Interesting Story

Again, I found this interesting "stuff" on my Facebook homepage :D
Check it out!

One Of The Best Arguments.!! I have ever read

Don’t miss even a single word…. I...t’s Too good

An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty.
He asks one of his new students to stand and…..

Prof: So you believe in God?

Student: Absolutely, sir.

Prof: Is God good?

Student: Sure.

Prof: Is God all-powerful?

Student: Yes..

Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn’t. How is this God good then? Hmm?
(Student is silent.)

Prof: You can’t answer, can you? Let’s start again, young fella. Is God good?

Student: Yes.

Prof: Is Satan good?

Student: No.

Prof: Where does Satan come from?

Student: From….God…

Prof: That’s right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?

Student: Yes.

Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn’t it? And God did make everything. Correct?

Student: Yes.

Prof: So who created evil?
(Student does not answer.)

Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don’t they?

Student: Yes, sir.

Prof: So, who created them?
(Student has no answer.)

Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son…Have you ever seen God?

Student: No, sir.

Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?

Student: No, sir.

Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?

Student: No, sir. I’m afraid I haven’t.

Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?

Student: Yes.

Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn’t exist.
What do you say to that, son?

Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Prof: Yes.

Student: And is there such a thing as cold?

Prof: Yes.

Student: No sir. There isn’t.
(The lecture the after becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat..
But we don’t have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can’t go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it .
(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?

Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn’t darkness?

Student : You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright
light, flashing light…..But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it’s called darkness, isn’t it? In reality, darkness isn’t. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn’t you?

Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?

Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.

Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can’t even explain a thought.. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one.To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is
not the opposite of life: just the absence of it.
Now tell me, Professor.Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?
(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)

Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher? (The class is in uproar.)

Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor’s brain?
(The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor’s brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain,sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?
(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Prof: I guess you’ll have to take them on faith, son.

Student: That is it sir… The link between man & god is FAITH . That is all that keeps things moving & alive.

I believe you have enjoyed the conversation…and if so…you’ll probably want your friends/colleagues to enjoy the same…won’t you?….this is a true story, and the

student was none other than …….
APJ Abdul Kalam, the former President of India

See More
By: I Am Proud To Be An Indian
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/HeyIndia

Today My Life Begins - Bruno Mars

I find this song while I was checking on my Facebook page and I found it worth to be heard :)

Today My Life Begins - Bruno Mars

I've been working hard so long
Seems like pain has been my only friend
My fragile heart's been done so wrong
I wondered if I'd ever heal again

Ohh just like all the seasons never stay the same
All around me I can feel a change (ohh)

I will break these chains that bind me, happiness will find me
Leave the past behind me, today my life begins
A whole new world is waiting it's mine for the takin'
I know I can make it, today my life begins

Yesterday has come and gone
And I've learnt how to leave it where it is
And I see that I was wrong
For ever doubting I could win

Ohh just like all the seasons never stay the same
All around me I can feel a change (ohh)
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/b/bruno_mars/today_my_life_begins.html ]
I will break these chains that bind me, happiness will find me
Leave the past behind me, today my life begins
A whole new world is waiting it's mine for the takin
I know I can make it, today my life begins

Life's too short to have regrets
So I'm learning now to leave it in the past and try to forget
Only have one life to live
So you better make the best of it

I will break these chains that bind me, happiness will find me
Leave the past behind me, today my life begins
A whole new world is waiting it's mine for the takin
I know I can make it, today my life begins

I will break these chains that bind me, happiness will find me
Leave the past behind me, today my life begins
A whole new world is waiting it's mine for the takin
I know I can make it, today my life begins
Today my life begins...

More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/b/bruno_mars/#share

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQaM5KhndhI&feature=related

Menerbangkan Mimpi

Ini mimpimu jadi kenyataan!
Ini yang kamu tunggu-tunggu selama ini!
Sayup-sayup terdengar desakan-desakan itu
Dari orang-orang yang tau apa mimpiku
Seperti embun menetes di daun kering rasanya saat hal itu datang

Tapi, aku perlu tahu, inikah saatnya?
Atau aku sedang berusaha mendahului waktu-Nya?
Akankah Dia pergi bersamaku?
Kalau tidak, apalah gunanya buatku.

