One of the reasons religion bothers me so much is the way the same people who react so vehemently about ‘drawing their prophet’ are so silent when their fellow-believers massacre innocent people of another sect mercilessly in broad daylight.
When the priority of being a human-being with active conscience is replaced by the one of being a member of a particular faith... there is something wrong indeed. There has to be something wrong; I always wondered why more people cannot see it. Is there anything really over humanity? Isn’t that the reason religions were created in the first place- simply put- to serve as a guidebook to being a more humane human?
I just wish you’d remove that veil and see where you are taking this world to... it’s time you woke your conscience that’s been sleeping for centuries, it’s time you shook out of that trance, it’s time you looked around... and realize that the brain that you have, it’s for reasoning things out for yourselves...
And who knows, it may even not be too late....
Showing posts with label Irrationality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Irrationality. Show all posts
Honour?
There is something inexplicably sad about honour killings; may be because of its very nature that the murders are carried out by the immediate families of the victims. I'd have thought that families that are supposed to protect, not kill!
Is there no one we can trust and turn to, when the whole world we grew up knowing turns into the faceless enemy? It should not be that way... not a bit, no; it’s such a betrayal of trust, such a violation of human rights.
Take, for example, the incident of Ahmet Yildiz from Turkey, who was killed by his father in an effort to save the family from shame when he came out as a homosexual; or the sister who was stabbed to death by her brother for ‘knowing too many men’; or Tuley Green who was killed by her gambler father because she wanted to marry a man of her own choice, who was not ‘honourable’ enough in his bizarre standards.
When will the whole group of brain-washed people start thinking with their brain and heart, and use logic other than what they perceive their religion and customs tell them... and those the crazy voices inside their heads?
I am not sure anymore that the day will ever come.
Is there no one we can trust and turn to, when the whole world we grew up knowing turns into the faceless enemy? It should not be that way... not a bit, no; it’s such a betrayal of trust, such a violation of human rights.
Take, for example, the incident of Ahmet Yildiz from Turkey, who was killed by his father in an effort to save the family from shame when he came out as a homosexual; or the sister who was stabbed to death by her brother for ‘knowing too many men’; or Tuley Green who was killed by her gambler father because she wanted to marry a man of her own choice, who was not ‘honourable’ enough in his bizarre standards.
When will the whole group of brain-washed people start thinking with their brain and heart, and use logic other than what they perceive their religion and customs tell them... and those the crazy voices inside their heads?
I am not sure anymore that the day will ever come.
Lines, Borders and Human Rights
Natural Growth.
Well, what is natural growth? If you ask me however- I’d say it’s the way a child grows, or plants do... or kittens...It’s the way your life grows.... you grow- from child to teenager, teenager to adult, young to old. It’s the way your hair grows, thins and greys.
It’s also the way cities grow... the way they get more crowded, the way there are more roads, more cars, more sound... less trees. It’s the way they grow upwards, houses keep getting smaller and playgrounds less in number. It’s the way we are a little closer to the skies to make room for all of us.
Yes, that is natural growth; not what happens in West Bank, Gaza. Because only in West Bank, there exists a ‘unique’ phenomenon of uprooting the local Palestinians off the area because the ‘ever-growing Israeli population would need more room’ as a consequence of their ‘natural growth’.
Can you imagine India making room into Pakistan, Bangladesh making room into India, Iran into Afghanistan, or France into Germany, Spain into France, Italy into Austria... it does not work this way. This is not how it’s done, this is simply not fair.
You don’t grow naturally into another’s place, and much less in a place that’s not yours in any sense but religious. You believe that’s your place because some holy book says so.... you don’t move natural inhabitants off a land because the land you’ve taken from them needs to expand.... if anything, this is a blatant violation of human rights; don’t let any ‘holy’ book tell you anything different.
Well, what is natural growth? If you ask me however- I’d say it’s the way a child grows, or plants do... or kittens...It’s the way your life grows.... you grow- from child to teenager, teenager to adult, young to old. It’s the way your hair grows, thins and greys.
It’s also the way cities grow... the way they get more crowded, the way there are more roads, more cars, more sound... less trees. It’s the way they grow upwards, houses keep getting smaller and playgrounds less in number. It’s the way we are a little closer to the skies to make room for all of us.
Yes, that is natural growth; not what happens in West Bank, Gaza. Because only in West Bank, there exists a ‘unique’ phenomenon of uprooting the local Palestinians off the area because the ‘ever-growing Israeli population would need more room’ as a consequence of their ‘natural growth’.
Can you imagine India making room into Pakistan, Bangladesh making room into India, Iran into Afghanistan, or France into Germany, Spain into France, Italy into Austria... it does not work this way. This is not how it’s done, this is simply not fair.
