Category Archives: Atheism

After turning to Christ, the secretary for an organization that is working to spread atheism in Kenya has stepped down from his post.

In what WNDdescribed as a "highly unusual announcement," the Atheists in Kenya (AIK) group said in a press release that Mr. Seth Mahiga is stepping down from his position because "he has found Jesus Christ and is no longer interested in promoting atheism in Kenya."

On Saturday evening, Mahiga, who has been a member of the organization for one and a half years, submitted his resignation, reports the Star.

The president of AIK, Harrison Mumia, expressed his gratitude to Seth for dedicating his time to the organization, and also wished him the best as he embarks on his next phase of life.

"We wish Seth all the best in his new found relations with Jesus Christ. We thank him for having served the society with dedication over the last one and half years," he said in the press statement.

Mumia then urged Kenyans interested in the position to send in their resumes.

"The position of the secretary of the Society has been rendered vacant. We are calling upon Kenyan atheists who would wish to join our Executive Committee to send their CVs," he wrote.

Since the beginning of AIK, the organization has fought against the inculcation of Christian values in the Kenyan school system, and on an annual basis advocates for the abolishment of the National Day of Prayer, reports UG Christian News.

According to NTV Kenya, the atheist organization urges Kenya to incorporate science and skepticism in its affairs, as well as a logical and humanistic approach to morality, citing the approximately 2.5 percent of Kenyans who claim having no religion or specifying no connection.

Christians are celebrating

After resigning, Mahiga's resignation generated various comments on social media, with the bulk of his fans thanking him for the daring choice. A few others suggested that Mumia do the same.

"Thank you God you have done it again. You changed Paul, you changed Zacchaeus the tax collector, you have now changed Seth Mahiga. May you also change our corrupt politicians," one Christian commented.

"Welcome to the world of reality and truth. The light shineth in the darkness and darkness cannot comprehend it!" Glory to Jesus," said another.

Mahiga further said in a church gathering, which was taped by Elevate TV Kenya and posted online by AIK, that he had been having personal troubles prior to deciding to step down as the organization's secretary, noted Eternity News. In the short video, the pastor is seen in the pulpit with Mahiga and the audience, encouraging everyone to offer God glory by saying "Hallelujah!" He then declared that "the Bible says: 'Every knee shall bow ...'"

Elevate TV postedthe same video on Facebook with the caption, "Seth Mahiga, former Atheist Secretary General, confesses Jesus Christ at Life Church International Nairobi after resigning."

According to Cultural Atlas, about 82% of Kenyans describe themselves as Christians, with the majority classifying themselves as Protestant or Catholic. There are 11.2% of the population that identify as Muslim, 1.7% as traditionalists, and 1.6% as "other."

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Atheist Group Announces Resignation Of Former Secretary. The Reason? 'He Has Found Jesus Christ' - Christianity Daily

Photo: Lawrence Krauss, in Science Uprising, Discovery Institute.

One of the ironies of the conversation between intelligent design advocates and proponents of aggressive scientific atheism is that ID, at its cutting edge, owes a great debt to the atheists. That cutting edge is represented by philosopher of science Stephen Meyers new book, Return of the God Hypothesis: Three Scientific Discoveries That Reveal the Mind Behind the Universe.

As Dr. Meyer explains, the debt is twofold. First, biologist Richard Dawkins and others have a special talent for framing questions about how science may illuminate the ultimate question we can ask about life, the universe, and their origin. Dawkins is right that the question about Gods existence is also a question about science, and can be adjudicated as such. Second, it was a debate with cosmologist Lawrence Krauss that prompted Meyer to look more deeply into the evidence of physics and cosmology. That allowed him to draw those fields into the argument he had previously developed from biology which, in turn, permitted extending the case for intelligent design, in a generic sense, to the case for a personal God. So, everyone who cares about the most important mystery that humans can ever consider should say Thank you! to Dawkins, Krauss, and their associates. Watch:

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Our Debt to the Scientific Atheists - Discovery Institute

Im thrilled that atheist/agnostic, nonreligious Jews like me seem to be growing in numbers. Im concerned, though, that our full set of values is not made apparent by the new Pew Research survey of American Jews.

Pew splits the community between Jews by Religion and Jews of No Religion. It suggests an increase among Jews of No Religion to 27 percent of all Jewish adults, up from 22 percent in their 2013 survey, with a whopping 40 percent among Jews ages 18-29.

I was not surveyed. But had I been, I wouldve had a tough choice with the screening question used to make that determination. Pew asked, What is your present religion, if any?

Im strongly Jewishly identified and want to be counted as a Jew. But Im equally vocal about my atheism and humanism, and in some ways, those are the more marginalized identities in American society and need greater representation. Had I checked atheist, I certainly would have answered affirmatively to the follow-up question, Aside from religion, do you consider yourself Jewish in any way (ethnically, culturally, family background)? A yes to that wouldve included me among Jews of No Religion.

