Confessions Of A Dying Mind to be released today
Science and religion cannot be in conflict : Guite
Source: The Sangai Express / Ninglun Hanghal
CCpur, May 18 2017:
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju is set to release the first non-fiction novel "Confessions Of A Dying Mind" by Haulianlal Guite in New Delhi tomorrow at the Civil Services Officers' Institute.
Other dignitaries who will speak at the event will include DS Poonia, IAS (Retd) former Chief Secretary, Manipur; Rajiv Mehrishi, IAS Union Home Secretary ; HS Brahma, IAS (Retd) former Chief Election Commissioner; David Syiemlieh, IAS, Chairperson UPSC.
Several other Indian Administrative officers are expected to attend the event.
An IAS officer from Manipur's Churachandpur district, 29 year old Guite is currently serving as Secretary, Jaipur Development Authority (Rajasthan) .
The new book is a novelized nonfiction � quoted as "the first philosophical novel on God".
The story is set in the near-death experience of the atheistic protagonist, Albert Dyers.
Its central plot proceeds as an adventurous investigation, argument after argument � till a certain conclusion becomes inescapable.
The story argues with whether modern science shows God's non-existence, or the blindness of atheism instead.
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"Confessions of a Dying Mind" is laced with novel ideas found nowhere else.
It is narrated in a highly readable language for all educated laypersons to comprehend with relative ease.
The book is therefore a must-read for theists, atheists, and everyone else interested in exploring the relationship of God and science, in light of leading developments.
For thousands of years, philosophers have been struggling to prove God.
To modern atheists, these are monumental failures.
Atheism, then, is the rational position.
On the question of 'conflicting thoughts and beliefs" while speaking to The Sangai Express, Guite said " science and religion are not in conflict and in most cases, they cannot be." He explained that the historic Galileo Affair, which is usually taken to be the singular conflict between religion and science is reinterpreted in his book.
"The conflict is often between one philosophy of science called "realism" and another philosophy of science called "instrumentalism".
Said Guite "but never between science and religion but between two philosophies instead".
Guite hopes that his arguments in the book will revive India's rich philosophic tradition of investigating the deepest and profoundest questions of all.
According to Guite, rich Indian philosophies refer to the philosophical tradition that originates from the Upanishads.
He states that, historically, philosophy began and evolved in only 3 places : Greece, China and India.
Said Guite, "there was no proper philosophical tradition anywhere else" .
On being asked about tradition and belief system vis a vis "way of life" � as popularly used in India , Guite said "when we talk of a philosophical tradition, we mean much more than a way of life (which all culture has), but the conscious, rational reflection on ourselves, the world around, and our destiny" .
On asked if he is a believer, Guite reveals "I was an atheist once.
Not anymore." On his take on " Atheism" that has more or less become a "fashion statement" these days, Guite agreed "Atheism has become quite a fad these days, and it wishes to claim science and reason to be for it.
I seek to dismantle this popular aura of atheism and lay it bare for what it really is : a blind faith".
Published by Bloomsburry and priced at INR 449, "Confessions of a Dying Mind" presents some interesting arguments against atheism by using the theories and findings of atheists themselves.
The author explores important questions by telling various stories woven into the plot-line of the novel itself.
In doing so, it explores the nature of science, religion, evidence, even love, by visits to other worlds, to past events, to surreal places, and so on.