Tuesday, December 15, 2009
EASIER SAID THAN DONE
Thursday, December 10, 2009
EASIER SAID THAN DONE
Saturday, December 5, 2009
EASIER SAID THAN DONE
Sunday, November 29, 2009
AVOIDING BAD HABITS
Do you know that the most common bad habit is telling lies?
It is not murder, rape or robbery. Yes it may not be as heinous as murder or rape and it may not be bad as taking away things that do not belong to you. But it is the most widespread and grows rapidly.
Getting into this habit is as easy as slipping into a cloak two sizes too big.
Imagine coming late for office and meeting the boss at the door. Can we say we got up late and regret the delay or will we lie about an imaginary traffic jam or punctured wheel and try to sneak through the small gate the lie offers?
Most of us have surely gone in for the second option.
Just like the cloak, a lie conceals the flaws temporarily but again just like it, it also puts unnecessary burden on our shoulder.
Now imagine a similar scene with minor changes. We are late for an appointment and we lie about the reason for the delay. This time we are accompanied by our kid whom we have been coaching on the importance of telling the truth.
Unwittingly we have spread the habit. The child now picks it up from us. If telling lies works for the parent it will surely work for the child.
We say it is fine if the lies are harmless, but we are planting a seed that can grow into a tree. Are we ready to live under the shade of a tree full of thorns?
I'm sure the answer is no.
Cutting this habit is easy. Do we know how?
Best regards,
Manoj
Thursday, November 26, 2009
AVOID NEGATIVE ACTION
Negative action will not happen if you conquer the tempation of using negative words and nip any growth of negative thoughts.
But the basic problem with humans is that we are sometimes controlled by external factors that makes us do things that is against our nature and wish.
So, what do we do when tempted into negative action? How do we avoid negative action?
If you have failed in your effort with negative words and thoughts, the chances of your ability to resist negative action has already gone down to maybe 25%.
But you still have a chance. You can still curb the desire for negative action through a mechanism called retardation.
When negative thoughts dominate your thoughts, it gives momentum and acceleration to your action.
If even at this juncture you want to avoid negativity all you have to do is press on the brakes. Slow down the action. Let the action simmer, let friction take effect. Delay it as much as you can.
How to delay?
Move away from the scene.
If you are having an arguement just get out of the room, drink a glass of water and if you are brave enough just go and hug the other person.
It works. The retardation produced kills the momentum and brings the vehicle to a stop.
Try it and soon it will become a habit you can be proud of.
Best regards,
Manoj
Thursday, November 5, 2009
AVOIDING NEGATIVITY - BANISHING NEGATIVE THOUGHTS
However, it is not always possible to be on guard and therefore even after our best effort we do end up using the words that create fear and apprehension.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Avoiding Negativity – Use of Negative words
Most of us realize the importance of positive thinking but small issues that impede our effort towards building this attitude has escaped our attention.
It is also obvious to us that any negative attitude starts with use of negative words.
One example of the effect of negative words can be seen in people who blink when pictures are taken. Every time they pose for the camera they keep repeating to themselves that they will not blink. The power of suggestion then works its magic and we find them with closed eyes in every picture they have posed for.
“I will smile into the camera with a twinkle in my eyes”
Saturday, October 31, 2009
HOW TO AVOID NEGATIVITY
Negativity have a unique way of creeping into your life.
It can start with a single word.
Take care of the words you use. Every word gives rise to thoughts.
It can start with the smallest thought.
Take care of your thoughts. A thought gives rise to action.
It can start with the most innocuous action.
Take care of your action. Every action goes to become a habit.
It can start with a small habit
Take care of your habits. Habits become lifestyles.
It can be a result of your lifestyle.
Take care of your lifestyle. Your lifestyle defines your destiny.
Once Negativity becomes your destiny it is very difficult to cut it off.
Do not sow a seed that can grow into a thorny bush.
Best regards,
Manoj
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
POSITIVE THINKING - SQUASHING THE ANTs
Sunday, September 27, 2009
POSITIVE THINKING - SOME EXAMPLES
As stated in my previous post we achieve minor goals on a day-to-day basis, because we know what we want.
The next step is to put the thought into action through a plan.
Affirmation is a very essential mental tool. Affirmation allows the idea to sink into the subconscious mind and consequently affects our behavior and actions. If our affirmations are positive, they lead you to success.
Monday, September 21, 2009
TRUST YOUR THOUGHTS OR PERISH
Going back to the Mahabharata I wish to bring into focus the powers of trusting your thoughts and the perils of allowing any other idea to dominate it.
The story of Dronacharya best exemplifies this peril:
When the war of Mahabharata started Bhishma Pitamaha led the warriors fighting for the Kauravas. After ten days of intense fighting, Shikhandi and Arjun plotted to make him incapable of any further participation in the war.
The next leader was Dronacharya, who was the Guru of the Kauravas and the Pandavas. As Dronacharya had a weakness for Arjuna and the Pandavas, he did not fight to his full potential in the beginning. Then on being accused by Duryodhana of the same, he started attacking the Pandavas with ferocity that had the Pandava camp worried.
