It seems so funny when both religious and atheist parties fight in bitterness over evolution. Some religious people (creationists) condemn Darwin’s theory while still taking medicine which are developed under evolution theory some atheists worship Darwin as the true ‘prophet’ of atheism (at least in scientism). Darwin himself is an agnostic. He believes in supernatural power but he does not follow any particular religion.

Couple of days back, I found an article from Times Online titled ‘God, Evolution, and Charles Darwin - Ten Surprising Things Darwin Said abou Religious Faith’. Here I provide the ‘ten sayings’ of Darwin exceprted from the article itself.

So, in the interests, of rescuing him from the no-man’s-land in which he has become trapped, here are 10 Darwin quotations, from his later years, which you are unlikely to hear from the mouths of either creationists or atheists in 2009.

1. “The mystery of the beginning of all things is insoluble by us; and I for one must be content to remain an Agnostic.” (Autobiography)

2. “It seems to me absurd to doubt that a man may be an ardent Theist & an evolutionist.” (Letter to John Fordyce, May 7 1879)

3. “I hardly see how religion & science can be kept as distinct as [Edward Pusey] desires… But I most wholly agree… that there is no reason why the disciples of either school should attack each other with bitterness.” (Letter to J. Brodie Innes, November 27 1878)

4. “In my most extreme fluctuations I have never been an atheist in the sense of denying the existence of a God.” (Letter to John Fordyce, May 7 1879)

5. “I think that generally (& more and more so as I grow older) but not always, that an agnostic would be the most correct description of my state of mind.” (Letter to John Fordyce, May 7 1879)

6. “I am sorry to have to inform you that I do not believe in the Bible as a divine revelation, & therefore not in Jesus Christ as the son of God.” (Letter to Frederick McDermott, November 24 1880)

7. [In conversation with the atheist Edward Aveling, 1881] “Why should you be so aggressive? Is anything gained by trying to force these new ideas upon the mass of mankind?” (Edward Aveling, The religious views of Charles Darwin, 1883)

8. “Would any one trust in the convictions of a monkey’s mind, if there are any convictions in such a mind?” (Letter to Graham William, July 3 1881)

9. “My theology is a simple muddle: I cannot look at the Universe as the result of blind chance, yet I can see no evidence of beneficent Design.” (Letter to Joseph Hooker, July 12 1870)

10. “I can never make up my mind how far an inward conviction that there must be some Creator or First Cause is really trustworthy evidence.” (Letter to Francis Abbot, September 6 1871)

Isn’t it funny how people can use Darwin’s name to attack each other in this cartoonistic debate while he himself did not put a stand on both sides?

Last night, I hardly could sleep - I almost cried - thinking about my life. It was all started earlier that evening when me and some friends went to The Space to watch a theater. The play was well-performed by HNC Acting and Performance Students in which a friend of mine, Brent Cosford is one of the main actors. The play was titled ‘UTOPIA 886742′ (do not ask me what those numbers meant, I have no slightest idea still until now 886742 are numbers that represent the alphabets on phone keypad just like when you are writing text messages) - News coverage: read here

‘UTOPIA 886742′ presents a perfect world, a perfect place to live, a place where people are happy all year long.  They play itself brings up several issues in society: drugs, (religious) inquisitors, public acceptance o homosexuality, norms, hedonistic/materialistic lifestyle, and hypocrisy within society. This play made me realize one thing:

What is the real happiness for me? What do I have to do to gain the happiness? Pleasing my parents, my friends, my bosses, or the society?

Why do we have suffering?

Is happiness all that we need to create utopia? Our utopia? My utopia might be different that your utopia - what is the ‘real utopia’?

Finally:

AM I HAPPY?

I could not agree more with the last ‘take home’ message from the play:

“The place to be happy is here, the time to be happy is now”

ps: are you happy?

A brief candle; both ends burning
An endless mile; a bus wheel turning
A friend to share the lonesome times
A handshake and a sip of wine
So say it loud and let it ring
We are all a part of everything
The future, present and the past
Fly on proud bird
You’re free at last.

by Charlie Daniels

I would like to say the last good-bye to my grandfather whom I always called ‘Engkong Kudus’ (Grandpa from Kudus - a city in Central Java):

Oey Tiong Tik (Soetikno)

May You Rest in Peace

23 January 1932 - 10 November 2008

Snowy Dundee

Taken from Wellcome Trust Building Foyer Level 4

Exactly two-years ago, I had a short chat on YM between me (H) and “A” (my former colleague and competitor from junior high); the excerpt:

A: Ho, you know what? I am in post-power syndrome!

H: What? What do you mean?

A: Well, you know, when we were in junior-senior high - we could manage to be the top-three in class or even our academic year with Ayus. Now suddenly, in college/uni, we are not ‘the best’ anymore. Worse, we used to organize this and that and now… we are not at the top anymore - too many people are better than us.

H: Ach zo. Now I got what you meant. Well it is true - I guess I am in the same condition especially after I resigned from couple of organizations. Really in post-power syndrome. No wonder Soeharto could be sick after stepping down from 32 years in charge of the country.

A: Hahaha.. Soeharto? You kidding me.

H: Well, we are not inside ’school-box’ anymore. We are facing the world in which we will have lots of people better than us. The only thing that I can do: do our best! Let’s support each other now

… and the chat continues to ‘other’ topic (gossiping to be exact)…

I guess post-power syndrome would be a ‘normal’ thing in life. As life goes on, a wheel of life keeps on running, we will hvae the moment where we are ‘on top’ and ‘at the bottom’. One thing that I cannot forget is Michael Putrawenas‘ advice to me:

“Our life is like a wheel that keeps on running.. not running downhill but uphill! We are as leaders have to step down to give the chance to the young ones to take over while in the meantime keep our head-down to get ready facing up more responsibility in higher order”