Recently I met a person who appeared and sounded like an atheist.
I was very happy because for me an atheist is God himself!
I wanted to make sure.
I wanted to make sure.
For this,I started narrating a story written by 'Binadevi' (a pen name) to this new friend. I read this story a long time back and it influenced my thinking greatly thereafter.
The story goes like this.
There was this doctor in charge of a rural health centre in some Indian village. One day, two patients were brought to his place; greviously injured in an accident and unconcious. One of the two was driving a bullock cart which was hit 'head on' by a luxury car being driven by the second injured. The doctor did not know any of them from adam. Each of the injured needed to be operated upon forthwith for survival.
The doctor had to choose!
The doctor chose the car driver for surgery and the bullock cart driver got only first aid.
The story goes like this.
There was this doctor in charge of a rural health centre in some Indian village. One day, two patients were brought to his place; greviously injured in an accident and unconcious. One of the two was driving a bullock cart which was hit 'head on' by a luxury car being driven by the second injured. The doctor did not know any of them from adam. Each of the injured needed to be operated upon forthwith for survival.
The doctor had to choose!
The doctor chose the car driver for surgery and the bullock cart driver got only first aid.
In the very little time available for a decision and in the absence of any data, the lone doctor thought that death of the car driver will have a more severe impact on his immediate family eventhough death causes the same grief in all households.
As expected, the bullock cart man dies and the car owner survives.
Subsequently,the doctor gets to know that the car owner had developed suicidal tendencies for some time due to certain personal issues and is often getting involved in accidents. This accident is sixth in the order!
The bullock cart man is the lone breadwinner for his nonagenarian mother!
After knowing this, the doctor feels very sad at his decision.
Concluding the narrative,I exclaimed that 'God's ways are mysterious!'
My new friend objected to this and said 'where is God in this? It is just 'chance' .
As expected, the bullock cart man dies and the car owner survives.
Subsequently,the doctor gets to know that the car owner had developed suicidal tendencies for some time due to certain personal issues and is often getting involved in accidents. This accident is sixth in the order!
The bullock cart man is the lone breadwinner for his nonagenarian mother!
After knowing this, the doctor feels very sad at his decision.
Concluding the narrative,I exclaimed that 'God's ways are mysterious!'
My new friend objected to this and said 'where is God in this? It is just 'chance' .
By saying so he failed my test .
He is not an athiest !
He is a believer.
What I call as 'God' is referred to as 'chance' by him.
My search for an atheist continues!
What I call as 'God' is referred to as 'chance' by him.
My search for an atheist continues!
Hello Mama!
ReplyDeleteYou are a natural!
very endearing memories weaved with simple words. Absolutely endearing!
Aditya
Hello Uncle,
ReplyDeleteVery nice.
My dear Aditya
ReplyDeleteAny utterance from you thrills me and makes me feel nostalgic! Thanq.
"Those were the days my friend
I thought would never end"
Dear Gayatri
ReplyDeleteThanks,Amma
Hello Uncle - This is a very interesting narrative. I agree with your notion of 'An Athiest being God himself'. One certainly needs to know 'God' before they can denounce Him.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I would like to see your take on 'Apocalypse' as it relates to Hinduism in one of your future posts.
Hi Uncle, I'm an erstwhile colleague of Harish's. This is a very thought provoking post and extremely well written. Absolutely loved it.
ReplyDeleteDear kumar
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments.Let me do some home work before I attempt to write a blog as suggested by you.
Dear Vasudha
ReplyDeleteI somehow felt that whosoever commented on this particular blog is a discerning reader.
Thanq and keep visiting
Dear Sir:
ReplyDeleteIt is strange that we never discussed literature while we work in two neighboring engineering colleges. Bina Devi happens to be one of the most prominent short story writers in Telugu. He was a regular contributor to “Yuva” and “Jyothi” monthly magazines from 1960s . The theist/atheist dichotomy is perennial in philosophy since the times of Socrates! One can read “Story of Philosophy” by Will Durant for enlightenment. I find that, the noted Russian-born American novelist, Ayn Rand, was an atheist to the end of her life! Her masterpiece “Atlas Shrugged” offers ample testimony to her professed convictions.
To begin at the beginning, I believe that you find the following link interesting!
http://poetryintelugufilmsongs.blogspot.com/2008/11/we-never-find-answers-to-riddles-of.html
It demands a lot of wisdom to make the following observation! I fully agree with you, Sir!
ReplyDelete“I am a "part time atheist". When the going is good, I am an "atheist” and whenever the going gets tough, I become a "theist"! In all my 62 years of life, I have not met a full time atheist yet.”