We alone are the creators of our destiny

DR. JOE D’SOUZA

In the universe there is complexity and thus to us it looks confusing and intricate. But to know that there is both chaos and design by the laws of physics makes it interesting for the men of science. 

I pose the question asked by a medical doctor as to why bad things happen to good people or as to why bad people do not suffer? 

As a scientist, I refuse to accept that punishment and rewards is bestowed upon us by a supernatural creator, who alone decides the fate and destiny of each and every one of us. I believe each one of us are primarily the creators of our destiny. 

God and religion are creations of humans; who created God in our likeness. 

Lessons from cosmic science clearly reveal that in the Universe there are accidents, chaos, chance and design, too. From the Big Bang to this day, we can see all these four forces at interplay. 

Even in the energy and dust in the cosmos, where new stars and galaxies are formed or die every second, more by chance than by perfect design in nature, there is chaos. 

Take the case of the man who borrowed money and used it to buy a lottery ticket, which won him several crores of rupees. Did God reward him? And why just him? 

As per science, it is pure chance and accident. He purchased an award-winning ticket, which we didn’t. So chance answers many questions. 

I lost my niece, while she was on a pilgrimage to Pota. I lost an entire group of relatives while they were on their way to Goa to attend the exposition of St. Francis Xavier. The driver was exhausted driving from Mumbai to Goa and the car met with an accident. 

In nature, circumstances are important and luck too plays its role. We don’t have to super impose a designer and attribute it to the supernatural will of a Creator. Stars are born and are bound to die as per the energy, matter inter play. Einstein proved it.

 It is true that the half the cabinet of the Goa government is run from hospitals. Surely the fault lies with Ministers for their sins of commission; and the sins of omission lies with us the lazy people of Goa; who allow bad governance to fan out and be imposed upon us in Goa.  

In nature, there is no forgiveness. Forgiveness is a man-made attribute. 

The survival of the fittest and the exploitation of the weak is the law of the jungle but it also happens in our modern society. Just as a few fishes which find their way into the net cannot question as to why other fishes are freely moving in the ocean, similarly there are several number of women including nuns that are abused and this rot is not in the open due to several factors and reasons.

The exploitation of nuns in convents is a known chronic malaise which church authorities must take a serious note of. For nuns, often their ritualistic religious obligations are the cause of exploitation. 

It is the male priest that says mass every day and hears their confessions too. This opens the Pandora’s Box of male domination and exploitation. This exploitation will continue, until nun empowerment happens by which we not only have women priests, but bishops and a Pope too. 

Pope Francis is a reformer as good as Jesus Christ himself was. What Rome needs to do is to empower nuns at the lower level, set them free of male dominance; then alone we will see a gender neutral and equal to all church, free of exploitation. 

The cancer of lopsided power distribution in church administration is suffocating the weak amongst Christian’s laity and religious entities. Let us also be careful of those, who indulge excessively in God talk, as they do so to subdue cheat and exploit those weak who are incapable of thinking for themselves.

But for myself there are four thoughts, which keep me going sustainably. 

The basic tenet, I believe in is that with the sweat of they brow, we must earn our bread. 

The second dogma close to my heart is work is worship since God helps those who help themselves and thus we pursue my duties to the best of our ability. 

The third principle I adhere to is to do unto others, as I would like them to do unto myself and treat me so. Thus, I alone can be the change I want to see. The change should began with me, and I must never believe in external super forces, that will protect or reward. We reward and punish ourselves with our own actions.

 The last hapless thought that pricks me each day is that words of Jesus Christ, who said, blessed are those who except nothing for they shall not be disappointed. 

As the Bhagwad Gita tells us, what happened yesterday was good and what will happen tomorrow would also be good, only if you are good.