The fight for rationality continues August 20 2013: Narendra Dabholkar, founder of Committee for the Eradication of Blind Faith shot dead in Pune, India: He was a popular rationalist and anti-superstition crusader who had played an instrumental role in removing many blind beliefs, superstitions and fought for the right of women to enter temples. He had exposed Babas, Sadhus and Tantriks who perform fake miracles and cheat the poor people of their money. Over the years, he had challenged many of Indias famous “god men” who claimed to speak on behalf of god or acted as gods messengers but their refusal to face his questions showed their fear over rationality than their religion. The iconoclast Narendra Dabholkar said, Im fighting against religious practices that are 5,000 years old. I am asking people to rethink. European nations started doing this about 400 years ago, we did after Independence but still this thought is not encouraged. I am fighting against the tide. In his movement against corruption, . People do not like what I say but people should start believing in a scientific thought process,he observed. And while one follows the scientific spirit, he should also be a critic of religion. June 22, 1663: Galileo sentenced for holding heretical views: HGalileo was found vehemently suspect of heresy, namely of having held the opinions that the Sun lies motionless at the center of the universe, that the Earth is not at its center and moves, and that one may hold and defend an opinion as probable after it has been declared contrary to Holy Scripture. He was required to abjure, curse and detest those opinions. Galileo was sentenced to formal imprisonment at the pleasure of the Inquisition. (On the following day, this was commuted to house arrest, which he remained under for the rest of his life).His offending “Dialogue” was banned; and in an action not announced at the trial, publication of any of his works was forbidden, including any he might write in the future. However in 1939, almost 300 years after the event, Pope Pius XII, described Galileo as being among the most audacious heroes of research... not afraid of the obstacles and the risks on the way, nor fearful of the funereal monuments. On 31 October 1992, Pope John Paul II expressed regret for how the Galileo affair was handled. He also issued a declaration acknowledging the errors committed by the Catholic Church. In December 1992, during events to mark the 400th anniversary of Galileos earliest telescopic observations, Pope Benedict XVI praised his contributions to astronomy. Waseem Altaf
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 15:08:11 +0000
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