Indulging in arguments, esp. with atheists

[GhorMaanas]

Hello everyone!

please pardon me if am posting in the wrong section, or my post is considered an unnecessary burden on the forum. i actually don't have a question here, but its more about my experience, on which knowledgeable members could either suggest or contribute to me something, or other members like me could take a cue from.

i today stupidly broke a resolve of mine in a fit of excitement. since quite some, i had vowed never to indulge myself in debates/arguments, esp. so with atheists. from whatever experience i have in my short life, it says that arguments and debates lead you nowhere, except than pitting your ego against someone else's, and when that happens, its like treating fire with fire. being a pitta dominant personality, and fire being my prominent element, my mind experiences friction and heat very soon, and i easily become charged up. it becomes very tough for me stabilise and cool off, which is utmost essential for me in my day-to-day life, more so because i am on the path to practice controlling my easily-agitable mind & thoughts. but somehow today i felt compelled to write back to a blog-writer who had, in his 'right-man' attitude, rubbished concepts and practices of celibacy, sadhana, brahmacharya, monkhood, etc, implying that a life of gratification of base desires is just what is needed and is a totally healthy way of living. i tried to be as polite to him as possible. but i have decided now that i won't respond to his further nudging, since i know such people try to drag you into the trap of arguments. talking to such people is like attempting to explain of a grander world outside to a frog in a dark well.

you may feel this to be a stupid post. but i was feeling like to talking to someone here about this. if any member has had such experiences earlier, i would like to urge you to please share them. and i would welcome any suggestions on how to avoid or tackle such people/debates from you too.

[elipsis]

Never say that atheists are wrong, they usually have a very strong and inquisitive mind - meaning they don't accept anything at face value, this ability of theirs will lead them to the right path one day. Blindly believing in God won't lead you anywhere, only when you question you'll find the answer but if you take any subject simply by faith without using a drop of your intelligence you'll end up bashing God including your birth chart. The truth is no one is a true atheist or a believer, one can never say they know God- it's the most foolish thing a man can say, to assert that you know God means you have limited God to your intelligence. At the same time, to claim there is no God is also most stupid- you cannot claim something you do not know very well. If you read Keno Upanishad you'll understand what I mean, here is the 3rd Mantra from Kena upanishad

यस्यमतम् तस्य मतम् मतम् यस्य न वेद सह् |
अविज्नतम् विजननतम् विज्नतम् अविजनतम्

"He is understood by those who think they do not know him. He is unknown to those to claim to understand him."

Vivekananda once said it's better to be an atheist than a hypocrite, he was referring to this aspect of veda that you are actually pretending when you claim whether you believe or not believe, instead of wasting time do your own research and find the truth yourself.

[astroboy]

I was a atheist and now I am a believer.
That does not mean that I am going to spare the old geezer upstairs when I meet him. I have a few questions I bet, even he won't be able to answer. I tried to meet him earlier, but he went hiding and sent me back.

[GhorMaanas]

you are very right! this is the kind of approach that is needed, ie, where you play the role of a 'seeker'. the believer talks as if he really knows what he is talking, and the disbeliever as if he fully knows what he is rejecting (this too, as per Vivekananda). in this transient world, you have to be adaptable to change, which amounts to change in your learning too. you respect the opinion and findings of everyone, and neither accept anything blindly, nor reject anything outright, being open-minded (like somewhat the case of antony flew), and ready to put to scrutiny everything, and learn more from first-hand experience (one's personal truth/legend). but converse of such a trait is peculiar to the 'right man' attitude. unfortunately, now-a-days, militant atheism (richard dawkins and his ilk) is on the rise. whom you are referring to border between agnostics and atheists, but militant atheism believes in not only out-rightly rejecting your opinion, but also making a cruel mockery of it. its these walls of dead bricks that one should be careful not to bang his or her head upon, unless he doesn't love his mental stability or holds the caliber to sway opinion through his prowess. and i lack both

by the way, the verse quoted by you is beautiful. it could've been better (for our times atleast) if another line something like this could've been added - "He is-----------who blatantly reject him."

i was a bit charged up while starting the thread. i have decided (again) not to delve in this anymore.

[GhorMaanas]

hehe....astroboy you had me smiling there. i bet there's something meaningful in that reply of yours which you are hiding
yes, having an inquisitive mind is what i was talking about. i myself am full of so many questions that i feel there may be more of them than total hair on my body, and i could really suffocate anyone with them. i don't speak much, hence perhaps my outpourings reflect in my writing. glad to receive so good replies!

[thcricketfan]

"He is understood by those who think they do not know him. He is unknown to those to claim to understand him."

Vivekananda once said it's better to be an atheist than a hypocrite, he was referring to this aspect of veda that you are actually pretending when you claim whether you believe or not believe, instead of wasting time do your own research and find the truth yourself.

Great quotes