In one of the internet forum, someone give me the link to the Council of Secular Humanism.There is an interesting article, an interview from Free Inquiry Magazine with Arthur C. Clarke where his short biography can be found in here.

From the interview, I understand that Arthur C. Clarke is an atheist.

As from an atheist point of view, this is an interesting interview to read. The title also provocative as my opinions, “God, Science, and Delusion, A Chat With Arthur C. Clarke”

But while reading the interview, somehow I really surprised with the interview.

This is an interesting quote from the interview that surprised me.

FI: Do you see any value at all in the various religions?

Clarke: Though I sometimes call myself a crypto-Buddhist, Buddhism is not a religion. Of those around at the moment, Islam is the only one that has any appeal to me. But, of course, Islam has been tainted by other influences. The Muslims are behaving like Christians, I’m afraid.

FI: What appeals to you in Islam?

Clarke: Historically, Islam had a great deal of tolerance for other views and offered the world its priceless wisdom in the form of astronomy and algebra. And, as you know, Islam helped rescue Western civilization from the Dark Ages by preserving classical texts and transmitting them to the West. We, on the other hand, burned the library at Alexandria. If Islam hadn’t fallen into internecine warfare and had gone on to conquer the rest of Europe, we’d have avoided a thousand years of Christian barbarism.

So based on an atheist opinion or simply said based on Arthur C. Clarke opinions, that Islam has more tolerance and more respect for science rather than any other religions.

But sadly, from time to time, Islam become more corrupt because of some reasons. Some Imams or some leaders uses only few verses from Quran that will only benefits them, and disregards the others verses.

You must read Quran as a book, not only verses by verses.

I’m a logical person, and until today, I only see that Islam is the most logical religions compare to others.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Kelompok Sby kebakaran jenggot akibat iklan yang di lakukan oleh Wiranto. Padahal Wiranto hanya menyampaikan kebenaran dan itu sah-sah saja.
Dalam iklan tersebut Wiranto mengingatkan rakyat bahwa Sby sudah ingkar janji karena dia sebelumnya dia berjanji untuk tidak menaikan harga BBM, tetapi apa kenyataanya?
Tidak ada yang namanya black campaign, tidak ada yang namanya negatif campaign. Selama yang di iklankan adalah kebenaran, maka semua itu sah-sah saja.
Bila Wiranto terus berani bersuara lantang, dan secara bersamaan bisa membuktikan dirinya mampu untuk memimpin negeri ini, maka saya tidak akan ragu lagi untuk memilih Wiranto.
Negeri ini membutuhkan seorang pemimpin yang tegas, adil dan berani. Dan semoga semua hal itu ada di diri Wiranto.
Maju terus Pak Wiranto.
Pada akhirnya, biarlah rakyat yang menentukan. Itulah demokrasi.
31 Mei 2008

Popularity: 14% [?]

Berita heboh hujan uang.
Besok, pada tanggal 1 Juni 2008, seorang motivator yang ‘katanya’
terkenal Tung Desem Waringin, akan menyebarkan uang - ya benar akan
menyebarkan uang - sebanyak 100 juta rupiah dalam pecahan 5 ribu dan 10
ribu di daerah Senayan, Jakarta.
Untuk berita lengkapnya ada di sini.
Yang pertama saya pikirkan adalah alangkah enaknya jadi orang kaya,
kalau sudah bingung kebanyakan uang, ya tinggal sebarin saja.
Tetapi kemudian saya berpikir, bagaimana kalau kemudian ribuan orang
akan berkumpul semua di daerah senayan, apakah tidak akan terjadi
bencana? Orang akan saling berebut untuk mengambil uang yang akan di
sebar dari atas pesawat kecil, dan akibatnya kemungkinan besar akan
terjadi keributan. Apa jadinya bila orang dewasa berebut uang dengan
orang tua renta dan anak-anak? Apakah itu bukannya tindakan yang sama
sekali tidak bertanggung jawab?
Jangankan disebar dari atas, yang di bagikan secara teratur misalkan
saja pembagian dana BLT masih terdapat keributan, apalagi yang ini.
Untuk seorang motivator yang ‘katanya’ terkenal, tindakan ini sama
sekali tidak bertanggung jawab.
Kita lihat saja apa yang akan terjadi, semoga saja tidak terjadi hal-hal
yang merugikan rakyat banyak.