Unfortunately, most of the questions posed by this survey will portray Jews of No Religion as less than, when compared with Jews by Religion. On average, Jews of No Religion are less Jewishly educated, less synagogue affiliated, less ritually practicing, less emotionally attached to Israel, place less emphasis on being Jewish or belonging to the Jewish people, care less about having Jewish grandchildren, and have fewer Jewish friends than Jews by Religion.

This narrative of less than emerges because Pew only measured activities and values cared about by the organized Jewish community and not necessarily by the broader Jewish population.

For example, one question not asked is how strongly Jews believe in the universal equality of all people. One indicator that Jews of No Religion would average more than Jews by Religion on universalism is the way we enact that value through our family configurations: Nearly 80 percent of married Jews of No Religion are intermarried (married to spouses who arent Jewish), and nearly 60 percent of Jews of No Religion were raised by intermarried parents.

As an intermarried Jew, I see universalism as a positive value. Most of the organized Jewish community is not universalist in approach, though, it is particularistic. And thus, the conflicting narrative.

Im strongly Jewishly identified and want to be counted as a Jew. But Im equally vocal about my atheism and humanism.

Pew found the individual rate of Jewish intermarriage remaining at a sky-high 72 percent of non-Orthodox Jews over the past decade. While the report does not share the outcome of such a rate, the result is that today in America, among households with at least one married Jew, there are hundreds of thousands more intermarried than so-called in-married (two Jewish spouses) households. A case can therefore be made that universalism is a Jewish value! Which may be one reason why affiliation rates with synagogues and other Jewish organizations remain low. Can the organized Jewish community better appeal to Jewish universalists?

Diversity is another value I believe in. Along with being religiously intermarried, Im interracially married; my wife is from Japan and our kids are mixed race. While the American Jewish community is still overwhelmingly white, Jews of No Religion are more than twice as likely as Jews by Religion to live in multiracial households. Thats something to celebrate! Jews of No Religion also have twice the rate of LGBTQ+ individuals than Jews by Religion.

While demographic studies cant measure such things, Im confident that Jews of No Religion are living their lives just as ethically as Jews by Religion. The great challenge to all religions in our increasingly secular world is the growing recognition that being religious doesnt automatically make you a better person (and neither does being atheist).

We know that Jews dont need religion to be good, because the Pew survey demonstrates that even among Jews by Religion, religious belief is significantly weaker than Americans in general. Pew asked whether you believe in God as described in the Bible, and only 33 percent of Jews by Religion said yes. While most Jews do believe in some other higher power or spiritual force, if that force is not a God that makes specific commandments about how to behave, why are most Jews good? Id argue its their humanistic values, even if theyve never heard the word humanist before.

Its humanism the innate human ability to make decisions based on reason, knowledge, empathy and consideration for whats best for most people that fosters the liberal political approach among most American Jews. For example, Jews overwhelmingly support gay marriage and LGBTQ equality. That was not dictated to us from on high, and it wasnt even the case a few decades ago. It is because of our growing humanism and despite our religious tradition that Jews have come to those conclusions.

So then why still be Jewish at all? Thats the question that some Jews of No Religion already have clarity about, with our continued Jewish identity and participation. For me, its about empathy fostered from being part of an at-times marginalized minority, even as I benefit from unsought white privilege. Its about knowing where I fit into the grand timeline of human history, and a fascination with the unique Jewish story. And its about family and celebration.

The organized Jewish community could be providing this and more to the Jews of No Religion it currently is not reaching, but first there must be a recognition and acceptance of the different yet equally valid set of values we hold. Were not less than. Our differences can be celebrated equally, if only the communal umbrella were stretched wider.

Continued here:
What it means to be a 'Jew of No Religion' it's not what you think J. - The Jewish News of Northern California

Several years ago, an atheist author named James Lindsay was putting out books and articles that were pretty uncontroversial, at least as far as atheism goes.

And then, at some point, he snapped and became one of those atheists whose every sentence includes a noun, a verb, woke, and cancel culture.

In 2017, he published an article with some colleagues (including fellow anti-woke activist Peter Boghossian) claiming to have exposed academic journals especially in the field of gender studies but that article was riddled with exaggerations and left out key details. It exposed nothing of significance.

Yet that didnt stop other members of the Intellectual Dark Web the same people often referred to as public intellectuals or science advocates from hyping it up. Thats nothing new. Those people bend over backwards to praise each other and act like all criticism against one of their own is illegitimate. (More recently, they defended Richard Dawkins after he faced a mild consequence for a transphobic tweet.)

