The Religion of the Twenty-First Century

I don't know whether you have come across this news item, it is more than a week old. It is a delightful spoof. I think many have literally read this article and have made their comments, wherever the article has been posted. I have enjoyed those comments, and have had considerable trouble deciding whether I am meant to read them literally or not.

I found this news and the image in The Onion issue of 5.9.08.

It brings to light the miraculous image of Charles Darwin that had manifested itself on a concrete wall in Dayton, a small town in Tennessee. And it reports that devoted evolutionists are flocking to see the Darwin-like stain on the wall, and to to lay wreaths of flowers, light devotional candles, read aloud from Darwin's works, and otherwise pay homage to the mysterious blue-green image.

There are also entertaining quotes capped with, ""It's a stain on a wall, and nothing more," said the Rev. Clement McCoy, a professor at Oral Roberts University and prominent opponent of evolutionary theory. "Anything else is the delusional fantasy of a fanatical evolutionist mindset that sees only what it wishes to see in the hopes of validating a baseless, illogical belief system..."

Please read the article in its entirety. I don't want to fill this space with words copied and reformulated in a different order.

Why I Won't Take Out the Garbage in My Scooty

When I started to learn to drive, there were a set of actions I would perform daily. I would get up at six, take bath, pray and then only take out the scooty. I would take it only after I got myself cleaned, won't take the garbage in it. If I felt it was a bad day, I would opt to go by bus than drive. There were more, but I've forgotten them since I am more confident now and don't follow any of those superstitions.

Ae superstitions good for us or bad?

Given my experience, I would say good, though it was a bit of a bother at times. But if I refuse to pay someone money because it is not a good day for me, that would be a problem.

I feel if it does not disturb too much, me or others, then superstitions are therapeutic.

But what about science? Is it scientific or superstitious?

Some aspects of science are definitely superstitious. If, for example, you are a string theorist, and hold that there are more than twenty dimensions to this universe, all of which are hidden, except the three we know, then you are superstitious, however mathematically you formulate your beliefs. Even the fields- electric, magnetic etc., are beliefs really, because what are they? they don't really exist as fields.

I think I can go on and on, displaying the full glory of my ignorance.

But what brings me to this is an article I read in New Scientist, "Superstitions evolved to help us survive', by
Ewen Callaway (http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/dn14694-superstitions-evolved-to-help-us-survive.html).

It says that when you are in a dangerous environment, the cost of ignoring a threat would be higher than mistaking a threat. Suppose, in a forest you ignore the rustle of grass, you are likely to become lion-food. It is far better to believe that the rustle of grass portends some impending evil.

I guess that is what helps me survive the concrete jungles of Chennai.