Fact vs Faith

This is with reference to an article titled ‘Faith of millions cannot be doubted’ by Bhadra Sinha published on the Hindustan Times website (02 May 2008).

It is incredible that a mind as astute as senior advocate KK Venugopal's can confuse the difference between fact and faith. If we have to accept the existence of the Ram Setu just because 800 million people believe in it, then we shouldn't condemn the early church for condemning Galileo as a heretic. If we’re willing to let the faith of millions to represent fact, then we’re condoning the attitude of ‘Might is Right’.

The article goes on to state, “...just like it is a matter of faith that Christ was crucified in Golgotha Hills in Jerusalem and needs no verification, a similar belief and religious faith of 800 million Hindus are attached to ‘Rama Setu’.” For Mr Venugopal’s information, the life and death of Jesus Christ isn’t a matter of faith. To insist that the Crucifixion is only a matter of faith is akin to saying that Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps, Alexander’s forays into India and the entire Egyptian civilization are matters of faith.

Christ’s death has been well documented by the Romans (whose accounts have been shown to be historically accurate). Funnily enough we don’t seem to question the authenticity of accounts by Roman historians in other areas. Nobody denies the veracity of Nero’s excesses or the gladiatorial contests. However, whenever it’s a question of Christ’s life and death, everybody seems to doubt the Roman Empire’s ability to record history accurately.

The world lapped up Dan Brown’s ‘The Da Vinci Code’ with great enthusiasm. Here was ‘conclusive proof’ that the man who once claimed to be God was actually human after all. Strangely enough nobody seemed to understand that accepting this book entailed accepting the existence of Christ as well. However, the world had a great Jesus-bashing time and continues to do so. Whether or not it gets its own arguments in a twist is hardly an issue at all.

So I guess the world (and Mr KK Venugopal) needs to get its facts right. Rather, the world needs to make up its mind as to whether it wants to deny the very existence of Christ, or whether it wants to deny his deity. Both claims cannot exist simultaneously. Till the time consensus is reached, let’s not mock our own intelligence with such ignorant arguments. And let’s stop using Christianity as a punching bag for all matters spiritual.