Anyway, back to Lindsay. Hes the sort of guy beloved by the people who eventually go down YouTube rabbit holes into right-wing extremism. The sort of guy who describes himself as classically liberal as he pushes conservative propaganda. The sort of guy who advises atheist groups whose activism involves recruiting members at CPAC (the conference where attendees took pictures with a golden bust of Donald Trump).

And wouldnt you know it: Many of Lindsays biggest supporters are Southern Baptists who love that someone outside their bubble is promoting their own harmful views.

In an eye-opening article by Bob Smietana of Religion News Service, we find out that Lindsays anti-woke crusade is getting rave reviews from the most conservative members of the largest Protestant denomination in the country because they love that he routinely condemns feminism, social justice, and the fight to address racial inequalities. They like him because they get to act like their bigotry isnt merely an extension of religious extremism: Look, they can say, heres an atheist who also believes were onto something!

(This is the case even though Lindsays Ph.D. is in mathematics, not the subjects hes now talking about.)

In Southern Baptist circles, Lindsay has become a key critic of Resolution 9, a statement about critical race theory and intersectionality passed at the SBCs annual meeting in 2019. That resolution refers to those two theories as analytical tools that can aid in evaluating a variety of human experiences. The resolution also says those theories are insufficient to diagnose and redress the root causes of the social ills that they identify, which result from sin.

That resolution was mild, even for Southern Baptists. All it did was acknowledge that theres knowledge to be gained from understanding our nations racist past and the way peoples ethnic/gender/etc. background informs their lives.

But Lindsay said that resolution was some kind of woke infestation, aligning himself with the most conservative members of the SBC in the process.

Even more damning? Lindsay has close ties to a Christian Nationalist group called Sovereign Nations.

According to a report filed with the Florida secretary of state, [Sovereign Nations president Michael] OFallon is the owner and registered agent for New Discourses LLC, which runs the website that promotes Lindsays work. Lindsay is also featured in a series of videos about critical theory and the SBC, posted on the Sovereign Nations website.

Nothing like an atheist activist funded by a Christian Nationalist. Lindsay, whose allegiance to the truth shattered a long time ago, has no problem working directly with someone like OFallon (who spreads George Soros conspiracy theories) while basking in the praise of Southern Baptists.

As Smietana notes, if Southern Baptists wanted to have a dialogue about these issues, there are perfectly qualified people within their fold, including many of the Black believers who left the Southern Baptist denomination due to its racism. But instead of listening to criticism from within, people like Al Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, are promoting an atheist from the outside.

Mohler is so desperate for validation, hes turning to a known atheist hoaxer. And Lindsay is so desperate for approval, hes welcoming the love from religious conservatives.

Lindsay refused to speak with Smietana for his article. But he had no problem lashing out once it was published.

As Ive pointed out many times before, being an atheist doesnt mean youre a good critical thinker. Weve unfortunately seen many examples of that in recent years. You would think the outsized praise from the same people you once denounced would raise some red flags in your mind, but when youre a professional troll, Im sure its hard to notice.

(Screenshot via YouTube)

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Southern Baptists Love This Atheist Who Trashes Feminism and Racial Justice - Friendly Atheist - Patheos

When MK Stalin took oath of office as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister on Friday, a minor change to the text of his oath was picked up by political observers in Tamil Nadu and beyond. Some were surprised, others, not so much. "I, Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin, do solemnly swear by my conscience," Stalin said in Tamil, choosing to consciously and conspicuously remove "swear in the name of God" from his oath.

While many who followed the swearing-in from North of the Vindhyas were taken aback by the staunch atheism in Stalin's oath, journalists and political commentators in Tamil Nadu did not bat an eyelid.

After all, the atheism of the DMK and the Dravidian movement at large is probably its most well-known feature. Its reputation for shunning religion and rigorous upholding of secularism goes before it. Stalin made it clear that as the 11th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and as a member of the "Dravidian stock" his updated Twitter bio carries that claim he was going to carry that flame.

EVR Periyar, Tamil Nadu's most famous atheist

Atheism in Tamil Nadu began with EV Ramasamy (more commonly known as Periyar), the founder of the self-respect movement which would go on to form the tenets of the Dravidian ideology. "He who created god is a fool, he who propagates god is a scoundrel, and he who worships god is a barbarian," said Periyar, who was the first known advocate of atheism in the Dravidian movement.

Periyar's outright rejection of 'God', though, must be seen from the prism of his rejection of religion in the context of caste hegemony. Periyar held the view that caste hierarchies were a product of exclusionist religions, which saw upper castes stomp down on marginalised communities owing to religious endorsements. He would go on to advocate destruction of idols and religious iconography, in the attempt to rid society of religion.

