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.

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.

Do We Need Religion To Have Ethics?

Ethics, or the ethos, is something which talks about what is morally right and wrong for a person, or for society as a whole. On the other hand, religion talks about the god, or a supreme being, providing insights of right and wrong in life. If these two topics are mixed together and the question of the necessity of religion for ethics is asked, we do get varied answers. Some say that there is no need of religion for ethics, as our life must be based on the ultimate right and wrong, and not on the guidance of an entity which we can feel, but we cannot touch or meet. But, as we go on to talk about this topic, we realize that the presence of religion in a person’s life does give rise to ethics.

As I mentioned earlier, there are some people who state that there is no need for religion in the pursuit for ethics in society. Well, they are right in their own way, and I agree with them as well. We reside in an age which is plagued by the vermin of crime, rape, and corruption. These men who practice these criminal activities do perform services for the Lord as well. These men are religiously a part of society, yet they go on to do the gory acts which the ethics of a simple man defy.

There are also the organizations like the Boy Scouts, and other NGOs which work to help people. The Boy Scouts have their main aim to be polite, honest, and helpful, and yet their guide book does not include any statement regarding religion. There is also an argument that religion makes you a bit biased in your moral and ethical decisions and could work against the main aim of following ethics. Well, that is surely true.

Various parts of the religious books say that man has never ceased to be evil. It is just the presence of a higher identity and a force which prevents him from proceeding to perform the cruel and vindictive acts. Well, yes. That is true. Let us take the example of a teenager. Being disallowed by religion to smoke or drink, the teenager in a bar with his friends will not move towards the drinks, even if he is forced to do it.

This is the effect which religion has on man. It creates a self-imposed boundary on the acts and at some point; it does have its effects. These limits may seem a bit farfetched at times, like in the case of a young girl who is pregnant because of being raped. This poor girl should be allowed an abortion at least in order to avoid the stares. That would be the best option when considered ethically and with a basic common sense. But a certain religion does prevent this. So, is religion guiding us in the right way here? Is it helping us to regulate ourselves, or is it stealing our freedom?

The restrictions posed by religion on drinking do hold us back from alcoholism, but are we being deprived of a good thing? A small quantity of alcoholic drinks are said to act as stimulants, and have been scientifically proved to be helpful as well. Brandy and wine are prescribed by doctors as well to help. But some religions reject this allowance, and thus there can be a moment when an ill person may be faced with a dilemma regarding this.

Stringent rules and laws, being placed by religion in this topic here, have always worked to hurt and contain the freedom of people. Is the loss of freedom ethically correct? No it is not. Freedom is the most integral aspects of a person’s life, and it must not be snatched away, even in the name of ethics. Along with this, ethics are based on people’s morals, and these must not be influenced by any other factor, and this would lead to a biased decision.

To sum it all up, religion does make you inclined decisions regarding pressing matters in life, and it also works to steal the freedom of people, to act, and to think as well. This is completely against the principals of man, as freedom is birthright for each and every being on the planet. And according to all the above, I strongly believe that religion is not necessary for ethics, as it causes harm in the decision, and also to mankind.