Spritual Research Foundation - Is it Science?

[dhanu]

I was recently refered to this website www.spiritualresearchfoundation.org by a person I respect. This looks like an organization that is trying to do scientific analysis of spiritual things. However, some things like Ghosts and Mantriks do not seem to convincing to me.
Has anybody encountered such system?

[Desi]

Hanu,

I do not know anything about this, however in the past I have read (cannot cite specific reference now) and watched TV shows or many different people conducting a variety of so called "investigations" and "experiments" with paranormal phenomena using electromagnetic field detectors, Geiger counters, thermometers etc, etc.

I have read about these with amusement that somehow a Ghost is going to create electromagnetic field or set off a geiger counter or cause a drop in temperature when nothing, absolutely nothing scientifically corroborates even the remotest possiblity of the so called ghost.

The person who referred you to this site may be respected, but he may not be exempt from some level of gullibility and a limtied application of scientific thought.

[dhanu]

Hanu,

The person who referred you to this site may be respected, but he may not be exempt from some level of gullibility and a limtied application of scientific thought.[/quote]

Yes, that could be true. It is like when my mother asks me to do this or that puja and go to this or that temple. I personally don't believe in that but I still do it anyway.

One such thing is puja of "kuldevi". Our family's kuldevi is somewhere in Mahrashtra, where no body in my family has ever lived. I was supposed to go there and do puja immediately after marriage, which I haven't done yet in 9 yrs! I am getting a lot for pressure (not bad pressure but cajoling, mostly : ) )for that from family elders. For them, not doing this puja is the reason for bad things happening in family. It is not even a tourist place, otherwise I would have readily done it :D

Has anybody faced such situation? How to handle it? I guess, I will have to do it if only for the satisfaction of my mother. I know this is a bit tangential to the original topic, but it is related because the website was refered to me by a similarly respected person. So I am in a difficult situation.

[Desi]

Your mother's discomfort may give you discomfort. And your mother's happiness may make you happy. Assuming that you believe that a visit to Kuldevi or not visiting both, are going to be no consequence to you other than time and money spent, still visiting Kuldevi will make your mother happy which in turn will make you happy, the choice is clear. Go do it, make your mother happy.

Alternate is what I have done. In my case, my mother and others in the family have a clear understanding of my level of atheism and how bored I get when I even sit thru 10 minutes of religious stuff, so they give me my space and I give them theirs other than occasional, but rare compromises.

[VS007]

Alternate is what I have done. In my case, my mother and others in the family have a clear understanding of my level of atheism and how bored I get when I even sit thru 10 minutes of religious stuff, so they give me my space and I give them theirs other than occasional, but rare compromises.[/quote]

Wanted to ask you this question for quite some time:
1. Being an atheist how would you rear your child in terms of religion?
2. Would you bring him/her up as an atheist/agnostic or would teach him worshipping of God for the sake of simpilicity and also to instill good manners. ( Fear of God watching you makes some people not to veer into bad stuff like theft etc).
3. Or teach him about God so he or she can understand about religion, but at the same time tell him that its just a theory.
4. What do you think is better for the child to grow up as a decent moral citizen?

I am also veering towards being total atheist from being an agnostic esp after reading about String theory(still only have a laymans understanding) esp with the explanation of creation of the universe by collision of membranes, and it may be able to explain the creation of this universe, but still puzzled about the reason for the existence of the membranes itself. Not that that's the reason for God to exist, but still disturbing.

OP: I know its a tangent to your thread. Let me know if you object and I will move this post to other one or a new thread.

Cheers,

VS007

[Chicago Desi]

esp with the explanation of creation of the universe by collision of membranes, and it may be able to explain the creation of this universe, but still puzzled about the reason for the existence of the membranes itself. Not that that's the reason for God to exist, but still disturbing.
[/quote]

Can you please post the source of the "collision of membranes" theory? I am interested in educating myself about it. Thanks.

[Chicago Desi]

Can you please post the source of the "collision of membranes" theory? I am interested in educating myself about it. Thanks.[/quote]

I found one such site:
Discover magazine

[Desi]

Wanted to ask you this question for quite some time:
1. Being an atheist how would you rear your child in terms of religion?[/quote]

VS, I have answered these questions before about a couple of times at least in response to other queries from others, but here goes.

I rear my children by not enforcing them to participate in any religion. If the mother wants to enforce religion, I do not interfere and leave it to the two of them. If the child wants to participate, then I do not object and neither do I attempt to thwart it. If the child does not want to participate and is upset, I suggest that no one should be forced and I support the child in not participating.