History books hold that Periyar's self-respect movement was a watershed movement in Tamil Nadu's political history. And although he never became the state's chief minister himself, Periyar's movement was the precursor to Dravidian politics, which birthed names like CN Annadurai, M Karunanidhi, MG Ramachandran, J Jayalalithaa and now, Stalin.

Ever since the DMK won its first election in the erstwhile Madras state back in 1967, religious abhorrence was par for the course. However, a relatively moderate stance (when compared to Periyar's strong views on religion) was consciously adopted by Tamil Nadu state's first chief minister, and DMK founder, CN Annadurai.

Annadurai's moderate atheism

"I am a Hindu sans the sacred ash, a Christian minus the Holy Cross and a Muslim without the prayer cap," Annadurai said while upholding his secular credentials, even as he came down heavily on religious superstitions, casteist exclusions and exploitation along caste fault lines.

Annadurai also legalised self-respect marriages in Tamil Nadu, first propagated by Periyar, which solemnised a wedding without the presence of an upper-caste priest to preside over the ceremony.

"I don't break coconuts to make an offering to Ganesh, nor do I break his idols," Annadurai has said in Tamil (loosely translated to English here), upholding a brand of secularism that did not hurt religious sentiment, as opposed to Periyar's extremist practices.

The 50s and 60s saw Tamil Nadu's figureheads, Periyar and Annadurai, as the yin and yang of a political environment that was still fiercely secular and atheist. However, things took a turn for the bold and brazen, when Karunanidhi assumed charge of the DMK.

Karunanidhi contends with Lord Ram

One of Karunanidhi's most brazen displays of his atheism came in 2007, when he held that faith and religious belief was getting in the way of development in Tamil Nadu.

Karunanidhi was addressing concerns that the much-vaunted Sethusamudram project would have to be shelved since it involved dredging the Adam's Bridge, connecting India and Sri Lanka. Hindus believe that the partly submerged limestone structures near Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu were built by Lord Ram.

"Who is this Ram? In which engineering college did he study and become a civil engineer? When did he build this bridge? Is there any evidence for this?" Karunanidhi asked out aloud, while addressing a public gathering in Erode, one that would later go on to be steeped in controversy, for its alleged attempt to hurt religious sentiments.

Badgered for clarifications on his remarks, and his flagrant anti-faith outbursts, Karunanidhi later said, in a television interview: "I'm not against Ram, my conscience is my God."

Neither opposed to nor believe in religion: MK Stalin

What was admirable about the Dravidian political movement from Annadurai and Karunanidhi to Stalin is that personal and socio-political atheism notwithstanding, the party and political establishment have stoically refused to come in the way of religious ceremonies, processions and expressions of personal faith.

Karunanidhi himself, for all his rigorous atheism has participated in religious ceremonies of multiple faiths. Durga Stalin -- MK Stalin's wife -- known to be a devout temple-goer, has often prompted questions from journalists and observers as to how a party that has been stoically atheist is seeing families of its top leaders visit temples and perform rituals.

"I am not opposed to religion, but I don't believe in it," said Stalin in a television interview, on the recently concluded campaign trail for the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections. "My wife goes to temples, and I don't stop her."

However, religious belief, endorsement and tolerance aside, MK Stalin chose to be stoically atheist on his big day, as he took the Chief Minister's oath of office, choosing to use his father's 'God' conscience. Given the Dravidian movement's stoic upholding of atheistic values, you can't help but feel that this atheism is not only par for the course, but also much needed in a socio-political environment torn apart by religious discrimination and exclusion.

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Not in the name of God: Why MK Stalin's atheism is par for the course - CNBCTV18

Sumit Paul

Nihaan hai har aurat mein ek maa ka dil/ Har soorat mein aurat pehle maa hai. Tariq Aurangabadi

So true. Embedded in every woman is the heart of a mother! I can vouch for the profundity of this line. Brought up as a motherless child, yet receiving motherly love from a host of wonderful women at every juncture of life, I could empathise with the eternal truth that a woman is first and foremost a mother. Studying in Iran and living at a boarding school in Tehran, my first experience of meeting a motherly woman happened when I met my wardens wife, Mrs Mehnaaz. She was a personification of all thats affable and angelic in this world. Ill ever cherish her beatific smile. Knowing that I lived alone and was a vegetarian, she used to cook vegetarian dishes for me and eventually turned a vegetarian, much to the amusement of her hardcore non-vegetarian husband, who was my warden at the hostel. Then came Mrs Shabihah Shaheen. She taught me English and was extremely patient with me. Every day, shed give me a chocolate bar. Shed be pleased as punch to hear me speak fractured English and would rectify my mistakes in Persian. Whatever little English I can learn in life, it's because of her indefatigable efforts. She had abiding faith in my abilities. I'm still in touch with her. Though quite old, she still visits India to meet me. Never in life did she ever impose Islam on me and always respected my atheism and non-religious existence.

