Q & A: God and Others…
What is the thing that matters to you the most?
Being happy.
Do you believe in any purpose in life?
Yeah, to be happy. Whatever that makes you happy should be your purpose. Don’t you think so? Ain’t it that most of the things that you do ultimately depend on what makes you happy more (or in some cases less sad. I am talking of happiness in a relative sense), even if it be a choice between two things that you detest. Say you are cleaning your dogs poo, but then this is because you prefer to live in a more hygienic environment (ie. Something which you like more, which makes you happier). Same goes for philanthropy. It makes you happy.
Can that mean murdering people?
Technically speaking yes, but I wonder if this is going to really make you so. For you may have a conscience to haunt you for the rest of your life, if you don’t there will always be the police and common folk. Me included.
It is said that being under the influence of ‘recreational drugs; such as Cocaine can produce a sense of euphoria, something that you may term as happiness. So shouldn’t one be on dope all the time?
I would definitely love to be in that sense of euphoria all my life. But, alas the fact that ‘I live long’ shall be more important to me and hence more crucial for my ‘happiness’ in the longer run.
Assuming that there be some Euphoric pill without say any of the medical side-effects, would you be on it permanently?
As long as it does not make me do something silly, say killing or even abusing someone. As in, anything that may disturb my conscience (my more important ‘happiness’). Say, I have to live in an isolated island all my life, and that pill keeps me ecstatic all day long. Then what is the harm? But then, that feeling of euphoria, may no longer mean anything to you. You may feel that say flying an aeroplane is a greater joy. Such as you may get used to it and it may no longer produce ‘happiness’.
Is there life after death? Is there really Heaven & Hell?
Sadly, most people are not really left in a state to talk, at least not in a frequency audible to humans, to reply once they are dead. If you read something about this in any book, then please tell me where did you get it from. It seemed that the all of Diagon Alley was out of stock and Gandalf stole my gifted copy, given by Lady Galadriel herself, when he had come to my vacation-home in Rohan for dinner.
State one reason why you are not a Christian.
Hmmm say, the Pope does not like homosexuality.
One reason for Hinduism.
You just don’t know what to believe and what not to. I would be fasting all seven days of the week if I follow all the Gods, perhaps fast five times daily and I sorta don’t know how to do that.
One reason for Islam.
Dude, do you have any idea how many religions are there in this world? I would rather just be a follower of Sun Myung Moon, because I really do like his name. Now that I have finally adopted a religion, I know you will not ask me any more questions.
Correct as you are, why do you think so?
Zerothly, because God told me so. Firstly, because you don’t really care as long as I am not an atheist. Secondly, you know most believers would argue this way: Please go kill yourself. Everyone who does not follow my religion is delusional. Thirdly, if you ask or say anything derogatory against my religion will mean that everyone following my religion will hate you, give a million dollar reward for your head and what not.
Oh lord please save me for I have sinned! I know thou are benevolent and kind. I know that if I go to Church and confess my sins sincerely, if I go to the Ganga bathe myself there everything shall be fine back again.
January 18th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
i am so unhappy. my exams just got over and my computer decided to die on me!!! anyway, happy new year to u too(a trifle too late though). very interesting blog, to say the least.
January 18th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
Looks like I got some company.
April 10th, 2007 at 4:17 am
Hey there! Joel from Sumedh’s blog. I think you’ve graced my blog a couple times with comments, but I couldn’t remember if I ever made it over this way before.
Anyway, nice thoughts! Good to see a thoughtful person. As you probably know from Sumedh, I’m a Christian, and yet I agree with much of what you said, especially about people who just want to proselytize others. Good stuff. It would make an interesting conversation!
Oh, and, um, if you ever get your copy back from Gandalf, let me know…I might want to borrow it!
July 24th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
One reason for Hinduism.
You just don’t know what to believe and what not to. I would be fasting all seven days of the week if I follow all the Gods, perhaps fast five times daily and I sorta don’t know how to do that.
NOW FACTS:
1. Hindu scriptures state about ONE AND ONLY GOD EXPRESSING IN TRILLIONS OF FORMS.
2 God is incomprehensible with the mind of a human being. God cannot be seen by naked eyes. We cannot touch God.
3 God has to be experienced with in us. That is the reason why Hindu scriptures allow people to worship that God with what ever name they want and in what ever form God any one wants.
4 That is the reason why Hindus have no problem worshiping that God as Krishna, Jesus [as Christians do], Allah [as Moslems do] as Jehovah or as Buddha [ as Buddhists do].
5 TRUE Christians call that God, Jesus. That is excellent. Moslems call that God Allah.
6 ONE GOD MANY NAMES. Nobody can monopolize God or truth. God and truth are universal.
7 BIBLE IS WORD OF GOD for Christians. BHAGAVAD GITA is the word of God for Hindus. KORAN is the word of God for Moslems. TORAH is the word of God for Jews. ADI GRANTHA is the word of God for Sikhs.