On the fifteenth day of the war, Dronacharya was using the Brahmadanda, a weapon nobody else had any knowledge about and was single handedly winning the war for the Kauravas. His plan was to capture the Yudhisthira, the leader of the Pandavas and he was almost at the verge of doing so when he made a fatal mistake.
He made the mistake of not having faith on his thoughts and relying on something else.
If Dronachrya had a weakness it was his son, Ashwathama. Ashwathama was immortal and a very brave warrior. There was never any question of his dying.
Krishna, who knew about Dronacharya's love for Ashwathama, conspired with the Pandavas to play a trick and get rid of Dronacharya.
Bhima, the Pandava mace warrior, killed an elephant by the named Ashwathama. He then loudly proclaimed in the presence of Dronacharya that Ashwathama was dead.
Drona did not believe Bhima's words.
When Drona approached Yudhisthira and asked him the question, Yudhisthira said "Ashwathama hathaha kunjaraha" (In Sanskrit "Ashwathama hathaha" means 'ashwathama is dead' and "kunjaraha" means 'elephant').
Believing that his son is dead, Drona gets disheartened and laid down his weapons. He was then killed by Dhristadyumna.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
POSITIVE THINKING - TRUST YOUR THOUGHTS
I have been reading about how important it is to trust our own thoughts.
The books say that it is the first weapon we have to use for climbing the ladder of success.
But they do not talk about any other options. They do not tell us whether we can take help of some other weapon for success.
Is it the first weapon or the only weapon we actually use to start our campaign?
How do we start on this path?
Trusting your thoughts is innate:
Take a look at our daily life. We trust our thoughts on so many simple things for achieving success - Like leaving home at a particular time to reach our office before time, carrying small change so that we are able to pay for the parking ticket and get out of the gate without delay, knowing that you will be served food when you reach home.
These actions do illustrate that we do trust our thoughts and we do meet with success when we trust them. It comes naturally to us.
So if it is already proved that we succeed when we trust our thoughts why not use it always. Why let clouds of doubt cover the bright rays that our thoughts generate.
You are already on the path, let there be no diversion.
Are there any alternates:
Yes, we have alternates. Have you noticed how you have outperformed when your confidence is boosted by kind words from someone? How an increment, a bonus has spurred you to put up an exceptional performance. So building up confidence and gratitude are the alternates. But what do they do – they make you trust your thoughts – back to square one.
Is this a viable alternative? No it is not.
While people may be ready and available to boost your confidence on some occasions, they will not be available all the time. (Sometimes even your parents, spouse and children doubt your abilities) While your organisation may reward you with a bonus or increment they may also refuse to do so. So the alternate weapons are not reliable. They are supplements to your strength not your strength.
Why not use the weapon that is totally under your command.
TRUST YOUR THOUGHTS.
Write down your thoughts and repeat it to yourself every night and morning till it registers into your subconscious. Let your inherent skills take over, do not let this weapon be shadowed by doubts and let it lead you to success.
Best regards,
Manoj
Saturday, September 12, 2009
TRUST YOUR THOUGHTS - POSITIVE THINKING
Hello,
FAITH IN YOUR THOUGHTS
The first and most important weapon of positive thinking is trust in your thoughts.
If you trust your thoughts you have the power to move mountains.
This can be best exemplified by the story of EKLAVYA .
For people who are not aware of the story, it runs as under:
Eklavya would see Dronacharya teach archery to the Pandavas and Kauravas, the princes of Hastinapur.
One day he came to Dronacharya and requested him to be his Guru as well.
When Dronacharya came to know that he was Eklavya, the son of Hiranyadhanu, the king of Nishaad, he refused to take him as his disciple as he was not a Kshatriya.
Disappointed Eklavya came back to the forest. In the forest he made a figure of Dronacharya out of mud with his own hands. He called him his Guru.
Daily he would worship his image of Guru and practice archery. His faith for his Guru in the mud statue made him think about only archery and within a short time he was able to master the art of archery.
Later one day the Kauravas and Paandavas went on a picnic in a forest. They took a dog along with them. The dog entered the forest. He came upon Eklavya who was practicing. The dog started barking and disturbed him. Eklavya sealed his mouth with his seven arrows. Now the dog could not open his mouth. The dog ran away to the place from where he came.
When Dronacharya and the princes saw the dog coming with his mouth full of arrows they could just exclaim in awe.
When Dronacharya found Eklavya practicing archery he asked him - "Did you fill that dog's mouth with arrows?" "Yes"
Dronacharya asked him - "Who are you and where did you learn archery?"
"My name is Eklavya and I am the son of Nishaad Raaj Hiranyadhanu (an army chief in Jaraasandh's army). Please accept my respects, Guru Dev."
Dronacharya got surprised to hear this and said - "But I have never seen you, nor I have ever taught you."
Eklavya said - "Yes, You have not given education to me but I have taken education from you."
He took them where he had established his Guru's statue.
The faith of Eklavya about the mud statue made him the best archer in the world.
If we can create similar faith in our abilities to be the best we can overcome all hindrances. Can we not?
Best regards,
Manoj
Monday, September 7, 2009
POSITIVE THINKING - THE SECRET WEAPONS
Sunday, September 6, 2009
LESSONS - POSITIVE THINKING - THE ALCHEMIST
I took out the book once again and tried to go through the underlined messages. These were the best part of the book according to me, when I first read it and now when I was going through them again I realized how easily he had made us understand the power of the subconscious mind through a simple story of Santiago and his search for the treasure.