At Ahmednagar in India, I met Mrs Shamim Baghban. She had a fashion boutique and was a designer. Shed always darn my clothes and stitch them. Whenever I used to offer her some money, she would say, Hum apne bete se paise nahin lete. My relationship with her is still intact. I make it a point to meet her whenever I visit Ahmednagar. In fact, I go there just to meet her.

Apart from these loving ladies, I met scores of wondrous and matronly women who mothered and shaped my life. My professor and mentor Dr Zaifa Ashraf was someone whose memories still warm the cockles of my heart. So is Mrs Meera Kulkarni at Ahmednagar. A woman is an epitome of love and affection. Motherly instincts come to a woman as naturally as fragrance to flowers. They (women) are ministering angels. Thats the reason nurses across the world are still women, because a sense of care and service is integral to their psyche and personality. Nature endows a girl child with intrinsic and implicit motherhood.

On the eve of Mothers Day, I bow before all these women and others who loved and mothered me in different phases of my life. Some have left the world and some are still with me. My deepest love and respect to all.

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Above all, she is a mother - The Tribune India

By Kathryn Lopez

President Joseph Biden mentions his Catholic faith frequently. Weve heard him cite both Pope and Saint Francis. At his inauguration, he ran through a litany of promises about love, healing and decency, and other things no one could object to, prefaced by: Before God and all of you I give you my word. But when it came time for his first proclamation for a National Day of Prayer, his administration chose to leave God out of it.

There was mention of racial justice and climate change, but never the three-letter word that acknowledges that there is something more that our country is founded on and is the reason we even exist. Quoting the late Rep. John Lewis, Biden called people the most dynamic link to the divine on this planet. In this framework, the National Day of Prayer then, is about us, not God.

As churches were closed for worship during the COVID-19 lockdowns, the priests and other ministers who kept serving are the uncelebrated heroes essential workers of the pandemic. They went into hospitals. They checked on parishioners. They did everything they were allowed to do to safely give people access to Confession and the Eucharist. After what we as a nation have been through, we should be celebrating prayers, churches and God, not ignoring them or watering them down.

When Pope Benedict XVI, now pope emeritus, was head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican, it issued a letter on what prayer is. (P)roperly speaking, it is a personal, intimate, and profound dialogue between man and God. This communion, based on Baptism and the Eucharist, source and summit of the life of the Church, implies an attitude of conversion, a flight from self to the You of God.

Thats powerful stuff though obviously Christian, and in a Catholic context. But doesnt all prayer need to include that kind of humility? And an acknowledgment that our lives are not our own? Isnt that one of the lessons of the past year? We are mutually vulnerable, and we can turn to God for meaning and direction.

But much of Bidens prayer proclamation was all about us, our comfort and our agendas. This is not a Republican vs. Democrat kind of a thing; practical atheism is a plague. President George W. Bush had the right idea in his 2016 proclamation, citing George Washington: It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the Providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and to humbly implore His protection and favor. Now theres a posture that will get us outside of our heads and false comforts.

Here, for what its worth, is what Mother Teresa said about prayer: Prayer, to be fruitful, must come from the heart and must be able to touch the heart of God. See how Jesus taught His disciples to pray. Call God your Father; praise and glorify his name. Do His will as the saints do it in heaven; ask for daily bread, spiritual and temporal; ask for forgiveness of your own sins and that you may forgive others, and also for the grace not to give in to temptations and for the final grace to be delivered from the evil that is in us and around us.

Humility is key to prayer. A White House proclamation isnt a theological treatise, but I do wonder if this years betrays our warped view of religion. Prayer isnt about us so much as it is about God. Its not about our agendas. Its an acknowledgement that there is so much more to our day and our lives than what is on our calendars.

If we got the National Day of Prayer wrong, today is another day. And always remember the Sabbath.

It could change our lives and the world. Its not all about us; God reorients things when we give Him time.

Kathryn Jean Lopez is senior fellow at the National Review Institute, editor-at-large of National Review magazine and author of the new book A Year With the Mystics: Visionary Wisdom for Daily Living. She is also chair of Cardinal Dolans pro-life commission in New York. She can be contacted at klopez@nationalreview.com.

Originally posted here:
Kathryn Lopez: You've got to pray to make it today - Salisbury Post - Salisbury Post

A political scion with engineering and management degrees from top institutes at home and in the US. A top banker who lived and married abroad, and returned to become a popular MLA. An ardent devotee of Goddess Meenakshi in a party that swears by atheism.

Palanivel Thiagarajan, or PTR, as he is better known, is a study in contrasts. However, for once in his long and eventful career, the 55-year-olds life has taken an anticipated turn. New Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has picked this highly qualified MLA with an engineering degree from NIT Trichy, higher studies in the State University of New York, and an MBA in Finance from the Sloan School of Management at MIT to be his Finance Minister.

