Thursday 30 January 2014

The God Argument

The problem of evil:

"Is he [God] willing to prevent evil, but not able? then is he impotent. Is he able, but not willing? then is he malevolent. Is he both able and willing? whence then is evil?" - Hume, David. "Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion".

But. If God doesn't exist, how do you define evil and good? What is good then, and what is evil? If there is no God, there's no evil, and there's no good. It's true that we're all wired to be 'moral'; and from a religious perspective, that makes perfect sense. But outside of the context of religion, why would the murder be wrong? Why would curing cancer be wrong? Why would creating cancer-like virus be evil?

If we agree that outside the context of religion, there's no good, and no evil, then we know that the problem of evil necessitates the existence of God. 

Why then God enables us to evil? Didn't he foresee the problem that would come arise of it?
Well He could have made us automatons. But we couldn't have loved, if we couldn't have hated. And then, there wouldn't be any choice, and then there wouldn't be any evil.

Okay. But He could have at least stopped the nature's disasters from happening. Well He could have. But He didn't. He is God. The good thing about that you don't have to seek anyone's approval. 

-- This is a work in progress. Will complete as mood be --

Saturday 25 January 2014

Wounds

The wound is the place where the Light enters you. 
Mowlana Rumi

Tuesday 21 January 2014

Expertise

Life is short, [the] craft long, opportunity fleeting, experiment treacherous, judgment difficult.
—  Hippocrates (c. 400BC)
Tere ishq ne mujhay Ghum dia,
Mere ghum ki Umr daraz ho!

Monday 13 January 2014

Ask and you shall receive

Things just got serious. Like three hours ago.

Let's do this.

Step 1. Slice off the crap out of your life. Just focus on what's important. The detrimental and wasteful would distance itself from you automatically.

Saturday 11 January 2014

On my fifth trip to France I limited myself to the words and phrases that people actually use. From the dog owners I learned “Lie down.” “Shut up,” and “Who shit on this carpet?” The couple across the road taught me to ask questions correctly, and the grocer taught me to count. Things began to come together, and I went from speaking like an evil baby to speaking like a hillbilly. “Is thems the thoughts of cows?” I’d ask the butcher, pointing to the calves’ brains displayed in the front window. “I want me some lamb chop with handles on ’em.”
— David Sedaris. Me Talk Pretty One Day

Friday 10 January 2014

The smell of frying bread in butter, is the bread and butter, of the lonely chef.

Thursday 9 January 2014

Marcus on Writing

Some tips on writing from here


Write with your audience in your mind. Feel free to go as far as to imagine you're writing personally to one person. That person is your average-audience-person.

'One of the writer's main jobs is managing cognitive overload. If a reader has to keep more than three or four things in his head at once—or feels like he might have to—he's likely to shut down. Big walls of text often zonk readers before they even start reading. Really long paragraphs simply look daunting.'


You can use plot, characters or sensuality to entice the reader to carry one. Use verbs that entice imagery, that kind that you want your reader to feel while he/she's reading.

Another thing to keep in mind that humans think in terms of agents i.e. doers. So mention the agents where ever possible. In fact, tell a story, with a character. Humans like if there's a plot, more if there's a character, even more if the character is relatable. 

Monday 6 January 2014

Say, "Indeed, my Lord has guided me to a straight path - a correct religion - the way of Abraham, inclining toward truth. And he was not among those who associated others with Allah." Say, "Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah , Lord of the worlds. No partner has He. And this I have been commanded, and I am the first [among you] of the Muslims." Say, "Is it other than Allah I should desire as a lord while He is the Lord of all things? And every soul earns not [blame] except against itself, and no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you concerning that over which you used to differ."
—  (6:161-164)

Wednesday 1 January 2014

That Look!

She looked at me in rather a rummy way. It was a nasty look. It made me feel as if I were something the dog had brought in and intended to bury time.
— P.G.Wodehouse. My Man Jeeves.1919.