World's Happiest People? You Gotta Be Kidding!

The New Scientist Magazine has reported a study by an international network of social scientists called the World Values Survey which names Nigeria as #1 as the world's most happy people. The US comes in at 16th, trailed by people like Russia and Eastern Europe. But Nigeria first, this war and strife ravaged nation where Islamic fundamentalists of the central government in the north encourage the persecution of Christians in the south by killing, burning churches and such? Here's one person's assessment of that nation:

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How long will the world continue to tolerate this insanity?

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At this time in the sorry history of our country, in the year 2002 AD, when technology has become the bedrock of global aspiration and when the entire world is fighting to rid the globe of terrorism and religious extremism and bigotry, our own Muslims seem to be embracing the self-destructive and shameful culture. Ironically, the culprits are the most downtrodden, the most uneducated and the most poor of the poorest Nigerian or Northern masses who have chosen to embrace violence, murder, arson and destruction as pastimes anytime the opportunity presents itself in the slightest.

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They go about destroying Christian churches, hacking down the innocents and creating more ghettos of their subclass communities, wrecking havocs on their poor colleagues and by extension tarnishing the more the image of the place called Nigeria.

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It is hard to believe that a publication made in Lagos could be capable of causing such chaos and destructions, however one thing that continues to baffle me and probably any other mortal like me is the idea of going to the mosque to pray to God but only to come out of that holy place of worship to put on toga of Satan and start killing the innocents.

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Samuel Onipede, PhD
Blogs of WarThe above was a response to a call from a central government official in Nigeria for the killing of a reporter who, like Salomon Rushdie made a degrogatory statement about Islam in relation to a beauty contest.This from the same website:

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:: November 26, 2002
Nigeria Calls on Muslims to Kill Reporter
LAGOS, Nigeria - The deputy governor of a largely Islamic state in northern Nigeria has called on Muslims to kill the Nigerian writer of a newspaper article about the Miss World (news - web sites) beauty pageant that sparked deadly religious riots.

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"Just like the blasphemous Indian writer Salman Rushdie, the blood of Isioma Daniel can be shed," Zamfara Deputy Governor Mahamoud Shinkafi told a gathering of Muslim groups in the state capital, Gusau, on Monday.

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This "happiness report" sponsored by the world community is just another example of how in the name of religion, tyranny, holocaust and destruction is being tolerated by global powers that be as well as apologists of Islam all the way down to some folks right here on EvC who fail to see the escalating threat this ideology poses to the planet.

Happiness is about attitude as much as circumstances. If the Nigerian I briefly knew was typical, then I certainly can believe that Nigerians, as a people are very happy.As for the rest, bigots like you are the biggest threat, no matter whose side they are on.

The thing I found most interesting about that report is that consumerism appears to directly correlate to lower happiness. The increasing incomes of Western countries have generally been matched by the increasing material wants (not needs) of their people. Thus, no rise in happiness. It made me stop and think about my priorities for a while.What it didn't do was prompt me to rail against global Muslim conspiracies... I already know that fundamentalism has murderous potential, be it Muslim, Jewish, OR Christian, but this report (contrary to your belief, Buzsaw) is not an apologetic for Islam. It says that poor, oppressed people can find happiness about as well as free, independent, wealthy ones.On the one hand, it's practically self-evident, at least in a theoretical sense. But I think a lot of people give lip service to this idea without taking it seriously. I'm one of them, but I'm trying to change that, at least a little.[This message has been edited by zephyr, 10-03-2003]

Buzsaw, you really make me angry sometimes... When the Church was killing 'heretics and witches' in the Middle Ages, did anyone say "Look here, at this ideology! Look at what it's doing!" Don't be so quick to point the finger unless you can accept how much hurt Christianity has caused, and is still causing - and if you think it's not happening today, I invite you to read up on the recent scandals about the Catholic Church in Ireland being involved in child sex abuse.

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...in the name of religion, tyranny, holocaust and destruction are being tolerated by global powers that be as well as apologists of Islam...

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Don't talk to me about what was done in the name of religion, Buzsaw. You have no idea what you're talking about.The Rock Hound

One more thing:I find it interesting that you're drawing attention to a refutation of your belief about so-called Christian Western nations and their prosperity. Remember that thread, anyone?Now we have a contradiction in the form of a global survey, and all you can offer in protest is your incredulity that your worldview has been violated, and some admittedly disturbing anecdotes that hardly carry enough weight to countermand a study on this scale.

You're forgetting, he hates Catholics, too.On the other hand I'm sure that he'll tell us that we can't judge Protestants by their role in the European witch-hunts, Calvin's endorsement of the execution of heretics or Luther's anti-semitism.....

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Happiness is about attitude as much as circumstances. If the Nigerian I briefly knew was typical, then I certainly can believe that Nigerians, as a people are very happy.
As for the rest, bigots like you are the biggest threat, no matter whose side they are on.