Its a fitting progression for PTR, whose grandfather P T Rajan was the chief minister of Madras Presidency in the 1930s, and whose father P T R Palanivel Rajan served as a DMK minister. He takes over as Finance Minister after winning for the second time from Madurai Central, by 34,176 votes.

In these past five years, PTR earned his stripes as a leader. Always available for his constituents, he would put out a report card of his work every six months. If he is given time to deliver, he will deliver. Stalin knows that, says a senior DMK leader also sworn in as minister.

Having left India in 1987 for the US, PTR returned only 20 years later, finishing his studies, joining work there, and marrying an American classmate. Four years later, in 2011, PTR moved to Singapore for a high-profile bankers job. When he returned in 2015, he said it was for good. A year later, he won the Assembly elections from Madurai Central.

Now settled in Chennai with his wife Margaret Rajan, school-going sons Palani Thiaga Rajan and Vel Thiaga Rajan, and five dogs, PTR told The Indian Express after the swearing-in that they were his life. However, he said, he always wanted to work for the people.

One of the top issues on his agenda would be settling Tamil Nadus GST dues with the Centre. PTR, who has been severely critical of the Modi governments financial policies, said, Just like a man is as good as his word, a government must keep its commitments and obligations. It (the GST dues) is a black and white, legal commitment of the Indian government to the states. There is nothing to be discussed.

PTR also alleged the undermining of states under the Modi government. Tamil Nadu is a well-to-do state. You cannot sit in Delhi and make decisions for people Devolution is the basis of governance, not just from the Centre to the state but from the state to local bodies as well. In fact, one of the things we admire most about Kerala is the extent of devolution they have implemented.

With Tamil Nadu differing over other Central policies as well, PTR added, It is clear that we cannot resolve problems in our country with a single solution due to the scale of its diversity and complexity. Why should Delhi tell us when we open our barber shops (during the lockdown)? We have a structural problem, GST is only the financial aspect of it.

A drain on Tamil Nadus resources is its freebie culture, with parties showering sops before the elections. In the recent Assembly elections, the DMK promised increasing maternity leave from six months to a year, free passes for women in city buses, and Rs 4,000 cash assistance for all ration card holders (the latter two were implemented Friday). PTR argued, I dont start with the assumption that all freebies are bad. I would even consider doubling up or delivering certain freebies on a daily basis Should I not give free food to schoolchildren? Should I not give laptops to students?

He himself made three promises to his electorate, PTR said an integrated drinking water scheme, ensuring supply to every individual; an integrated sewage system; and the renovation of Madurai Meenakshi temple.

The connection to the Meenakshi temple goes deep. In 1963, it was his grandfather who had done the Kumbabhishekam (part of the consecration ceremony, done once every 12 years) of the temple, and he hopes to do it at the renovated temple.

PTR sees no contradiction between his faith and the DMKs atheist stand, saying the Kalaignar (the late M Karunanidhi) knew about his devotion to the Goddess. After my father passed away in 2006, I took a vow to visit the temple every week or every month. Wherever I have been, I have kept that promise for the last 15 years, missing only once or twice, and this last year due to Covid-19 restrictions. I even asked for the Madurai Central constituency because of the temple. The Kalaignar knew that.

In fact, PTRs family also has an association with the Sabarimala temple in Kerala, which has been caught up in a row, with his grandfather who headed the Justice Party donating a deity of Lord Ayyappa to it after a massive fire in the 1950s. After the fire, the Pandalam King (the temple caretaker) and the chief priest met an astrologer. He suggested they approach my grandfather, PTR said

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A graduate from MIT, former banker, Tamil Nadus finance minister wants Centre to give state its due - The Indian Express

NOW that Labour has lost another English "Red Wall" constituency Darlington to the Conservatives, it seems clear that the right wing is firmly embedded at Westminster.

After so many Brexit lies to the EU and Northern Ireland, the illegal prorogation of Parliament and associated lies to the Queen, the normalisation and acceptance of sleaze within Westminster is surely by now a "truth universally acknowledged", from Brussels to Washington DC and back again to Buckingham Palace. It is also blatant; there is no shame.

Recently, David Edgerton, Professor of History at King's College, London, argued that Scotland's independence would help England "liberate itself from the Anglo-UK state" and move on to a "new democratic settlement".

Another distinguished historian, Sir Max Hastings, has, even more ominously, suggested that the Tory Party is now confident about the acquiescence of its supporters and the English electorate in general. He pointed out the massive propaganda effort which has lulled and subverted the English electorate into acceptance and voting for more. Hartlepool is surely proof of that.

