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Science VS Religion

2009-09-10T12:57:00.002+05:30

Excerpts from Dan Brown's Angels & Demons--- The speech from a Man of Religion (not directly quoted)

Science will win the war. The wheels have been in motion for a long time. Never before has it been as obvious as it is at this moment. Science is the new God. Medicine, electronic communications, space travel, genetic manipulation - These are the miracles about which we now tell our children. These are the miracles we herald as proof that science will bring us the answers. The ancient stories of immaculate conceptions, burning bushes, and parting seas are no longer relevant. God has become obsolete. Science has won the battle. We concede. But science's victory has cost every one of us. And it has cost us deeply.

Science may have alleviated the miseries of disease and drudgery and provided an array of gadgetry for our entertainment and convenience, but it has left us in a world without wonder. Our sunsets have been reduced to wavelengths and frequencies. The complexities of the universe have been shredded into mathematical equations. Even our self-worth as human beings has been destroyed. Science proclaims that Planet Earth and its inhabitants is a meaningless speck in the grand scheme. A cosmic accident. Even the technology that promises to unite us, divides us. Each of us is now electronically connected to the globe, and yet we feel utterly alone. We are bombarded with violence, division, fracture, and betrayal. Skepticism has become a virtue. Cynicism and demand for proof has become enlightened thought. Is it any wonder that humans now feel more depressed and defeated than they have at any point in human history? Does science hold anything sacred? Science looks for answers by probing our unborn fetuses. Science even presumes to rearrange our own DNA. It shatters God's world into smaller and smaller pieces in quest of meaning . . . and all it finds is more questions.

The ancient war between science and religion is over. Science has won, but it has not won fairly. You have not won by providing answers. You have won by so radically reorienting our society that the truths we once saw as signposts now seem inapplicable. Religion cannot keep up. Scientific growth is exponential. It feeds on itself like a virus. Every new breakthrough opens doors for new breakthroughs. Mankind took thousands of years to progress from the wheel to the car. Yet only decades from the car into space. Now we measure scientific progress in weeks. We are spinning out of control. The rift between us grows deeper and deeper, and as religion is left behind, people find themselves in a spiritual void. We cry out for meaning. And believe me, we do cry out. We see UFOs, engage in channeling, spirit contact, out-of-body experiences, mindquests- all these eccentric ideas have a scientific veneer, but they are unashamedly irrational. They are the desperate cry of the modern soul, lonely and tormented, crippled by its own enlightenment and its inability to accept meaning in anything removed from technology.

Science, you say, will save us. Science, I say, has destroyed us. Since the days of Galileo, religion has tried to slow the relentless march of science, sometimes with misguided means, but always with benevolent intention. Even so, the temptations are too great for man to resist. I warn you, look around yourselves. The promises of science have not been kept. Promises of efficiency and simplicity have bred nothing but pollution and chaos. We are a fractured and frantic species moving down a path of destruction.

Who is this God science? Who is the God who offers his people power but no moral framework to tell you how to use that power? What kind of God gives a child fire but does not warn the child of its dangers? The language of science comes with no signposts about good and bad. Science textbooks tell us how to create a nuclear reaction, and yet they contain no chapter asking us if it is a good or a bad idea.

The religion is tired. We are exhausted from trying to be your signposts. Our resources are drying up from our campaign to be the voice of balance as you plow blindly on in your quest for smaller chips and larger profits. We ask not why you will not govern yourselves, but how can you?

Your world moves so fast that if you stop even for an instant to consider the implications of your actions, someone more efficient will whip past you in a blur. So you move on. You encourage people to interact on phones, video screens, and computers, but it is religion that opens its doors and reminds us to commune in person as we were meant to do. You even murder unborn babies in the name of research that will save lives. Again, it is religion who points out the fallacy of this reasoning. And all the while, you proclaim religion is ignorant. But who is more ignorant? The man who cannot define lightning or the man who does not respect its awesome power?

Religion is reaching out to you, to everyone. And yet the more we reach, the more you push us away. Show me proof there is a God, you say. I say use your telescopes to look to the heavens, and tell me how there could not be a God. You ask what does God look like. I say, where did that question come from? The answers are one and the same. Do you not see God in your science? How can you miss Him! You proclaim that even the slightest change in the force of gravity or the weight of an atom would have rendered our universe a lifeless mist rather than our magnificent sea of heavenly bodies, and yet you fail to see God's hand in this? Is it really so much easier to believe that we simply chose the right card from a deck of billions? Have we become so spiritually bankrupt that we would rather believe in mathematical impossibility than in a power greater than us? Whether or not you believe in God, you must believe this. When we as a species abandon our trust in the power greater than us, we abandon our sense of accountability. Faith . . . all faiths . . . are admonitions that there is something we cannot understand, something to which we are accountable . . . With faith we are accountable to each other, to ourselves, and to a higher truth. Religion is flawed, but only because man is flawed. If the outside world could see this church as I do . . . looking beyond the rituals . . . they would see a modern miracle . .. a brotherhood of imperfect, simple souls wanting only to be a voice of compassion in a world spinning out of control."

