By NARENDRA NAYAK - NIRMUKTA
Added: Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 UTC

Thanks to Bala for the link.
http://nirmukta.com/2009/12/07/indian-rationalist-movement-the-challenges-ahead/

As our movement grows in terms of involvement of people as well as increase in the number of organisations, we face new challenges and changes in the older ones. If we are to survive and progress as a movement we have to face up to these and modify our strategies accordingly, failing which we shall be consigned to the dustbins of history. We as a movement have always risen up to these and I am sure that we will too in the future. But, what we have to remember is that we should have a very clear strategy and plan to face these and get over them.

As technologies grow, the purveyors of superstitions resort to new techniques and cook up better ways of fooling the gullible, whether it be drinking cow’s urine, extolling the benefits of the purdah or curing urine disease by praying to Jesus! All religions are a part of this. Atheistic religions like Jainism and Buddhism have also become as superstitious as the others by bringing in new rituals. So, we have to work harder to face these. The new techniques and language they adopt, the newer trends are also tending to call themselves as secular without any religious leanings. They also use words like ’spiritual’, ‘universal‘ etc to confuse the people by claiming to have no religious affiliations! Superstitions like gemology, aroma therapy, homeopathy come all under these categories. Another problem that we are facing today is that of age. When we look at ourselves we feel that we are a greying lot! The younger generations seem to be too busy and preoccupied with their own careers and acquisition of material wealth to bother about furthering the movement. Many of them claim to be atheists but also add a disclaimer- they are no crusading atheists like us! They would like to keep their convictions to themselves and not proclaim them to the world. They also don’t mind making compromises by taking part in religious ceremonies and such superstitious practices under the pretext of culture and/or that there is no harm in undergoing something once in a while.
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http://nirmukta.com/2009/12/07/indian-rationalist-movement-the-challenges-ahead/

TAGGED: ATHEISM, COMMENTARY, RELIGION