Tag: Religion

Secularism A Short Film

Posted on by bach

A Short Film by David M. Beadle. Robert G. Ingersoll wrote this essay in 1887, the message is as urgent today as it was 127 years ago

Complete essay by Robert G. Ingersoll (source)

SEVERAL people have asked me the meaning of this term. Secularism is the religion of humanity; it embraces the affairs of this world; it is interested in everything that touches the welfare of a sentient being; it advocates attention to the particular planet in which we happen to live; it means that each individual counts for something; it is a declaration of intellectual independence; it means that the pew is superior to the pulpit, that those who bear the burdens shall have the profits and that they who fill the purse shall hold the strings. It is a protest against theological oppression, against ecclesiastical tyranny, against being the serf, subject or slave of any phantom, or of the priest of any phantom. It is a protest against wasting this life for the sake of one that we know not of. It proposes to let the gods take care of themselves. It is another name for common sense; that is to say, the adaptation of means to such ends as are desired and understood.

Secularism believes in building a home here, in this world. It trusts to individual effort, to energy, to intelligence, to observation and experience rather than to the unknown and the supernatural. It desires to be happy on this side of the grave.

Secularism means food and fireside, roof and raiment, reasonable work and reasonable leisure, the cultivation of the tastes, the acquisition of knowledge, the enjoyment of the arts, and it promises for the human race comfort, independence, intelligence, and above all liberty. It means the abolition of sectarian feuds, of theological hatreds. It means the cultivation of friendship and intellectual hospitality. It means the living for ourselves and each other; for the present instead of the past, for this world rather than for another. It means the right to express your thought in spite of popes, priests, and gods. It means that impudent idleness shall no longer live upon the labor of honest men. It means the destruction of the business of those who trade in fear. It proposes to give serenity and content to the human soul.

It will put out the fires of eternal pain. It is striving to do away with violence and vice, with ignorance, poverty and disease. It lives for the ever present to-day, and the ever coming to-morrow. It does not believe in praying and receiving, but in earning and deserving. It regards work as worship, labor as prayer, and wisdom as the savior of mankind. It says to every human being, Take care of yourself so that you may be able to help others; adorn your life with the gems called good deeds; illumine your path with the sunlight called friendship and love.

Secularism is a religion, a religion that is understood. It has no mysteries, no mumblings, no priests, no ceremonies, no falsehoods, no miracles, and no persecutions. It considers the lilies of the field, and takes thought for the morrow. It says to the whole world, Work that you may eat, drink, and be clothed; work that you may enjoy; work that you may not want; work that you may give and never need.

The Independent Pulpit, Waco, Texas, 1887.

It’s India-Pakistan all over again, in Sudan

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South Sudan voting for its independence, and we will have a secular country in six months, in one month we will come to know about it! I see it as India-Pakistan of Africa with one country with single defined state religion/language while the other being multicultural and secular (and corrupt). Whatever it may be, I congratulate south Sudan (or the name they call it in two months) all the very best.

All southerners need to do is to turn up at least 60% and vote at least 51%, and boom! There is very little chance that South will vote for unity (after all things happened) that would be unfortunate. Good news is, so far they dint find anyone who wants to vote for unity (look at us! Celebrating defeat of unity 🙂 ). There is also a tiny chance that north will deny the independence for south (as happened in Burmese election). But for the time being let’s not put this idea into their head.

sudan vote symbols

I will be celebrating it with a Champagne, in February, so will billion others around the world. This probably will be most celebrated divorce ever, for a million reasons. A small fraction of those million reasons I can think of are:

  • Peace! After couple of million killed over couple of decades.
  • Home rule, spending its own money on their own country!
  • There will be roads, schools and hospitals in south! Which rest of the world built centuries ago? (Fact: First tar road out of any town in South Sudan being laid in 2011)
  • Multi-cultural! Good to have no dominant culture which decides how rest of the tribes can be flogged!
  • There is international community to help newborn country. BTW Did I mention George Clooney is my favourite actor?

Once advice for South, don’t be precious on Abyei region. We have a similar situation here, we call it Kashmir.

Changing definitions

Posted on by bach

I did not know the definition of “liberal” was so simple till our superstar journalist Rajdeep  Sardesai explained it to me. Apparently it simply means “one who drinks scotch and loves his women(plural)”.
Or is it just honouring assassinated politician by calling him a liberal ? Why these lies ?

rajdeep sardesai

Now lets define “moderate“.

Five hundred Pakistani religious scholars said that anyone who expressed grief over the assassination of Salman Taseer, governor of Punjab province, could suffer the same fate.

The Jamaat-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat Pakistan group of scholars making the veiled threat is from what is seen as a relatively moderate school of Islam in Pakistan. –  reuters.

Tricky eh ?

A khaki dissident on 1971

Posted on by bach

We all have read the bloody stories during birth of Pakistan. This is from “The birth of Bangladesh”. A story Colonel Nadir Ali of Pakistan (west Pakistani officer posted in east Pakistan) recalls it during 1971 war. A perfect example of “modern” war ethics. There is more in Wikipedia. if you would like to read further on this. Pakistan still holds this attitude towards her(his is it?) minority, and unfortunately they take “not in genocidal level” as a compliment!.

During the fateful months preceding the dismemberment of Pakistan, I served as a young Captain,

Rayerbazar killing field photographed immediately after the war, showing dead bodies of intellectuals (Image courtesy: Rashid Talukdar, 1971) - image via wikipedia

meantime promoted to the rank of the Major, in Dhaka as well as Chittagong. In my position as second-in-command and later as commander, I served with 3 Commando Battalion.

My first action was in mid April 1971. “It is Mujib-ur-Rahman’s home district. It is a hard area. Kill as many bastards as you can and make sure there is no Hindu left alive,” I was ordered.

“Sir, I do not kill unarmed civilians who do not fire at me,” I replied.

“Kill the Hindus. It is an order for everyone. Don’t show me your commando finesse!”.

I flew in for my first action. I was dropped behind Farid Pur. I made a fire base and we fired all around. Luckily there was nobody to shoot at. Then suddenly I saw some civilians running towards us. They appeared unarmed. I ordered “Stop firing!” and shouted at villagers, questioning them what did they want. “Sir we have brought you some water to drink!”, was the brisk reply.

I ordered my subordinates to put the weapons away and ordered a tea-break. We remained there for hours. Somebody brought and hoisted a Pakistani flag. “Yesterday I saw all Awami League flags over your village” I told the villagers. That was indeed the fact. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Later the main army column caught up to make contact. They arrived firing with machine guns all around and I saw smoke columns rising in villages behind them. “What’s the score?” the Colonel asked.

“There was no resistance so we didn’t kill anyone,” he was informed.

He fired from his machine gun and some of the villagers who had brought us water, fell dead. “That is the way my boy,” the Colonel told this poor Major.