Whether you see this evil as Satan, corruption, or immorality . . . the dark force is alive and growing every day. Do not ignore it. The force, though mighty, is not invincible. Goodness can prevail. Listen to your hearts. Listen to God. Together we can step back from this abyss.

The "Middle Finger"

2009-08-17T09:52:00.003+05:30

We've seen people doing it and we might have ourselves done it.... Where did this originate? Won't it be interesting to know the LEGEND of the MIDDLE FINGER

Before the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the French, anticipating victory over the English, proposed to cut off the middle finger of all captured English soldiers. Without the middle finger it would be impossible to draw the renowned English longbow and therefore they would be incapable of fighting in the future. This famous English longbow was made of the native English Yew tree, and the act of drawing the longbow was known as "plucking the yew" (or "pluck yew").
Much to the bewilderment of the French, the English won a major upset and began mocking the French by waving their middle fingers at the defeated French, saying, See, we can still pluck yew! Since 'pluck yew' is rather difficult to say, the difficult consonant cluster at the beginning evolved into a rhyming and now more famous, F*** U you know what , and thus the words often used in conjunction with the one-finger-salute! It is also because of the pheasant feathers on the arrows used with the longbow that the symbolic gesture is known as "GIVING THE BIRD"

And yew thought yew knew every plucking thing. 8-)

Do We Really Know These....

2009-08-13T14:09:00.006+05:30

"To Know Is To Know That There Are Alot of Things That U Don't Know"

We all grow up with a lot of things that we often take for granted, the eternal question of "WHY" is rarely asked so there are a lot of things that we just superficially know. There should not be any arguement if I say that we all think we know what a Moped or a Geep or a Queue is..... but mates I recently realized that I don't.... My Grandfather used to tell me "Knowledge Is To Know Some Things About Everything & Everything About Some Things" Read on... u'll get to know a little more about words we just casually use.....

MOPED is the short term for 'Motorized Pedalling'. Quite Logical, ain't it...

POP MUSIC is 'Popular Music' abbreviated. Common Sense....but did we ever consider giving it a thought....

BUS is the short term for 'Omnibus' that means everybody. Not so obvious :)....

FORTNIGHT comes from 'Fourteen Nights' (Two Weeks). No Doubts.....

DRAWING ROOM was actually a 'withdrawing room' where people withdrew after Dinner. Later the prefix 'with' was dropped. Thats some Reasoning....

NEWS refers to information from four directions N, E, W and S. This is rather common though.....

AG-MARK, which some products bear, stems from 'Agricultural Marketing'...

JOURNAL is a diary that tells about 'Journey for a day' during each Day's business.

QUEUE comes from 'Queen's Quest'. Long back a long row of people as waiting to see the Queen. Someone made the comment Queen's Quest.

TIPS come from 'To Insure Prompt Service'. In olden days to get Prompt service from servants in an inn, travelers used to drop coins in a Box on which was written 'To Insure Prompt Service'. This gave rise to the custom of Tips.

JEEP is a vehicle with unique Gear system. It was invented during World War II (1939-1945). It was named 'General Purpose Vehicle (GP)'. GP began to be spelled as JEEP later.

How did u like it!?! Gave u some thoughts I believe

If u have any more of these tit bits of information, please do share in the Comments section... Have a Great Day 8)

Are U The Leader or The Mob..

2009-08-12T11:25:00.004+05:30

Are you the 2% or 98% of the population?

Follow the instructions! NO PEEKING AHEAD!

READ the Instructions thoroughly

1. Think of a number from 1 to 10

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2. Multiply that number by 9

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3. If the number is a 2-digit number, add the digits together

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4. Now subtract 5

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5. Determine which letter in the alphabet corresponds to the number you ended up with

(example: 1=a, 2=b, 3=c,etc.)

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6. Think of a country that starts with that letter.

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7. Remember the last letter of the name of that country.

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8. Think of the name of an animal that starts with that letter.

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9. Remember the last letter in the name of that animal.

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10. Think of the name of a fruit that starts with that letter.

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"Are you thinking of a Kangaroo in

Denmark

eating an Orange?"