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There's the Islamic north and the Christian south. No mosques are being burned and no Muslims tortured or enslaved nor is Islam being forbidden. Christian churches have been burned and Islam is being imposed on those who do not wish to become Muslims. Go figure as to who is being happy. Go figure how a nation so strife ridden makes the number one spot of all the world's nations for happiness. I guess that depends on who's ox is being gored. It looks like pro-Islamic influence had some bearing on this supposed scientific study.PaulK, why is it that you find the need to malign and namecall in responding to factual material. If you think the material I am posting is not factual or that I am a bigot, why don't you show proof that the personal charges you are making on this forum about a fellow poster are valid? If this meanspirited attitude continues towards me personally, you can go talk to someone else.[This message has been edited by buzsaw, 10-03-2003]

buz, Just because there is strong feeling, & that some idiot's are prepared to do violence, does not eliminate the nation from potentially being the on-average-happiest.Do you really think the US is a contender with it's per capita murder rate? If violence is a criterion of a nations happiness, then the US is nowhere near the top, mate. It's not even on the same page.Mark

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You're forgetting, he hates Catholics, too.

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This is another of your blatant lies. I have many friends who are Catholic and I once voted for Allan Keyes a black Catholic for president. I admire Catholic folks like Bill Bently, Bill O'Reilly, and a host of others. Why don't you post refutations to anything I have posted regarding Vatican City or RCC that you feel is not accurate or inappropriate, rather than posting personal lies about my character?

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Just because there is strong feeling, & that some idiot's are prepared to do violence, does not eliminate the nation from potentially being the on-average-happiest.

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Do you really think the US is a contender with it's per capita murder rate? If violence is a criterion of a nations happiness, then the US is nowhere near the top, mate. It's not even on the same page.

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What is it with you people? I am well aware that wealth and prosperity do not necessarily equate into happiness, and I have no problem whatsoever with the US being @16 in the study. Why are you falsely implying otherwise? Why can't you see my problem with the likes of Nigeria being #1 of all the scores of the planet's nations? The more I read about the nation, the more I'd think it'd be high up on the misery index. Here's one assessment of the youth there:

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The Nigerian Youth today is a character of pathos. Many of them beg in the streets for food. They go from one car to another begging for alms with unkempt hair and tattered clothes. The schools they attend for those who do, are without teachers and appropriate facilities. They look at tomorrow and see nothing but a dark void. The nation’s foreign reserve has collapsed and our currency is greatly devalued. Our purchasing power is weak and education, especially tertiary education, is really feeling the brunt. Laboratories are no longer equipped up to standard; the poor economic base has resulted in disastrous spiral inflation to the extent that ordinary books and stationeries are no more within the reach of the students, teachers and even administrators. Libraries are empty. Computer science departments have no computers! Where they are available, more than forty students are attached to only one for practices. What type of scientists, engineers and technologists are we producing? This economic problem has really crippled the nation’s budgetary allocation. For example, N150 billion of today was only N1 billion in 1983.

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http://www.weeklytrust.com/nigerian28062002.htm------------------
Surely the Lord Jehovah will do nothing except he reveal the secret to his servants the prophets. Amos 3:7

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Buzsaw, you really make me angry sometimes... When the Church was killing 'heretics and witches' in the Middle Ages, did anyone say "Look here, at this ideology! Look at what it's doing!" Don't be so quick to point the finger unless you can accept how much hurt Christianity has caused, and is still causing - and if you think it's not happening today, I invite you to read up on the recent scandals about the Catholic Church in Ireland being involved in child sex abuse.

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This thread is about the current happiness index. You wanta talk church history or RCC corruption, follow the forum rules and open your own threads.

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The thing I found most interesting about that report is that consumerism appears to directly correlate to lower happiness. The increasing incomes of Western countries have generally been matched by the increasing material wants (not needs) of their people. Thus, no rise in happiness. It made me stop and think about my priorities for a while.

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Zepher, I have no quarrel with you here. You're on the money, imo. Happiness can't be bought. On the otherhand, abject poverty and hunger as is not uncommon in Nigeria makes nobody happy either. It appears that there's enough of this in Nigeria to lower the happiness index average substantially.

Buz, have you ever been to Nigeria? Not that I have, but I'm inclined to take statistics over anecdotes. Honestly, though, maybe the survey is just stupid. How could you even measure happiness, anyway?

First off, I do think you've had your character unnecessarily impugned in this thread, and I apologize to you for them.However, I do have to disagree with this. The large riot due to the beauty contest that everyone is familiar ended with 20 churches and 8 mosques being burned; however, the churches were much smaller than the mosques and served less people each, so it was about even in terms of religious followers who had their place of worship burned.It's unfair to pretend that Christians are somehow less violent worldwide. It's just not true. If you don't believe me, tell that to the victims of the Phalangists.------------------
"Illuminant light,
illuminate me."

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Buz, have you ever been to Nigeria? Not that I have, but I'm inclined to take statistics over anecdotes. Honestly, though, maybe the survey is just stupid. How could you even measure happiness, anyway?

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No, never been there. Just going by what I've seen on TV via Dominion Sky Angel and what I've read. Correct me if I'm mistaken, but are you saying, on the one hand, you're going with the study stats, but on the other to say you can't see how the study could measure happiness stats??Anyhow, I agree. It's a rather silly study. it appears politically motivated. I'm still shaking my head on the #1 pick though, regardless. How could anyone in their right mind pick this looser, strife ridden unstable nation as no. one of all the nice places in the world? These people are anywhere near as happy/content as the Swiss on average? I dooooon't thinnnnnk so.