I tried to note down the top ten messages from the book. Of course these are my choices for the top ten and you may have your own selection. The messages are scattered around like gems in a treasure trove and I now strongly believe that if one goes through their own top ten from 'The Achemist' nothing in the world can stop them from achieving their goals.
THE TOP TEN:
- Whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It's your mission on earth. And when you want something, the entire universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.
- We have to take advantage when luck is on our side, and do as much to help it as it's doing to help us.
- No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn't know it.
- When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.
- “Every search begins with beginner’s luck. And every search ends with the victor’s being severely tested.”
- There is only one way to learn. It's through action.
- "You came so that you could learn about your dreams," said the old woman. "And dreams are the language of God. When he speaks in our language, I can interpret what he has said. But if he speaks in the language of the soul, it is only you who can understand."
- Everyone on earth has a treasure that awaits him.
- "But, above all, I learned that these things are all so simple that they could be written on the surface of an emerald."and finally my current favorite
- The world's greatest lie: At a certain point in our lives we lose control of what's happening to us and our lives become controlled by fate.
If you have read 'The Alchemist' long time ago I would persuade you to go through it again.
"Maktub" - it's written.
Your dreams are yours to achieve and although the journey may be tough, there will be sacrifices to make, choices to be made, distractions to be ignored, price to be paid, but at the end, if you remain faithful to your dream, victory will always be your charming bride.
Read 'The Alchemist' and you will have lessons on life. The book originally sold only 900 prints and the publisher refused to reprint. Later it sold 65 million copies.
Keep it by your bedside and read it whenever this happens "At a certain point in our lives we lose control of what's happening to us and our lives become controlled by fate." and you will know how to fight the greatest lie on earth.
Best regards,
Manoj
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
POSITIVE THINKING & LUCK
This is an old article which has been in circulation for some time.
________________________________________________
Why Some People Have All the Luck
By Richard Wiseman/ Source: Times of India
I set out to examine luck, 10 years ago. Why are some people always in the right place at the right time, while others consistently experience ill fortune? I placed advertisements in national newspapers asking for people who felt consistently lucky or unlucky to contact me. Hundreds of extraordinary men and women volunteered for my research and over the years, have been interviewed by me. I have monitored their lives and had them take part in experiments.
The results reveal that although these people have almost no insight into the causes of their luck, their thoughts and behaviour are responsible for much of their good and bad fortune.
Take the case of seemingly chance opportunities. Lucky people consistently encounter such opportunities, whereas unlucky people do not.
I carried out a simple experiment to discover whether this was due to differences in their ability to spot such opportunities. I gave both lucky and unlucky people a newspaper, and asked them to look through it and tell me how many photographs were inside. I had secretly placed a large message halfway through the newspaper saying: 'Tell the experimenter you have seen this and win $50'. This message took up half of the page and was written in type that was more than two inches high. It was staring everyone straight in the face, but the unlucky people tended to miss it and the lucky people tended to spot it. Unlucky people are generally more tense than lucky people, and this anxiety disrupts their ability to notice the unexpected. As a result, they miss opportunities because they are too focused on looking for something else. They go to parties intent on finding their perfect partner and so miss opportunities to make good friends. They look through newspapers determined to find certain types of job advertisements and miss other types of jobs.
The 4 Principles of Generating Good Fortune
Lucky people are more relaxed and open, and therefore see what is there rather than just what they are looking for.
My research eventually revealed that lucky people generate good fortune via four principles.
- They are skilled at creating and noticing chance opportunities,
- make lucky decisions by listening to their intuition,
- create self-fulfilling prophesies via positive expectations, and
- adopt a resilient attitude that transforms bad luck into good.
I wondered towards the end of the work, whether these principles could be used to create good luck. I asked a group of volunteers to spend a month carrying out exercises designed to help them think and behave like a lucky person. Dramatic results! These exercises helped them spot chance opportunities, listen to their intuition, expect to be lucky, and be more resilient to bad luck. One month later, the volunteers returned and described what had happened. The results were dramatic: 80 per cent of people were now happier, more satisfied with their lives and, perhaps most important of all, luckier.
4 Tips for Becoming Lucky
The lucky people had become even luckier and the unlucky had become lucky. Finally, I had found the elusive 'luck factor'. Here are four top tips for becoming lucky:
1) Listen to your gut instincts -- they are normally right.
2) Be open to new experiences and breaking your normal routine.
3) Spend a few moments each day remembering things that went well.
4) Visualise yourself being lucky before an important meeting or telephone call.Have a Lucky day and work for it.
The happiest people in the world are not those who have no problems, but those who learn to live with things that are less than perfect.
____________________________
When you read the above article you will notice that the research of Professor Wiseman clearly indicates that it is the attitude that is responsible for your situation. Think positive and see positive events happen in your life.
Best regards,
Manoj
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
POSITIVE THINKING - REGAINING FAITH
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Powers of your Subconscious Mind - Positive thinking
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Did you miss what God wanted to tell you
A young man was getting ready to graduate college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
POSITIVE THINKING - FORGOTTEN LESSONS
'Think good and Good follows'.
