Why am I an Atheist? -II

     Look around you, you see so many conflicts taking place under so many different pretexts and millions (that's not a hyperbole!) dying that you cannot possibly imagine that a God would condone any of it.Think of the Israel-Palestine conflict and the resulting wrethched lives of those in the Gaza Strip (its being touted as one of the biggest humanitarian disasters in waiting), the even more cursed existence of those in African countries- Sierra Leone, Somalia,Congo,Rwanda,Uganda,Zimbabwe,Sudan...the list is endless. Recall the conditions prevailing in Afghanistan and Iraq, the lives of Tamils in Sri Lanka and if nothing else your own fellow countrymen suffering the scourge of terrorism,naxalism and insurgency in all parts of the country. Doesn't it ever make you wonder why this supposed God isn't putting an end to any of it or at the very least ensuring that perpetrators don't go unpunished?

     A student might attribute his success in exams , a businessman his profits, a college graduate his job and a young man his success in love all to God. Doesn't this God have better things to do?? Why would He (yeah! I'm a male chauvinist) leave millions of poor,destitute,helpless,defenceless humans to their fate and instead indulge all these guys??I guess I've made my point so shall spare you the remaining dialogues.

      On a personal note, even I used to pray for success in exams till about two years back but as I kept getting more and more disillusioned with 'God', I stopped doing so and it has made no difference to me as far as my exam results are concerned.If you prepare well you'll do well, otherwise you won't.It's as simple as that.Period.

     All these religious and spiritual leaders you see on TV or at places of worship; giving sermons on how to lead life, dictating beliefs you should hold and in  general brainwashing you....have you ever cared to find out how much of it they practise themselves?Roman Catholic priests are notorious world over for their sexual harrassment and abuse of kids, Hindu priests in high seats of the order of Shankaracharya stand accused of murders and rapes, Muslim mullahs and clerics are well known for their ridiculous fatwas (shall deal with in detail in a later post) over issues ranging from cartoons and books to women empowerment. Has anyone ever cared to enquire into the finances, profits and expenditures of the various charitable trusts and 'social work' organizations set up by the celebrity preachers appearing on '24-hour bhakti channels'? Some months back there was a controversy over deaths of two students in an ashram run by Asaram Bapu's organization?Does anyone know what happened to the probe? These people trot around in their AC luxury cars, jet planes and enjoy the best money can provide...yet claim to be doing a service to humanity and so on.Whose fault is it that such people are able to thrive and prosper?

      All these factors apart from the cliche -'Science has uncovered no evidence thus far...' do make a potent case for atheism and belief in self rather than reliance on a Supreme Power to take care of all the ills and wills plaguing your and my lives.