Month: January 2009

Are men and women inherently different? ‘The Sexual Paradox’ takes a new look at the centuries-old question

Susan Pinker, psychologist and award-winning columnist, has written a groundbreaking and controversial book that reveals why learning and behavioral gaps between boys and girls in the classroom are reversed in the workplace. In “The Sexual Paradox,” Pinker examines how fundamental sex differences play out over the life span. By comparing fragile boys who succeed later with high-achieving women who opt out or plateau in their careers, Pinker turns several assumptions upside down: that women and men are biologically equivalent, that intelligence is all it takes to succeed, and that women are just versions of men, with identical interests and goals.

Here's an excerpt

An admonition so humble?

Rowan’s note to Brutus

Only an unsaved Calvinst would say that there is no need to pray or to preach the gospel. My argument is simple if man had the choice to seek and love God with all his heart and that the destiny of the world is in our hands and satan is the sovereign Lord over evil then we are doomed. The Bible says in Romans 1 that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Then Paul goes on to say that there is none righteous no not one and there is none that seeks God. God has sovereign dominion over evil because the devil is a created being and the devil depends on the life of God for its survival. The reason being that the only eternal life is God, denying this would be denying the Bible as a whole. The Bible also says that man today is fallen and is a slave to sin and not only that man loves sin and he rejoices in sin. God throughout all history was striving with the flesh of man as stated in Genesis to give him eternal life. He was always mercifully forgiving sin not because he was unjust. If he were unjustly forgiving sin he would not be God. The Bible states in various books in the Old Testament that the law, destruction by the flood etc is only temporary but he would one day open the floodgates of heaven and send his only begotten son and he would take upon himself the sins of the world. He also promises Daniel that he would put an end to the Kingdoms of the world when the time is ripe. When God gave the Law he says I have now kept good and evil before you and he commands them to choose good not to try and keep it and he would reward it. God demands nothing but perfection the law was given to diagnose the sin of man. Christ Jesus is the great physician who heals this disease. He has taken the wrath of God on himself and conquered hell and death on behalf of mankind and in him we are made righteous and in hi alone. The Law is now fulfilled it is now grace that reigns, there is no necessity for a Christian to be law conscious but to become a disciple of Jesus and be involved in God’s great plan to bring the Kingdom Of God on Earth. This does not give us a license to sin because we are dead to sin and cannot sin anymore but sometimes when the flesh prevails on certain occasions, God who is now our father faithfully and justly forgives our sins. God has already predestined that he kingdom would reign sovereign on Earth and he has predestined the exact time. This gives a Christian hope and when he is filled with God, God works in him to bring his kingdom.

With regard to open theism it is a new age heresy and I am surprised it is creeping into the church. Beware of this, the role played by God in this belief is similar to the role played by the Architect in the Matrix series, he only has an equation to predict human behaviour. God is sovereign over the universe and nothing happens without his divine will. Since a Christian understands the goodness and the love of God the only thing we need to do is submit to God and he will work in us and he is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him. We have hope that God is in control of everything and all things work together for good for them that love God. We will worship him, love him, spread his love and pray for his kingdom to come.

With regard to prayer to God is the one who created us and chose our family, place of birth, who we will meet etc etc, he knows what he want and that is the reason why he has revealed himself to us. When we pray we should pray according to his will because his will is perfect for us and this world. When we approach prayer in this respect it will please God to work in us. Ignore 5 points Calvinism and Hyper- Calvinism but believe in the sovereignty of God, this is the gospel and this will bring about intense hope, love and joy. Accept that the universe is in good hands.

All the Best and may God be with you.

Brutus reply to Rowan

Thanks for the lecture. This may be the last of my interaction with you on any matter for you do not have a modicum of humility and holy caution talking to someone like me who is 60 years old, 39 years your senior. What do you think I was doing all these 39 years before you were born and 21years after your birth?

When I was there at your home I have noticed this arrogance and ‘smart-alecness’ lecturing and correcting me without a thought to my knowledge of theology and experience in life. You are a deluded young man with self-grandeur and a high opinion of yourself. Your father too has told me how you lecture his friends. Either you are a genius who I know you are not or you are deluded. There is something definitely wrong with you.

Without a shadow of apprehension you are counselling and instructing me about the so called ‘heresy’ of ‘Open Theism’ and the virtues of Calivinism warning me of its dangers etc. You are out of your depth and place talking about theology.

I have repeatedly told you in person and I do so now, learn humility, be all ears, express less of your opinion, ask more questions and show respect for those who are older than you, particularly those who know theology far beyond you.

Go get a job, any job and earn your keep instead of bludging on your granny’s pension. There is no job beneath your ‘dignity’ for there is no dignity in you if you will not work to feed yourself and pay your way in life. Your present life is made possible by the generosity of your grandma. The Scripture says,’ If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.’ ‘By the sweat of thy brow thou shall eat bread’ (Gen 3: 19; 2 Thes 3: 10). Self indulgence is idiocy of life and that is not a moral and spiritual excellence. All your testimony of your life and of Christ is zero when others see your unproductive life when they show industry to pay their way in life. Christianity without life to show for it, is dead.

