Ramanisblog

Tag: Atheism

  • Atheist Ceremonies

    I could not resit laughing on seeing the title.

     

    Atheism Quote.Image.jpg.
    Atheism Quote.

     

    Curious and intrigued, I checked the site.

     

    I am providing excerpts without comments.

     

    I shall be replying each point by point in separate posts.

     

    My intention is to propagate this Great wisdom and original thought,  apologies to Carvakas.

     

    “Naming Ceremony:

    Birth of a child, irrespective of gender, is a happy occasion for atheists and they share joy with others. They name their children as per the events in history, current and International affairs, social and political changes or reflecting the beauty of nature.

    In order to break the barriers of caste and religion, atheists name their children in a secular manner, connoting a meaning relevant to the time or an event which has no religious connotation.

    Taking the case of children in Atheist Centre, Samaram (II World War), Niyanta (dictator), Lavanam (Salt, was born on the eve of Gandhi’s Salt Satyagraha), Vijayam (Victory. First success of Congress in General Elections), Vidya(Education) and the younger generation with unique names such as Sanketh(Information), Vidwat (Knowledge), Saujas (Redoubled Vigour and Youthfulness),Saaras & Tejas (Indigenous manned aero planes developed by India), Olos (Olympics Los Angeles) to mention a few. Many atheists are making the next generation secular and post religious. Atheists also stress on the need for birth registration, which is neglected in India.

     
    In Pre-Independent India, braving stiff resistance of priests and the vested interests, some atheist and rationalist social reformers championed priestless and tradition-less marriages by exchange of garlands by spouses in a public meeting. Mahatma Phule, Ranade and other social reformers in the 19th Century encouraged widow remarriages.

     

    In the early 20th Century, Periyar EV Ramaswamy promoted hundreds of “Self Respect” (sweeya maryada) marriages by exchange of garlands in atheist meetings.

     

    Even though they had no legal validity, they had social approval.

     

    In Post-Independent India, hundreds of such marriages were legally validated by Tamilnadu Government.

     

    In other states also, the atheists and rationalists challenged the monopoly of the priestly class in social relations.

     

    In Andhra, Tripuraneni Ramaswami developed marriage ceremonies devoid of priests and religion.

    During the freedom movement, rationalists, atheists, socialists, communists and the liberal-minded popularized secular marriages by exchange of garlands in public meetings.

     

    In the traditional Hindu marriage, Saptapadi (walking seven steps together) and tying of thali (so-called Holy-thread of gold) by husband to his wife is a must.

     

    But in atheist marriages these customs are openly defied, for the religious rites make women inferior. Recognizing the importance of liberation to women, many did not wear ornaments or a bindu on the forehead, breaking the taboos of the Hindu religious system.

    Gora and Saraswathi Gora, founders of Atheist Centre, spearheaded castelesss and religionless marriages as a movement to break the stranglehold of untouchability, caste, religion and of priestly class. They tried to bridge the gap between precept and practice by marring their own children first and set an example to others.

    Atheist marriages are celebrated in complete openness.

     

    In the case of intercaste or inter religion or casteless marriages, the spouses inform their parents about their intention

    . On some occasions, the marriages take place in the teeth of opposition.

    But the experience shows that parents and relations tend to reconcile soon and social ostracism for the couple tend to be less.

     

    Death Ceremony:
    In the case of atheist ceremonies, both men and women preside the gatherings, breaking the religious and gender barriers, thereby celebrating the life contribution of the individual. Some atheists, in the memory of their lost ones, donate money for scholarships to the marginalized communities or the merited students.

    In the religious customs, when the husband is dead, his wife is subjected to inhuman traditional practices by breaking her bangles, removal of thali, forcing her to wear a white sari and she is made a non-entity in the family.

    Her social position is degraded and for some time she is not invited to weddings in the family. This kind of treatment given to widows is regarded by atheists as mental cruelty and is openly opposed.