8 You may say, PLEASE REAL WORD OF GOD STAND UP…. Of course to Christians it is the Holy Bible. I agree.
July 24th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
Ramanthan, it would have been so much better had you written down your e-mail address for correspondence. Even you would agree that my mail wouldn’t reach god@hotmail.dom I am not really a spammer, you know.
“BIBLE IS WORD OF GOD for Christians. BHAGAVAD GITA is the word of God for Hindus. KORAN is the word of God for Moslems. TORAH is the word of God for Jews. ADI GRANTHA is the word of God for Sikhs.”
How does one universal God’s ‘WORD’ translate into different different books and hence different practices? I would love to hear your views on that. I may not believe in God per se, but would love to read rational arguments
I am hesitant to compose a long reply in case you do come back to check this.
I presume you searched for ‘Heaven and Hell’ to reach this page, I don’t really get that concept either.
July 24th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
After re-reading I like your blog….hahahha….I got carried away…You seems just like me a FREE THINKING MAN….
My idea is to stop Christians from proclaiming “holier than thou” attitude all over the world. If Holy Bible is great, so too all other scriptures of the world.
How does one universal God’s ‘WORD’ translate into different books and hence different practices?
Excellent question:
ANSWER:
1 Because men [women may be.. not many ] of all religions wrote all these books and said GOD WROTE ALL THESE BOOKS. Hindus state Vedas were written by God. Christians state Holy Bible is a GOD INSPIRED BOOK….. I never ever met a guy who told me, “my scripture was written by Mickey mouse!!!”
2 Freud wrote: “Man had problems. Man could not find answers. So man invented God.” Freud may be right or he could be wrong.
3 Anyway, God is the result of slowing developed thinking process in men. Nobody knows whether there is a God or how God looks like. Most who questioned the mere existence of God was killed unceremoniously.
4 When man stopped wandering around the globe , stopped the life of a nomad and settled down, he started cultivation, he had a lot of problems associated with cultivation. He feared all those natural powers like lighting, thunder and rain and started worshiping all the natural powers that effected cultivation.
5 That is the reason why we have many gods in all religions. All natural 33 gods of Rig Veda and gods like Baal etc in Old Testament.
6. Out of many gods, finally man came out with ONE GOD. Brahman in Hinduism. Jehovah in Judaism. Moses killed every one who worshiped any other God than Jehovah. Jehovah said in the Bible I AM A JELOUS GOD. That is the reason why Jews could not stand Jesus, when his apostles called him God as well as Son of God.
7. “Heaven & Hell” are Christian & Islamic concepts. The whole salvation concept in Christianity and Islam are based on Heaven and hell.
8 For a Christian or Moslem ultimate abode is either heaven [ paradise ] or hell. In both places the individuality of the person is maintained after the death. For example, a person goes to heaven and meet God, Jesus and his or her loved ones.
9 In Vedas and Upanishads we do not read much about “heaven & hell.” You read about them in Puranas and in Hinduism, “heaven and hell” are not permanent abodes. They are places for short sojourns.
10 Swami Vivekananda wrote : There are heavens, there are hells, there are earths, but they are not permanent. If I am sent to hell, it is not permanent. The same struggle goes on and on whatever I am. How to go beyond all this struggle is the problem …….. The Indian idea is not to go to Heaven. Get out of this earth, get out of hell, and get out of heaven! What is the goal? It is freedom! You must be free”
July 24th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
Now what is the purpose of life?
Like you wrote….Be happy. Enjoy the simple things in life.
If you believe in any religion, use that to your advantage.
If you do not believe in religion, that is OK too.
Under no condition, one should not use religion like a bat to beat up others.
July 24th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
sorry I made a mistake
Under no condition, one should use religion like a bat to beat up others.
July 24th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
I think I would disagree with point number 6 there
Out of many gods, finally man came out with ONE GOD. Brahman in Hinduism. Jehovah in Judaism. Moses killed every one who worshiped any other God than Jehovah. Jehovah said in the Bible I AM A JELOUS GOD. That is the reason why Jews could not stand Jesus, when his apostles called him God as well as Son of God.
Hinduism by most is considered a polytheistic religion. If you consider the Vedas, then perhaps Hinduism would actually be considered a ‘Pantheistic’ religion. If you want me to elaborate on this further then please feel free to do so. Hence at point point of Hinduism you can talk about Durga, Brahma, Krishna, Saraswati….. and at the other you could probably talk about things like the vedas, which has a completely different take on this matter.
Religious differences arise, though not necessarily from one particular instance. Just like clashes between Hinduism and Islam.
Otherwise, in general I do agree to what you have written. At the end of the day what matters is whether you sleep peacefully or not. Religion may help you achieve that. If religion is merely a ‘way of life’ then Atheism is a religion, and many do agree to the same.
“Under no condition, one should use religion like a bat to beat up others”
Beautifully put. Be it Christian missionaries’ ‘Holier than thou’ attitude or Narendra Modi’s actions towards the Muslims who probably did that in the most literal sense.