Necessity of Atheism

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By: Taibungo Khuman *

"Fear is the main source of superstition...
To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom"
- Bertrand Russell

This article or essay is not the work of a scholar. They are the common sense views of a layman based on observation and experience, tested in the crucible of reason to the best of my ability.

I lay no claim to scholarship or infallibility. I may be wrong in some of my prepositions. Readers are free to point out mistakes if any and suggest due correction.

Miracle and superstition belong to the same genus, as both are accepted blindly without questioning and applying skeptical and rational faculties of man. Both are believed by those who are naturally lazy, lack self-confidence or whose future is uncertain or shaky.

In spite of renaissance and enlightenment in Europe in the of the second millennium and explosion of scientific knowledge, discovering the causes of several events that were mysteries to mankind , a large number of people all over the world mechanically believe in and follow number of superstitions, without raising a question of doubt.

If India is the museum of miracle mongering Babas and Devis, can Manipur be far behind.

Manipur is the land of patheism. Its people resort to places of worships and offer prayers for attainment of their wishes.

Educated people including science teachers listen to cock and bull stories of so-called "god-men" by closing all the doors and windows of their brain. "God-men" are appearing in many localities, they mesmerize their devotees by predicting their future, ailments and past life.

It is surprising that a large number of political leaders, judges, intellectuals’ and even scientists are devotees of such "God-men".

Everyday or on a particular day a large number of crowd in some temple or compound and even the road in front of god men’s residence praying for fulfillment of their individual wishes.

A number of people tacitly believe that their diseases and ailments can be cured by faith healing. A number of "God-men" make the claim. If this is true why should the government spend millions on HIV positive people treatment?

Even the students before appearing for their examinations stand in the long queues, instead of utilizing the time in studying. A number of valuables like cash or gold offer to the deities, in order to please the presiding deities.

So I may conclude that these places are breeding ground of deception and corruption.

III

Superstition is now worse than useless, it is harmful. It is an obstacle to progress because it turns people’s minds away from reforming society, now that it is at last in their power to do so.

It attributes all the virtues proper to man to a god without whom man is nothing. It thus weakens human’s self-confidence, his or her sense of own dignity; it pushes him or her in perpetual tutelage.

It prohibited the spreading of progressive ideas, destroyed books propagating these ideas, and confined their authors in dungeons or burned them at the stake.

Science gives man true to knowledge of the world and the laws of its development. It helps him to master natural and social forces and to organized production.

According to me belief in god is the mother of all miracles and superstitions. In fact man is the creator of god in his own image.

Today the science of Astronomy has advanced so much that with the assistance of satellites, spacecrafts and powerful telescopes like Hubble space telescope that send pictures of universe to the stations on earth like NASA. Such telescopes would not have failed to dispatch picture of god or gods and their heavens, if any.

Is there one god or as many gods as there religions? In any case there must be as many heavens and hells as there are religions.

If one or a few persons can see and meet god, why not all human beings?

References:

John Plamenatz, Man and Society vol.2 : a critical examination , London ,1965 . p.113
M.A. Rane, Miracles, superstition and rationalism, the Radical Humanist, July 2003. p. 2/3
V.G. Afanasyev, Marxist philosophy :a popular outline,Moscow,1980. p.384

* Taibungo Khuman (a pseudonym) contributes to e-pao.net regularly. You can contact the writer at taibungo_khuman(at)yahoo(dot)com . This article was webcasted on September 18th, 2007.

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