I believe a picture tells a hundred words, So I have attached a picture. This is not aiming at a particular religious or cast, please give it a wider outlook. Thanks..
@meril So god can only handle a limited number of rocks? Isn't he the omnipotent, omniscient creator of this universe. His powers have limits? Any god I'd believe in would snap his fingers and the rocks would disappear! Or even better, he would simply think it and there would be no more rocks flying at me anymore. Do god's powers have limits, or worse, does his benevolence have limits? This is the part I have difficulty accepting.
I wasn't aware of that. All posts, including mine that quoted Akanksha's post, are open for anyone to read, and for anyone who wants to respond to.
Let's end this here. Keep posters and their choices out of the discussion. It only serves to detract. If someone does not wish to participate anymore, it is their choice. If others bring up their posts it's only fair, this being an open forum. As long as we are not hurling abuses at each other, everyone should have an opportunity to speak their mind.
Good question. Made me think. Can't go into much detail, but in short: in the company of people who are believers, I have had to put my atheism completely aside (almost like a gay family member is expected/requested to keep that fact in the closet). And like mentioned elsewhere in-law don't count in this matter. It is one thing to go along with a group and take part in a certain ritual - one might do it for social or other obligations, and I am fine with that. But, in conversations or interactions with (birth) family or close friends, I have not been able to successfully state and practice my atheism, except if they are also atheists. After 2-3 iterations, the conversation gets awkward. So, I've learnt to keep talk about it to myself, and immediate family.
I've seen that the generation matters. Those around our age or younger tend to be more tolerant of our skepticism. The older ones have a real problem with it. Funnily, my siblings turned out to be a real mixed bag. One is devout. Fasts and prays like dad. The other is a total rebel. Won't set foot in a temple. Guess who gets blamed for 'ruining' him. "Tumne uska dimaag kharab kiya hai" is something I hear at every family gathering.
Got away with lot of subversive acts being the youngest and hugely pampered member of the family. If I were not the youngest, there would have been several edifying Sunday discourses to mend my rebellious ways. Having no younger ward towed or exposed to my defiant conduct has given me runaway liberty to work through my life the way I wanted. Only by virtue of the order of popping out from my moma's tummy, my whole family has been lenient with my wayward and non-conformist mannerisms. No gallantry here. Being the youngest in the family helped me to explore the offbeat rhythm of life as everyone heaved and thanked their star-kissed lives that I incubated to hatch as the runt of the family. Imagine if I were the eldest, our brood would have surpassed the dysfunctional Bluths.