I encourage my children to ask questions and do not hide my atheism and both my children query me on atheism and religion and not only I answer questions and explain how I arrived at my conclusions, I do make available to them material on religion and Hinduism. My younger daughter has gone thru sections on "Idiot's Guide to Hinduism". She is now studying a little bit about cults.

My older daughter is semi religous and goes to mandirs, my younger daughter was agnostic for some time and is leaning towards atheism now. She does visit mandirs also but not on her own. My wife wanted her to go to Chinmaya mission for regualr sunday classes on Hindi and Hinduism and my younger daughter refused to go.

[quote]2. Would you bring him/her up as an atheist/agnostic or would teach him worshipping of God for the sake of simpilicity and also to instill good manners.[/quote]

I bring them up such that they make up their own mind. From my end, I provide my reasonings as well as how I think religion and God came into being.

[quote]( Fear of God watching you makes some people not to veer into bad stuff like theft etc). [/quote]

I think while that may be true, people can be good without having a fear of God and such goodness (varies with time and culture) can be inculcated.

[quote]3. Or teach him about God so he or she can understand about religion, but at the same time tell him that its just a theory.[/quote]

As I explained above, I put at their disposal, my thought process as well as what other people (believers) think about religion and why.

[quote]4. What do you think is better for the child to grow up as a decent moral citizen?[/quote]

I think both a religious child and an atheist child can grow up as decent moral citizens. Such can be inculcated independent of religous beliefs.

[quote]
I am also veering towards being total atheist from being an agnostic esp after reading about String theory(still only have a laymans understanding) esp with the explanation of creation of the universe by collision of membranes, and it may be able to explain the creation of this universe, but still puzzled about the reason for the existence of the membranes itself. Not that that's the reason for God to exist, but still disturbing.

OP: I know its a tangent to your thread. Let me know if you object and I will move this post to other one or a new thread.
[/quote]

Yes, this is a conundrum. What is the last number or the fist number numerically? Was there ever a first cause? If no, then a conundrum. And if yes, then the argument taking us towards first cause is self defeating that everything has to have a cause. Why then not seek cause of this "first cause"?

Hence one reaches that perhaps two entities can be first cause for each other - voila - matter and antimatter.

Then the big question is where is the missing antimatter? Why do we find so little in the universe? Well if there were large amounts for us to find then would we even be here to ask that question? Would we not be anhilated? So where did it go? Hmm - does string theory have answers? In another dimension made out of antimatter is another Desi made out of antimatter typing a message in response to antimatter VS007's query?:eek:

[RRS]

Wanted to ask you this question for quite some time:
1. Being an atheist how would you rear your child in terms of religion?
2. Would you bring him/her up as an atheist/agnostic or would teach him worshipping of God for the sake of simpilicity and also to instill good manners. ( Fear of God watching you makes some people not to veer into bad stuff like theft etc).
3. Or teach him about God so he or she can understand about religion, but at the same time tell him that its just a theory.
4. What do you think is better for the child to grow up as a decent moral citizen?

I am also veering towards being total atheist from being an agnostic esp after reading about String theory(still only have a laymans understanding) esp with the explanation of creation of the universe by collision of membranes, and it may be able to explain the creation of this universe, but still puzzled about the reason for the existence of the membranes itself. Not that that's the reason for God to exist, but still disturbing.

OP: I know its a tangent to your thread. Let me know if you object and I will move this post to other one or a new thread.

Cheers,

VS007[/quote]

Bingo, I had the same doubts with I being an agnostic and leaning towards atheism and was curious to see how others groom their kids and interact with people believing in faith.

I will let Desi answer your questions.

But I had raised this in meditation discussion and this is the link.
http://www.r2iclubforums.com/clubvb/showthread.php?t=3242&page=12
Desi and other member's inputs are on how they conduct.

[gshankar]

One such thing is puja of "kuldevi". Our family's kuldevi is somewhere in Mahrashtra, where no body in my family has ever lived. I was supposed to go there and do puja immediately after marriage, which I haven't done yet in 9 yrs! I am getting a lot for pressure (not bad pressure but cajoling, mostly : ) )for that from family elders. For them, not doing this puja is the reason for bad things happening in family. It is not even a tourist place, otherwise I would have readily done it :D
Has anybody faced such situation?[/quote]
Iam in the same boat too. I used to do everything just to make the elders happy. You can do the same too. But guess what, after doing the puja etc, if whatever the problem you are going thro' doesn't go away then you will again be blamed. Now the reason they quote will be that "you didn't do it with enough faith" :D