I remember that when ever we used to talk about something going wrong like 'the train may be late', or 'he will loose if he clowns around like this' we would find someone telling us to say good thing only "Shubh Shubh Bolo" they would say in Hindi which translates to "Good Good say".
Similarly the book says 'the subconscious mind does not differentiate between what to accept and what not to. The subconscious mind takes in whatever you convey and then starts working towards it. Therefore there should not be any negative thoughts.'
When we were young I have heard my mother and grandmother tell me several times that I should careful about what I say. It was like when I used to fool around and tell them that I would fail in class that year, they would tell me that 'Goddess Saraswati, the Godess of Wisdom, Knowledge and truth resides on the tongue of every human for a few moments every day and the utterance of that moment will always happen. As we are not aware of her choosing our tongue we should be careful about what we say as any negative thoght also has the likelyhood of being spoken at that very instance.'
Notice how similar are the teachings of the book to what is a daily life occourance in India.
Even while praying we notice that the prayers have positive requests. Give me wealth, give me good health, keep my family safe.
Therefore if we combine ancient wisdom and messages from prayers we will automatically behave in a manner that results in positive thinking.
Try it and see the changes around you.
Best wishes,
Manoj
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
POSITIVE THINKING - PRAYERS HELP YOU FOCUS
Friday, August 14, 2009
Loosing Faith
A friend of mine is loosing faith.
During the last few months she has been going from one tragedy to another.
It started with her father becoming seriously ill and then after creating a false hope of recovery he finally succumbed to Cancer.
She had just about recovered from the loss of a parent when her husband lost his job.
If this was not enough, she was once again shocked by the news that her younger sister is also suffering from Cancer.
Finally, she recently had a fall and has hurt her back so badly that it has affected her eyesight and concentration.
To top it all, her husband has found it an appropriate time to go on a vacation and calls her from there saying that he is enjoying the weather in a far away place.
This poor lady is handling her job, her two kids and the households chores all alone and although she is strong, attached to her husband, loving to her kids and devoted to Allah, she is loosing faith.
She is a dear friend and although she is getting some support at work from her colleagues, the absence of her husband at such a critical juncture is almost the last straw on the camel's back.
This is real test of faith and I want to see how God helps her.
My prayers are with her.
Manoj
Thursday, August 13, 2009
lessons from Koran
Lesson from Koran:
{Keep your covenant; and I will be true to My covenant with you...} [2:40].
The mention of “covenant” has a particular signification. There is a covenant between Allah, the most exalted, the creator and man, the created. This covenant states that Allah would give man whatever he needs in this life to be rewarded according to his deeds: {Those who say: “Our Lord is Allah” and take the right path to Him}. [Fussilat: 30].
{Keep your covenant, and I will be true to My covenant with you}.
Interpretors of the koran say that this shows that Allah doesn’t only elevate man to a high rank of humanity but most importantly it shows that Allah, the most exalted, considers man a mindful being with free will and free choice in spite of the absolute truth that Allah gives man his existence and that He has the power to terminate this existence. Allah, the most exalted, doesn’t ignore man but guides him and to practice his humanity properly. Thus, we are God’s creation of an absolute humanity.
Although God, the most exalted, has made us from nothing, and although he is the generator of our existence, he doesn’t consider us his slaves but His beings. Therefore, he made a covenant with man, with us, and gave us the freedom to choose our relation with Him and to choose or destiny as well.
{Say: This is the truth from your Lord. Let him who will believe in it and him who will deny it}. [The cave 29], and:
{whoever does an atom’s weight of good shall see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil shall see it also}. [Al –Zulzula 7-8].
Allah, the most exalted, calls upon us to behave in this life as we wish, but at the same time He states that our behaviors and attitudes would determine our destiny. For this reason, when God, the most exalted, says that he made a covenant with us, He means that He profoundly respects us and assures us our humanity. God orders us to be free beings provided that our freedom should be controlled against any possible deviation.
Best wishes,
Manoj
Sunday, August 2, 2009
DOES GOD ACTUALLY ANSWER YOUR PRAYERS
Have you had an experience of something happening to you/ with you after you have left it on your trust in God?
Did someone ever come and extend a helping hand when every door seemed to have closed?
Did you get a message for helping someone is distress?
These are small events of God communicating with you.
It is not necessary for someone you love to be close to you always.
You continue loving some people even when they are no longer a part of your mortal existence.
This is the feeling that should envelope you when you think of God.
God is always around. You have to feel his presence, hear his voice.
Best wishes,
Manoj
Saturday, August 1, 2009
DISHONEST PRACTICES IN KUWAIT
The financial crisis that has engulfed the world has already striken down well known names like Madoff and Stanford.
Not learning the lesson young Hazem Khalid Al-Braikan, a 37 year old Kuwaiti financier and CEO of Kuwait's Al-Raya Investment Company is alleged to have gone ahead and amassed wealth in excess of US$ 5 million from well-timed trades in the two US firms. (The charges are under investigation)
Harman shares briefly soared after several media outlets reported that a private investment firm called Arabian Peninsula Group planned to buy it at almost double its market price. The incident was similar to a phony offer for Textron in April from a United Arab Emirates-Kuwait consortium. Harman was forced to issue a statement last Monday denying it had been approached by a mysterious Gulf investor known as the Arabian Peninsula Group following a number of media reports. The company's shares tumbled sharply once the hoax was revealed.
