A Blog of @Ramreva, known in the real world as Ram.N: January 2012

Answering atheist and believer problem alike.

It was about a month ago, that someone on Quora asked a question. A sensible question, a serious question...which if answered, can answer the problems of believers and non-believers alike. I tried answering. Here below is the copy's paste of all that happened...if you are on Quora, this is my link. Let's answer some questions... http://www.quora.com/Ram-Reva "How can we get atheists to be nicer? And what would be the outcome? I see a lot of atheists being jerks toward religious people, to the point where they can be just as condescending as the people they oppose. How can we bring about harmony rather than continuing the sniping? EDIT: I wrote this question badly, and now I'm getting into a flame war. What I was really hoping to get at was more like "How should I respond when I see people attacking all religion on the Internet?" I didn't mean to attack atheists in general, and it was stupid of me to not realize that was how people would read this question." Ram Reva, Ram.N : Wrote (that's me)... " "Be it the belief of God, or the non-belief of God. If "beliefs" are given too much of importance, they lead to problems, often unnecessary ones. Be it religion, be it Hitler's ideas that caused pains, or be it Green peace "fighting" for a cleaner world. Don't place so much weightage on simple beliefs. It was the place and people we were born and grown with that makes us believe certain things. You can be right, that's all. Don't force others to be right! They have their own versions. Your liberty to smoke, should not interfere with my liberty to breath! " 1 vote by Peter Ireland Repost • 1 Comment • Delete • • Dec 22, 2011 " Greg Holley The only way to challenge destructive beliefs or ideas is to counter them with constructive ones. Human history is a bloody battleground of ideas and beliefs. Progress is made when more constructive thought wins out. If people like green peace don't "fight for a cleaner world", a cleaner world is not going to happen. In the end it is apathy that is our greatest failing, not earnestness of belief. That being said, no one likes a strident a hole. As an atheist I try not to emulate the dogma of my fundy christian background but its a challenge. Reply UpvoteDownvote • Repost • Dec 22, 2011 "

Salman Rushdie, Anders Breivik, Doggy style, Islamophobia and Fatwa

Island of Utøya in Tyrifjorden, Buskerud, Norway - 17.22

The first gun shot was heard at 17.22. The Nature is a bitch, for when you are about to die by a bullet, you see the light first, hear the sound next and then the pain is felt; of the bullet piercing through your flesh to release your life trapped in your body. When life and body separate, neither have a purpose. The terrorist and his purpose wins. The Norwegian gun man, killer in a Police's guise won the war, killing 69 people. 69, the most pleasurable number in sex, attained a new avatar of pain in Norway.

Anders Behring Breivik-Reason to Kill

Here are two citations from different pages of Wikipedia, that pretty much gives the essence of the issue...

Breivik is linked to a compendium entitled 2083: A European Declaration of Independence bearing the name "Andrew Berwick", the file was e-mailed to 1,003 addresses about 90 minutes before the bomb blast in Oslo.^[137]^[138] Analysts described him as having Islamophobic views and a hatred of Islam,^[139] and as someone who considered himself as a knight dedicated to stemming the tide of Muslim immigration into Europe.^[140]^[141]

Islamophobia describes prejudice against, hatred or irrational fear of Islam or Muslims^[1]^[2] The term dates back to the late 1980s or early 1990s,^[3] but came into common usage after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.^[4]

Salman Rushdie and Open Fatwa

The Satanic Verses controversy was the heated and sometimes violent reaction of some Muslims to the publication of Salman Rushdie's novel The Satanic Verses, which was first published in the United Kingdom in 1988. Many Muslims accused Rushdie of blasphemy or unbelief and in 1989 Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini of Iran issued a fatwa ordering Muslims to kill Rushdie. Numerous killings, attempted killings, and bombings resulted from Muslim anger over the novel.^[1]

Anders suddenly sounds justified...

For someone with Arachnophobia, his/her tendency would be to kill all the arachnids in the vicinity. However, they don't develop the courage to do it. Partly because the phobia is overpowering, which makes them to not kill, but to avoid the spiders.

Being Arachnophobic and killing cockroaches...

However, our candidate here is different. "It is an Islamophobic subject". He couldn't kill the target group of his, but rather went ahead and killed his own people. Which is something like killing cockroaches and claiming that it was out of the fear of spiders.

What's right or wrong with the book?

Salman Rushdie wrote a book too early. People are not yet seasoned enough to accept views with the weightage that they deserve. The choice of Gods and religious views are like sexual orientations or like a choice to smoke or not. "It's personal" and it stays personal, till when your choice to smoke does not interfere with my right to breathe.

The Doggy style (Conclusion)

If you like doggy style; you like it and thats that. Doesn't make you wrong or make me right. If you like Krishna, Jesus or Allah keep it to yourself. Don't go ahead like a newly turned gay/lesbian person running around streets proclaiming a newly acquired identity.

This is where I'm afraid, my Muslim brothers. That after 2083, if things go right according to Anders Breivik's compendium, writers like Salman Rushdie, who have just expressed their views and are threatened for life, might find a place to live, devoid of open Fatwas.

With every threat you pose to the world's population, justified by your own personal views, you are making Anders Breivik's cause stronger and stronger.

Sleep

Don't have to listen to yourself.
Others dont talk to you.
Dream is an entertainment.
If a scary dream, it can't really hurt.
If its lucid, be more than happy.
Gather some energy for life outside the sleep and get back.
Sleep.

Karur to Madurai. Second phase of vacation ;)

At times it makes some sense to use this blog not just as a platform to think, but also as a repository to store memories. This post is one such act. Posting from bus, during the journey. This will be valuable ten years from now!

Some other Parents? NO THANKS!

It was December 14th, 2011 that my parents left Bangalore, and moved to Tamil Nadu. From that day to Jan 4th, 2012, it has been a wonderful learning experience for me. (more about the learning in the next post)..

See the full gallery on Posterous

One valuable thing that I realized was this....

Had I gotten the curse of having anybody else other than this particular combo of mom and dad, I would not have been the success that I am today.

And when I say success...if your question was, "what actually has this guy achieved? Money? Status? President of United States? Won the world cup?....etc

That's exactly what I meant. My parents helped me realize that success doesn't really have to be the above mentioned "self-imposed-definitions" about yourself. It simply means : winning over hearts and your ability to make other people give you a genuine smile.

P.S...

My mom finally chose to display my painting in the show-case of our home. It was painted a year ago. I mean... which mom would be comfortable with a painting by her son that is an lustful rendition of a nude woman, and added to the chrome are accessories like smoke, hookah and wine. And to sum it all up, a set of footprints above them! She understood the meaning, and that's what makes her special.