Speak Up

Can faith help deal with the tragedy?

Speak Up

Dharmender Singh is an atheist Sikh who believes most of our Christmas customs are pagan in origin and that Christmas is simply a way for people to celebrate the human experience.

The numerous Gurus of India

Research done by Christian researchers but nevertheless rational.

Appeal

Sanal Edamaruku, the President of the Indian Rationalist Association, is facing arrest for challenging a 'miracle'. The Archdiocese of Mumbai have made the complaint and Indian law allows him to be arrested even without a warrant. He’s been denied ‘anticipatory bail’ so might end up in jail for a long time pending resolution.

Kindly sign the petition to Catholic Archdiocese of Bombay to withdraw complaints against Sanal
Petition on change.com (10,657 signs yet)

X-Files: The Nocebo Effect

Intense belief in a negative thing Kills!

Ten years ago, researchers stumbled onto a striking finding: Women who believed that they were prone to heart disease were nearly four times as likely to die as women with same risk who didn't hold such views.

Person is convinced that something is going to go wrong, so it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Cancer Deaths
90% of pateints who were told they will die from cancer did so, they OBLIGED on doctors orders. Patients who fight it usually live while patients who accept it that they are going to die interestingly produce nocebo effect which kills them. So trusting the doctor too much proved harmful in this case.

Nocebo Effect
The opposite of placebo effect, little is understood about this effect. The race is on to understand the precise mechanisms behind nocebo.



Self sabotage: What is happening in our brain?
Thoughts generate chemicals & being stuck on a negative thought can overdose us.

The Role of Conditioning
When people have been conditioned to the power of such a thing, it sticks in the sub-conscious mind. Such “conditioning” helps explain why as many as one in three people become nauseated or even vomit on entering a room where they have recently received chemotherapy.




The Infamous Toona
Black Magic, researchers found it only affected those who believed it did. Their mind attacks the body. In case of African voodoo - Africans die from it, never a white person. The Pain study, which was led by Italian neuroscientist Martina Amanzio, reviewed 73 clinical trials conducted between 1988 and 2007.

Bulleh Shah - The Punjabi Humanist

The first aspect of Bulleh Shah’s poetry and philosophy that strikes the reader is his bold and almost arrogant critique of the religious orthodoxy of his day; specifically the Islamic religious orthodoxy. His poetry is filled with direct attacks on anyone claiming control over religion, to the point of comparing mullahs to barking dogs and crowing roosters.

Punjabi Original:
Masjid dha de, mandir dha de, dha de jo kucch dainda
Par kisi da dil na dhain, Rab dilan vich rehnda..
Translation:
Tear down the mosque or the temple; you may break everything you can
But do not break a person’s heart, it is there that God resides


Punjabi Original:
Mulla tay mashaalchi dohaan ikko chit
Loukan karday chananan, aap anhairae vich
Translation:
Mullah and the torch-bearer, both from the same flock
Guiding others; themselves in the dark

Others which signify atheism:

The Mullas and Qazis show me the light

Leading to the maze of superstition.

Wicked are the ways of the world

Like laying nets for innocent birds

With religious and social taboos

They have tied my feet tight.
~

What a spark of knowledge is kindled 
I find that I am neither Hindu nor Turk.
I am a lover by creed;
A lover is victorious even when swindled.
~
Lumpens live in the Hindu temples
And sharks in the Sikh shrines.
Musclemen live in the Muslim mosques
And lovers live in their clime.
~
Burn the prayer mat, break the water pot,

Quit the rosary and care not for the staff.

~
The thugs with their mouths full of froth
Talk about life and death
Without making any sense.
With the fundamentalist, he is more severe :
If you wish to be a ghazi,
Take up your sword :
Before killing the Heretic
You must slaughter the swindler.

Despite this, when he was denounced as a heretic, Bulleh Shah shouted back:

A lover of God?

They'll make much fuss;

They'll call you a Heretic 

You should say -yes, yes.

God on the Brain

An older documentary yet an essential one.

The Story of the Turban

We are living in the most peaceful time in our species' existence

Contrary to popular belief, our ancestors were far more violent than us. Violence been in decline for a long period of time.

Polio finally defeated in India

2011 was the first year in history of India with zero polio cases. Only three countries in the world still have polio -Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan. Coincidently countries with populations among the most religious in the world.

Are we in control of our decisions?

Dan Ariely demonstates how our society picks our decisions. He illustrates that we dont make a decision for complex problems & allow the decision to be chosen for us. 

Thats why most people have the same religion of their parents.

Ghalib on Heaven

Mirza Ghalib was the most well known poet of Punjab of his times. Living under orthodox Islam, he was known for his liberal views. A verse from his writings.

            "Hum ko maloom hai jannat ke haqeeeqat, lekin...
             Dil ke khush rakhnay ko,

             Ghalib, yeh khayal acha ha"

Translation        
            ‘I know the truth about heaven, but

             As for amusement of the heart, 

             O Ghalib, it's a useful idea.’

Michael Shermer: Why people believe strange things

Your brain is badly wired

Al Seckel, a cognitive neuroscientist, explores the perceptual illusions that fool our brains. Loads of eye tricks help him prove that not only are we easily fooled, we like being fooled.

Welcome to SatYug!

While Indian religions refer to the present age as Kaliyug  (Dark Age) & while Satyug, a 'Golden Age' was in ancient times, data suggests differently. Even during the last century, average human lifespan doubled, average per capita income tripled, childhood mortality 10 times less, cost of food 10 times less, cost of electricity 20 times less & much much more.