Mr. BLACK-COAT, WHY DON’T YOU BELIEVE IN GOD?

Navaljee · Aug 9, 2008

When anyone asks you, ‘Do you believe in God?’ Your answer would not be as simple as a handshake or as heart breaking as a doctor’s bill.
First you would look at the crazy questioner, especially at his/her clothes for arriving at from which land he/she comes. And then would start guessing about her/his mental status. After being satisfied about the questioner’s non-violent purpose you would say, “Yes,” generally.

You would say “Yes” because you do believe that you believe in God!



But for me it’s a matter of large confusion, or a provocative ambiguity sometimes. As I am an advocate, all the religious minded friends of mine consider it their sacred duty to convert me into their army of astikas (theists). While sitting in office or sipping tea in canteen, they ask me a spear-straight question: Why don’t you believe in God? (It makes me more painful when the tea is ordered by me) But I had ignored smilingly in my youth years, the years when you take even the most serious things quite lightly. But as the age grows, you know, the patience start crumbling. It has started in my case, too. So here in this article, I would try to search for an answer for a question about the God’s existence. Wish me a good luck.

First of all, I would not base my belief on other persons asking or on any other thing like the fear of being sided out. You know, if these people find you on the other bank of the river, you would be sided out as aliens; they would not look at you in the temples, in the mosques, in the churches, in theaters, in gambling places, in pubs and in… everywhere. Moreover, if you are a non-believer in God, you would feel yourself like a patient, attending the doctor’s conference: every one in the surround looking at you with an inquiring eyes, and would like to do some curing for you.

Our belief in God’s existence is not free from our worldly colors. The belief, I suppose, is dependent upon the fringe benefits it allows us to enjoy. Take the case of the promise of heaven. The theists seriously believe that they have booked their plots in heaven where they would build a hut of their own. In case these people, the plot holders, are convinced that there is no heaven at the end of the journey, then I am sure that there would be more floor crossing than it is witnessed in India’s parliament now a day.

To my mind the greed for the heaven is as ancient as the tastes of our tongues; and we are as wise as we were in the days when it was believed that the diseases are the result of the God’s displeasure. And the God was believed to be allotting space in the hell of heaven as per his whims (or her whims, as I don’t know whether the God is male or female). But, you know, the changes occur; the developments are everywhere. The space covered by the place called ‘Hell’ cannot remain untouched by the modernity. So the present day hell should not be so uncomfortable, I think. If you live in metros, you need not be afraid of the inconveniences of the hell, as the hell certainly would not be as difficult to live in as it is in Mubai or Kolkatta.

So my thinking about the God and the ‘Hell’ is adequately dynamic.
When I had studied Charles Darwin in my school, I had a period of faith in my teachers who said that the man is final product of a long process of evolution. And from that I carved out a conclusion that there was no room for God’s involvement in human life. Hence in my early twenties, I was classified as a qualified atheist; and due to that virtue I was welcomed as a man of the modern thoughts.

Even the subsequent events in my life confirmed my disbelief about the heavenly presences. It made me believing that ‘even if there is a settlement like heave somewhere, say beyond Himalayas, it is extremely mishandled like our government offices’. Let me give an example. People believe that the pair of a husband and a wife is made in heaven. I doubt it. After my marriage, I firmly believe that there is huge malfunctioning in the heaven, at least in the matchmaking department.

Before some time, my wife and I were passing through a bridge on river where we saw a woman with her child of three or so, both crying. When we asked her she said she had no money for her daughters medicines, and the daughter was burning in fever. So we took her to a near by doctor’s clinic, arranged the required medicines.

After one week, the woman came to our home. Somehow she had found out our address, as we live in the riverside society. She had come to thank us for the help. While talking she started crying and told my wife and me that, “You are like God for me. You saved my daughter’s life. God bless you.” While taking God’s name she was feeling like, I suppose, that the God was residing next to her hutments. After taking tea, she went away.
After she went out my wife caught me. “You see, these people are happy because they believe in God,“ she said like quoting Pythagoras. And pointing her authoritative palm at me she asked, “And Mr. Black-coat, why don’t you believe in God?”

I was going to reply that, “Does it make any difference for God?” But as usual I decided not to proceed further, because it’s better not to start a war that you are going to lose certainly.
The fact is that I am still unaware of the whereabouts of the God. So I humbly request all of my friends to help me in this line. If you know anything about the God, let it be shared with me. Please tell me something about God if you have come in contact with the God, say through the means of telephones, SMSs, or personal notes. The emails, too, will do.

I am waiting for your responses…

Mindian · Aug 9, 2008

Dear Mr Navaljee.
now what do i say to an atheist...Well, first that i found your writing very interesting ,though i may not agree with you...i have always believed in god right from childhood, many things have been instilled in us by parents but as adults we start having our own opinions on almost everything...but this is one belief i still have...god has actually been my friend...i do not recite slokas or follow any religious practices but i generally talk to him(like u i am not sure whether it is a he or she but it is he that i talk to),confide to him my problems ask him to help me arrive at a solution and the solution whatever i arrive at should be the best for me....i can only say that he has not failed me till now...all major areas in life i am quite happy and owe it entirely to him...more than anything else he is a great source of strength and courage to me .....Do i sound crazy to u?
btw it is not due to greed of heaven at all... all that matters to me is life now...

