Good thoughts from India – re Sai Baba

I received a comment approving my efforts from a blogger, on whose interesting  blog I also then put a comment (see blog with comment here).  He has chosen the pen-name ‘nitwit nastik’ and thus, as an agnostic, he also differs from so many self-important religious believers in my experience (and they are very many) in being able to use refreshing self-ironic pen-name about his standpoint. One can see from his  writings that that he is far from being any nitwit, but an articulate and thoughtful person. He sent me the following reply, which he allows me to post herewith:-

“Thanks Robert for your comment. I am not sure if I am representative of the India of the future because people like me who challenge religious claims are few and far between in India. Most Indians are discouraged from challenging religion and most still don’t have access to internet and are not aware or open to of the vast amounts of knowledge/research available on the internet. The brainwashing of young children and the religious indoctrination at schools are also a major problem (although I am myself a living testimony that such things do not work all the time).

India still isn’t the place where independent thought is encouraged as it is done in a lot of western countries, although I must admit that the situation seems to be improving a bit. You are also right in saying that it might be years or centuries before we can cast off the shackles of organized religion, if at all. There needs to be a political will to uphold and enforce the freedoms guaranteed by our constitutions, the critical mass needed amongst children and youth to give this movement some momentum (as they are the ones most prone to religious indoctrination) and of course the money to support the free-thought/rationalist movement and counter the propaganda machine of believers. I firmly believe that all humans are born with a logical faculty which are discouraged by parents,society or by religious authorities, which leads to blindness in matters of religion. Probably, the only way this vicious cycle can be broken is by showing people reason and logic, patiently and compassionately (tough things to live by when attacked continuously by the religious right) and not through repressive tactics like in China, where repressive tactics have failed to curb religious belief.

Anyway thanks again for your comment. I will definitely visit your site on satya sai baba. Btw I didn’t know that you had written books on Satya Sai Baba so I would like to commend your efforts in bringing the activities of the charlatan to the fore and exposing the fraud that he is.