Kalau memang niatnya membantu, mengapa tidak di bagikan saja ke rakyat
miskin yang jelas membutuhkan?

Popularity: 17% [?]

Akhirnya harga BBM naik juga. Akhirnya pemerintah berani menaikan harga BBM tanpa memperdulikan penolakan yang di lakukan oleh banyak pihak. Pemerintah tidak lagi perduli akan nasib masyarakat banyak yang akan makin terhimpit akibat harga BBM naik. Menurut pemerintah, menaikan harga BBM adalah hak mereka.

Sekarang saatnya rakyat menuntut, menuntut hak nya sebagai rakyat Indonesia. Rakyat Indonesia juga memiliki hak bukan cuma kewajiban.

Menurut saya, ada tiga tuntutan yang perlu kita ajukan.

1. Sekolah gratis.

Sesuai dengan UUD 45, pasal 31.

(1) Setiap warga negara berhak mendapat pendidikan.

(2) Setiap warga negara wajib mengikuti pendidikan dasar dan pemerintah wajib membiayainya.

(3) Pemerintah mengusahakan dan menyelenggarakan satu sistem pendidikan nasional, yang meningkatkan keimanan dan ketakwaan serta akhlak mulia dalam rangka mencerdaskan kehidupan bangsa, yang diatur dengan Undang-Undang.

(4) Negara memprioritaskan anggaran pendidikan sekurang-kurangnya dua puluh persen dari anggaran pendapatan dan belanja negara serta dari anggaran pendapatan dan belanja daerah untuk memenuhi kebutuhan penyelenggaraan pendidikan nasional.

(5) Pemerintah memajukan ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologi dengan menjunjung tinggi nilai-nilai agama dan persatuan bangsa untuk kemajuan peradaban serta kesejahteraan umat manusia.

Jelas sekali dalam UUD 45 pasal 31 ayat 1-4, terutama ayat 2 bahwa ‘Pemerintah wajib membiayainya’, dan dalam ayat 4 bahwa pemerintah wajib menyediakan dana sebesar 20% dari APBN dan APBD untuk biaya pendidikan. Tetapi kedua ayat di atas masih belum terlaksana sampai sekarang.

Sudah saatnya pemerintah melakukan kewajibannya, dan sudah saatnya rakyat Indonesia untuk menuntut haknya.

2. Pemerintah lebih memperhatikan rakyat miskin dan anak terlantar.

Sesuai dengan UUD 45, pasal 34.

(1) Fakir miskin dan anak-anak yang terlantar dipelihara oleh negara.

(2) Negara mengembangkan sistem jaminan sosial bagi seluruh rakyat dan memberdayakan masyarakat yang lemah dan tidak mampu sesuai dengan martabat kemanusiaan.

(3) Negara bertanggung jawab atas penyediaan fasilitas pelayanan kesehatan dan fasilitas pelayanan umum yang layak.

(4) Ketentuan lebih lanjut mengenai pelaksanaan pasal ini diatur dalam undang-undang.

Sekali lagi, sangat jelas dalam UUD 45 bahwa pemerintah harus menjamin kehidupan yang layak untuk seluruh rakyat Indonesia. Tetapi buktinya, bukan hanya sekali, dua kali kita mendengar ada yang meninggal akibat kelaparan.Something Shocking | www. gedubrak.com › Create New Post — WordPress

Sekali lagi pemerintah tidak menjalankan kewajibannya, dan sudah saatnya rakyat Indonesia untuk menuntut haknya.

3. Jaminan kesehatan yang murah dan layak bagi seluruh rakyat Indonesia.

Masih dalam pasal 34, pada ayat 3 di sebutkan bahwa Pemerintah wajib menyediakan fasilitas pelayanan kesehatan yang layak, dan tentunya dengan harga yang terjangkau. Tetapi kenyataannya RS masih mahal, bahkan untuk RSU sekalipun. Bukan sedikit pasien yang di tolak oleh RS hanya karena alasan tidak mampu membayar uang jaminan RS yang tidak sedikit.