    Atheists invite widows to attend marriages, conduct widow re-marriages and demonstrate that widows are in no way inferior to men or other women,

    Thus atheist marriages open up avenues to show to others the need for social reform and gender equity. They emphasize on all round equality for women and their female children. With winds of social change, some of the cruel religious customs wane slowly in some sections of society.

    Social Celebrations:

    Atheists recognize the contribution of inventors, discoverers, social reformers, and national leaders who have made significant contribution to the progress of the society and in enhancing scientific temper and secular outlook. Social functions are celebrated to commemorate the inventions and discoveries as well as social reform, so as to make the younger generations aware of their significance and advocating for investing in promoting critical thinking and free inquiry. …

    Religious ceremonies tend to prepare people look for salvation and to so-called life after death, where as atheist and humanist ceremonies try to improve the quality of life here on earth which is real and practical. Let us strive make the world a better place to live in peace, joy and harmony. Pleasure lies in pursuit.

     

    Citation.

    There is no Copyright Notice.

    Probably the want this good News to spread.

    This post is my contribution

    http://www.atheistcentre.in/HistoryAtheistCeremonies.html

    Image Credit.

    http://bloviatingzeppelin.net/archives/9532

     

    Related articles

  • “Don’t Respect Other Religions” The Bible

     

    If some one has a doubt that Christianity whether Christianity respects other Religions, here is quote and explanation from Edward D. Waller, Ph. D. in

    Catholic News.

     

    Catholicism.Image.bmp
    Catholicism.

     

    The statement and the article is directed at Protestants and those who are Non Catholics among the Christians.

     

    If this is the attitude towards their sister groups,whom the consider as their mortal enemies, what is there to sa about other Religions?

     

    ”

     

    If respecting other religions means to refrain from interfering with other people’s beliefs, then how do we reconcile Christ’s words to His apostles before ascending into Heaven? “

    And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to Me in Heaven and in earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.” (Matt.28:18-20)

    Christ’s instructions were very clearly given to His apostles. They were commanded to teach ALL (not some) nations ALL things (not some things) whatsoever Christ had commanded them to teach. That is, Christ gave them the revealed truth and all His doctrines. The apostles were not told to respect those nations or beliefs that held different beliefs from Christ’s teachings. Even Christ professed Truth to the elite Rabbis who rejected not only His teachings, but Christ as Son of God. Christ was crucified on the cross because He did not compromise His teachings

     

    Is it possible to consider worthy of high regard or esteem other religious beliefs that are contradictions to the Truth found within the Roman Catholic Church? Should we respect religions that allow polygamy, deny the Divinity of Jesus Christ, deny original sin and the Immaculate Conception? Should we respect beliefs of others that allow divorce, abortion and permit homosexuality as a lifestyle?

    How can TRUE Catholics hold these beliefs in high regard or esteem and call themselves followers of Christ? As a Catholic I should respect my fellow brothers and sisters. I can hold human beings in high regard and esteem because each one of us has been created in the image and likeness of God. Jesus gave us the commandment to love God with all our heart, mind and soul and to love our neighbor as ourselves. He did not tell us to love sin or beliefs that contradict His teachings. Thus, I will not elevate with high regard or esteem any religion or belief that contradicts the teachings of Jesus Christ.

    Pope Pius XII states in the same encyclical, “…God has given to His Church a living Teaching Authority to elucidate and explain what is contained in the deposit of faith only obscurely and implicitly. This deposit of faith our Divine Redeemer has given authentic interpretation not to each of the faithful, not even to theologians, but only to the Teaching Authority of the Church.” He further states that Christ appointed the Church as “guardian and interpreter of the whole deposit of divinely revealed truth”.

