good » Matharu's Rants and Raves

The problem is with Hasan himself, of course. He has bought into a superstition; the delusion this brings stops him from responding rationally. Further, it is clear from MacDonald’s article that Hasan is already well on the path of barbarity and injustice.

I will belittle Hasan and his irrationality for the same reason that I would belittle adults who claim that Santa Claus is real or who insist that there are fairies living at the bottom of the garden. But I would do so to a greater extent to Hasan due to the evil that will result from what he says.

Here’s a good talk on why it matters to challenge delusion and irrationality:

Article by Kulvinder Singh Matharu – 2013

What is atheism?

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Jan 062013

Someone asked me what values “atheism” had, what philosophies it had. That’s an interesting question but the answer is rather simple.

I am an atheist; simply a person who is convinced that there is no god. What makes me so sure that there is no god? Well, I certainly have no method to prove the non-existence of a god, and I do allow for the possibly that a god may exist, but I’ve not found any credible evidence for the existence of a god, and the world looks exactly how it should if there was no god. I therefore conclude that the existence of a god is unlikely. This just happens to align quite closely with Richard Dawkins’s own position of “6” along the spectrum of theistic probability.

To elaborate, I claim the non-existence of a god with the same confidence that I claim that there are no fairies living at the bottom of the garden and that there are no invisible dragons living in my garage. An atheistic viewpoint should be the default position, and other viewpoints taken when evidence allows.

There is no need to add any other philosophies or viewpoints to the word “atheism”; atheism does not dictate or imply a way of life. Recent attempts to redefine and expand what atheism means, well-meaning though they are, cause confusion and create division. Whilst it is a good idea for atheist communities to exchange thoughts, re-branding atheism into a set of philosophies is not the way forward and I distance myself from such re-branding exercises.

For myself, I recognise the special time that I am alive, and I intend to make the most of what little time I have. I empathise with those who suffer and I do what I can to alleviate suffering. I seek joy in myself and in others. But these traits are not unique to any single philosophy; the religious experience these as well. But I am also rather interested in explaining to others why belief in the existence of a god is not rational, and why religions with their unjust teachings should be abandoned; such debates can be rather interesting but mostly unsatisfactory as not many people are able to abandon a framework that has been indoctrinated into them since childhood. But again, none of this is required to be an atheist.

So, the answer is rather simple. Atheism is simply the position that there is no god. That’s all.

Article by Kulvinder Singh Matharu – 2013

Religion is a barrier to the understanding of the true nature of things

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Jan 062013

I was perusing the Discovery Magazine blogs and came across an article from Nov 2012 by Razib Khan which seeks to describe some of the tensions experienced between religion and science:

Mine eyes have seen the glory; we are as gods!
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2012/11/mine-eyes-have-seen-the-glory-we-are-as-gods/

Within the framework of Western civilisation, past endeavours at seeking knowledge have, in large part, been motivated and instigated through religious inspiration. However, the religious increasingly did not like what was being found, and their early attempts to smother the truth were heavy handed, unjust and brutal. But these prohibitions on seeking and disseminating knowledge on the true nature of things were ultimately doomed to failure as the methodology for discovering truth matured into what we call science. Religion, today, has no part to play in the search for truth, be they of a scientific nature or of a moral nature.

Khan’s blog is quite interesting as it piques my interest in human origin, so I intend to spend a bit of time there catching up on all of his articles.

Article by Kulvinder Singh Matharu – 2013

Why science and religion are not compatible

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Jan 042013

A presentation by Jerry Coyne, author of “Why evolution is true”, explaining why religion is not compatible with science:

Jerry Coyne on the Odd Couple: Why Science and Religion Shouldn’t Cohabit

Article by Kulvinder Singh Matharu – 2013

Steiner – Waldorf schools, founded on nonsense, superstition and the occult

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Dec 022012

Further to a recent post on Steiner Waldorf schools, Quackometer has posted a couple of articles on the obfuscation practised by those schools, and the results of the investigations by the BBC et al:

The education of our children should not be left in the hands of those steeped in nonsense, superstition and the occult. There is enough unreason already in this world without more sewage being poured over the impressionable and the vulnerable. The level of indoctrination practised by these schools does not appear to be as overt as those of other religious schools but the nature of the risks needs to be understood.

An extensive resource is here for those wanting to research more:

Waldorf Watch
http://sites.google.com/site/waldorfwatch/

This website deals with
- Waldorf schools, also known as Steiner schools;
- Rudolf Steiner, the occultist who established the first of these schools; and
- Anthroposophy, the bizarre religion promoted by the schools.

I, of course, have similar objections to other religious schools but the need to highlight the nature of the Steiner Waldorf schools required prioritising as not everyone is aware what these schools are all about.

Article by Kulvinder Singh Matharu – 2012

Saudi Arabia, where scum rule

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Dec 012012

There is much junk, much nonsense and much evil within Saudi Arabia. Here’s one example:

Electronic tracking: new constraint for Saudi women
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jVmdMCkfcY0mi6bg-RVAJ0scaxSg?docId=CNG.08f465f0502f24565a5e31b0b7b8211b.141

Of course there are other countries and organisations that align themselves with Saudi Arabia’s policies and my initial feeling is one of detest. The article does mention some signs of hope and I am fully supportive of any initiatives that can bring in justice and expel evils.

There are non-believers in Saudi Arabia, but it isn’t easy:

Interview with a Saudi atheist
http://www.yourmiddleeast.com/columns/article/interview-with-a-saudi-atheist_11146

Religion has abused and will continue to abuse whenever it is in a position to influence and weld power.

Article by Kulvinder Singh Matharu – 2012

Pakistan – will you condemn the pro-Taliban?

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Nov 062012

My thoughts are quite clear on the depravity that is the Taliban:

The evils of the Taliban fought by education
http://www.metalvortex.com/blog/2012/10/20/1034.html

And now we see Fazlur Rehman, leader of a pro-Taliban group in Pakistan, suggesting that the shooting of Malala Yousafzai was not the result of Taliban action.

Islamist leader lends voice to Malala conspiracy theories
http://www.theweek.co.uk/world-news/malala-yousafzai/49924/islamist-leader-lends-voice-malala-conspiracy-theories

Rehman is obviously reacting to the negative response in Pakistan that such an incident has had on the Taliban. What he fails to do is take responsibility for his own support of the Taliban encouraging such barbarity.

The Taliban’s aims are clear; they are evil through and through. Those who turn an blind eye to the Taliban’s actions, and those who refuse to acknowledge the actions of the Taliban, are as much responsible for the Taliban’s evils as the Taliban themselves.

Article by Kulvinder Singh Matharu – 2012

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