In April, rumors and a report in a Kuwaiti newspaper that a consortium of Middle East companies was offering to buy Textron Inc. sent shares of the Providence, Rhode Island company soaring more than 50 percent in a single day. No deal for the manufacturer of Bell helicopters, Cessna jets and turf-maintenance equipment emerged, and shares plunged a few days later.
The SEC said Al-Braikan and the others "amassed positions in the one or both of the securities of the companies shortly before the bogus offers were publicized." They then sold their securities at "prices inflated by the false information to reap their illicit profits
Charges were filed by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on July 23 and a couple of days later Al-Braikan was lying dead in his room with a Colt gun in his hand and a bullet hole above his right ear.
"Suicide is unlikely," said Al-Braikan's friend who commented on online newspaper Al-Aan which reported the incident. The blogger, who remained anonymous, claimed to be Al-Braikan's close friend, indicating the deceased "was religious and rational and did not miss a prayer. He was sure of his innocence and had hired an American lawyer to follow up his case. Suicide is out of the question."
Braikan was the chief executive of Al Raya Investment, which is 10 percent owned by Citigroup Inc.
Reached by Reuters on July 25, the day before his death, Braikan declined to comment on the case."I have nothing to say. It is in the hands of the lawyers now."Hours later, he issued a statement saying he had named a US attorney to defend him, declaring: "I would like to confirm on the soundness of my legal situation."
Other defendants include Al Raya, United Gulf Bank & KAMCO, firms affiliated with senior members of Kuwait's ruling al-Sabah family and is the biggest investment firm by assets in Kuwait. They have already refuted having made any gain from trading in the shares of Harman and Textron.
Easy come Easy Go.
Be honest do not cheat,
Manoj
Everyone Loves Honesty, No One Upholds It!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
THE GOD DELUSION - SAME OLD MISHMASH
Richard Dawkins is the new Messiah of the Atheists. 'The God Delusion' his book published in 2006 is considered his masterpiece where he argues the Existence of God and then debates morality and religion.
Atheists gloat over the fact that the book sold over 1.5 million copies and was on several best seller lists. Amazon.com where the book was mostly sold registered a jump of 50% in sales of religious and non religious books after the publication of 'The God Delusion'. An astonishing aside is that the 'Bible' is said to have registered a growth of 120% during the same period.
Several responses have since been made to Richard Dawkins and I am attaching below two simple letters written by youngsters that appear in the thechristianworldview.com
The two main issues addressed is the 'existence of God' and 'Morality and Religion'. The replies in simple understandable English is impressive. Just go through it.
Dear Dr. Dawkins,
I hope this letter finds you in good health. I have taken the time to write to you in order to question you on your stance regarding absolute truth and the origins/workings of the universe. I am fully aware of your worldview and your belief that God is non-existent, but I ask you to consider the following arguments for His existence. In my opinion, there are two basic categories that need to be addressed in order to discuss the existence of some kind of god: absolute, knowable truth and the origin, precision, and moral standards of creation.
It is impossible to prove the nonexistence of anything. All we are able to do is to look at the evidence and come to a logical conclusion. Even if all arguments for the nonexistence of God failed, that would still not prove the impossibility of a sound argument for the nonexistence of God. Since this is true, so is the reverse. If all the arguments for the existence of God failed, that would not prove the impossibility of a sound argument for the existence of God. Therefore, it is more productive for me to outline why I believe the following to be true.
Let us begin with an accepted universal constant: gravity. Imagine I didn’t believe in a gravitational force and I jumped off the Empire State building. Would my sincere unbelief keep me from falling to the unforgiving pavement? Of course not. This illustrates why scientific knowledge cannot be a collection of subjective opinions. Rather, it is a collection of explanations about objective reality that is based on observed or predicted phenomena. In addition, the explanation must be verified repeatedly to confirm that it correctly models reality. As we become more skilled at scientific observation, our scientific knowledge changes rapidly and the new theories that are formed are either verified or falsified. You’ll notice, however, that the absolute reality that is being modeled has never changed. The scientific method assumes an absolute reality, against which, theories can be verified. It is incomprehensible that these things could come about on their own because of their complex nature and mathematical order. Therefore, such precision would require nothing less than a sovereign Creator.
However, scientists, such as yourself, subscribe to a theory that claims the universe exploded into being out of nothing. Logically, nature itself could not have been responsible for the creation of the universe because by definition of the word “nothing,” natural law, or nature, didn’t exist before the creation of the universe! Continuing along this line of thought, if creation wasn’t by a “natural” cause, then it must have been a supernatural cause. This cause must be: immaterial, timeless, powerful and space-less because these things did not exist before the creation of the universe. Furthermore, this miraculous creation exploded into being in a precise, orderly state. For instance, if Earth’s position was slightly different from its current position or its axial tilt was off, or the Earth’s rotation wasn’t twenty-four hours, we wouldn’t exist. These are just a few samples of information which I am certain you are already aware of. In fact, in your own book “A Blind Watchmaker” you admit that in a simple amoeba there is enough DNA information to fill one-thousand sets of encyclopedias. In light of this information, I am reminded of a quote from Frank Turek: “To believe that the amoeba happened by accident is like saying the Library of Congress resulted from an explosion in a printing shop!”
