Does God Exist- A Speech

A very good morning to one and all present here. Before I introduce you to my topic, let me just deviate a bit to ask you all something: how many of you went to a temple to pray in the morning? If not a temple, you at least prayed a bit, to the lord, or to the deity you consider holy and sacred, didn’t you? Considering the jitters going down my back, I’m sure you did.

Does that prayer, or the visit ensure that your speech goes without a single glitch? Matter of fact, I prayed as well, and to be frank, I’ve skipped a couple of lines already. So is my deity weaker than yours? Or am I not important to God? Wait a second, is someone really up there listening to all we say?

This controversial and highly opinionated topic is what I am here to speak about: Does God exist?

There is Jesus in Christianity, Buddha for the Buddhists, Prophet Mohammed for the Muslims, and then after all of them stands an army of Gods; yes, I speak as a Hindu.

This topic is so controversial that it has been made into various movies; has been discussed at length in television debates, and has also occupied the first page of our newspapers.

It is said that we are God’s children, and he is the reason behind us walking the earth as superior beings. Let me ask you something, which parent wants his or her child to suffer? Which parent wants their child to roast in the heat without shelter, without food and water? Without a smile? None, that is all I can say.

When we look around our surroundings, all we can see is the pollution and the poverty and the crime. There is such a high magnitude of suffering and anguish in the lives of some people, while there are others who are laden with luxuries. Why the discrimination? Parents don’t discriminate between their kids, do they? All they want for their children is the best, and if that holds true, then why is our world in such a bad state?

Moving on, let me narrate to you an incident which happened with me and my friends some months prior on a trip to Haridwar. The name of the city means God’s gate, and it is aptly named because of the innumerable temples lining the Ganges, which passes right through the city.

In this holy city, overflowing with sacredness, and gods, and their idols, and also god men, we were literally cheated to a combined sum of around rupees 1000. Thankfully, we managed to escape with our pockets only considerably lighter, but I swear that if we had done exactly what the god men said, we would have ended up coming home stark naked with all our stuff donated in some or the other God’s name. Pundits, not really. For me, the city    changed from a devotional hub to a deception hub within minutes, seeing the fake artists’ smooth ways, and the blind devotees. Would god allow a tumor like this one to grow to such an extent? To allow such vermin to loot the world so openly? No he wouldn’t.

So am I just being an atheist? Is there not even a single dot of evidence to support the claim that God does exist in this world? Talking on personal experiences, I must say that He is the ray of hope, a shining ball in the distance, procuring us the strength and the will to go on. He may be a figment of our imagination, but he stands firm, come whatever may. His face is covered with a design made by our mind, just for us to see and remember in times of doubt. A creator, a leader, a supporter- He is there.

I have at times come up against walls, and they have suddenly broken down to pave the paths into the future, and that is evidence enough for me to conclude that there is someone, a force, which leads and controls, and helps. He may not be exactly the person he is portrayed to be, and he surely doesn’t have so many faces, but he is there.

I would like to conclude with a small bit of poetry.

Even though I don’t believe in him,

I feel he’s there somewhere,

Waiting for me, protecting me,

Wishing well for me,

Doing all the good in my life,

And that makes me feel happy,

I don’t blame him for the wrong,

‘Cause those were my deeds,

The times I did not listen to him,

But he made me learn,

Just for me to not make those mistakes again.

Thank you.

Take Me To Church

The lights had all dimmed and darkness paved the way,

My thoughts got extinguished and all my dreams faded away,

There never was a reward and the prize just walked away,

The past wasn’t clear to me, when the future blurred my way,

There was no route of passion, and no one cared about compassion,

I wished to pray, for my sins done and undone,

For the knots left behind in the smooth road,

A blanket lay on the mattress of the truth and I knew I had to make a confession,

Take me to church, was all I said, ‘cause He was the one calling me.

The asphalt of the cheeks was moist and glistening,

The rivulet shimmering down, just like pearls falling,

There wasn’t an answer, but I didn’t even know the question,

There wasn’t a solution, but there wasn’t even a puzzle,

Except maybe my face was, unsure of itself,

There was no way of the right, nor was there any for the wrong,

It wasn’t about exclamation or surprise; it was all about expectations,

I had to redeem myself; I had to shout out loud, I had just failed myself and my aim,

Take me to church, was all I said, ‘cause He was the one leading me.