Sudah saatnya rakyat Indonesia untuk menuntut akan haknya.

Itulah tiga point yang menurutnya paling utama, tetapi orang lain mungkin akan  berpendapat berbeda.

Sekali lagi, sudah saatnya rakyat menuntut haknya. Pemerintah jangan hanya meminta rakyat Indonesia untuk berkorban, tetapi juga seharusnya pemerintah juga melaksanakan kewajibannya untuk memberikan kehidupan yang layak bagi seluruh rakyat Indonesia.

Rakya Indonesia sudah berkorban banyak, terlalu banyak.

Popularity: 16% [?]

Beberapa hari yang lalu, saya mampir ke sebuah mini market di dalam Kota Wisata Cibubur.

Pertama kali masuk, saya terkejut, karena pas di rak tengah, dekat dengan susu kemasan, di pajang secara demonstratif belasan kaleng dan botol bir dari dua merk yang berbeda. Seingatku, tidak pernah ada mini market yang menjual bir (atau mungkin memang menjual?). Bir hanya di jual di supermarket besar seperti carefour dan hypermart, tidak di mini market.

Menurut saya, bir atau minuman yang mengandung alkohol lainnya, sangatlah tidak pantas untuk di jual bebas di dalam minimarket, apalagi biasanya minimarket ada di dalam perumahan.

Apakah ada tanggung jawab moral dari pihak mini market untuk tidak menjual bir kepada anak di bawah umur? Seperti anak SMP dan SMA. Apalagi biasanya mini market biasa di kunjungi oleh anak-anak. Penempatan botol bir secara demonstratif apalagi dekat dekat dengan susu kemasan, tentu sedikit banyak berkata kepada anak-anak kalau bir adalah sesuatu yang umum, yang lumrah.

Mungkin perlu dipikirkan kembali perijinan menjual minuman ber alkohol di dalam mini market.

Dan tentunya, kita bisa memilih akan belanja di mini market yang mana? Yang menjual minuman ber alkohol atau yang tidak?

Popularity: 23% [?]

Dalam sebuah angkutan umum, saya melihat sepasang kekasih sedang berangkulan di kursi belakang. Tentu hal ini tidak terlalu saya perhatikan jika, sang wanita tidak mengenakan jibab.

Ketika jilbab tidak datang dari hati.

Seorang siswi sekolah Islam terkemuka di Indonesia, berjalan menuju ke arah teman-temannya yang sedang menunggu di tempat parkir. Tentu saja hal ini tidak terlalu saya perhatikan jika, sang siswi tidak berjalan sambil membuka jilbabnya.

Ketika jilbab di paksakan.

Seorang teman wanita berkata, bahwa dia mungkin akan menggunakan jilbab. Tentu saja hal ini tidak terlalu saya perhatikan, jika sang teman wanita tidak berkata karena kelihatannya jilbab sedang nge-trend sekarang ini.

Ketika jilbab menjadi perhiasan.

Alangkah indahnya, jika jilbab datang dari hati.

Bukan demi suami.

Bukan demi orang tua.

Bukan demi sekolah dan guru.

Bukan demi lingkungan sosial.

Bukan demi mode.

Tapi demi Allah semata.

Tapi, ini tentunya hanyalah pendapat saya.

Just before midnight, my mind tricked me.

Popularity: 48% [?]

Yes, they did it.

They made a clear message to Indian people, specially to Kay Kay that they own the ‘Tak Bisakah’ song, not Kay Kay.

The song title ‘Tak Bisakah’ or ‘Can you’ is originally composed by Peterpan, but than Kay Kay sang the same song in Hindi with title ‘Kya Mujhe Pyaar Hai’ and claimed that the song is his.

Shame on you Kay Kay.

The message is crystal clear, in the result show of Asian Idol that aired in RCTI , Peterpan sang the song, than ‘accidentally’ followed by the Indian idol “Abhijeet Sawant” that sang the hindi version “Kya Mujhe Pyaar Hai”.

Crystal.

