THE EIGHTH WORLD ATHEIST CONFERENCE IN TIRUCHIRAPPALLI ON 7,8,9 JANUARY, 2011

THE EIGHTH WORLD ATHEIST CONFERENCE IN TIRUCHIRAPPALLI ON 7,8,9 JANUARY, 2011

The Constitution (Forty-second Amendment) Act, 1976 came into effect from 3 January 1977. The
Amendment prescribes Fundamental Duties under Part. IV-A, wherein Article 51A(h) states that it shall be the duty of every citizen of India “to develop scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform.”

Even fifty years before this provision was included in the Constitution, Periyar E.V.Ramasamy began to spread ideas of Self-Respect, rationalism, humanism and egalitarianism through his Tamil magazineKudi Arasu (People’s Government) published from 2 May 1925.

Gora of Andhra Pradesh, a staunch follower of Mahatma Gandhi’s constructive programme, differed from his leader in one respect, namely in opposing theist views and upholding atheist values. He called his outlook on life as Positive Atheism, and lived accordingly in private and public life from 1930s. In his words: “The spread of the atheist outlook is hope of humanity to turn from war to peace, from slavery to freedom, from superstition to a sense of reality.

Gora took the initiative to organise the First World Atheist Meet at Vijayawada, India, in 1972. After his demise the Second World Atheist Conference was held at Vijayawada in December 1980. The Third World Atheist Conference was held at Helsinki, Finland, the main organiser being the Union of Freethinkers of Finland. The subsequent conferences were held at Vijayawada organised by the Atheist Centre founded by Gora.

Dravidar Kazhagam has been participating in those conferences from 1996. Now the Eighth World Atheist Conference is going to be held at Tiruchirappally (Trichy) Tamil Nadu State, India on 7, 8, 9 January 2011, jointly sponsored by Dravidar Kazhagam, the Atheist Centre and The Rationalists’ Forum of Tamil Nadu. Hundreds of delegates and thousands of participants will attend the conference. The theme of the Conference is chosen as “Atheism - An Alternate Culture”.

The atheist fraternity is known the world over by various names - rationalists, free thinkers, skeptics, humanists, secularists, agnostics etc. according to the stress they lay on different aspects of truth-seeking.

There are certain views and ideas they have in common. They do not have any faith in revealed truth or holy scriptures as containing final truths, nor do they belong to any established religion. Their outlook is liberal and they are ready to adopt and change according to the changing circumstances. They demand separation of the Church and the State, cheishing secular values as a sure way of promoting understanding, harmony and unity among different sections of society. As they are not guided by any established religion or revealed truth, they have no prejudices, preconceived notions and fanatic attachments. Human destiny is decided by natural phenomena and human endeavour, and not by any supernatural agency including god.

The atheist fraternity has no faith in life after death. They aspire to make life in this world happy and contended, free from wars, bloody conflicts, exploitation, suppression, injustice, ignorance, superstition, unexamined and cruel customs, traditions etc.

Fundamentalists make use of science and technology to propagate fanaticism, superstition, division and discord in order to dupe, deceive and defraud people, whereas atheists focus on using inventions and innovations to preserve this planet as a healthy place free from pollution and to make life beautiful and meaningful.

Let us meet at the World Atheist Conference and discuss ways and means to make our dream a reality.

courtesy:http://www.modernrationalist.com/2010/july/page01.html

PERCEPTIONS ABOUT PHILOSOPHY OF GOD AND RELIGION – IV

Is not the existence of religions responsible for differentiations and disunity amongst the people of the world? Are not the religions to be blamed for the hatred in the society? Are not the religions responsible for man swindling and exploiting the other man?

How are we to believe that all these religions were created by men with divine powers? We have to ponder over deeply these issues. Because the creators of religions are credited to be men of divinity, many others later on came to be revered as divine persons. Their number is going on increasing day by day. No one cares to think of it. Buddha, Jesus, Mohamad, Nayanmars, Alwars, Swamijis, Mahatmas, Rishis, Sai Babas and umpteen number of others are being paraded as divine men. There are many controversies, agitations, fights and difference of opinion about them.

After the advent of rationalist propaganda, there is an awakening. A large section of the people are now able to exercise their thinking faculties in an unbiased manner. With the result you find the divine men dwindling. Now, Alwars, Nayanmars and Dasars have not been born. What have these divine people achieved to emancipate masses? How many are able to realise god and research god and reach him on account of their preaching? As things stand today people are not prepared to accept all sorts of fellows as divine men. Rarely do we find efforts taken to create one or two divine personalities here and there. Even such creations met with an early end as an exotic plant. The more and more you aspire to realize the truth about god and religion, they run way far from you in gallops.

My interpretation of philosophy about god and religion might cause you surprise. Some of my views might be different from your views.

Why should there be so much confusion about god and religion, which are repeatedly emphasized as important and indispensable for humanity. Many considered these as true and absolutely necessary for man. In fact, many believed these versions, with the result god and religion gained a vast influence and importance in the life of man. Why such a planned propaganda is being carried on even now in support of god and religion as conceived by these different divine men? How does any urgency arise for it? What is the result? Who is able to gain by this?

Above all, are we to think that Jesus and Mohamed, who were unselfish and who sacrificed a lot were not able to understand the real philosophy of god and religion as they are preached today?

Comrades! Man is not able to see or feel god directly and independently, even though god is said to be all powerful and capable of controlling all things in the world. He is still dependent on others called the divine people. God has to be denoted as god by others. Similarly religions did not crop up of their own accord. They were simply created by others. Man has to be forced to act according to religion and their regulations.

What is the logical inference?

God and religion are confusing the society. They are to be indicated to humanity by someone else. They are unable to establish by themselves. They need others for that purpose. They still need a strong propaganda. This is what we are able to understand clearly.

Whatever it be, we cannot totally condemn all the so called divine men. We cannot also suspect all their actions. Jesus and Mohamed come under this category. It cannot be denied that there is no wisdom in everything they said. We cannot say that all were selfish.

Since god and religion are created exclusively for the rational human beings, and so no god or religion is created for other living beings, we are led to believe that they are created for the well-being of humanity only.

Such a necessity arises only because of the fact that of all the living beings, it is only the human beings who live together forming a society of their own.

Generally speaking all living beings look after themselves. They are eager to get their own desires fulfilled. It is their natural instinct. They do not worry about the comforts of others.

Man is wiser than other living beings. If a man is induced by unlimited selfishness, it may endanger the interests of others. It might result in causing danger to the society. It is this concept that justifies the creation of god and religion. For a man living totally isolated, there is no need for a god or religion. But a man who lives with others as a part of the bigger society, certain restrictions were naturally imposed on him on various walks of life. He has to live in an unnatural way. Only then the society can exist. Otherwise you will find men behaving as mere beasts in the society. In order to enable a man live against nature and for general welfare, the learned elders ought to have created and preached about god and religion.

To understand this clearly, please think over what for the institutions like king, government, laws and punishment were there. If there is no kindness, law and punishment there will be no peace. There will be no adequate protection. There will be no order. We are able to lead at least this much of life because of such arrangements as king, laws and punishment. These are of course helpful to enable people to live together. Yet we cannot say that nothing more is needed.

(From the book: Collected Works of Periyar E.V.R. - Translation of a speech in Tamil delivered
by Periyar E.V.Ramasami at Salem Arts College
in 1949)

courtesy: http://www.modernrationalist.com/2010/july/page02.html