Over the din, the creak took me away to a new place,

Not just a door opening, but a new avenue presenting itself decorated,

There had been no decision, but there wasn’t any choice too,

The path was singular and the journey was to be made alone,

It was time to put a curtain behind me, and to walk into the veil ahead,

It was time to work, and to persevere, and to push; to push far ahead, just of myself,

The moon on my face resolved all of it; it wasn’t about aptitude, but it was about attitude,

Grit in my eyes, power in my thought, pace in my actions, and strength in my voice,

Take me to church, was all I said, ‘cause He was the one pushing me.

You Are There

I have felt a force, I know not of,

A bearing, a heading, in the darkness,

A pull at times, a push at others,

Who is It to decide my path, be it right or wrong,

To choose my path, which I know not of,

Is it God, or just my inner self, acting so strong,

I don’t know what You want, but You are always right,

I don’t know who You are, but You reside in my heart,

Not in deities, nor in idols, just in ideals I must say,

Just in people, in their presence, in their beliefs,

You are there.

Doubt Of Existence

Can you hear those whispers,

Those words echoing in your ears,

Playing through the darkness,

Weaving through the silence,

I said it once, just for you.

Now there isn’t a thing, anything,

Just an empty vortex of the past,

Memories and a maze of moments,

I look through it to find just you,

If you had to leave, then why did you come?

I refrain myself from regret,

It’s strange, the feeling inside me,

A blitz of sorrow with the rage of revenge,

There are steps which I can take, but shouldn’t,

Nothing will separate me from them, and you?

You took the happiness, you took the smiles,

You took innocence, you took their laughter,

In your name it occurs, righteous sacrifice,

To avenge your name they say,

Is it you who wants the blood, or is it them?

We are trying to fight, to prevent,

But your name is like Wonka’s golden ticket,

Sacrifice, to not eat, nor drink,

Not speak, not laugh, nor enjoy those colors,

To not see the butterflies on the flowers,

To not smell the nectar, to not taste the fruit,

To not share the vivid colors of life,

Why would you give it to us if you didn’t want us to experience?

In your name they do, they preach, they teach,

I whispered your name, for strength,

Prayed to you, for the world to be a better place,

They kill, for you they say, they shed sacred blood,

Yet you cause them no harm,

Are they too little to see, dastardly pests,

Or are they right, and what they do is your wish,

Or is ignorance bliss,

It’s your world and we are just the pawns,

You are the king, and the queen, the master,

But when the innocent suffer, in vain,

I doubt your existence.

I'm Done

It’s a business,

Done with finesse,

Through giving happiness, though,

Only to the self, and to you,

Quite a lot, not few,

Standing, in the lines,

Reading the signs,

And returning, without,

A glimpse, a sight,

Of His might, in the light,

Of the night, shining,

And whining, of the wait too long,

I guess you just aren’t that strong.

It’s a tactic,

To make people frantic,

Using the panic,

Of the manic, people,

Who stand on the steeple,

We also worship the peepal,

But I’m done, there wasn’t no fun,

In the run, or in this rhyme,

And I’ll cut short, as there’s no time,

But there’s lime, damn,

That went with ham,

Now I wanna curse,

So I’ll shift to free verse,

Rather you get a nurse,

For me, not you.

Idol, not idle, they say,

Standing firm, upright,

Gaudily, not godly,

An enterprise, a machine,

To earn, to print, reds and greens,

And those signatures,

The ink fresh, gleaming,

And He’s shimmering,

Not screaming, or saying,

A word, as they sell, Him,

To us, a name,

That should have begun with g,

Or f, fame, I meant game,

Played alone, not together,

As we pray, and so do they,

Just an e going in, prey.

I stood, and understood,

The fact, the truth,

The real meaning,

Of life, of God,

Of people, of minds,

Of thoughts, of dreams,

Of wishes, of needs,

Of Him, of His presence,

As it dawned, first light,

And my eyes went to the skies,

Hands raised, I knew,

It was Him, in me,

In you, in them all,

In the soul, He’s not one, sole,

That has an o,

Saying it all, clear,

Realization, insight,

Well, I’m done.

A story, a trial,

An experience,

An attempt, new,

Destroying perception,

I’m standing, and smiling,

So is He,

Above us, somewhere,

He’s there, I know,

For me, for you,

For us all,

But I know,

I’m done.