Messages from Old Boys 34

I have received this reply to my views last week on religion

Dear Mr. Sharma,

You were right! We are poles apart, and never the twain shall meet. Hence I do not want to take this matter any further, since it seems a pointless exercise considering your staunch and impermeable views. I can only hope that someday, you may see my point of view.

Let it be said here that I am against all religion when it comes out of the personal domain and is used to create and spread hatred and division. On this I am sure you will agree too.

As a rationalist, I feel it is my duty to question everything instead of submitting to blind faith. Nevertheless, I also have to keep an open mind for all possibilities.

The very fact that I provoked you to respond in such detail is my success, since I am sure you did ponder over you beliefs once again before bringing them forward to me.
Please be assured that I have never used barbs or such negative figures of speech. If they seemed so, it is simply the inefficiency of my writing.
Regards,

Dear ……………,

Being a rationalist does not mean you do not use reason and deny the in the existance of God.

We may not know the form of God as our knowledge is limited and God in Infinite. When a finite tries to understand the Infinite he is starting on the wrong base.

You have to accept His existence through His manifestations.

How do you explain the whole solar system? The sun, moon, planets and millions of stars who all move in their own trajectories giving light and energy to us humans. How do you explain that this solar system is endless and it is still expanding?

Come down to the earth.
How do you explain that all the different trees, leaves and fruits get their nutrition from the same earth yet yield different products?
Can you explain the beautiful flowers with their colours and scents?
Can you explain how the water in the oceans are bitter but a cocoanut tree on the beach yields fruits whose water is sweet?
Can you explain the packing technology of God when he makes one simple orange or anar (pomegranate) or even a banana?
Can you explain the seasons?
Oh! Yes, you will talk of the inclination of the earth's axis and the rotation of the earth round the sun in elliptical orbit to explain it. But think of the Power who designed it to give you different weather and different flowers and fruits for you to enjoy.
How do you explain the marvel that is the human body? You have a 32 ft pipe.
You put solid and liquid food at one end and it comes out as waste at the other end.
In the meantime it draws all the energy and other nourishments to do what we do daily.
It is also wrong to call it waste.
Nothing is wasted in God's creation.
What is waste for one type of his creation is raw material/food for another type.
It has a small brain. Only 5% of its capacity is used by the most brilliant amongst us and yet the most simpleton amongst us can remember things which occurred more than a hundred years ago. Can any computer beat that?
A computer is also made by that brain. But it can only do what it has been programmed to do. It cannot do anything outside the program.
But the brain's capacity is limited only by our own capacity to think more.
Look at any of his creation. Birds, bees, animals, reptiles, hills, mountains and oceans. You cannot but marvel and love Him.

Religion is man's own way of thinking of Him and thanking Him.

THERE IS NO ONE WAY THAT CAN BE CALLED THE CORRECT WAY.

Whatever way a person finds to communicate with Him is correct for that person.

A person's dress, diet, habits are a result of his Geography and his surroundings.
What he eats depends upon the place where his ancestors stayed and what they grilled into him and his parents and grandparents. Thus whether you are a vegetarian of non-vegetarian has nothing to do with religion but whether they lived on the seashore or riverside or desert or a cold climate.
Similarly whether you marry once or four times or just live together has nothing to do with religion. It depends upon your society.
The west was having problems with high rates of divorce and large alimony payments so instead of marrying, the couples started just living together.
During Mohammed's time continuous warfare had depleted the male population. To prevent prostitution and other social crimes, Mohammed allowed for four marriages by individuals. But it is a fallacy to now claim that it is allowed in their religion where the male / female population has become more balanced.
In Punjab and Haryana that same problem is developing due to selective female foetus abortion. I suppose the female of these two states will soon have to be allowed polygamy.
When India was ruled by kings, parents were afraid that their daughters would be carried away by the landlords or royalty, so they started the purdah system. That was also the reason why marriages took place at an early age.
God Himself does not say that you follow this way or that way.
He does not also say you believe in Him.
It makes no difference to Him whether you believe in Him or not.
He treats the believer and the unbeliever in the same way.
The sun shines and the rain falls equally on both. So does the wind blow on both.
Man himself feels His need not the other way round.
Believing in God is a question of faith.
One of the worst crimes man can commit is to destroy the faith of a person by trying to impose his own beliefs on the person.
Whatever or however a person believes in God, he should be allowed to retain his views. Neither carrot not stick should be used to change his beliefs
This has been done in India by using threats torture and death by Muslims during Aurangzeb's time. It is still being done in countries where Muslims are in the majority.
Missionaries induce poor people to change their religion by bribing them with economic gains.

I agree that religion is a personal affair.
Any action, which makes others compulsorily participate in your beliefs, is wrong.
The blaring of the masjd loudspeakers three to four times a day and on Fridays calling faithfuls is noise pollution and should be treated as such. Similarly, the blaring of loudspeakers on Tuesdays and Saturdays from the top of Hindu temples is wrong.
Collection of donations during Durga Puja in Bengal and Ganesh Puja in Maharashtra and other pujas all over India are unacceptable.
In this I like the Christian way of singing hymns in churches without loudspeakers so that the sounds remain confined within the church.
Instead of being Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains or Buddhists it would be better if we remained human beings and Indians.