It is also imperative that I address a common issue between atheists and theists called morality. Christopher Hitchens is famous for challenging theists to name a moral action that a theist would do that an atheist could not perform. This, however, is an irrelevant question. The question is not can you do something moral but are you justified in your “moral” action. In other words, because you don’t believe in absolute truth, morality is relative. This being the case, I could walk up to you, kick you, and walk away because it would be no different than shaking your hand. So why would you choose to do anything that wasn’t in your best interest? There is an obvious flaw in the atheist’s logic because no atheist lives this way!
It is because of the inconsistency of the atheist’s worldview that I chose two categories of arguments: absolute, knowable truth and the origin, precision, and moral standards of creation. When approaching the evidence from a logical, reasonable perspective, one cannot deny that this immaterial, timeless, powerful, space-less creating force whose universe is precisely suited for human life sounds an awful lot like the God of the Bible.
Your friend,
Kevin Bibelhausen
Open Letter: Professor Dawkins by Sally Nelson
Dear Professor Dawkins,
In both your book, The God Delusion, and in television interviews, you have repeatedly argued that there is no evidence supporting religion and, in turn, God. You have accused Christianity of being a “belief without evidence” or a “blind faith” that is not based upon reason. In actuality, manifold evidence and logically sound reasoning supports faith and the existence of God.
Creation points to the existence of God. As Psalms 19:1 says, “The heavens proclaim the glory of God; the skies proclaim the works of His hands.” The world declares the existence of God, but many reject Him. The origin of the world and of life poses a difficult question for those who deny God. The world obviously had a beginning point. There is not enough energy for stars to exist for more than a quadrillion years.
Therefore, the world cannot have been around forever. Somehow, the world had to begin. Either the world created itself or there was a creator. For the world to have created itself, it would have had to immense have power before it actually existed. The world would have had to create a complex molecule, such as DNA or RNA, with perfect functionality, before the world even existed. The concept is equivocal to the idea of throwing random parts together and producing a supercomputer. It defies all rules of logic. How could a random process create life? Dr. Walter L. Bradly, Ph.D., who is currently serving as a Professor of Engineering at Baylor University, stated, “If we took all of the carbon in the universe, converted it into amino acids, and allowed it to chemically react at the maximum permissible rate of 1013 interactions per second for five billion years, the probability of making a single functioning protein increases to only 1/1060. For this reason, chance explanations for the origin of life have been rejected.” The second possibility, that the world had a creator, makes not only more logical sense but evidence also supports the possibility. The complex beauty and elegance of the natural world proclaims the existence of God.
Moral law points to a creator. In most societies, it is unacceptable to do certain things, such as lying, stealing, and infidelity in marriage. Even the earliest civilizations, from the Mesopotamians to the Minoans, had standards of right and wrong. How could mankind have such a foundational moral law without someone to instill that internal compass? As C.S. Lewis said, “A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line.” God has given us a standard of morality that transcends culture.
Darwinian supporters have responded to the argument of moral law stating that morality is a sort of Darwinian impulse, similar to sexual instinct. You and others like you have argued that mankind has a standard of morality as we have evolved into the knowledge that certain behaviors adversely affect mankind. Therefore, we feel moral instinct to avoid those behaviors. The distinction between right and wrong is not merely an instinct. If it was an instinct, it would not conflict with other desires that would benefit humankind. For example, a woman is unable to fulfill her husband’s sexual desires because of medical issues. Her husband feels the desire for sexual satisfaction and procreation outside of the boundaries of his marriage. Something inside him, though, tells him that such behavior is wrong.
This “moral instinct”, when looking through the lens of Darwinian Theory, conflicts with the impulse to procreate and further the species. Morality, if evolved to hinder behavior that could destroy the species, would not conflict with the instinct to procreate. Morality conflicts with the Darwinian instinct to advance the human species. For example, some have taken the “instinct” to further the human species to the extreme of removing humans viewed as “unfit” to live. If morality was evolved to aid the human species, there would be no moral qualms about removing “unfit” humans. We can conclude that some outer force instilled moral law in mankind. God has given us a conscience and a way to distinguish right from wrong. This is yet another arrow pointing towards God.
The impossibility of evolution, the elegance of creation, and moral law imprinted on man’s heart all point to the existence of God. Christianity is not a blind faith. It is a faith that is based upon profound evidence and logic. As you have said many times before, truth is wonderful and uplifting and I hope you will look for it. I do realize that it is impossible to prove God to those who refuse to believe or to those who refuse to listen with an open mind.
I can’t touch God, Professor Dawkins, but I can point you to Him.
God bless,
Sally Nelson
It is not surprising the Richard Dawkins debates the 'Existence of God', what is surprising that he has the same age old mishmash of arguments.
While Atheists say that God is lie that has entered our conscience because of the continuous hammering they try to do the same thing themselves. Trying to hammer in their idea without adequate proof.
