The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra: This is a must read for those who want to understand quantum physics as well as Eastern religions such as Hinduism. It is amazing the author identified the parallels way back in the 1970s prior to the Internet and globalization. It speaks volumes about the effort to understand and appreciate people and culture in other parts of the world. Even though I had studied physics at school and college, this book clarified many things about how matter can be treated as a wave in modern physics. Likewise, how ancient seers also thought about fundamental particles and vibrations that define the universe, in different ways. Comparing terms like Karma and Maya to matter and wave, atomic vibrations to the dance of Siva are astounding and sensible interpretations to philosophy and religion. This book will help the atheist connect the dots between science and st least some religions.
Tuesday, July 9, 2019
Monday, September 16, 2013
When the law becomes religion
Police in India stopped a child marriage just in time - news link. Sounds very noble, but the bride was just 2 weeks short of turning 18 years old! The poor and powerless construction worker parents are probably wondering why the erudite law offices think in 2 weeks their daughter is going to be able to decide for herself. This is how mindlessly enforcing rules transition from science or logic to religion or dead habit. I can see a few arguments like the ones below, and my rebuttals are included:
A rule is meant to be followed or changed - violating the rule is not an option... Fine, but then why is the supreme court agreeing to decide a plea to treat someone 6 months short of 18 years as an adult (Delhi rape). You can't have it both ways or as a matter of your convenience.
In most western or developed countries, the minimum age for marriage is 18 years... Not quite - for example in the United States, the law in some states is "minimum 18 years of age without parental consent". Notice how the language makes a difference. In some states a boy or girl of 16 years can marry with parents consent (colorado law).
India needs to end child marriage practice, so this kind of enforcement helps... They are barely scratching the surface, not making any difference and just being a pain to these laborers who are trying to find a safe home for the girls. The statistic is at least 47% girls are married before 18 years of age (UNICEF) and it drops to 18% at 15 years of age. So, really they need to focus only on stopping the smaller percentage of below 16 years of age marriages or the unconsented 16 and 17 year old marriages (e.g., a 16 year old marrying a 40 year old, or the parents are marrying the girl off to repay a loan). Further India was probably at 100% child marriages (life expectancy was 35 years in 1947) and the 53% girls married at a later age now is not one bit due to police enforcement but through education, realization and social changes among many communities, middle and upper classes.
Many of these child marriage NGO organizations have acknowledged they get the tip offs only from unhappy parties who couldn't marry the bride (or the groom) and want to seek revenge or there is another love affair going on!
Child marriage could end up in child pregnancy or child sex: Even in the less than 15 year old cases, the culture is that many of them stay with the parents until they are old enough to join the in-laws, so there isn't a child sex issue just because there was a child marriage. Granted there will be exceptions and victims, but there are so many parallels where we don't ban practices just because there are exceptions - we only make laws to deal with the exceptions.
If the police, NGOs and other powerful organizations adopt a more comprehensive approach, like ensuring education, ensuring pay to the families, help with debt-trap, improve living conditions, influence the laws to be written precisely to address the right problems, then the problem will go away over time on its own. It happened that way with many communities, who also used to practice child marriage in the prior generations.
Lastly, there are many beyond 18 years of age, in their 20s or even 30s that aren't quite mature adults nor ready for marriage! So the legal age for marriage doesn't quite make sense, without a clause on the mental capacity of the individuals. Guy Kawasaki said something along these lines on the right age to marry - at any age, you are never too old to marry, but you could be too young to marry!
Hopefully we'll evolve right.
A rule is meant to be followed or changed - violating the rule is not an option... Fine, but then why is the supreme court agreeing to decide a plea to treat someone 6 months short of 18 years as an adult (Delhi rape). You can't have it both ways or as a matter of your convenience.
In most western or developed countries, the minimum age for marriage is 18 years... Not quite - for example in the United States, the law in some states is "minimum 18 years of age without parental consent". Notice how the language makes a difference. In some states a boy or girl of 16 years can marry with parents consent (colorado law).
India needs to end child marriage practice, so this kind of enforcement helps... They are barely scratching the surface, not making any difference and just being a pain to these laborers who are trying to find a safe home for the girls. The statistic is at least 47% girls are married before 18 years of age (UNICEF) and it drops to 18% at 15 years of age. So, really they need to focus only on stopping the smaller percentage of below 16 years of age marriages or the unconsented 16 and 17 year old marriages (e.g., a 16 year old marrying a 40 year old, or the parents are marrying the girl off to repay a loan). Further India was probably at 100% child marriages (life expectancy was 35 years in 1947) and the 53% girls married at a later age now is not one bit due to police enforcement but through education, realization and social changes among many communities, middle and upper classes.
Many of these child marriage NGO organizations have acknowledged they get the tip offs only from unhappy parties who couldn't marry the bride (or the groom) and want to seek revenge or there is another love affair going on!
Child marriage could end up in child pregnancy or child sex: Even in the less than 15 year old cases, the culture is that many of them stay with the parents until they are old enough to join the in-laws, so there isn't a child sex issue just because there was a child marriage. Granted there will be exceptions and victims, but there are so many parallels where we don't ban practices just because there are exceptions - we only make laws to deal with the exceptions.
If the police, NGOs and other powerful organizations adopt a more comprehensive approach, like ensuring education, ensuring pay to the families, help with debt-trap, improve living conditions, influence the laws to be written precisely to address the right problems, then the problem will go away over time on its own. It happened that way with many communities, who also used to practice child marriage in the prior generations.
Lastly, there are many beyond 18 years of age, in their 20s or even 30s that aren't quite mature adults nor ready for marriage! So the legal age for marriage doesn't quite make sense, without a clause on the mental capacity of the individuals. Guy Kawasaki said something along these lines on the right age to marry - at any age, you are never too old to marry, but you could be too young to marry!
Hopefully we'll evolve right.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Book review - The Great Cholesterol Myth
The Great Cholesterol Myth - Johnny Bowden and Stephen Sinatra: Picked up this book from the library last week, and was expecting to just glance through and put back. Reading through a few pages about cholestrol or saturated fat doesn't cause heart disease, the statin based medication scam, and how conventional wisdom of HDL is good and LDL is bad isn't quite as simple as it seems, all intrigued me, and I spent all this week reading every bit. The authors' expertise with PhD and MD clearly shows, and they make scientific arguments citing fairly wide wisdom gained from Japanese research, Korean war autopsy, Indian Ayurveda, African Masai diet etc. The book also specifies exactly the issues to look for with triglycerides, LDL/HDL cholestrol and and suggests supplements, lifestyle and diet changes. The stress management chapter is a must read for everyone, and the diet blueprint is great as reference. What surprised me was that it covered nitty-gritty details clearing doubts that normally come to mind (e.g., dark chocolate is good, but not the typical candy bars - it should have atleast 60% cocoa). It was indeed eye-opening, useful and fulfilling - I was strongly influenced and made changes suggested in the book.
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