Screw the blog I haven’t given it up completely but there is more to life than sitting in front of the dumb computer. you suddenly wake up one day, ask yourself what the hell have you been doing. I have wasted a lot of time reading, thinking, gaining knowledge, pretending to be smart to what gain is that? Time to go out there and do some real stuff and get your hands dirty. Life is short and beautiful. I been hiking, trekking, started a small band, got a bike been roaming around the whole city, hanging out with people, don’t get time to sit on the computer once I am outta the office. I do all my online catching up during office hours lol .

who wants to come with me on a trek to the most beautiful places in the country? I have found some of the most amazing places. http://del.icio.us/clazh

And please don’t compare us to the Hindus or the Muslims or any other religion, if anyone of our people have resorted to violence then they have been purely misguided.

As opposed to “other” people (read, “Hindus or the Muslims or any other religion” ) who have not been misguided if they’ve resorted to violence? Any sane person would agree with me that anyone who resorts to violence in the name of religion is misguided, and not just Christians. For someone who claims to be a true Christian, your implication that people of other religions are not misguided and yet commit violence is quite offensive to say the least.

If there is a GOD we win you lose, again if there is no GOD we still win and you win.

Yay! Let’s all be happy that you have a vindictive God who supposedly wants you to turn the other cheek and forgive, yet would not mind punishing “us” for daring to not believe in Him (no possibility of Her I guess), even though we may have been ‘good’ (a relative term) otherwise. Woohoo! Let’s kill the unbelievers! Then again, that’s what the Bible, Quran etc. say, right?

Your vacuous rhetoric and repeated emphasis on the dichotomy between “us” and “them” is precisely symptomatic of the socially divisive malaise in general that religion engenders. It’s always a case of “us” and “our way of life” that needs to be protected from “them” who hate “us” and all that “we” stand for. Then you (not “you” in particular, in case it’s not clear) go and bomb others who turn around and use those very same words to justify their own actions.

Also, not to put too fine a point on it, but somehow minority groups (not just religious ones, mind you) always seem to suffer from some sort of persecution complex (even when it’s not justified and there’s no one expressly out to get them) that leads to them becoming increasingly insular and protectionist in outlook as time goes by. What we’re seeing on a daily basis in the world is the natural outcome of such paranoia that is fanned by vested elements and so we end up with a whole planet consumed by hatred towards one and all and hurtling towards mutual destruction and total annihilation. I don’t have to spell out the fact that atheists never came up with eschatological concepts such as Armageddon. It was religion that conjured up the self-fufilling prophecy and religion that leads us boldly towards the End of Days. Way to go!

Meh. I know this is one of those arguments that can go on ad infinitum (then again, maybe not, for the End of Days is bound to intervene and spoil the fun) but I can’t help but react to posts that make the bile rise and leave a bitter taste in the mouth.

And please don’t compare us to the Hindus or the Muslims or any other religion, if anyone of our people have resorted to violence then they have been purely misguided.

I wanted to refrain from posting, but OUCH! That hurt.

I’d keep it short. I guess we are discussing about two very exclusive topics under the same roof. The missionary tasks carried out by Christians (and non-Christians), and the education related discussion.

Any selfless help to humanity done by an individual in general, IMHO, does not attribute to his race (again, refrain from using the world religion). Although, it might be true that Christians do so for they consider helping others as there sole mission in life (which btw, is an amazing thing), but that doesn’t AT ALL mean that others do less any good to others. I have personally been involved with a LOT of non-Christians in the past who’ve dedicated their lives for others. Had I not known you, I’d have been offended. Your sentence simply washes off all their hard-work.
Again, selfless dedication is a choice, not an attribute related to any religion.

Secondly about the education. Your sentence on keeping the institutes separate disturbs me. On one hand, you talk about complete dedication and service, and on the other, you close the door for people who could be benefited in your company!

I’ve been a part of both the *religions* –atheism and theism (currently the latter), and know that these are never ending discussions. People from one *religion* seldom listen to others’ points, yet I had to drive-by.

…and what happened to you blog man?

I could find hundred and one points to counter yours. but I am not here to convert anyone here just giving you guys food for thought, how I see it from my perspective.

Whether you like it or not religions is here to stay. And please don’t compare us to the Hindus or the Muslims or any other religion, if anyone of our people have resorted to violence then they have been purely misguided.

If there is a GOD we win you lose, again if there is no GOD we still win and you win

I’m not gonna write a long post re. this issue, ‘cos I’m only liable to get hot under the collar. Basically, some of the posts above only serve to make it all the more clear what exactly is wrong with religion and the way it’s (mis)used by people to further their own agendas.

All I’d like to say is, Father Emmanuel pi**ed me off with his comments and I’d have reacted the same way if it had been a priest, an imam, a rabbi etc. Unfortunately though, academic excellence seems to have anyway fallen out of favour of late, and the problem pretty much predates this specific incident. No wonder we keep hearing dire predictions about the standard of college graduates nowadays and the fact that there’s going to be a massive shortage of teaching faculty in the years to come.

I’d just like to end by saying that I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time as when I did after reading those two sentences about blind men receiving sight and lame men walking, and “Ever heard of Christians persecuting other religions? No I guess not.” What a hoot!

And no, you are not turning into a militant Atheist. Both of us know, that we don’t speak out about our faith unless someone or something willingly provokes it out of us.

1. “That because I don’t know any Muslims or Hindus Willing to go and work in extremely remote parts of the country under harsh conditions just because they believe GOD told them to , even if there are I can guarantee you it wont be more than a handful. ”

Not to compare or anything, but from what I hear, there are tonnes of non-christians who are willing to blow themselves up because of a ‘call’ from god. I’d say they were more committed to ‘the call’. Note that I’m not being condescending here; I cannot seem to phrase it any better.

2. Like Baphomet said, if atheists/non-believers don’t need a reason to be good but still choose to be good, doesn’t that make them better than, well, you? It’s almost as if you’re saying that if you didn’t believe in a god, you’d have no qualms about raping and plundering. I repeat, morality does not have anything to do with religion.

3. “And I agree with the priest “What’s the big deal with academic excellence?”. I rather have people with strong morals, and values.”

Why not just start sunday schools and simply teach ‘morals and values’. Stay out of academia if academic excellence is not an issue. But then again, academia is where the money is.

4. “They have their own Colleges and Institutes that can take care of them why bother, why mess with the few good institutes our kids go to ?”

That is a pretty prejudiced and loaded statement and frankly, I’m surprised you said that. That’s something I (the heathen) would say, no?

5. “Ever heard of George frigging Bush? yes I have. whats wrong with him? or more like whats so christian about him?”

Everything. A government that thinks its pursuing God’s will; no different from the Hindus and Muslims that burn buses and buildings. They all have one thing in common – a convoluted sense of morality and values.

6. “Who sets the standards for these Morals and Values? We have a 2000 year old legacy which has stood the test of time. ”

Please, if there is one thing about religion, it is that it *hasn’t* stood the test of time. Just saying it does not make it any more true. Religion unlike science (based on reason and logic) is unafraid to make or even admit mistakes. And since when is reason and logic such a bad thing?

@Baphomet: Is it just me…or are you turning into a moderate? Or am I turning into one of those militant atheists? :\