Meanwhile, the "Anglo-UK State" has arrived at a post-Brexit position of international disgrace, isolation and distrust.

The peculiar scandal about furniture for Boris Johnson's flat is dwarfed by Greensill, involving Matt Hancock, David Cameron, Rishi Sunak and, no doubt, many others in secret meetings and exchanges. Until today there was actually no Westminster adviser on the Ministerial Code: Sir Alex Allan resigned when Boris Johnson ignored his finding that Priti Patel had broken that code and paid off her accuser with 340,000 of public money instead. The same silencing has been applied to the planning scandal associated with Robert Jenryck and the outrageous behaviour of Mr Johnson with Jennifer Arcuri. Their arrogant presumption that such conduct will go unchallenged has been proved correct again, horribly, in Hartlepool.

Hercules diverted the Rivers Alpheus and Peneus to clean out the Augean Stables after 30 years of neglect. Prof Edgerton is surely also correct in his assessment that cleaning out the Westminster "skip" will require something at least as momentously and positively constitutional in the form of Scottish, and possibly Welsh, independence.

The recent Calvinistic approach of our own Holyrood Parliament to any suspicion of deviation from the Ministerial Code surely confirms that we are already a separate nation, leading by example.

Our independence will be, as Prof Edgerton says, a positive chance for everyone and the sooner the better.

Frances McKie, Evanton.

I FEAR FOR MY COUNTRY

THE saddest feature of all about the flirtation of so many Scots with nationalism has been the rejection of reason and logic by a large number of them. Even a glance through some of the statements and interviews of nationalist spokespersons, right up to the very top, shows an ignorance of even basic economics and an unshakeable belief in fantasy scenarios that would embarrass a Harry Potter plot.

So, for example, we have for a broken-off Scotland "no border" with England and with our southern neighbours, 10 times our size, apparently having no say in the matter whatsoever and supposed to bow meekly to the will of a broken-off Scotland. Or we have all Scotlands share of the joint debt incurred by the UK "wiped out". We are given suggestions of seamless, virtually instant accession to the EU and all currency problems waved away with the bland "other countries borrow, so can we". We could go on and on. The ability to reason and think things through has deserted so many.

Scotland is on the verge of catastrophe. Whatever the election result, I fear for the future of my country as I never have feared before.

Alexander McKay, Edinburgh.

VOTING SYSTEM INADEQUATE

AT around 2.30 in the afternoon of polling day I cast my vote at box 52 in Jordanhill Church Hall.

After the preliminaries, I joked to the polling steward about the enormous length of the list ballot paper. I was puzzled, though, at my difficulty in pushing it into a nearly full ballot box.

How astonishing to read on your website that two voters, six hours later, were unable to access the same ballot box.

The unfortunate couple were advised to come back by 10pm. Had I received the same advice I would have been effectively disenfranchised due to later family commitments.

Luckily, Nadeem Basharat and his partner Joanne did not suffer that fate. Their experience, however, performs a signal service in highlighting the inadequacy of voting arrangements.

Thomas McLaughlin, Glasgow.

WHY REVERT TO OLD ENMITIES?

ISN'T Brexit great?

It has enabled Boris Johnson to relive past British glories by sending in the gunboats, this time to protect the tax haven Jersey ("EU in Brexit blast amid bitter feud on fishing", The Herald, May 7) rather than into the River Yangtze to enforce Britain's imperial will during the Opium Wars. And the fishermen of France, of course, had to follow the revolutionary pleading of the soldier-poet Augustin Louis de Ximnz: Attaquons dans ses euax la perfide Albion!

Is it any wonder that I gave both my votes to the SNP in the hope of rejoining the mainstream of European civilisation? What's wrong with "an ever-closer union"? Surely it's better than reverting to ancient antagonisms?

Peter Martin, Muir of Ord.

THE FISCAL STUMBLING BLOCK

RUTH Marr (Letters, May 7) challenges my assessment (Letters, May 5) of it taking around 20 years from the decision to hold a referendum to Scotland achieving membership of the European Union as an independent state.

She refers to the views of the Scottish Centre on European Relations but chooses not to address the issue of monetary policy sovereignty. Chapter 9 of its March 2020 report, An Independent Scotland in the EU: Issues for Accession, addresses the EUs fiscal criteria indicating that it may be problematic for Scotland to join the EU without control of its own monetary policy, that is, while using the pound sterling.

The book Scotlands New Choice; Independence After Brexit published in March of this year by the Centre on Constitutional Change based at the University of Edinburgh devotes four chapters to setting out issues pertaining to the economy.

It is clear that significant time is required to meet the required EU economic entry criteria.The SNP's own Sustainable Growth commission indicated that it would take around 10 years to "secure monetary policy sovereignty".

