There is a spiritual war in India.
At the risk of sounding over-dramatic, I shall press the issue. Now, I do not mean spiritual war in the conventional sense, as in, the Muslims and Hindus are up in arms again. Nor do I mean it in the evangelizing way either.
As a solitary traveler in India, however, it is the persistent insisting by hippie folk and their kind. An entire country full of travelers falling for the most common of logical fallacies. The Noble Savage fallacy alone gets tiring to explain, but here I am, and I can't say I don't enjoy it.
For my first post on the blog, I hope to orientate readers with the challenges and sweet rewards of traveling with a rational mind. As a card-carrying atheist, a skeptic, a secular humanist, and an adventurer, I have always felt there was a side to free-thinkers which has rarely been expressed.
Amongst the plethora of blogs, both laymen and professional, I got the feeling us racionalistos prefer stable lives. The alternative also seems to be true as well. Those who travel, especially long term, tend to be more mystical, often seeking a subjective truth in life. Now, admittedly, most of it is simply willful and harmless ignorance, but it eventually all adds up, from cultural relativism, unduly open minds, to superstitions and spiritualism, or the calls to respect the disrespectful (and unrespectable.)
Often many of these are combined with a sort of hypocrisy which deserves ridicule. Nine years I have been on the road without return, across Europe, Africa, Asia, North America so far, writing on the peculiar beliefs as I go, now for the first time on the internet. Heh, it has just occured to me I never gave a proper introduction. Perhaps another time.
I had lived in Indonesia for two and a half years.and it will be the subject of my next post, however I have left and have since spent much time in Malaysia (again), Myanmar, and now "Glorious India". Now on the south coast of the country, enjoying a pot or two of coffee, overlooking the stunning cliffs of Verkala, with the monsoon waves pounding at the crimson rocks, the beauty of this place fades when I glance around and spot all of the Ayurveda/Chakra/Holistic/Detoxing/Insert-bullshit-medicine-here centers. Yoga I can get, it could be very relaxing for some, and the massage I completely understand, people need touch and rubbing muscles feels great, but it is all the psychobabble which goes with it.
The manager of my current guest house, a pregnant Portuguese woman, who conformed to the traditional Indian ways, told me she had always intended to write a book, to which I inquired. She mentioned it was about astrology and numerology. I politely commented they are bullshit, and she said it was 'just my opinion.'
The great thing about opinions, if you are not discussing a subjective issue, your opinions do not influence reality. Unfortunately she was yet another person who doesn't really care what is true and what is not. As someone who tries to be rational, I can not enable this.
While walking around yesterday, I saw a sign which said 'philosophical conversation.' Leaping at the opportunity, I was disappointed when the aforementioned philosopher wasn't there. I was offered, however, chakra cleansing. I asked the man is people actually bought into that absurd nonsense, and he confides in me he knows it is ridiculous, but it sells. It sells, yes it does.
The Indian people are very honest and open about religion - so far. They feel comfortable to tell me they are a Muslim of Hindu because of their parents. Many are eager to hear from someone who is not an apologetic. For the last five years, I have read the Koran once every year, and the bible a few times before that. I feel confident to discuss these matters, and when talking with the religious, they feel more comfortable, usually, to share or ask questions.
I am inclined to believe religion would not be so strong here if cultural relativism was not. How many people from the west got tired of the stress of work, politics, paying bills, etc., gave it all up and became a Buddhist or Hindu in the exotic East? Those who have, chose that life, consciously. If they are happy, who am I to speak against it? When they rigorously defend Indians about their beliefs, however, then we have a problem. These hippies took all the products of modern medicine, enjoyed secular education, and grew up unafraid of corruption, police brutality, or being subjected to the caste systems or arranged marriages, and yet they want to enable these things while impeding any attempt at reform, free thought, or modernization. They are people who gripe about the ills and evils of western society on their Facebook page, people who refuse to use any unnatural chemicals, while asking for more hand sanitizer. People who tell me to treat all animals as equals, and use laboratory tested vaccines and antibiotics. People who have the awareness of many cultures telling people who don't that they shouldn't.
If the people of this world would like democracy, human rights, secular education, science (and the results of science), the arts, or free thought, they need individualism, which would mean abandoning traditions, cultural based pressures, class based judgements, religious indoctrination of children, and the idea that skepticism or questioning authority are taboo issues. These issues are in everybody's best interest. Everyone on the planet. If you care about the environment, then join me in saying "fuck your traditions". If you care about the well being of humanity, then join me in saying "fuck your religion".
These are not trifles to worry about, these are huge issues. Christopher Hitchens and PZ Myers were absolutely right to fervently press the issue of the empowerment of women. Not only because we can make people's lives better, but because it is truly in everyone's interest to empower, educate, and encourage more than half of the world's population.
So when I see chakra cleansing, I read 'E-METER'. Yes, mysticism is always one step away from cult status, and government recognition away from becoming a religion. Just see Sai Baba, a mystic religion here, a mystic cult in the U.S., and a rational absurdity by clever con men seeking power and fortunes. Ignorance enables these evils. It is ignorance we exorcise from the public because the silent majority enable the religious Pied Piper to lead the rats astray with wishful thinking and false hopes.
As for my words, I will quote something Muslims often falsely claim: 'You are allowed to dissent.' For the pen truly is mightier than the sword.
So I trudge on through India attempting worthwhile conversation wherever I land. Futile? Perhaps, but what is life without a challenge?