Is really clear that the song is the same, is really clear that Kay Kay copied the song.

There are no arguments anymore.

A very crystal clear message from Peterpan to Kay Kay, the message is ’song is mine’.

You can see and hear the original song in youtube and the copycat version in here.

Popularity: 88% [?]

I have enough with these ignorant people.

Which ignorant people?

Malaysia.

They says that Batik is their heritage, they says Angklung is their heritage too. And Now they want to claim the song “Rasa Sayange” that originated from Maluku as their heritage too.

Madness.

Sorry, those are Indonesian heritage, not yours!

We have too many proves that whatever your claim as yours, that actually ours, Indonesian heritage.

Angklung in Wikipedia

Angklung is a musical instrument made out of two bamboo tubes attached to a bamboo frame. The tubes are carved so that they have a resonant pitch when struck. The two tubes are tuned to octaves. The base of the frame is held with one hand while the other hand shakes the instrument rapidly from side to side. This causes a rapidly repeating note to sound. Thus each of three or more angklung performers in an ensemble will play just one note and together complete melodies are produced. Angklung is popular throughout Southeast Asia, but originated from Indonesia (used and played by the Sundanese since the ancient times).

Batik in wikipedia

Batik (Javanese-Indonesian pronunciation: [?ba.te?], but often, in English, is [?bæt?k] or [b??ti?k]) is an Indonesian word and refers to a generic wax-resist dyeing technique used on textile. The word originates from Javanese word “amba”, meaning ”to write” and the Javanese word for dot or point, “titik.”

It is known to be more than a millennium old, probably originating in ancient Egypt or Sumeria. There is evidence that cloth decorated through some form of resist technique was in use in the early centuries AD.^{[citation needed]} It is found in several countries later in West Africa such as Nigeria, Cameroon and Mali, or in Asia, such as India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh , Iran, Thailand, and Malaysia, but the most popular are in Indonesia.

What are your proves? None.

Even the language you use, your daily language, your malay language, it’s came from Indonesia.

Old Malay in Wikipedia

The oldest dated 682 CE, is the Kedukan Bukit Inscription found near Palembang, and several other inscriptions dating from 7th to 9th centuries have been found in Sumatra, western Java, Luzon, Manila and others. These ancient texts are considered examples of ‘Old Malay’ or ‘Early Malay’. All these inscriptions were in the form of Indian Pallava script, characterized by extensive Sanskrit loan words, it lasted until 17th century.

Even they pop stars now, is using Indonesian song.

Grow up Malaysia!

The truth is, you don’t have any heritages. You use ours heritage since Sriwijaya and Majapahit occupied you. You adopted ours heritage, and still now. Worst part is, you start to claim them.

Once again, they are NOT yours!

Maybe we have a weak goverment, who can’t stand up for our heritages.

But maybe, our goverment is just too busy to handle these ‘little stuffs’ where they should need to focus on our economy.

But stealing our heritage is not your rights.

Start create your own heritage, and stop stealing them from others.

Popularity: 88% [?]

Once, one wise old man told me that Islam is to make our life much easier.

First, I don’t really understand, because in Islam there are so many rules to follow. How can those rules make our lifer easier?

Than I started to realized, that it is true. Islam actually makes our lives much easier.
Rules in Islam are to make our life easier, not to make our life more difficult.

Don’t believe me? These are some examples.

In Islam, we are not allowed to do adultery.

Why? Why we are not allowed to do adultery? Why that can make our life easier?

Adultery from wikipedia

Although the definition of “adultery” differs in nearly every legal system, the common theme is sexual relations outside of marriage, in one form or another.

If a woman pregnant because of adultery, who will be responsible for the child, for the child support, for the child legal status?

If there are more than one man? Who is the father?

We can do DNA test, but than is not make our life easier, is making our life more difficult.

Stick with your wife or husband, that will make your life much easier.

In Islam, we are not allowed to consume alcohol

When you get drunk, you’ll do something really stupid things that soon you” regret. That stupid things may fatal, to you or to others.

This is just example how fatal that stupid thing is.

