Nearly two months back I was asked by a friend - "do you believe in God?" I replied - "yes, but depends on what you mean by the definition of God". There has been a lot of speculation and interest over the years as to my beliefs. As someone who came from a different culture and…
Hopelessness to Hopefulness
After the Peshawar attack last week, I was feeling quite hopeless about the human species. I couldn't imagine ideologies would go so far as to kill children. Intolerance and prejudice can never be separated from violence. And the intolerance prevalent in our own families breed these monsters who would slaughter children. If a girl falls…
Power of comedy and satire
Comedy and satire are probably one of the most powerful weapons in our society. Authoritarian figures and institutions use a sense of gravitas and seriousness to quell any questioning of their words or actions. They turn someone or something into hero or holy, and any criticism is prevented by invoking their greatness or holiness. It…
Faith is beautiful – Part I of Faith, Religion, and Me
Faith, now what does it mean? It is a confidence or a trust in something, or someone. Faith gives up hope, it gives us a reason to go on when we cannot see the future or an end. Faith doesn't have to be in a deity but it could be anything - it could be…
Choice, control, and respect
Control is about power, not benevolence towards another person. People who do not give choices in life decisions to others do not respect the other person. Control is just another form of emotional abuse. The sad, and ironical part of control is that it perpetuates itself from the abuser to the abused – many who…
The Reason I Read
I read for knowledge, and to enhance my understanding of the world around me, and to figure out the thinkings/actions of human beings! Yes, many times you will think I am a Sheldon Cooper or a Sherlock Holmes (immodest much? 😛 ) I always wonder why people behave, think, or act the way they do. Take…
Fight for fairness and justice everywhere, not where its convenient
Everyone knows about my stance on issues like child abuse, women's rights, homosexuality, science, place of religion in the public square etc. And the Catholic church deserved getting bashed for the child sexual abuse. But I also get angry when it is only the Catholic church/Christianity that keeps getting bashed for things that are not…
The deepest answer we seek…
If it is part of the natural world, it must follow the laws of nature. If it does not follow the laws of nature, it is not part of the natural world. And if it is not part of the natural world, then no sentient being of the natural world can understand or quantify something…
Artists and art
For an artist, a painting, a photograph, or a sculpture is a work of art, of imagination, of talent, and of passion. For an artist of visual arts, the joy is in making the work aesthetically pleasing. For an artist of literary art, the joy is in making the work intellectually pleasing. An artist doesn't…
Opening the mind
Opening your mind can be a scary proposition. Everything we have come to know or believe can come crashing down around us. Things we were told in childhood might turn out to be fairy tales and fantasies. Losing the innocence of childhood is the scariest part of opening up our minds. If the things we…
The Philosopher-Scientist 