Finally, I urge you again, have some healthy self doubt and caution about matters those far older than you have been studying with much depth and thought over the years. Your are an ‘infant’ on these matters, so be humble. Learn to be Timothy instead of being Paul. These words are not to demolish you but to wake you up from your delusion. You can see I am irate and justly so for I cannot tolerate someone like you assuming to be my teacher.

I am hoping some of what I have said will strike home.

With love and concern!

The intellectual who writes Obama speech


Jon Favreau, 27, is, as Obama himself puts it, the president’s mind reader. He is the youngest chief speechwriter on record in the White House, and, despite such youth, was at the centre of discussions of the content of today’s speech, one which has so much riding on it.

On December 5, 2008, a picture of Favreau performing a suggestive gesture to a cardboard cut-out of Hillary Clinton surfaced on Facebook. Favreau was said to have issued an apology to Clinton[7], whose spokesman referred to the photo as “an example of just good-natured fun between former rival camps”.

Identity and Cool Menthol Filter

1969 as i stepped into High School.
The armor of care around left behind, with beady eyes rolling,vulnerable and overawed.
Social ferment and lawlessness, hushed voices discussing Dravidian issues and the imposition of Hindi constantly tickled my amydala causing my mind to envelope with doubt and fear.

The radio on sunday afternoons and some war torn newspapers presented hopeful lines
– "Cool gives you new kick and the menthol filter does that trick"
while these lines reverberated in my mind my hands flinched not as I took in the first puff followed by a cough and I got me self the first rung of the ladder to handle my high school. Soon I had hitched my ladder to the stars while I greeted the Apollo Team ( Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin and Michael Collins). I regained my identity while my lips gently caressed the filter till it reached the fags end.

Fellowship of the Unashamed

Some who quote this begin with "An African pastor was overwhelmed by rebels who demanded that he renounce his faith. He refused. The night before they took his life, he wrote the following lines on a scrap of paper:"

I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed." I have Holy Spirit power.

The die has been cast. I've stepped over the line.

The decision has been made.

I am a disciple of His.

I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure.

I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees,

colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals!

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity.

I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded.

I now live by presence, lean by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough,

my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear.

I cannot be bought , compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity,

negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, let up, or burn up till I've preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops.

And when He comes to get His own, He'll have no problems recognizing me. My colors will be clear.

He knew no words

He was much younger that me with a slight pep in his goosestep.  Fair and short and of good features.  His smile was spontaneous but he hardly smiled. He was in the wild side of life most of the time but look calm and disciplined as a boy scout.  He had strong fore arms and a short temper. His anger was felt. Gesturing generously he saved his words.

He loved me and bit me at times, when he grew he embarrassed me with good food, good drink and gifts.  He took to too much wine, handled money in abundance, saw his younger brother take his own life. Yet he seemed calm. But within him he suffered and ended up in a asylum. He paid his way through jumped the fence to be part of my wedding.  And I traveled miles to be part of his.

His marriage did not last. I lost touch with him and he apparently lost touch with his wife. 

Many years went past, I fought my own battles, rarely remembering him and one day I connected with him. His demeanor was a bit dim, he was alone, embarrassed with debts, set aside by his loved ones, away from his wife and son, he languished in loneliness.

He did not gesture any more, no one was there to serve him any more.  An occasional cigarette was what he enjoyed.  I spent time with him tried to give back all the love he had given me but failed.  I lost grip of my own life and did not want sink along with him. I stepped aside to fight my own little battles.

While, Anand, suffered in silence. He was not equipped with words to express. The place of worship was his only abode.  One day he decided to choke himself with a noose rather than suffer shame. 

He had no words. He never did.  He felt, expressed and died.

Splash of red and hope of mankind


For years I was ashamed to be part of a land that had people in abundance with the most despicable practices… spitting on the road, blowing their noses in public and then wiping their fingers delicately on handles in the buses and the lampposts ( let me save some for another blog)

Then it dawned on me one day that the ones who do this have been for centuries kept under bondage and subjection, but today they are free. Free to spit anywhere and everywhere. They are celebrating. I prefer this to evil social practices of discrimination on caste, color and creed. Now the more I see such things the more Iam happy, happy that my land will also see and live in  the light of equality and justice.

I will love to celebrate with them. I may not spit but may clean it.

The stars fall while the fool foretells

Amidst the haze I see men in black striped pajamas, loitering around,
Some have what seems some musical instruments
The others mumble nothing

Then there is the fool on the hill – sitting around
Living  of crumbs and tea.
Incoherently belting out a song of the future

The politician is panhandling
The businessman is selling peanuts
The banker is tossing a coin
The baker is hammering a biscuit
The cobbler is working on an arithmetic progression
The plumber works on a new software
The painter is writing
The bus driver is an environment activist
The fisherman is evangelizing
The dalits are in the parliament
The religious heads are growing hair
The driver is conducting a choir
The punter owns a business chain
The martial artist is selling flowers
The weatherman is scuba diving
The rich man tills the ground
The teacher is rich
The school administrator sits on the stool
The comedian is eating sugar candy
The diva of fashion is selling flowers
The sports icon is pushing a bicycle
The Hamas team holidays in Bahamas
The terrorists are pulling down walls

The lion sleeps with the lamb
The cathedral syncs with bazaar
The weapons of war are beaten into tractors
The music is divine again.