1762: Abdurrahman Aliyu on Freethought and Critical Thinking in Nigeria
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): Medium (Personal)
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2026/10/13
“Yes, religion was a very big and vital part of my early life, I don’t see how it couldn’t have been, having been born into an Islamic scholar’s home.”
“The community I grew up is strongly influenced by religion, mostly because of the religious preaching center’s campaign that is increasingly and rapidly growing by the day.”
“As far as I can tell, curiosity. Let me explain what I mean by curiosity; I think part of the reason why primitive humans came up with the concept of God is that they had many questions.”
“On the other hand, free thinking and nonreligious groups are very curious entities; they are trying to understand the world, humans place in it, their well being, and then striving to make it a better place using the most advanced scientific methods, proven by research.”
“So you see, in a nutshell, religion is born out of the curiosity of a very primitive, ignorant and ancient society. While freethinking groups are born out of the curiosity of an advanced society, a society that has knowledgeable elements and access to science.”
“Logic, reason and rationality; nonreligious people don’t require you to have faith without evidence or to unquestioningly follow some supreme power. They only care about scientific facts about the universe, logical arguments on issues and above all, they back up claims with evidence and insist that others do so too.”
“Unity; Religious groups only campaign for unity inasmuch as you are in line with their belief system and accept all of their dogma unquestioningly. But nonreligious groups, see all of us as human and as one single entity.”
“For instance, gays are being persecuted, even killed by some religious groups. But we freethinkers understand that gays do not determine their sexuality themselves, hence we see them as our equals, deserving of the same respect as anyone else.”
“It most assuredly does. Very well too. Science is arguably the most elegant and useful concept ever devised by humanity.”
“It gives you facts, evidence, proofs, and theories. A significant difference with religious thinking is that it is inherently antiauthoritarian. It is based upon skepticism and welcomes challenges and questions.”
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