    God did not send His only begotten Son into the world to establish a multiple of religions equally meriting salvation. If this were the case, there would have been no need for Christ to die on the cross, for all religions would have been equally pleasing to God. Christ came to establish His Church which contains the WHOLE deposit of divinely revealed truth which is the ONLY means to salvation. The present post-conciliar Church has silenced the doctrine of “No Salvation Outside the Catholic Church” as a means of promoting false ecumenism which attempts to establish respect for all religions.

    I can not understand how Catholics could fall for such nonsense. Are they unaware that a doctrine can never be revoked. A doctrine is a revealed truth through God that can NEVER change. God is pure Truth and can never deceive us. Only man and the serpent are capable of deceptive ploys.

    Pope Pius XII reiterates this doctrine very clearly and precisely. “Some say they are not bound by the doctrine which teaches that the Mystical Body of Christ and the Roman Catholic Church are one and the same thing. Some reduce to a meaningless formula the necessity of belonging to the true Church in order to gain eternal salvation. Others finally belittle the reasonable character of the credibility of Christian faith. These and like ERRORS, it is clear, have crept in among certain of our sons who are deceived by imprudent zeal for souls or by false science.”..

    Since the Second Vatican Council, there has been great emphasis on ecumenism or unity among all religions. We are now hearing from all levels within the Roman Catholic Church that we must RESPECT all religions. We are told that we must refrain from forcing our beliefs onto others. We are told that all religions hold some truth that may lead to salvation of souls. What we have not been told is that this notion is UTTER NONSENSE and contrary to our traditional faith.

    In the encyclical, Humani Generis, Pope Pius XII warns the faithful about false “irenics” (ecumenism). He states: “Another danger is perceived which is all the more concealed beneath the mask of virtue. There are many who, deploring disagreement among men and intellectual confusion, through an imprudent zeal for souls, are urged by a great and ardent desire to do away with the barrier that divides good and honest men; these advocate an ‘irenism’ according to which, by setting aside the questions which divide men, they aim not only at joining forces to repel the attack of atheism, but also at reconciling things opposed to one another in the field of dogma.

    “…But some through enthusiasm for an imprudent ‘irenism’ seem to consider as an obstacle to the restoration of fraternal union things founded on the laws and principles given by Christ and likewise on institutions founded by Him, or which are the defense and support of the integrity of the faith, and the removal of which would bring about the union of all, but only to their destruction.

    “In theology some want to reduce to a minimum the meaning of dogmas: and to free dogma itself from terminology long established in the Church and from philosophical concepts held by Catholic teachers … They cherish the hope that when dogma is stripped of the elements which they hold to be extrinsic to divine revelation, it will compare advantageously with the dogmatic opinions of those who are separated from the unity of the Church and that in this way they will gradually arrive at a mutual assimilation of Catholic dogma with the tenets of the dissidents.

    “Moreover they assert that when Catholic doctrine has been reduced to this condition, a way will be found to satisfy modern needs, that will permit dogma being expressed also by the concepts of modern philosophy … Some more audaciously affirm that this can and must be done, because they hold that the mysteries of faith are never expressed by truly adequate concepts but only by approximate and ever changeable notions, in which the truth is to some extent expressed, but is necessarily distorted.”

     “A person sins against faith, first, by not trying to know what God has taught; second, by refusing to believe all that God has taught; third, by neglecting to profess his belief in what God has taught.”

    (Baltimore Catechism No. 4, p. 265) False worship is a sin against the First Commandment. “And now that we have the real sacrifice it would be sinful to use only figures, (as in other religions) and it would be a false worship displeasing to God …So, too, all those who leave the true Church to practice a religion of their own have a false worship, for they worship God not as He wants, but as they wish” (Baltimore Catechism No. 4, p. 261).

    Citation.

    http://www.olrl.org/doctrine/respect.shtml

    Related articles

  • God Will Never Die.

    In Human History discoveries have been made in all walks of life.

    Katha Upanishad
    Kathopanishad Verse, Image source.http://www.shraddhananda.com/A_Poetic_Description_of_Universe_Purusha_Suktam.html

    Theories are floated.