FREAKY!! Isn't It!?!

If NOT, u're among the 2% of the population whose minds are different enough to think of something else. 98% of people will answer with Kangaroos in Denmark and Orange when given this exercise.

Write what u were thinking of in the COMMENTS section, U can post anonymous too....

MOB or LEADER.... U Decide....

Lets C What Comes here...

2009-08-12T09:34:00.002+05:30

Saw this Blog game going on.... Its like the very primitive emails where one used to create some fields and send it across to whole address book for replies.... The game has been updated for blogs... U have to fill all the fields, with each reply starting from the first letter of your name..... I was tagged to this game with an updated version, reply to all the answers in PUNJABI touch....

Up here, you have to reply to subsequent fields with the next letter of alphabets.... like if ur name starts with "A", the answer to 2nd field should start with "B", to the 3rd with "C" and so on... Pretty Simple....

1. What is your name: Anirudh gabroo...
2. A four Letter Word: Ailo
3. A boy's Name: Amreek
4. A girl's Name: Amrita
5. An occupation: Aadti (Commission Agent)
6. A colour: Asmaani ;)(Sky Blue)
7. Something you wear: Angoothi (Ring)
8. A food: Aaloo De Praanthe dahi te makkhan naal (National Breakfast)
9. Something found in the bathroom: Aphtersabe (Phitkari)
10. A place: Ambarsar (Amritsar)
11. A reason for being late: Aalas (Laziness, ofcourse)
12. Something you shout: Aa te ji kamaal ho gaya
13. A movie title: Asa Nu Maan Watna Da
14. Something you drink: Angoori ;) Bbbbrrrruuuuaaaaaaa
15. A musical group: Aryans
16. An animal: Ape (Punjabi naam koi hai bhi sahi A se?)
17. A street name: Arjan Dev Singh Marg
18. A type of car: Audi
19. Something scary: Aanda Saanp [:P]
20. Ice cream flavour: Amb di kulfi (tuhaadi Divine MANGO Ice Cream)

Reply in the comments section.... Lets C, how it turns up here...

Corporate Lessons

2009-08-11T15:04:00.003+05:30

Here is a very Funny but True way to guide ur corporate life.... Read the 3 stories and the Morals

I. A crow used to sit on a tree and do nothing all day, a rabbit saw it and said, "Can I also sit like u & do nothing." The crow replied, "Yes, sure" so the rabbit sat under the tree, suddenly a fox appeared and ate the rabbit.

MORAL: If U want to sit Idle & Do Nothing, make sure U R sitting really HIGH UP

II. A Bull & a Turkey were talking. The Turkey Said, "I'd love to reach the top of that tree but I don't have the strength to Fly that high." The Bull replied, "Why don't U feed on my droppings, it is packed with nutrients." The turkey ate some and realized that it could actually fly higher, so it ate more and more till it was able to reach the top of the tree. A Hunter spotted the turkey on the tree top and shot it down.

MORAL: 1. Stronger People will always lure u to higher positions for taking their shit.

2. Bullshit can take u to the top but it can not keep u there.

III. A little bird was migrating south for winters, it was so cold that the bird froze and fell on ground. A cow came by and excreted some dung on it. The bird was humiliated but was helpless. Soon it began to realize that the cow dung was keeping it warm and alive. As it became more comfortable, the bird began to sing with joy. A cat heard the bird, dug it out of the dung and ate it.

Moral: 1. Not everyone who drops shit on u is ur enemy.

2. Not everyone who digs u out of shit is ur friend.

3. When u r in shit, better keep ur mouth shut.

One Lovely SMS

2009-08-10T12:15:00.004+05:30

Ever since I came to Delhi, I've ceased laying any importance to the SMS Beep of my Mobile, 9 times out of 10 as it gives an SMS Alert, I find an advertising for property that I can't as yet afford, or a Weight Loss package that I don't want....

But a Few Days back there was this Lovely SMS on my phone that one of my very old pals sent to me....

"Work For A Cause, Not For Applause", "Live To Express, Not To Impress", "Don't Strive To Make Ur Presence Felt, Just Make Ur Absence Noticed"

I was more than just Impressed, what High words to form Principle to One's Life... Loved it so much that I immediately assigned it as my Status Message on gTalk... I want to spread these words. ThanQ Ritesh (fondly remembered as HOLI). Of all the ways you have added value to me, this is the best & the one I'm most indebted to. :)

P.S: The response was also very encouraging, one of my friend's on gTalk reacted by quoting it to his status message too... so I'll believe I'm not the only eccentric soul to have liked this Philosophical SMS.