At the risk of sounding over-dramatic, I shall press the issue. Now, I do not mean spiritual war in the conventional sense, as in, the Muslims and Hindus are up in arms again. Nor do I mean it in the evangelizing way either.
As a solitary traveler in India, however, it is the persistent insisting by hippie folk and their kind. An entire country full of travelers falling for the most common of logical fallacies. The Noble Savage fallacy alone gets tiring to explain, but here I am, and I can't say I don't enjoy it.
For my first post on the blog, I hope to orientate readers with the challenges and sweet rewards of traveling with a rational mind. As a card-carrying atheist, a skeptic, a secular humanist, and an adventurer, I have always felt there was a side to free-thinkers which has rarely been expressed.
Amongst the plethora of blogs, both laymen and professional, I got the feeling us racionalistos prefer stable lives. The alternative also seems to be true as well. Those who travel, especially long term, tend to be more mystical, often seeking a subjective truth in life. Now, admittedly, most of it is simply willful and harmless ignorance, but it eventually all adds up, from cultural relativism, unduly open minds, to superstitions and spiritualism, or the calls to respect the disrespectful (and unrespectable.)
Often many of these are combined with a sort of hypocrisy which deserves ridicule. Nine years I have been on the road without return, across Europe, Africa, Asia, North America so far, writing on the peculiar beliefs as I go, now for the first time on the internet. Heh, it has just occured to me I never gave a proper introduction. Perhaps another time.
I had lived in Indonesia for two and a half years.and it will be the subject of my next post, however I have left and have since spent much time in Malaysia (again), Myanmar, and now "Glorious India". Now on the south coast of the country, enjoying a pot or two of coffee, overlooking the stunning cliffs of Verkala, with the monsoon waves pounding at the crimson rocks, the beauty of this place fades when I glance around and spot all of the Ayurveda/Chakra/Holistic/Detoxing/Insert-bullshit-medicine-here centers. Yoga I can get, it could be very relaxing for some, and the massage I completely understand, people need touch and rubbing muscles feels great, but it is all the psychobabble which goes with it.
The manager of my current guest house, a pregnant Portuguese woman, who conformed to the traditional Indian ways, told me she had always intended to write a book, to which I inquired. She mentioned it was about astrology and numerology. I politely commented they are bullshit, and she said it was 'just my opinion.'
The great thing about opinions, if you are not discussing a subjective issue, your opinions do not influence reality. Unfortunately she was yet another person who doesn't really care what is true and what is not. As someone who tries to be rational, I can not enable this.
While walking around yesterday, I saw a sign which said 'philosophical conversation.' Leaping at the opportunity, I was disappointed when the aforementioned philosopher wasn't there. I was offered, however, chakra cleansing. I asked the man is people actually bought into that absurd nonsense, and he confides in me he knows it is ridiculous, but it sells. It sells, yes it does.
The Indian people are very honest and open about religion - so far. They feel comfortable to tell me they are a Muslim of Hindu because of their parents. Many are eager to hear from someone who is not an apologetic. For the last five years, I have read the Koran once every year, and the bible a few times before that. I feel confident to discuss these matters, and when talking with the religious, they feel more comfortable, usually, to share or ask questions.
I am inclined to believe religion would not be so strong here if cultural relativism was not. How many people from the west got tired of the stress of work, politics, paying bills, etc., gave it all up and became a Buddhist or Hindu in the exotic East? Those who have, chose that life, consciously. If they are happy, who am I to speak against it? When they rigorously defend Indians about their beliefs, however, then we have a problem. These hippies took all the products of modern medicine, enjoyed secular education, and grew up unafraid of corruption, police brutality, or being subjected to the caste systems or arranged marriages, and yet they want to enable these things while impeding any attempt at reform, free thought, or modernization. They are people who gripe about the ills and evils of western society on their Facebook page, people who refuse to use any unnatural chemicals, while asking for more hand sanitizer. People who tell me to treat all animals as equals, and use laboratory tested vaccines and antibiotics. People who have the awareness of many cultures telling people who don't that they shouldn't.
If the people of this world would like democracy, human rights, secular education, science (and the results of science), the arts, or free thought, they need individualism, which would mean abandoning traditions, cultural based pressures, class based judgements, religious indoctrination of children, and the idea that skepticism or questioning authority are taboo issues. These issues are in everybody's best interest. Everyone on the planet. If you care about the environment, then join me in saying "fuck your traditions". If you care about the well being of humanity, then join me in saying "fuck your religion".
These are not trifles to worry about, these are huge issues. Christopher Hitchens and PZ Myers were absolutely right to fervently press the issue of the empowerment of women. Not only because we can make people's lives better, but because it is truly in everyone's interest to empower, educate, and encourage more than half of the world's population.
So when I see chakra cleansing, I read 'E-METER'. Yes, mysticism is always one step away from cult status, and government recognition away from becoming a religion. Just see Sai Baba, a mystic religion here, a mystic cult in the U.S., and a rational absurdity by clever con men seeking power and fortunes. Ignorance enables these evils. It is ignorance we exorcise from the public because the silent majority enable the religious Pied Piper to lead the rats astray with wishful thinking and false hopes.
As for my words, I will quote something Muslims often falsely claim: 'You are allowed to dissent.' For the pen truly is mightier than the sword.
So I trudge on through India attempting worthwhile conversation wherever I land. Futile? Perhaps, but what is life without a challenge?
