A very good friend of mine is deeply religious.
Neither his religion, nor my atheism came in between our friendship.
Another close friend and relative is deeply spiritual.
Despite my materialistic worldview, we understand each other better than most others do.
Ironical though it may sound, often, the space we give each other to be different from us, brings us …
Category Archives: philosophy
Giving Space Often Brings Us Closer
Assertive vs. Aggressive: Why It Matters
This is in response to Atul’s An Aggressive Assertion, in which he delves into the possible differences between the two. As always, his post is beautifully written, but goes off in such a tangent to my frame of reference, that I decided to write here in response.
My interpretation of what Atul is trying to say …
What The Hell Is Divinity?
A few blog posts and conversations with friends have made me unquiet about the concept of Divinity: What is Divinity and what does it mean?
Background
My friend Asuph wrote about Divinity in 2004, when I had not even started blogging. He uses Pirsig’s Metaphysics of Quality from Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance to describe what …
Mentally Challenged, Raped, Pregnant. Abort?
While Barack Obama proclaims White House support to the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities to which India is a signatory, the Indian Supreme Court has delivered a landmark judgment in a unique case of young woman in India. My apologies, but the subject necessitates a lengthy post.
Background
Born in 1991, this woman …
Religion vs. Gender Equality & Feminism
How do religions treat women? How do emancipated women treat religion? A sequence of events recently has made my mind unquiet over this subject. Nita asked if Hinduism was coming of age, with people performing the sacred ‘thread ceremony’ on their daughters. The BJP found itself trapped in the maze of confusion surrounding Hindutva. And …
A to Z of Films Meme (G)
How did I end up in this Golmaal (confusion)? ‘G’ stands for all that is good and great. So how does one select a winner from among so many deserving candidates? Does one simply give up and disappear, as if Gone With The Wind? How does one separate The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly? …
QOTD — 10th Oct 2007
After the intense and enlightening discussion on an earlier post — An Unquiet Mind Over Matter — I couldn’t help resist sharing today’s Quote of the Day from The Quotation’s Page. It’s a perfect rejoinder that serves a sumptuous dessert of humor!
Those who believe in telekinetics, raise my hand
– Kurt VonnegutUS novelist (1922 — 2007)
Religion vs. Atheism in Parenting
A few weeks back, I read Richard Dawkins in The God Delusion say:
I want us to flinch when we hear of a ‘Christian child’ or a ‘Muslim child’. Small children are too young to know their views on life, ethics and the cosmos. We should no more speak of a Christian child than of a …
50 Years…
Sputnik soaredAtlas ShruggedMankind roaredEarth unplugged
Start of a space raceWhat a disgraceAmidst all the paceWho lost their face?
Fifty yearsCommunism shatteredMan yearnsHis dreams shattered
Ayn Rand publishedRussia extinguishedGalt spokeThe world awoke
Dagny TaggartA railroad at heartTorn apartYet, a work of art
Hank ReardenBeneath a burdenRefused a pardonBecame a guardian
FranciscoActed like in a discoHis characterMuch like a fresco
John GaltHis life exaltsLike single maltPure gestalt
Yuri …
Runaway Train
Prologue
I decided to add this prologue after the first few comments to this post. This post uses an incident in India, but is actually universal in nature and focuses on the moral, philosophical, and ethical decision-making involved in an emergency.
Main Post
Imagine you’re traveling from Mumbai to Pune by train, which is full to capacity, as …
