Faith and Knowledge

I like Richard Dawkins.

I know it comes as hardly a surprise.

Even though I think it needs clarification that I have been an atheist since much much before I read Dawkins, Dawkins just gave me some answers that I can give to the theists when they ask questions that they think proves that there is a God.

Questions like:

‘How can a creation as complex as this universe be created without a creator?’
‘How can something come from nothing?’
‘How could humans have evolved from apes?’

It surely helps that Dawkins is a zoologist... and a damn fine writer. It helps me to grasp what I find more believable- ‘science’... something testable, provable, solid, and believable.

Yes. As I said, I like Dawkins. Very much.

But, I have very strong objection in him being referred to as the high priest for atheists.

It makes atheism sound so much like a religion- any religion- whereas what it actually is- is a ‘way of thinking’. Logical thinking. I will be much dismayed if atheists, of all people, start to look up to someone or something, for idolizing or for believing blindly.

I will hate to see it happen.

I will hate to see atheism turn into a ‘religion’.

Do tremors happen when God slaps the earth on her butt-cheeks?

The earth has shaken again, quite a few times in last couple of weeks. Not so surprisingly, as an eventuality many of the uber-religious, ever faithful children of God are moving around wide eyed, anxiously palpitating for an imminent apocalypse.

I came to notice this ever so banal phenomenon first on Facebook (where else?) this time. It was in the form of a status update from a friend that somewhat goes like: "is this the beginning of the end?"

Hmm… such cryptic query bounds you to inquire further into it; you scratch your head in confusion and curiosity: "what's this 'this' that she is talking about?"

Fortunately, Facebook has answer to that too, in the form of comments that follow of course. By further probing into a plethora of comments that she has received and made, I came to realise that it is the recent earthquakes that she was talking about… and my brain immediately went like 'tingggggg', voilà, déjà vu, this has happened once again (take, for example, similar vacuous cerebrations in the wake of the 'swine flu' pandemic just a while back). I guess at this point it is rather redundant to mention that she is one of those many who attribute everything including their own achievements to some ectoplasmic hand of God.

It gets better from here (sarcastically speaking of course), the comment thread in question now shows the latent paranoia of God's children that is full of befuddlement (on my part) and contradiction (on their part). One sanctimonious fellow comes up with the evergreen (or should I say 'everyellow') statement, "God always does whatever is best for us; it may or may not be a sign (for apocalypse) but we have to keep the faith".

'Tadaaaa'… problem solved then; we can now merrily go back to whatever insignificant earthly task we were doing… but no, then he adds, "God willing, He will answer our prayers and keep us safe…" errr… you've lost me there buddy, utterly bemused… didn't you just utter a dictum that God always does the best for you; then why are you praying to God to protect you from sky falling onto you? Buddy, did you just decide all by yourself that staying alive is the best thing for you? What if, for some uncanny megalomaniacal reason, God finds devastation as best recourse for you? What if God just loves to say 'Muhahahah' and thinks it's sweet for you? Did you just use your earthly human brain to make a decision? Make up your mind mate and save me from this daze...

Nevertheless, the comment thread continued (and most probably is still continuing) with lots of prayers and may be with some materialistic offerings to God that often present themselves in the form of delicious sweetmeats.

Anyhow, this was a part of my eclectic circle of acquaintances. But this phenomenon of cerebrating over the 'mystic' earthquakes is certainly not limited to them. The whole lot of the uber-faithfuls all over the world are seriously pondering upon it. Some are even coming up with some reverse dictum, like this Aussie nun. Indeed, what a matter to ponder upon...

PS: It’s all for God...

After much pondering and re-pondering Malaysian authority decided to go ahead with Kartika’s ‘caning’ after all.

What was the crime? Drinking beer despite being a Muslim. Quran says ‘no’ to alcohol and hence she gets to get caned.

I thought religion should be a personal matter and what one does or does not do, is something between the God and that person. May be I thought wrong... or maybe I’m just one of those exceptionally insightful people... and I just don’t GET them!

Blah. Don’t mind me. I flatter myself on a regular basis! After all who will do it if I don’t?!

Jokes apart though.... I thought a little further... and further...

Here’s what I concluded when I was finally able to take a peek in those zealot’s heads- they do these to make God’s job easy or to play God. Your pick, you choose either. As for me, the difference between the two is almost as much as ‘tomato’ and ‘tomah-to’... or well... ‘tometo’... as ‘some’ parts of the world know it as.

Whatever...

After all, I get it (or DO I really?), if YOU punish a human in THIS life, God will not have to- in AFTER life. Or does it not work this way?

Thoughts, perhaps?