Skip to main content

Atheism in India

Atheism is disbelief in a personal God. It is not very popular in India, despite the various ploys of inroad it has attempted throughout history.

There are various kinds of atheisms in India. Some of these are dead, as far as systems are concerned; others live in compliant modes. For instance, charvaka atheism died away as a system, but yoga, samkhya, and Vedanta took accommodative modes.

The six heterodox schools (Charvaka, Jainism, and 4 schools of Buddhism) were labelled nastik or non-believing because they rejected the Vedas. However, these also have no place for the Supreme Personal God in their systems. Jainism considers a plurality of spirits to be eternal, and matter to be evil. Buddhism considers the human spirit as an aggregate of the 5 skandhas; in fact, it disbelieves the spirit as being real according to the doctrine of anatta.

Samkhya looks at Purusha and Prakriti as the eternal principles in a form of dualism. Vedanta regards the spirit as all that is and the one without an other (non-dualism); everything else is a delusion; thus, only the self eternally exists according to it. God, as the wholly other, doesn't exist.

However, neither the popular Hindu nor the tribal, following his various belief-systems, is willing to accept such atheistic doctrines. Thus, some sort of worship is vital in popular Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Of course, magic has made some inroads as well, quite contradictorily to the concept of theism (Theism can't allow any power apart from God nor able to supersede God, since God, by definition, is the Supreme One).

There are a few antisupernaturalists who regard science as the enemy of the concept of God and of creation. But, their impact doesn't seem to be as strong among the 4/14 Window group who have already formed faith before entering High School. We don't count godless lifestyles here. It is possible that one believes in the supernatural and still lives a godless life. The demons do - they believe in God and yet are godless.

We also don't mean that most Indians are monotheists. We only mean they are not atheists. Atheism is too tasteless for them; and quite impractical as far as philosophy of life is concerned. Atheism has no inspiring story to tell.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Story of the Song Stuti Aradhana Upar Jati Hei

In 1995, while waiting alone in a van for his colleagues who had gone shopping, Wilson Burhankar, presently Senior Associate Pastor at the Fellowship Church of Itarsi, fell into ecstasy remembering the awesome goodness of God in his life. It was his first year in the Seminary as a teacher and his first year as a full-time Worship Leader at the Itarsi Church. He remembered the ill-battered lifestyle that he had lived prior to knowing Christ, the drunken boozes, the street fights, the nights spent singing at religious gatherings, and the continual stress and pain inflicted on his family because of his sin-laden lifestyle. But, one day the Lord changed his life all over. He came to the Seminary and underwent three years of theological training. The greatest surprise came when Dr. Thomas asked him to consider to stay back and minister here as a worship leader. Inside he felt totally unworthy, and yet was confident of the grace of the Lord. As he sat in the van considering these things, the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ibadat Karo by Anil & Reena Kant (Lyrics and Translation)

IBADAT KARO – ANIL & REENA KANT CHORUS: Hei duniya ke logon oonchi aawaj karon O people of the world, lift up your voice Gawon khushi key geet And sing the songs of joy Uska gungaan karo Declare praises of Him Ibadat karo uski Ibadat karo (x2) Worship Him, Worship… (Repeat Chorus) 1. Yaad karo ki vahi ek Khuda hein Remember that He alone is God Hum ko ye jeevan useene diya hein It is He who has given us this life Us charagah se hum sab hein aaye We all have come from that (spring) Humd o sana ke hum geet gaaye Let’s sing the song of His praise Rab ka tum shukar karo Give thanks to the Lord Oonchi aawaj karo Lift up your voice Gawon khushi key geet And sing the songs of joy Uska gungaan karo Declare praises of Him Ibadat karo uski Ibadat karo (x2) Worship Him, Worship… 2. Naamey Khudawand kitna mubaarak How blessed is the Name of the Lord! Mera Khudawand kitna bhala hein My God, How good is He! Rehmat hei uski sadiyon purani His compassion is from ageless past Wafa ka azar se yahi s...
1 comment
Read more

Origin of the Poem "When God Wants To Drill A Man"

The poem as quoted in Oswald J. Sander's (not to be confused with Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)) Spiritual Leadership (1967) credits it to an "Author Unknown". The poem as he quotes it is as follows: When God wants to drill a man    And thrill a man    And skill a man, When God wants to mold a man    To play the noblest part; When He yearns with all His heart    To create so great and bold a man That all the world shall be amazed,    Watch His methods, watch His ways! How He ruthlessly perfects    Whom He royally elects! How He hammers him and hurts him,    And with mighty blows converts him Into trial shapes of clay which    Only God understands; While his tortured heart is crying    And he lifts beseeching hands! How He bends but never breaks    When his good He undertakes; How He uses whom He chooses    And with every purpose fuses him;    By ev...
Post a Comment
Read more