    They are revised in the light of new evidence, old theories are discarded.

    The Earth was assumed to be Center of the Universe.

    Moon was considered to be Divine, stars beyond human reach.

    We can go on adding to the list where old theories were revised and the  old theories are dead once and for all.

    The same applies to all Arts and Sciences.

    Except One.

    The Theory on God.

    While enlightenment(?) has induced man to accept new theories,discarding old thoughts, the concept of God and the debate does not seem to die.

    If as Atheists were to be believed, God does not exist.

    For some atheists the Universe is an accident.

    For some it is Universal Law and it has nothing to do with God.

    Some say it is Nature.

    I do not know what they mean by Nature.

    Is it Tree, Mountains,Forests?

    If . as the Atheists proclaim, the concept of God  is incorrect and wrong, then the concept of God should have died a natural death.

    This is not the case.

    We have arguments for and against God is still going on.

    We do not cling to the Theory that earth is the center of the universe any longer.

    But we do not, at least most, do not, disavow the Theory of God.

    Keeping my skepticism about Science aside for a moment on its infallibility,I am accepting Science for the present post.

    If as certain as it is in Science, God concept should have been buried long back

    Why did it not?

    Earlier human beings, were in fear of everything, right from water, fire. lightening,darkness et al.

    A he gained knowledge his apprehensions disappeared when he could explain these things.

    Once explained, he is not concerned for to his comfort he has found a reason.

    But one forgets mere explaining can not make things go away.

    But Modern Man, under his arrogance of knowledge thinks he has over come all these fears.

    Fact is He can not.

    Watch Human reactions in times of  Natural Disaster and unexplained personal  loss  or calamity.

    When things go well in life, every thing is under his control

    Come disaster, he gets shaky.

    One reason is  the fear of the unexpected , unknown and the inevitable and Death.

    Another reason is that Man, by Nature seeks something , even when he thinks he has every thing material.

    But the urge to know persists.

    So long as these attributes of Man remain,God will Not Die.

    Related Articles

  • Atheists Theists All The Same. Study

    A recent Study has found some interesting Facts on Atheists.

    There seems to be some common factors between the theists and Atheists..

    The ten Commandments.
    The ten Commandments.

    Both believe in some principles,the Atheist in the Principle That God does not exist or at least the principle that the Theists have to be resisted.

    2.Theist Religions propagate, believe in Conversions-Hinduism is an exception.

    Atheist also do.

    3.Christianity believes in mass meetings, Atheists do.

    4.Islam, Christianity assert, that other than those who believe in Islam and Christianity are fools.

    Atheists do.

    5.Theists,religions have Symbols.

    Atheists have been working under different symbols.

    Now they have unveiled a new symbol.

    ‘Atheists unveiled the nation’s first public monument to secularism outside a county courthouse in Florida last week — a 1,500-pound gray granite bench engraved with quotations extolling the separation of church and state.”

    6.Religions have sects, different schools of Thought.

    Atheist Monument.
    Atheist Monument.,A monument erected by an atheists’ group drew Gael Murphy and a crowd of onlookers to a site near a Ten Commandments monument in Starke, Fla.
    By LAURIE GOODSTEIN.NYT.

    Atheists also have, as a new study reveals.

    “1. Intellectual Atheist/Agnostic. By far, the most common kind of non-believer, at nearly 38 percent. This group enjoys intellectual discourse, and while they’re often very certain about their beliefs, they’re not belligerent about it..

    2. This group also gets commonly accused of being dogmatic, but like the intellectual atheist, while they’re firm in their beliefs, they’re intellectually flexible and don’t prioritize attacking believers..

