Birth Date
What does the birth certificate reveal? It is an extract from the Government record that on the date shown therein, a certain lady named on it had delivered either a male or a female child. The name of the child’s father, as provided by the lady or her relatives, is also mentioned. The child’s name may or may not be included in that birth certificate.
It is a matter of faith to believe that our birth certificate is really our own birth certificate. It is possible that it belongs to some other person. A DNA test may be useful to prove that the birth certificate indeed is for the specific person. But, rarely does it become necessary, customary or possible. So, we all have to just accept and live our lives according to the birth certificate provided to us. Many life decisions, like when we may get vaccinated against certain diseases, when we would get admitted to school, when we will be eligible for voting right, when we would or would not be able to retire, all are controlled by the date entered on ‘our’ birth certificate. That is because there is no viable alternative to this system. In future, perhaps, at the time of the child’s birth a photo of the child, like passport photo, may be taken along with the child’s mother and affixed to the child’s birth certificate. While that is possible, it may not be desirable.
Just like that, the logic-loving science-minded thinkers who seek proofs for various faith-based scriptures may have to helplessly accept some statements as proven. Even science also requires assumptions some of which cannot be proved and just have to be accepted, without proof, as given. The well-known scientist Stephen Hawking’s1 book ‘The Theory of Everything’ has an example of this on its pages 20-23. On page 20, two assumptions are mentioned. In pages 20-222, details of the first assumption are provided. Regarding the second assumption, the following is stated on page 23 – “We have no scientific evidence for or against this assumption. We believe it only grounds of modesty.” Actually, the modesty is the helplessness. It became necessary because there is no way to solve the complex mathematical puzzle, those two assumptions had to made.
Why don’t the smart scientists also show some modesty, albeit slightly different kind of assumption, towards the imaginary concept of God? Some of us dimwits worship God hoping help to solve our problems. There is no possibility of finding a documentary or scientific proof of God’s existence or even non-existence. In Archeology it is said, “absence of proof is not the proof of absence.” A whole lot of circumstantial proofs can be had readily, however the intoxication effect of atheism hinders the brain-dependents in accepting them. There are many proofs of the existence of God, but to envision or experience them it is necessary to have the willingness first and foremost.
As exemplified by Einstein’s famous theory that has caused more harm than hep, not all truths are in public interests. For example, in normal human lives, defining mother to be father’s wife and father to be mother’s husband may not be appropriate to address even step parents.
Just the same, not all falsehoods are hurtful. Imagining God, even if God were non-existent, isn’t absolutely useless. We ought not to let existence of God or science3 to be abused.
Here, it is useful to understand the 9th thru 14th shlokas (verses) of Ishavasya Upanishad. Those who stick to or rely only on their intelligence as well as those who stick to or rely solely on their emotions, are gravely mistaken as both extremes lead one to darkness of rigidity. Therefore, it is desirable to maintain a balance between the two extremes. It is not absolutely necessary to seek proofs of everything. We must discern which matters necessitate proofs and which don’t through understanding and wisdom rather than mere logic or faith. This is where real rationalism, and not arguments, is required.
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1 Stephen Hawking’s long life is, by itself, a real proof of God’s existence as he could have passed away in just 2-3 years from the ALS/Lou Gehrig’s disease he had. Who (or what) else besides God could have kept him alive for so many decades? Not just that but to what can the fact that so many people and organizations helped him be credited other than God’s will and doing? It is not desirable to be intoxicated by either theism or atheism.
2 Dear Reader, if you would like to read the four pages referred to above, please send me an email.
3 To equate science to wisdom is inappropriate. Science merely provides information but it doesn’t provide guidance regarding how to properly use that information.