Incidentally, and not related to the timescale but to the need to reduce the budget deficit, the same report from the Scottish Centre on European Relations questions "whether the Scottish polity, let alone the populace, is aware of how severe the spending squeeze would have to be".

Ms Marr clearly has a different view to me but I note that she has not accepted my challenge to give an alternative timescale or comment upon any economic challenges that she might anticipate during the process.

George Rennie, Inverness.

THE HIGH COST OF NUCLEAR

WHILE there are some truths in Brian Wilson's comments in his article disparaging the Green agenda on power generation ("Theres nothing green about dividing Britain or closing down the North Sea", The Herald, May 5) there are things in his remarks that are for the less knowledgeable.

In particular he champions nuclear power, and while there are highly skilled careers in this industry many will transfer to the safe decommissioning of nuclear power plants in the years ahead.

Radioactivity takes thousands of years to reduce and the safety of that comes at a cost. Think of Chernobyl.

In my working life I was involved in the design of, amongst other systems, enclosures to enable safe dismantling of enriched materials at Sellafield. At one stage about 20 years ago my company's production was put on hold as radioactivity was detected in a working area. This took, from memory, more than six months to deal with before manufacture and supply could be resumed.

Dounreay demonstrates the timescale of such safe decommissioning. Who is paying for this?

Mr Wilson states that the cost of renewables is being spread among UK consumers without too many complaints. I would complain if it would make any difference, having seen my all electric house bills doubling in under 10 years.

What governments allowed the Central Electricity Generating Board, SSEB and the like to be privatised and acquired by Spanish, French and German utilities? And if the French carry out their threat to cut off Jersey, is it a short step to up their perceived grievances over Brexit by threatening to ration their export of power to the UK?

Mr Wilson needs to get real and instead of having a go at the Greens, think about where the Westminster establishment have taken the UK to.

Ian Gray, Croftamie.

DEBATE ON ATHEISM AND RELIGION

I WAS interested to read that Northern Ireland's possible replacement as First Minister, Edwin Poots, holds a "young Earth" world view ("The danger of Northern Ireland comparisons", The Herald, May 3). Perhaps he sees a conflict between science and a belief in a Creator?

Brian Chrystal (Letters, May 6) doesn't tell us his own world view, but he doesn't mention that most mainline Protestants, Catholics and some other religions see no such conflict. There are many different beliefs on this, from "young Earth creationism" (or "special creationism") through theistic evolution to atheism. There are many eminent scientists such as John Polkinhorne and John Lennox, who believe there is a God, as well as many who do not.

As for Mr Chrystal's fear that schoolchildren in Northern Ireland may be taught fringe views such as young Earth creationism, I think they would get a wider education if they were taught a range of views, rather than that they were only told about the current dogma that science can explain absolutely everything.

I would recommend a look at graspingthenettle.org, where many respectful debates are taking place between those of a religious faith, and those whose faith is atheism.

William Campbell, Lenzie.

WINTERS' TALE

I APPRECIATE William Shakespeare is widely regarded as Englands national poet and the worlds greatest dramatist, but had never seen him as a rival to Scotlands Brahan Seer, predictor of the future, gifted with the sight.

However, recent correspondence in The Herald on Glasgows Empire Theatre (Letters, May 5, 6), notorious as the graveyard for English comics, particularly Mike and Bernie, clears up the mystery of The Bard of Avons Now is the Winter of our discontent (Richard 111, Act 1, scene 1).

R Russell Smith, Largs.

Go here to see the original:
Letters: Hartlepool shows the right will not be budged at Westminster - HeraldScotland

In our latest podcast, Jessica and I discussed the past week in politics and atheism.

We talked about:

Josh Duggar is in jail! But for what? (2:10)

This is one wild letter to the editor from a self-described WASP. (9:00)

A Canadian politician defended conversion therapy by talking about a woman who wanted to escapelesbian activity. It spawned a hashtag. (26:00)

An Alaska GOP Senate candidate thinks church/state separation is a hoax. (30:10)

Catholic bishops dont want Joe Biden to receive communion so the rules may change. (38:48)

If this is your criticism of Kamala Harris, maybe keep it to yourself. (46:53)

Newt Gingrich is very botheredby rainbow flags at U.S. embassies. (56:33)

Australias prime minister said hes doing Gods work inoffice. (59:48)

Christian Prophets want some standards! (1:05:49)

Wed love to hear your thoughts on the podcast. If you have any suggestions for people we should chat with, please leave them in the comments, too.

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Google Play, stream all the episodes on SoundCloud or Stitcher, or just listen to the whole thing below. Our RSS feed is here. And if you like what youre hearing, please consider supporting this site on Patreon and leaving us a positive rating!

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Continued here:
Podcast Ep. 372: The WASP Who Wants Sexetarys at Work - Friendly Atheist - Patheos