You don’t grow naturally into another’s place, and much less in a place that’s not yours in any sense but religious. You believe that’s your place because some holy book says so.... you don’t move natural inhabitants off a land because the land you’ve taken from them needs to expand.... if anything, this is a blatant violation of human rights; don’t let any ‘holy’ book tell you anything different.
The Bra Boys of Islamic Extremism
Islamist hardliners have always gone out of their way to dictate how women should live, eat, drink, sleep and 'most importantly', how they should dress up; or dress down or wait, dress is for humans, women should just cover, yes, cover, cover, cover… head to toe, left to right, diagonally, horizontally, vertically… cover, cover, cover, cover… how dare they even be a three dimensional figure…
No wonder, pretty soon the cavemen were bound to be hit by boredom with their utterly monotonous and vapid vogue that is known as burqa, the sole outer garment option for women in their stone age. And yes, they have apparently gone bored… The next 'logical' step for them was to dictate undergarments and that's what they are doing now in Somalia.
Bra is the latest enemy in their egregious quest for male supremacy. But this time it is not about covering, it is rather about removing. They want all the bras gone. Bra is the latest tool of devil in their pea brains as those apparently 'violate Islam by constituting a deception' (yes it is confirmed, pea brains also produce signals, very weak nonetheless). Or it might be the case that the Captain Caveman got his lice infested beard stuck in a bra clip while trying to 'covet' one of his wives and hence the sudden rage against the brassiere.
Nevertheless, they had to do something to rid the society of this 'evil'. As usual, an age old proven idea does the trick even with this 'nouveau overture': lets harass some women…
Yes, they are now monitoring the firmness and movements of women's breasts in the streets. If those appear to be 'firmer' then those women are whipped by masked men. Then they are told to remove their bras and shake their breasts.
No, I am not talking about a fictional sadomasochistic porn flick, it is indeed happening in Mogadishu. Gone are the days when bra burning used to be a part of feminist movement. The boneheaded zealots have snatched it too from their utmost adversaries.
No wonder, pretty soon the cavemen were bound to be hit by boredom with their utterly monotonous and vapid vogue that is known as burqa, the sole outer garment option for women in their stone age. And yes, they have apparently gone bored… The next 'logical' step for them was to dictate undergarments and that's what they are doing now in Somalia.
Bra is the latest enemy in their egregious quest for male supremacy. But this time it is not about covering, it is rather about removing. They want all the bras gone. Bra is the latest tool of devil in their pea brains as those apparently 'violate Islam by constituting a deception' (yes it is confirmed, pea brains also produce signals, very weak nonetheless). Or it might be the case that the Captain Caveman got his lice infested beard stuck in a bra clip while trying to 'covet' one of his wives and hence the sudden rage against the brassiere.
Nevertheless, they had to do something to rid the society of this 'evil'. As usual, an age old proven idea does the trick even with this 'nouveau overture': lets harass some women…
Yes, they are now monitoring the firmness and movements of women's breasts in the streets. If those appear to be 'firmer' then those women are whipped by masked men. Then they are told to remove their bras and shake their breasts.
No, I am not talking about a fictional sadomasochistic porn flick, it is indeed happening in Mogadishu. Gone are the days when bra burning used to be a part of feminist movement. The boneheaded zealots have snatched it too from their utmost adversaries.
Tale of sacrificial goats
An Indian man has recently taken it to a whole new level by marrying a dog. Apparently, he did this to redeem himself for stoning two dogs to death 15 years back.
*Shudder*
I guess this newly developed ‘conscience’ was heightened by yet another little fact that he was suffering from some sort of paralysis and loss of hearing in one ear; and the local pundits ‘prescribed’ that he was still carrying the ‘curse’ of brutally killing those animals and it needed to be ‘made right’ by ‘marrying’ another animal of the same species.
Firstly- how do these two incidents compensate each other? I mean- by what logic you can make a heartless ‘murder’ of two innocent animals okay- by ‘marrying’ another?! What has happened to you? Have you forgotten that you have a ‘brain’? Apparently so!
Secondly- I bet he was thinking that he was doing that poor dog a favour by marrying her despite her being a ‘lower rank’ animal than himself. I mean, what is it with humans and their (sometimes religious) belief that all the animals on this earth were ‘created’ to ‘serve’ them?! Really, what is it with this crap?
Superstitions prevail in different levels in all cultures, I am sure; and India- like many- is oftentimes crossing the limit of sanity or common sense. Unfortunately, this is not limited to the poor and illiterate, as one might assume. This creeps into the lives of the educated, urbanized, rich and famous just the same.