    3. Seeker-Agnostic. This group, which makes up 7.6 percent of non-believers, are unlikely to be as critical of religion as most other groups…

    4.Anti-Theist. This group tends to get conflated with all atheists by believers, but they only constitute 15 percent of non-believers. Like the Intellectual Atheists, they like to argue about religion, but they are much more aggressive about it and actively seek out religious people in an effort to disabuse them of their beliefs…

    5.Non-Theist. They don’t believe in any gods, but don’t think about those who do very often. In such a religious society, simply opting out of caring much about religion one way or another is nearly impossible, which is why this group is only 4.4 percent of non-believers. “A Non-Theist simply does not concern him or herself with religion,” researchers explain…

    6.Ritual Atheist/Agnostic. While you might think the anti-theist is the non-believer type that scares Christians the most, it turns out that it may very well be the Ritual Atheist/Agnostic. This group, making up 12.5 percent of atheists, doesn’t really believe in the supernatural, but they do believe in the community aspects of their religious tradition enough to continue participating. ”

    In general The Atheists have the same essential ingredients that make up a Religion, but under a different tag.

    It may be of interest to note that Hinduism accepts Atheism as a Form of Worship, knowing pretty well that Human beings need something to cling onto.,call it whatever you like, be it No God!

    Source:

    http://www.salon.com/2013/07/13/poll_six_kinds_of_non_believers_in_america_partner/

    http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/05/us/to-fight-religious-monuments-atheists-plan-their-own-symbols.html?_r=0

  • Skeptic Speaks After Death

    There is a story about Robert Ingersoll, the Atheist.

    When Ingersoll was in his death-bed, he asked for a Priest.

    A Priest was brought in.

    Ingersoll asked him,

    ‘Father, I have been denying God in my Life,

    Will God punish me?’

    The priest replied ,

    ‘Son, God is not Ingersoll’

    I was reminded of this when I read a news item that the skeptic, Forrest J Ackerman, who is dead is reported communicating with people after he was dead!

    The Life after Death.
    ‘The Life After Death Project’ Cover Artwork for the documentary “The Life After Death Project” about the search for evidence that the spirit of Sci-Fi legend Forrest J Ackerman is still “alive and well.”

    Skeptics, Agnostics, Atheists are all pious and Devout in private.

    here the man seems to go one step higher, after he is dead!

    Story:

    Ackerman, who passed away in 2008, is a legend in the sci-fi community, for, among other things, coining the phrase “sci-fi.” Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Peter Jackson were among the avid readers of his influential Famous Monsters Of Filmland magazine. He was also co-creator of the popular comic book superheroine Vampirella.

    Ackerman was a skeptic in the supernatural. But now, some of his followers believe this dead man is trying to make contact with them.

    It all started shortly after his death, when an odd ink blot mysteriously appeared on a sheet of paper at the home of his friend, filmmaker Paul Davids.

    Ackerman speaks from the Dead.
    Scientists and forensic experts cannot determine how the unusual ink blot appeared over these words, leading some to consider the spirit of Forrest J Ackerman was responsible for it.

    Davids had printed out the paper that included a list of business meetings. The ink on the paper was completely dry as he left the room. When he returned, he discovered a black ink blot had somehow covered a group of words, “Spoke to Joe Amodei.”

    “I had no idea why these particular words were blacked out,” Davids told The Huffington Post. “It made no sense to me until later, when I was researching Forry’s editorial style and I found lots of examples of where he blacked out words so completely. I have found 15 examples of where Forry found a name within a name or a word within a word as being a hidden word to make a pun or a point out of it.”

    Davids believes this was the first in a series of unexplained instances where Ackerman was trying to communicate with him. He eventually involved several university scientists to try to explain these phenomena explored in “The Life After Death Project,” a documentary that premiered this week on the Syfy channel.

    Some might claim Davids’ work is more akin to the Syfy channel’s fantasy-based programming, perhaps during hour 72 of a “Twilight Zone” marathon. But Davids is dead serious.

    “I first met Forry in 1964 and we were friends for more than 40 years,” said Davids, producer-director of “The Life After Death Project.”

    Source:

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/17/life-after-death-project-forest-j-ackerman_n_3280368.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news