[1] GOD is not IPC (Indian Penal Code).
Even the Indian Penal Code has not been able to stop increases in murders (the per capita murders in India has been rising in spite of IPC allowing capital punishment). Majority of those who commit crimes do so in spite of being ardent believers of GOD (in any form). Each jail in India has special places of worship. We have to accept that believing in the existence of a divine power has not at all discouraged these perpetrators of crime. We have the classic example of 9/11 where the crime was carried out because of GODs wish to punish the infidels (at least that 's what the terrorists were made to believe).
[2] Is the rate of crime higher in predominantly "atheistic"countries?
Actually quite the contrary is true. The civic consciousness, law and order problems, rate of crime, empowerment of women, public health, child mortality, gender equality and of course economic growth and the overall development measured by the HDI (Human Development Index is used by UNO to rate nations on the basis of economic and non economic indicators of growth) is much better in these "atheistic" nations (Norway, Sweden) than countries like USA or India both of which predominantly believe in GOD. The absence of GOD (statistically in the minds of majority of their population) does not seem to have created anarchy.
[3] Are believers better than others in taking ethical and moral decisions? Psychologists can assess the personality trait of an individual for (1) integrity and (2) ethical /moral behaviour. I was fascinated (& so will you be) to read about the conclusions drawn by Hauser and Singer's study (Page258 of "The GOD Delusion" by Richard Dawkins) that there is no statistically significant difference between atheists and believers in making moral judgments.
We obviously do not need GOD to be either good or evil.
6 comments:
No we dnt need GOD not only for being good, we dnt need him for any thing as nothing such as GOD exists. Sent from my mobile. Sharad Thombre
No I do not agree with the prognosis that God is required to be good. Chandu Laddha
This question can be better analyzed by thinking of it another way: without the idea of God how worse will we be? Trying to answer this question using countries as sampling sizes is futile, because a country cannot agree on anything, let alone a single idea. In this aspect you are correct, God in Godly countries has been used as an excuse for deceit and murder rather than peace.
Following the same logic, the field of medicine is hocus-pocus because it has not been able to prevent death in the world. The question is not whether medicine is required to live a healthy life, but just how many more would die without it?
In my mind it is basic human nature to interpret everything to suit his/her own ideas and interests. God is no exception: there may very well exist a single, perfectly harmonious manifestation of God, but the 5 billion brains in this world will never agree on such an interpretation because it will invariably prove about 90% of them wrong. Histories of all major religions have shown the same fallacy: the misled belief that somehow human support is needed for God's survival.
The Indian Penal Code would indeed be much more potent if the populace were simply led to believe it has divine origins without changing its current form at all. The reason it is impotent right now is because we are assured that it is implemented in a very fluid way.
I would like to believe the low crime rates in countries like Norway and Sweden have much more to do with their weather and their scant and highly educated population than atheism.
Finally I am totally convinced about Dawkins' findings. But once again he seems to confuse one's firm belief in something and his/her courage to actually follow what he believes in. Are all atheists more firmly devout to atheism as believers are to God? Once again, not the fallacy of a God-believer but a human!
I'd like to read research (if any exists) about whether firm atheists turned to God (or any such inexplicable idea) in times of great personal tragedy. In a similar vein, is an atheist one who has summarily rejected all existing ideas of divinity, or is an atheist one who has given up trying to find it because one simply cannot exist?
I think it is only because of the existence of GOD, this post is being posted by you. In some way its his wish, that you post this topic and we all think about it...
GOD is never good or bad... its we who blame him for days if something bad happens in our lives and praise him for minutes when something good happens...
We just need to remember that GOD exists and is supporting us all the time in our hard-work.
NAMASTE ASTU LAMBODARAY EKDANTAY VIGHNANASHINEY SHIV SUTAY SHRIVARADMURTAY NAMAH...
Dear Prakash
I like the way you write.
Tried to write on your blog but being illiterate with computer technology ,could not .
I fully agree with your opinions on "God" Its ok considering her age when your mother thinks that way but in my house even my wife thinks same & I can never even discuss this issue of God.Who ever has invented this idea of God or may be the way it came in Human mind & evolved, there has to be great study of Human mind's weakness to accept certain things as they are or it must be giving comfort to many.Just to add on law, morality- there are more corrupt & black money people who are देवाचे भक्त .I am in US at present for 2 months. Spending time with son in Seattle & will be in Albany till Oct 14th. Studying more about Dental Implants & relaxing.Keep writing thought provoking mails.
Love to all
Shyam Mahajan
Well honestly i think the parameters of your topic are not related. Bcoz of 2 things.
1. No one has ever said that u need god to be a good person.
2. And we actually don't need god to be good.
What we have been taught in school is that we will be in trouble if we do bad things in life. So we do good things out of fear, or later in life u realize that doing good for others should be a regular thing.
See religion is man made. So whatever things u read or hear in the name of god was one man's idea to keep people under his control, thats all. History is full of evidence that more often than not religion has been the cause for wars all over the world. If so the converse point arises, is god evil and spreading wars?
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