Quote from http://www.car-accidents.com/drunk-driving-accidents.html

There are about 17,000 alcohol related car accident deaths in the United States each year, this means that there is a drunk driving death every 31 minutes. Alcohol was a factor in 39 percent of all fatal accidents and in 7 percent of all crashes in 2004.
Additionally about 248,000 people are injured in accidents where police reported that alcohol was present, thus one person is injured in a drunk driving accident in the US every 2 minutes.

That why Islam ban to consume Alcohol.

Without Alcohol, our life is much more easier.

In Islam, we are not allowed to eat pig/pork/swine

From Holly Quran Al-Ma’idah

Forbidden to you (for food) are: Al-Maytatah (the dead animals - cattle-beast not slaughtered), blood, the flesh of swine, and the meat of that which has been slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allâh, or has been slaughtered for idols, etc., or on which Allâh’s Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering, and that which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by the goring of horns - and that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal - unless you are able to slaughter it (before its death) ­ and that which is sacrificed (slaughtered) on An­Nusub (stone altars). (Forbidden) also is to use arrows seeking luck or decision, (all) that is Fisqun (disobedience of Allâh and sin). This day, those who disbelieved have given up all hope of your religion, so fear them not, but fear Me. This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islâm as your religion. But as for him who is forced by severe hunger, with no inclination to sin (such can eat these above-mentioned meats), then surely, Allâh is Oft­Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Al-Ma’idah 5:3)

Why? Why Islam forbid muslim to eat pig/pork/swine?

Quote from http://www.islamic-world.net/sister/h1.htm

The pig is a scavenger. It is an omnivorous animal. It eats everything. There are many diseases carried from swine to man, particularly parasite infestations. Lately extensive research has been focused on senility-old age is characterized by hardening of inner lining of the blood vessels of the heart, brain etc. a process called atheroselerosis. When a clot forms, it results in coronary thrombosis or a heart attack, cerebral thrombosis or stroke.

According to medical research, the fat content in pork is more than any other meat (beef, mutton etc.) and it takes longer to digest. Dr. M Jaffer in an article in the Islamic Review (London) of January 1997 issue has listed 16 kinds of harmful germs, which have been discovered in pork in modern researches and the diseases, which could be caused by them. The number of patients suffering from tapeworm disease is the highest in the world among pork eating nations. Other diseases attributed to pigs are caused by tri-chinelia spirates and intestinal worms occupy first place among such nations too.

“One in six people in USA and Canada have germs in their muscles - trichinosis 8 from eating pork infected with trichina worms. Many people who are infected shows no symptoms. Most of those, who do have, recover slowly. Some die; some are reduced to permanent invalids. All were careless pork caters”.

Sure we can avoid those (some of them are deadly) diseases by cooks the fork very well, but then that will make our life more difficult.

There are so many good things that we can eat, why want to eat that bad for us?

There are many rules of Islam, if we know and study them, are good for us. To make our life easier and less difficult. Too many of them, I just take three as examples.

If I’m in difficult decision, I always remember that Islam supposedly to make our life easier, and Allah is the most merciful one.

Popularity: 100% [?]

This is not a science fiction.

This is not a fake, not a scam.

This is real. The Killer Amoeba attacks your brain from your nose, where it feeds until you die. Horrible.

Brain-eating amoeba already at least killed 6 people in the US. Three is Florida, two in Texas, and on in Arizona.

The symptom’s, nothing more than a headache, stiff neck and fevers, and hallucination’s.

The Amoeba, called Naegleria lives almost everywhere. They lives in lakes, hot springs, swimming pools etc.

Once infected, most people have little chance of survival. Some drugs have stopped the amoeba in lab experiments, but people who have been attacked rarely survive, Beach said.

“Usually, from initial exposure it’s fatal within two weeks,” he said.

But there is a way, on how to avoid this.

Beach cautioned that people shouldn’t panic about the dangers of the brain-eating bug. Cases are still extremely rare considering the number of people swimming in lakes. The easiest way to prevent infection, Beach said, is to use nose clips when swimming or diving in fresh water.

“You’d have to have water going way up in your nose to begin with” to be infected, he said.

Be safe, because Nothing is safe.

Popularity: 80% [?]