Mindi

sundarusha · Aug 9, 2008

Dear Navaljee

I do believe in the invisible SuperPower, the existense of which explains various activities natural or unnatural in this world.

After one week, the woman came to our home. Somehow she had found out our address, as we live in the riverside society. She had come to thank us for the help. While talking she started crying and told my wife and me that, “You are like God for me. You saved my daughter’s life. God bless you.” While taking God’s name she was feeling like, I suppose, that the God was residing next to her hutments. After taking tea, she went away.<?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O />

As I read your above lines, I was reminded about the lines in a book that I read called " The life of Pi".A quote from the book move me.

"Most people would spend their life defending God in heaven , but when they pass a leper or a hungry man on the street, would pass him as if business was usual. It is important to defend the God within us, to feel compassion and love"

I was very moved by these powerful lines. You have followed it and no wonder the woman felt you were like God to her.

dolorcosta · Aug 10, 2008

<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cvjgopal%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><style>  </style> Dear Friends,

This is an age old topic.
Theism versus atheism
Believers v/s non-believers
Organized religion v/s heathenism
and so on…

At the outset I wish to clarify that I am neither a preacher nor a reformer in religious matters. This post is not directed at any particular members, with an objective of changing their thought patterns or moulding them, but is a general feedback regarding my thoughts on the complex question of God’s existence.

To begin with, I am hardly a religious person. I am just another individual of feeble intellect pottering through life without a clue regarding where we come from and where we go eventually. However I still have sufficient clarity of thought to believe that I am inclined to be a spiritual person. My understanding is that religious doctrine is essential in the formative stage since it inculcates a sense of moral discipline and a sense of belonging to one’s community but having said that, religion outgrows its utility. In that sense religion is supposed to unite people, instead of dividing them as we observe today.

Technically the path of religion is easier to tread than the spiritual road. The reason is that organized religion has already laid down stipulated rules, practices, conventions and principles for the adherent to follow. This black and white portrayal has perhaps made it easy to either accept or deny God’s existence. So closely are the concepts of God and religion intertwined that if you are a deeply religious person, you accept God’s existence but if you are skeptical of the rituals and dismiss everything as hocus pocus or mumbo jumbo then you begin to question God’s existence.

But it is not just in religion that you have to seek God. Just as you climb higher on a mountain to get a more encompassing view one needs to migrate upward from basic religious beliefs and seek spirituality. This is not so easy since it can be accomplished only by introspection, sadhana and reflection. As you progress further in life, it actually becomes possible to transcend religion and aspire to dabble in deeper philosophies that you may find more appealing and satisfying.

Coming to the question of whether God exists or not, better persons that me have tried harder and their efforts have been inconclusive to prove things, one way or the other. However I will try to share my belief that there is definitely a Cosmic Force or Will that keeps this universe moving like clockwork. You may call the force by any nomenclature you like, but it is all pervasive, omnipotent and omniscient. For convenience and consistency, I will use the term God to refer to this Almighty Force.

Abraham Lincoln once said that “when I look at a clock, I cannot but help think of the clockmaker who made this excellent device.” The universe we live in incredibly complex –far more complex than any clock. Extrapolating this logic, some absolutely brilliant force has fashioned human life, right from the time that a mind-boggling 3 billion bits of genetic material coupled in the right proportion and sequence in the primordial soup, millions of years ago, in the ambient temperature following the Big Bang of the Universe formed what we call today as DNA molecule, which has eventually set the genetic code for humans to evolve.

I refuse to believe that this is purely chance, the odds of such a molecule formed purely by random is statistically close to impossible.

There are any numbers of scientific examples that prove that God is a versatile and creative engineer and architect this universe. The micro world of atoms and nuclear physics is filled with any number of miracles, in the macro world, the speed of light and the humongous number and distances of galaxies are on a scale that the human mind can scarcely begin to grasp. It is humbling thought that we are still only discovering what nature had created several eons ago. Even we pride ourselves on our inventions, we cannot forget that is it nature’s laws that make these machines work..

Apart from a reflection on the physical empirical evidence of God’s existence, if we expand our sense of perception we can experience God’s presence. My mother used to say “You can see God in an innocent baby’s smile, you sense Him in the fragrance of the Jasmine flower”. She was not a highly educated woman, but she had got to the heart of the matter with an unerring instinct. Pure joy comes cheap, then why do we pay so dearly for counterfeit pleasure?

For those who expect that God will be delivered at their doorstep in a nicely gift wrapped parcel or want to receive emails and SMS from God, I leave you to think about this fantastic quotation:

"God of the Wild, you are different from what I expected. I cannot predict you. You are too free to be captured for the sake of my understanding. I can't find you in the sentimentalism of religion. You are everywhere I least expect to find you. You are not the force that saves me from the pain of living; you are the force that brings me life even in the midst of pain."