Example? Well... take the Aishwarya Rai incident for one- where Ms Rai, a prominent Bollywood actress and former Miss World was made to marry a tree in order to cleanse herself of the curse (of being born 'under the influence of the planet Mars') that brings some sort of bad luck or possible death to the first man she marries.
After all- by this action the tree will bear the consequences of the 'curse' (the ‘sacrificial goat’) and her future ‘human’ husband would be safe. Yet again, obviously, wronging the mute and innocent trees is not deemed as a ‘sin’; in fact, it is even permissible. And c’mon- marrying a tree??!! So much for the 21st Century crap! Looks like Stone Age to me.
One last word before I go today- I think it is time these pundits/ those clergymen and mullahs are made responsible for the sermons they produce while playing with the brains of the illiterate trusting idiots. They hold far too much power in their hands than it is safe. I truly think they are like arsonists- mentally ill, power hungry and destructive- and by no means deserves the feverish obedience they receive.
Who is with me on this?
*Shudder*
I guess this newly developed ‘conscience’ was heightened by yet another little fact that he was suffering from some sort of paralysis and loss of hearing in one ear; and the local pundits ‘prescribed’ that he was still carrying the ‘curse’ of brutally killing those animals and it needed to be ‘made right’ by ‘marrying’ another animal of the same species.
Firstly- how do these two incidents compensate each other? I mean- by what logic you can make a heartless ‘murder’ of two innocent animals okay- by ‘marrying’ another?! What has happened to you? Have you forgotten that you have a ‘brain’? Apparently so!
Secondly- I bet he was thinking that he was doing that poor dog a favour by marrying her despite her being a ‘lower rank’ animal than himself. I mean, what is it with humans and their (sometimes religious) belief that all the animals on this earth were ‘created’ to ‘serve’ them?! Really, what is it with this crap?
Superstitions prevail in different levels in all cultures, I am sure; and India- like many- is oftentimes crossing the limit of sanity or common sense. Unfortunately, this is not limited to the poor and illiterate, as one might assume. This creeps into the lives of the educated, urbanized, rich and famous just the same.
Example? Well... take the Aishwarya Rai incident for one- where Ms Rai, a prominent Bollywood actress and former Miss World was made to marry a tree in order to cleanse herself of the curse (of being born 'under the influence of the planet Mars') that brings some sort of bad luck or possible death to the first man she marries.
After all- by this action the tree will bear the consequences of the 'curse' (the ‘sacrificial goat’) and her future ‘human’ husband would be safe. Yet again, obviously, wronging the mute and innocent trees is not deemed as a ‘sin’; in fact, it is even permissible. And c’mon- marrying a tree??!! So much for the 21st Century crap! Looks like Stone Age to me.
One last word before I go today- I think it is time these pundits/ those clergymen and mullahs are made responsible for the sermons they produce while playing with the brains of the illiterate trusting idiots. They hold far too much power in their hands than it is safe. I truly think they are like arsonists- mentally ill, power hungry and destructive- and by no means deserves the feverish obedience they receive.
Who is with me on this?
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:
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’.
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’.
Mannequins with hijab to curb some hormonal bubble-dance
Let’s not kid around. Women do get a tough time on this planet that we call earth. One might think, how hard would it be to be a female wooden/fibreglass doll? Well think twice… it isn’t a rosy path either. Say for example, in Iran, now mannequins are being forced by the authorities to wear hijab.
There’s this growing tendency in the Muslim world to categorise everything in just two mutually exclusive categories: ‘Islamic’ or ‘Un-Islamic’. It is the latest good/evil, yin/yang, light/dark in the current Islamic zeitgeist. Just a while back in Pakistan some so called top Islamic clerics issued a decree stating theft of electricity a sin; funny that there was felt a need to issue such decree where common law and above all common sense sufficiently covers. Nowadays, every debate tends to float around this very branding with every sect, denomination or authority coming up with their ‘highly investigated’ arguments (of course within their self imposed constraint of Quranic injunctions). The ever-growing shroud of this utterly myopic and vacuous branding is like a voracious monster that doesn’t know where to stop.
Keeping true to this latest vogue, now in Iran (if not in some other countries), mannequins without hijab over the head are branded as ‘Un-Islamic’ by the authorities. Ironically, mannequins without a head are spared, even though they are still not allowed to show their bodily female curves (how uncannily similar to what is often expected from the human females).
