Dark Sunday!!!

Let me start by saying that I am a Roman Catholic by birth as well as by choice. I would like to add here that I am not an overtly pious person but I do try to stay on the good side just in case hell does exist. I also try to make it a point to attend the Sunday mass regularly. Generally going for mass is normally an indifferent experience for me; but however this past Sunday was rather unusual. To say that I was pretty appalled with the proceedings would be a complete understatement.

I am just sitting there, minding my own business waiting for the priest to start the sermon and at the same time desperately praying to keep me awake! It turns out that I didn't need any divine intervention to keep me up while the priest was ranting away to glory. Today's weapon of choice being "Why 'Hum Do, Humare Do’?”. He wanted today's Catholics to raise a herd of children pretty much like our forefathers!

It was just insane! Is this the way how these guys are now going to try to increase their tribe? Due to the strict anti-conversion laws in most states nowadays, the rate of increase of the catholic population must have decreased and this looks like the new way ahead for the church. Actually, in the beginning I thought that this was the opinion of only one "smartass" priest; but then as I was surfing through the channels on the TV later that evening, I came across a news story about a new legislation that is to be brought up by the Kerala government wherein it will penalise a family that bears a third child with a hefty fine. The Church in Kerala was up in arms against the move. It seems they were propagating the message about having large families in Kerala as well and it was then that I realised that this was a nationwide (if not worldwide strategy) of the Church the increase the concentration of Catholics.

It is very sad to see the Church come down to this for its petty, selfish gains. The Church is supposed to be the embodiment of everything forward thinking and to see the Church stoop so low is pretty sad. It also exposes the double standards of the church; on the one hand, its countless educational institutions preach the disadvantages of overpopulation to kids of all communities and then when the catholic kids go for mass on Sunday they hear their priest going on and on about increasing the population!

Hope better sense prevails!

Mehtas v/s State

Many people say that LIFE won in the case of Mehtas V/S State. The Mehtas wanted to abort their 24 week old foetus because the doctors concluded that the baby had a fair (that's what the doctors said) chance to life. The state won and the pregnancy was not allowed to be terminated.

The advantage (or disadvantage as many today will see it as) of new age medical technology is that you can cheat nature).The hand that nature deals to you is not necessarily the one that you need to play with!
What would you do if in a game of poker you had the power to know the cards dealt to you without opening them?
What if you knew the dealt hand is a dud?
Wouldn't you just pack up?

Maybe some gamblers would have taken a chance and even raised the stakes! But the Mehtas did not want to take that chance. I think neither I nor anybody else can blame them for that.

Whatever ones feeling about the case, all I know is that I commend the Mehtas for taking the high road of the Indian Judiciary rather then just bypassing it (like most people would have) and going ahead with the termination in a secretive manner.

Actually there is no loser in this case as the J.J. Hospital has expressed its desire to bear the cost of the pacemaker which the baby (might) require/s. And also the Church has expressed its willingness to adopt the baby if necessary.

Now lets just pray that the baby has a long and beautiful life ahead !! Also pray that the baby never knows that the good judgment that the parents showed in asking the opinion of the Judiciary is the only reason that it is alive that day!!

Update : May the child's soul rest in peace.