Best Regards.

Kamalji · Aug 10, 2008

Dear Navalji,

Superb.Your sense of humour is unparalled.i am laughing really.

Well u want to know where is God.REad my latest blog right under yours, called Pooja Bar.

When i go to sleep after whiskey,God comes in my sleep everyday, and asks my welfare.

So Navalji, have a peg and go to sleep and u will see him.But sinceu have prohibition there, tht is why u have not been able to meet God.Big LaughBig Laugh

Regards.kamal

jaishree9 · Aug 10, 2008

Navalji
Those who believe in GOD /Superpower/Supercontroller Have their faith so deep that it is difficult to change.
Those who doesn't believe didn't lebel any miracles as created or done By God.
With Science the roblum is it accept only which can fit by having an explanation ,other thigs are rejected.
Now even Supreme court has said just few days back that only God can help this country ( on matter of politicians occupiyng illegally govt Residences) Proving That GOD does exist . Being a Advocate You have to abide by its declartion .Big Laugh
Big Laugh.
I know GOD exist Give it whatever name & prayers & spritual thinking does give one an inner Peace & satisfaction.
Regards.

Navaljee · Aug 11, 2008

Mindian said: ↑

Dear Mr Navaljee.
now what do i say to an atheist...Well, first that i found your writing very interesting ,though i may not agree with you...i have always believed in god right from childhood, many things have been instilled in us by parents but as adults we start having our own opinions on almost everything...but this is one belief i still have...god has actually been my friend...i do not recite slokas or follow any religious practices but i generally talk to him(like u i am not sure whether it is a he or she but it is he that i talk to),confide to him my problems ask him to help me arrive at a solution and the solution whatever i arrive at should be the best for me....i can only say that he has not failed me till now...all major areas in life i am quite happy and owe it entirely to him...more than anything else he is a great source of strength and courage to me .....Do i sound crazy to u?
btw it is not due to greed of heaven at all... all that matters to me is life now...

Mindi
Click to expand...

To Ms. Mindian

Apart from humor, I firmly believe that the concept of God can neither be proved nor it needs to be proved by us, the humans. But for saying that I have taken the support of the humor-pillar. Now a day if you want to sell even the pure gold, you have to pack it in an attractive and high profile packings. And marketing for the God was never easy !

Navaljee · Aug 11, 2008

sundarusha said: ↑

Dear Navaljee

I do believe in the invisible SuperPower, the existense of which explains various activities natural or unnatural in this world.

After one week, the woman came to our home.

As I read your above lines, I was reminded about the lines in a book that I read called " The life of Pi".A quote from the book move me.

"Most people would spend their life defending God in heaven , but when they pass a leper or a hungry man on the street, would pass him as if business was usual. It is important to defend the God within us, to feel compassion and love"

I was very moved by these powerful lines. You have followed it and no wonder the woman felt you were like God to her.

Click to expand...

To Ms. sundarusha

Yours is a thoughtful comment.

I believe that if we keep our ears open His music is everywhere; if we keep our eyes open, the evidences of His existence is everywhere. As a Sufi fakir had said that, 'You knock the door, and the door would be opened'. It is just like that.

Thanks for such a nice presentation of the thoughts.

Navaljee · Aug 11, 2008

dolorcosta said: ↑

 Dear Friends,

This is an age old topic.
Theism versus atheism
Believers v/s non-believers
Organized religion v/s heathenism
and so on…

At the outset I wish to clarify that I am neither a preacher nor a reformer in religious matters. This post is not directed at any particular members, with an objective of changing their thought patterns or moulding them, but is a general feedback regarding my thoughts on the complex question of God’s existence.

To begin with, I am hardly a religious person. I am just another individual of feeble intellect pottering through life without a clue regarding where we come from and where we go eventually. However I still have sufficient clarity of thought to believe that I am inclined to be a spiritual person. My understanding is that religious doctrine is essential in the formative stage since it inculcates a sense of moral discipline and a sense of belonging to one’s community but having said that, religion outgrows its utility. In that sense religion is supposed to unite people, instead of dividing them as we observe today.

Click to expand...

To Ms. dolorcosta

Let me thank you first for your such a descriptive and article-length response.

I do believe that there is God. And I do also believe that if we keep our ears open His music is everywhere; if we keep our eyes open, the evidences of His existence is everywhere. As a Sufi fakir had said that, 'You knock the door, and the door would be opened'. It is just like that.

Thanks for such a thoughtful comment.

Sriniketan · Aug 12, 2008

Navaljee,
Nice discussion going on...

You know where He is ..I know..He is inside us...
There is a story to support this..
As God was vexed with the complaints from His devotees and also their demanding things from Him, He started running away from them....still the devotees, chased Him...He is tired of running and then He got an idea....why not stay inside the devotee's heart, so that he will not search, what is within himself...nice idea, isn't it!

He is neither a male nor a female...He has no forms..He has taken those forms according to our imagination...moreover, we can think of Him in human form because we are humans, isn't it!

Those who helped us in our bad days are God, indeed...(your narration of the incident proves that..isn't it!)

sriniketan