I wonder why? Were those inanimate mannequins donning those artificial locks and curls giving the males in the Islamic regime some hormone infused bubble-dance (I didn't mention females as Ahmadinejad claims that there are no homosexuals in Iran :p, while the truth lies somewhere here)? Or, have they taken the tacky 1987 Kim Cattrall movie ‘Mannequin’ (where Kim is a mannequin that comes alive) too seriously and are afraid that hundreds of cheesily dancing Kim Cattralls would be too much handle in the cities that forbid any affiliation with sex? Apologies for my lame attempt of a pun at 'Sex and the City'. However, Let’s take a glimpse:
If this video is what prompted their decision, I wouldn’t hold it against them.
There’s this growing tendency in the Muslim world to categorise everything in just two mutually exclusive categories: ‘Islamic’ or ‘Un-Islamic’. It is the latest good/evil, yin/yang, light/dark in the current Islamic zeitgeist. Just a while back in Pakistan some so called top Islamic clerics issued a decree stating theft of electricity a sin; funny that there was felt a need to issue such decree where common law and above all common sense sufficiently covers. Nowadays, every debate tends to float around this very branding with every sect, denomination or authority coming up with their ‘highly investigated’ arguments (of course within their self imposed constraint of Quranic injunctions). The ever-growing shroud of this utterly myopic and vacuous branding is like a voracious monster that doesn’t know where to stop.
Keeping true to this latest vogue, now in Iran (if not in some other countries), mannequins without hijab over the head are branded as ‘Un-Islamic’ by the authorities. Ironically, mannequins without a head are spared, even though they are still not allowed to show their bodily female curves (how uncannily similar to what is often expected from the human females).
I wonder why? Were those inanimate mannequins donning those artificial locks and curls giving the males in the Islamic regime some hormone infused bubble-dance (I didn't mention females as Ahmadinejad claims that there are no homosexuals in Iran :p, while the truth lies somewhere here)? Or, have they taken the tacky 1987 Kim Cattrall movie ‘Mannequin’ (where Kim is a mannequin that comes alive) too seriously and are afraid that hundreds of cheesily dancing Kim Cattralls would be too much handle in the cities that forbid any affiliation with sex? Apologies for my lame attempt of a pun at 'Sex and the City'. However, Let’s take a glimpse:
If this video is what prompted their decision, I wouldn’t hold it against them.
Religion, Sex and a hell lot of (holy) Smoke!
Sex.
Yup. It is that taboo word, especially if you are a member of the clergy! Religion teaches you to ‘control and curb’ your sexual desires and thus, in the process, to ‘please thy God’.
Hmmmm... Okay!
Anyways, as Wiki observes and I quote:
Now... I wonder why there are so many cases of rape and paedophilia among the clergies though. Aren’t clergies the ‘men of God’ and thus expected to practice some amount of ... err... ‘decency’ and ‘virtue’?
Are you denying my claims that clergies turn out to be rapists and paedophiles much too often? Well... look at this, if you like. Mojoey, there, has taken up an effort of compiling the news (of abuse, mistrust and hypocrisy by the said ‘men of God’) that he has collected in the month of September alone. The number is 37. That’s more than 1 A DAY! And it’s not limited to those 37 instances- there’s definitely more.... much much more.
... and that is what got me thinking.
Why is it that so many clergymen seem to have a double life and standard? Does it stem from the impossible sexual suppressions that most religions promote or is it something else?
Did you answer ‘something else?’
Then, next question- WHAT IS THAT SOMETHING ELSE?
Enlighten me, s'il vous plait?
Yup. It is that taboo word, especially if you are a member of the clergy! Religion teaches you to ‘control and curb’ your sexual desires and thus, in the process, to ‘please thy God’.
Hmmmm... Okay!
Anyways, as Wiki observes and I quote:
... most religions have seen a need to address the question of a "proper" role for sexuality in human interactions. Different religions have different codes of sexual morality, which regulate sexual activity or assign normative values to certain sexually charged actions or thoughts.
Now... I wonder why there are so many cases of rape and paedophilia among the clergies though. Aren’t clergies the ‘men of God’ and thus expected to practice some amount of ... err... ‘decency’ and ‘virtue’?
Are you denying my claims that clergies turn out to be rapists and paedophiles much too often? Well... look at this, if you like. Mojoey, there, has taken up an effort of compiling the news (of abuse, mistrust and hypocrisy by the said ‘men of God’) that he has collected in the month of September alone. The number is 37. That’s more than 1 A DAY! And it’s not limited to those 37 instances- there’s definitely more.... much much more.
... and that is what got me thinking.
Why is it that so many clergymen seem to have a double life and standard? Does it stem from the impossible sexual suppressions that most religions promote or is it something else?
Did you answer ‘something else?’
Then, next question- WHAT IS THAT SOMETHING ELSE?
Enlighten me, s'il vous plait?
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...
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...