Blog@GraceJunction

 
I was visiting Australia and was at the home of one of my good friends, who since the time I meet him at the metro station, would keep telling me about his daughter and the pain she’s going thru. As the strong man drove his huge 4 x 4 truck, I could feel that he was vulnerable, all the strength and grit that I admire him for had somehow been weakened. (more…)

“We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them”. This statement is part of the Manhattan Declaration*, a manifesto which was drafted on October 20th, 2009 and released on November 20th, 2009 with the support of more than 150 American Christian leaders. The declarations website encourages supporters to sign the declaration affirming their support for the sanctity of human life, the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife and the rights of conscience and religious liberty. (more…)

India, a land where we witness the confluence of almost all the major religions of the world, is a place where we wear our faith on our sleeves. Even a small friction is enough to leave two communities at loggerheads with each other. And probably that is why the country adopts secularism, which is also the concept of separating the state from the religion. The view that religious considerations should be excluded from civil affairs or public education. But the question needs to be asked whether secularism has helped in keeping the state and the religion separate? Especially when we see religious overtones to school text books, exercise of personal faith in government offices and departments, or even to the singing of a patriotic song with debatable lyrics. Why has secularism not been able to stop incidents like Babri Masjid demolition, Godhra Riots, Bombay terror attacks or the Orissa violence on religious conversion? (more…)

Johnson had a blessed marriage. I got an opportunity to speak at the wedding and it was a memorable event. The place where he got married was about eight hours by bus from where I lived. On the eve of the wedding, as we were traveling towards the destination by a bus, I sat by a young man I knew well. He had his phone in his hands and every couple of minutes he was looking into it. Suddenly it would buzz and he would start punching into it again and then repeat the waiting ritual! This was continuing since the time we got into the bus. He was only in his late teens and so he was certainly not finalizing the terms and conditions of some commercial deal for sure! But the communication via the ‘SMS’ was keeping him as engrossed as a big business deal would! (more…)

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Shekhar,

This letter is as good as an SOS call. I am leaving this at your parents place because I knew no other place I could track you. Although I shared a few things with your parents but I hope this letter will help you to know the whole story. It’s not about me, my health, your career or anything else but it’s about our son Rahul. (more…)

Few days ago I was attending an official meet from our compnay at Ahmedabad  Management Association. As usual there’s no proper parking space at the institute so there where hundred’s of car parked on the road. I along with three of my other collegues having not found any place parked our cars outside a society’s gate. In the midst of the meeting on of my collegues who’d to leave early for an appointment called me franatically saying that “all my four wheels have been punctured”. Initially I thought that he’s just joking, but it was not so as he franatically called me and texted me eventually forcing me to come down. And what do I see? All four wheels out of air. And not only mine all three cars where punctured, in all twelve tyres! (more…)

Ariane Sherine, now quiet a well known name in Europe and secular circles is a British comedy writer, journalist and creator of the Atheist Bus Campaign. This campaign is at the centre of many discussions among people taking the public transport in Europe. The discussion being whether there is a God or not? (more…)