Best wishes and may god bless you.
Manoj
Honesty - Is such a lonely word - Everyone is so untrue
Just listening to Billy Joel and wanted to share this song.
I later googled for Honesty and guess what: there are only two known songs that talk about honesty.
Billy Joel - Honesty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R3GtAnO66o (- Billy Joel)
If you search for tenderness
it isn't hard to find.
You can have the love you need to live.
But if you look for truthfulness
You might just as well be blind.
It always seems to be so hard to give.
Honesty is such a lonely word.
Everyone is so untrue.
Honesty is hardly ever heard.
And mostly what I need from you.
I can always find someone
to say they sympathize.
If I wear my heart out on my sleeve.
But I don't want some pretty face
to tell me pretty lies.
All I want is someone to believe.
Honesty is such a lonely word.
Everyone is so untrue.
Honesty is hardly ever heard.
And mostly what I need from you.
I can find a lover.
I can find a friend.
I can have security until the bitter end.
Anyone can comfort me
with promises again.
I know, I know.
When I'm deep inside of me
don't be too concerned.
I won't as for nothin' while I'm gone.
But when I want sincerity
tell me where else can I turn.
Because you're the one I depend upon.
Honesty is such a lonely word.
Everyone is so untrue.
Honesty is hardly ever heard.
And mostly what I need from you.
Rodney Atkins – Honesty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhe-fEa-JX8 (- Rodney Atkins)
He said: "Just think it over, and write me a list,
"So we can figure out what we both deserve."
She hardly could believe it, that their love had come to this:
Dividing an' deciding his and hers.
But she grabbed a paper napkin, an' asked the waitress for a pen.
An' one by one, she wrote down what she wanted most from him.
"Honesty, sincerity, tenderness and trust.
"A little less time for the rest of the world,
"And more for the two of us.
"Kisses each mornin', 'I love you's' at night,
"Just like it used to be.
"The way life was when you were in love with me."
She reached across the table an' placed it in his hand,
An' said: "You know this isn't easy for me."
As he thought about the new car, the house an' the land,
An' wondered what that bottom line would be.
An' a thousand other things that she'd want him to leave behind,
But he never dreamed he'd open up that napkin and find:
"Honesty, sincerity, tenderness and trust.
"A little less time for the rest of the world,
"And more for the two of us.
"Kisses each mornin', 'I love you's' at night,
"Just like it used to be.
"The way life was when you were in love with me."
Well, he fought back the tears, as he looked in her eyes,
An' said: "I don't know where to start."
An' she said: "Everything on that list in your hand,
"Is hidden somewhere in your heart.
"Honesty, sincerity, just like it used to be.
"The way life was when you were in love with me.
Happy listening,
Manoj
For those who want to listen to the songs here are the links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R3GtAnO66o (- Billy Joel)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhe-fEa-JX8 (- Rodney Atkins)
Listen to it. Billy Joel's original has also been sung by Beyonce. Her link is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLeJGNjxZB4
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
DAVID BECKHAM - BOOED IN THE USA
I wondered if this post was at the right place as mostly it about a Sport star and a game. But it also has a lot to do with trust and honesty and therefore I decided that I would post it simultaneously on both my blogs.
When David Beckham joined the MLS his career was not in any great shape. His personal life had been hit by scandals and he was fighting a loosing battle to retain his place in the England team.
He was a prize catch for the LA Galaxy and for American soccer. They were sure that this charismatic player and play maker would bring the crowds into the stadiums and raise the quality of football in USA. They trusted him and payed him an exorbitant sum.
David Beckham made the right noises which created an impression that he was being honest about the proclaimed intention of doing somethin good for USA soccer.
However, he drifted off mid stream. Initially loaned to AC Milan for the off season in MLS, he stayed on and missed almost the entire first half of the season. Of course his move was motivated by the personal gains involved and as is usual honesty took a back seat. Betrayal of trust did not matter.
The booing by spectators of a player who was instrumental in getting both goals for the team they were supporting indicates how important trust and honesty is.
They may forget the betrayal in the long run but the thread of trust that has been snapped with always have a knot somewhere.
It will never be the same again.
Best regards,
Manoj
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Is Honesty just a word we throw around
Honesty:
Well someone will say is a much abused word.
Does anything work on honesty anymore?
If someone has doubts they don't have to look too far. Look at the collapse of the market. What caused it? I am sure all of you know by now that the one and only factor that lead to the collapse was lack of honesty.
'Satyam' - Oh, my God, how could they call themselves by that name defeats me.
Bernard Lawrence "Bernie" Madoff - 150 years in jail
Banks - Lehman Brothers, Citi and others cheated the poor public with their fancy schemes.
You need to keep counting to see where the dishonesty of such people has lead us. The markets fail to pick up as the trust has been betrayed and it is difficult to believe even the best of intentions.
Dishonesty is like smoking. More dangerous, of course.
If you do not stop someone who is smoking in front of you, it does not matter whether you smoke or not, you are also at risk.
Quit 'Dishonesty'.
It is more dangerous than smoking.
It does not harm the body, it harm the soul.
So do not take 'Honesty' lightly.
It may be too late if we do not take action now.
