Rationalists of the world, unite, was the call of the day as young techies gathered to encourage the spirit of free thinking and scientific temper through information technologyat the two-day workshop of Bangalore Freethinkers and Karnataka Rationalists Association held at Vignan Bhavan, Banashankari.
Technologists and freethinkers, Pankaj Kulkarni, Anil Gulecha, and Varun John came up with proposals for social activism for the cause of freethinking.
They said that at a time when religious fervour and indoctrination were leading to dangerous consequences, such as terrorism, rationalists and freethinkers should go beyond the dialectical mode of rational thinking and get directly involved in social activities and humanitarian works for the sake of rational thinking and scientific enquiry.
They wanted the movement to take advantage of mass media and secular non-governmental organisations to spread the message that freethinking liberated them from the shackles of religious fanaticism and dogmas. The argument that the movement should leave the concept of god, and attack the priesthood and religious institutions to remove superstition and intellectual slavery were also raised.
Using social networking to serve freethinking was the focal argument. Nirmukta.com, an online bid of Bangalore freethinkers was one example, but freethinkers wanted to go beyond this and step up cyber activism.
Earlier, Babu Gogineni, international director, humanist and ethical union, UK,regretted that despite the Constitutional directive to promote scientific temper, scientists, intellectuals and academics kept silent on growing religious exploitation and superstition.
Things have come to such a ridiculous pass that even Isro satellite launch was delayed to ward off rahukal. Sixty-two years after freedom we witness the ridiculous situation where governments of the day compete with each other to pander to the religious institutions and organisations. Unfortunately, no state was free of this malady, Gogineni said.
Narendra Nayak, leader of Karnataka rationalists association, detailed how the ‘alternative medicines’ such as reiki, acupuncture, homoeopathy were untested and unreliable modes of cure.
The workshop is organised by Karnataka Rajya Vijnana Parishat, Federation of Indian rationalist association. The workshop also demanded inclusion of rationalism as part of school curriculum. Suggestions of cutting down on religious holidays which are a drag on a poor economy like India were also raised. India being wedded to secularism, the government and bureaucracy should not pander to any faith, was the argument.
Gogineni was of the view that exposing spiritual fraud assumes importance because miracles wereone sure means of enslaving credulous people and godmen freely performed them.
The workshop concluded on Sunday.
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