Radheshyam



Msg from Anshuman Bhardwaj

Hello Anshuman,
Thanks for correcting me.
I knew Pakistan's Independence Day was one day before India's but while typing, I made the mistake.
I'll issue the correction this week.
Best regards

Radheshyam


Hi Radheshyam,

The mail is very encouraging, but Pak's independence day is 14th Aug & not 16th Aug
Best Regards
Anshuman Bhardwaj

Msg from Souvik Banerjee

Hello Souvik

Yes, you are right.
Thanks for correcting me.
I suppose, I am getting old.

Hi,

Nice postings. Correct me if I'm wrong. Pakistan celebrates its independence day on the 14th of August. keep posting.

souvik

Msg from Ralph Reeves

Hello Ralph,

Those landings on the moon and claims were tongue in cheek claims.
Do enjoy your vacation.
You deserve it.

Cheers

Radheshyam

Hello Radhesh,

The West has it's good points and bad like anything else. We are here for the good it has to offer. India has to prove it's landing on the moon before we start rattling off our praise!! There is doubt of the Americans landing on the moon too!! I am proud for a lot that India stands for and always will. It;s a cycle and everybody has their moments of fame. We live for what we believe and see that it is carried on to the next generation. If we live to experience that we should be thankful.
I am loking forward to my next vacation on Sept. 15th to Oct. 15th. I am taking Irene to New York and then to Florida fr a cruise to the Bahamas. Being a sailor I have seen it all but I want to show her thes places. We come back to TO to a full house and reunion with my 2 boys who come down from Calgary and Irene's sister who joins us from Riyadh. Man it's going to be a lot of noise for my mother and mother-in-law who live with me. But they are used to it by now.
Take care
Ralph

Msg from Vivian Goves

Hi Vivian

You are right.
When dog bites man, it is not news.
When man bites man, IT IS NEWS.
When robbers rob it is not news, they are supposed to rob.
When the police rob, THAT IS NEWS.
Unfortunately the media blows up all the all the negative news leaving very little space for the good one.
I suppose that is why we are all agog when any bit of good nes comes, like Bindra winning the gold medal.
India has started flexing its muscles.
Next Olympics we should do better. Our industrialists are setting up funds to help our atheletes.
Do send us your views on India, especially the good ones.

Radheshyam



Hi there Radheshyam

I thought you might find this interesting and now living in Australia we only see and hear the negative about India and sometimes cringe when it is mentioned. I think it is time for us to stand up and be counted.
Regards
Viv Goves

Vivian has sent the following.

This was earlier published in the blog on 6.4.2008. I am repeating it since it is worth repeating.

The President of India DR. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam 's Speech in Hyderabad. *


Why is the media here so negative?

Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse acknowledge them--- Why?

We are the first in milk production.

We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.

We are the second largest producer of wheat.

We are the second largest producer of rice.

Look at Dr. Sudarshan , he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit.
There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.
I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper... It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.

In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime.

Why are we so NEGATIVE?

Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign T. Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology.

Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture,when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India . For her, you and I will have to build this developed India . You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation.

Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance.

Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is yours.

YOU say that our government is inefficient.

YOU say that our laws are too old.

YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.

YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke,

The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.

YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.

YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it?

Take a person on his way to Singapore . Give him a name - YOURS. Give him aface - YOURS. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best... In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road ) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity... In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU?

YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai .

YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah .

YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds ( Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.'

YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop,'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost.'

YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New
Zealand .

Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo ? Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston ??? We are still talking of the same YOU.

YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own.
You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India ?

Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay, Mr. Tinaikar , had a point to make. 'Rich people's dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place,' he said. 'And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers to do?
Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels?
In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job.
Same in Japan .
Will the Indian citizen do that here?'
He's right.
We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.

We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative.
We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin.
We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.
We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity.
This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public. When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home.
Our excuse?
'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry.'
So who's going to change the system?
What does a system consist of ?
Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbours, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU.
When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr. Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away. Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system.
When New York becomes insecure we run to England .
When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf.
When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system.
Our conscience is mortgaged to money.


Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too.... I am echoing J. F. Kennedy 's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians.....

'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA
AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA
WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'

Lets do what India needs from us.


Thank you,

Dr. Abdul Kalaam




Well, after all I have written about religion in my lead article, the following is another view sent by Lalit Narayan

A Difficult Judgment


In a small town, a person decided to open up his Bar business, which was right opposite to a Temple. The Temple & its congregation started a campaign to block the Bar from opening with petitions and prayed daily against his business.
Work progressed. However, when it was almost complete and was about to open a few days later, a strong lightning struck the Bar and it was burnt to the ground.

The temple folks were rather smug in their outlook after that, till the Bar owner sued the Temple authorities on the grounds that the Temple through its congregation and prayers was ultimately responsible for the demise of his bar shop, either through direct or indirect actions or means.

In its reply to the court, the temple vehemently denied all responsibility or any connection that their prayers were reasons to the bar shop's demise. As the case made its way into court, the judge looked over the paperwork at the hearing and commented: "I don't know how I'm going to decide this case, but it appears from the paperwork, we have a bar owner who believes in the power of prayer and we have an entire temple and its devotees that doesn't."