and moon right?
Are humans not nobler than the sun?
There are animals that even live longer than us
Yet we are most intelligent, we have this awareness, consciousness and longing to live forever and to see the sun and moon and to enjoy the environment
Science have for long to experimenting an immortal drug and I'm sure if you had the chance, you'll buy it but it will be very expensive but like you said, it is very unlikely they will. It will even cause chaos cos it's the bad that will get it more than the good

How much more the source of life giving and extending this gift free to all obedient mankind
Do you think the angels (if you believe they exists) are tired of living and will want to just die? No. They have meaningful work in a peaceful and beautiful environment
Same thing will happen to us here on Earth

The sun will die after it's supernova and Earth too will die even before the sun dies, Earth will become inhabitable and that happens periodically when ice covers the Earth driving out life, it will then recede again in a cycle of life and death. The moon has no living thing on it, so it is not living, nor producing energy like the sun, it is just an object in space

Aemmyjah:



He should discard the source of knowledge and tell you his own philosophy?

When you believe a book any book at all to be holy, then you are already on a wrong footing. Absolute truth does not exist. The only absolute law is be fair to others and fight evil doers

MaxInDHouse:


If you call people for free food after preparing sumptuous meals are you to blame when some stubborn ones are dying of hunger?

Just don't describe God as not liking people because of unbelief of fables, then God's name is different in different languages just like the name of every other thing is different. You can't appropriate God to any particular culture as they all have names and titles to describe that same entity

lawani:

Just don't describe God as not liking people because of unbelief of fables, then God's name is different in different languages just like the name of every other thing is different. You can't appropriate God to any particular culture as they all have names and titles to describe that same entity

You don't want the truth!

lawani:

When you believe a book any book at all to be holy, then you are already on a wrong footing. Absolute truth does not exist. The only absolute law is be fair to others and fight evil doers

Your personal opinion!

lawani:

Hell of course does not exist because no just person can punish infinitely for a finite offense. ..

We do. That is why this guy got one life inprisonment for one rape he was caught.
https://www.nairaland.com/7773592/37-yr-old-man-raped-4-yr-old-girl

How many would he get if he was caught for 4 rapes? This is where God is God and therefore He can give the necessary just is.

So this is just you wishing you will not be punished like a yahoo boy wishing no prison.

vdestro:


We do. That is why this guy got one life inprisonment for one rape he was caught.
https://www.nairaland.com/7773592/37-yr-old-man-raped-4-yr-old-girl

How many would he get if he was caught for 4 rapes? This is where God is God and therefore He can give the necessary just is.

So this is just you wishing you will not be punished like a yahoo boy wishing no prison.

Anybody punishing infinitely for a finite offense is wrong and it is a fault in civilization which can be corrected. However putting someone in prison to restrict movement is a far cry from hell fire of religion. It is far removed from it but I agree unjust laws exist and the example you stated is one of them. Life prison however ends when life ends but life prison is too harsh for rape.

lawani:


When you believe a book any book at all to be holy, then you are already on a wrong footing. [b]Absolute truth does not exist. [/b]The only absolute law is be fair to others and fight evil doers

Then you are just fooling yourself
Your life has no direction then
Ain't it?

lawani:


The sun will die after it's supernova and Earth too will die even before the sun dies, Earth will become inhabitable and that happens periodically when ice covers the Earth driving out life, it will then recede again in a cycle of life and death. The moon has no living thing on it, so it is not living, nor producing energy like the sun, it is just an object in space

Who made the moon
Who made the sun
How old are they?

lawani:

Anybody punishing infinitely for a finite offense is wrong and it is a fault in civilization which can be corrected.
However putting someone in prison to restrict movement is a far cry from hell fire of religion. It is far removed from it but I agree unjust laws exist and the example you stated is one of them. ..

No one is punishing infinitely. You are just getting the exact just is due to you for each and every offence you committed in the number of times you commit each and every one of them.

And that computation is going to run into what we would call infinite.

Plus you are supposed to be exerted upon the same measure of pain and trauma which you caused others, in the number of times you caused others, in the number of people to whom you have caused such pain and trauma to, as you yourself said, so, hellfire sounds like the place to deliver such just is.

lawani:

Life prison however ends when life ends but life prison is too harsh for rape.

When you have been raped, then we can revisit your judgment.