Wake up be honest.
Best regards,
Manoj
Saturday, July 18, 2009
GOD - EXISTENCE
When I talk about the existence of God, I never focus on the existence of a god by name. It is never Jesus, Allah or Vishnu that I talk of.
I do not talk of compulsory rituals as the path to God.
I talk about an omnipresent, the supernatural, the divine power who guides us and leads us to become better humans.
For me God is not a form. For me God is a bundle of qualities that is difficult to find in one person. This powerful entity who shows compassion and empathy, this entity which has the power to correct wrongs and this entity which has the ability to lead you down the correct path is my God.
God is my faith and my belief on how life should be lived. My God is personal, formless, open to ideas and influences, and more pluralistic than the doctrinal faiths of religions.
In my effort to connect with God I know I have to travel several paths, answer doubts on his existence and find my answers.
I believe that God exists and I will willingly take every path that may lead to a connection with the Almighty. It may be a name as well if I feel that it is the path that will lead to the connection, but mainly it will be practice and prayers.
To get to God I feel you need to be good.
Only the pure has a chance of getting connected to the purest.
So I practice to be good.
Honest, helpful and hopeful.
Best wishes to my effort,
Manoj
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
MIRACLES - Existence of God
Just now read about a miracle that I wanted to share.
Hannah Clark is a young girl of 16 who has started playing games, has a part time job and plans to go back to school in September.
All this had looked impossible 15 years ago when as a eight month old baby, Hannah had developed serious heart problems. As heart donations were rare she had to wait another year when a heart of a 5 month old was available.
Meanwhile, on medication, Hannah developed lung problems as well and when it was time for the transplant the doctors thought it prudent to graft the donor's heart directly into her heart.
The doctors then put little Hannah on medication to prevent her body from rejecting the new heart and this gave rise to Cancer and chemotherapy.
But the chemotherapy and the lowering of the drugs did not help and the cancer spread. Hannah's ravished little body finally rejected the donor heart and then a miracle happened.
Hannah original heart started functioning normally and in February 2006, ten years after the implant, the donor heart it was removed from her body.
There were days when Hannah was given just hours to live and science fails to explain how Hannah got her heart back.
Miguel Uva, Chairperson of the European Society of Cardiology's group on cardiovascular surgery called Hannah case a 'miracle'. He said that it is rare for patient's heart to get simply better on their own.
Another proof of the existence of the Almighty. A miracle.
You can read all about the case on Lancet. log on to http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(09)61201-0/fulltext
Best wishes,
Manoj
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Honesty
Honesty and the consequences keep haunting my thoughts. I have told several lies and on most occasions there has been no real need for such lies. So then why do I do it.
What makes one tell a lie/be dishonest:The genesis of any lie/ dishonest act can be found in the following three main issues
What is to be gained by telling the lie/ being dishonest.
What are the probability of getting caught while telling a lie/ being dishonest.
What are the consequences, the magnitude of the punishment if caught while telling a lie/ being dishonest.
'Gain'.
When we tell small lies like "Oh I was just going through the newspaper" when actually we are surfing the net. This lie is told just to create the impression that the news interests us more than surfing the net.
We believe that there is a 'gain' by creating this impression.
What if the plan is to cheat the Bank? The dishonesty will result in financial gain. Lots of money.
'Probability of getting caught'
The lie about the newspaper is easily said as the person on the phone has the least chance of catching me in the act of lying. The fact that we know that the listener has a small chance of catching on makes us succumb to the temptation of telling the lie.
The probability of getting caught while cheating the Bank is much higher as there are several checks and balances involved.
'Magnitude of punishment'
We tell the lie with the hope that the magnitude of punishment is tolerable. Suppose in the example we tell the lie about reading the newspaper and the listener actually lands up to take a look at the newspaper which I don't have. What happens. I just giggle out of it.
Prison is the least you have to be ready for when you get caught while cheating a Bank.
We have more liars about the newspaper than about the Bank. Why? The gains are much higher when we cheat the Bank, but we do not do that. There is hardly any gain (tangible) when we lie about the newspaper but we do it frequently.
So it is not the risk reward that makes us lie.
The factor that makes us lie/ be dishonest is manner in which the act of lying/ being dishonest might make us perceive ourselves.
Most of us feel that we are dishonest only while doing a certain set of things. A person who keeps taking back A4 size papers home from office does not consider himself dishonest but he would baulk at picking up a one rupee note lying on the table of his colleague. His perception being that the A4 paper theft is not really something he should be ashamed of. Another logic used would be "everybody does it". But the one rupee is cash and stealing it maybe taboo.
I know of a very honest person in my previous Bank who would refuse all kinds of gifts but would use the Bank money to sponsor his trips to temples spread all across the country. His perception being that gifts represent bribes whereas taking advantage of his position in the Bank to sponsor his temple trips was just a perk that came with the job.
Therefore, when we talk of controlling our desire to be dishonest we have change the way we perceive ourselves while telling a lie/ being dishonest.
We have to analyze every slip we make and feel sorry for having succumbed to the temptation of gain of any size.
When we start changing the way we perceive ourselves while doing the act we are on the road to honesty.
It is a long way off for me.
Best regards,
Manoj