Ketika Dia berkata, "belum anak-Ku"
Jiwaku merintih, haruskah aku melalui ini semua lebih lama
Melepas mimpi yang disodorkan di depan hidungku

Tapi, itulah Dia, selalu tahu yang terbaik
Selalu menuntun saat jalan diselimuti kegelapan
Sekalipun aku berjalan dalam lembah kekelaman
Aku tidak takut bahaya, sebab Ia besertaku.

Karena itulah, aku tidak mau pergi, jika Dia tidak pergi bersamaku
Meski harus melewati lembah baka, bila Dia besertaku, aku akan tetap berjalan
Berjalan.. berjalan.. dan kemudian berlari
Sampai pertandingan ini kuselesaikan
Dengan senyum dan peluk-Nya menyambutku

Hati Nurani Yang Bicara

Tulisan kali ini saya mau menulis mengenai Hati Nurani...

Saya rasa.. oh tidak, istilah itu kurang tepat. Lebih tepatnya, saya lihat, amati dan observasi, hari-hari ini ada orang-orang yang hati nuraninya sudah mati.
Mengapa saya bisa katakan seperti itu?
Ada banyak contohnya, tidak terkecuali dalam keseharian saya, saya pun menemui orang-orang seperti ini, yaitu yang tidak punya lagi hati nurani.

Entah karena lingkungannya yang membuat mereka seperti itu, latar belakang atau pengalaman masa lalu, penyebabnya bisa bermacam-macam. Atau bahkan, mereka sebenarnya tidak mengerti atau ignorant terhadap "etika" dalam pergaulan.

Contoh sederhana dari orang yang menurut saya hati nuraninya mati adalah orang yang suka "mencuri" kredit yang seharusnya untuk orang lain.

Kredit yang saya maksudkan disini tentu bukan berarti "utang". Kredit yang saya maksudkan adalah nilai dari suatu tindakan (KBBI). Misalkan, ada seseorang (A) yang mempunyai ide tertentu, tapi suatu waktu temannya atau orang lain (B) mengaku bahwa itu ide dari B tanpa menyebutkan bahwa sebenarnya B tahu ide tersebut dari A.
Mungkin hal itu terlihat sepele. Tapi, hemat saya, itu etika. Dan saat kita mencuri kredit yang seharusnya diberikan kepada orang lain, sesungguhnya kita sudah berbuat jahat, yaitu mencuri dan menyakiti orang lain.

Hal seperti itu mungkin terjadi karena orang ybs insecure, ingin dihargai, egois, atau bisa disebabkan hal-hal lain. Sebenarnya, rasa ingin dihargai, ingin dipandang "lebih" itu masih manusiawi. Semua orang tidak ingin dipandang rendah. Tapi, kalau kemudian harus "mencuri" kredit dari orang lain, atau bahkan dengan menjatuhkan orang lain. Saya rasa, itulah dimana kita bisa melihat, orang ini masih punya hati nurani atau tidak.

Kenapa saya bisa mengatakan demikian, tidak munafik, "godaan" untuk melakukan itu pasti pernah dialami semua orang, termasuk saya, tapi setiap kali ada godaan seperti itu, hati nurani saya bicara, bagaimana kalau saya yang diperlakukan seperti itu, tentu tidak enak, tentu menyakitkan (dalam level tertentu, sedikit atau banyak). Disitulah hati nurani saya menjaga saya untuk tidak memperlakukan orang dengan tidak adil.

Sekarang pertanyaannya adalah, apakah hati nuranimu masih bicara, atau sudah mati?

Pelajaran Mengenai "Aneh"

Seringkali saya merasa aneh memandang berbagai hal...Kali ini saya hanya akan membahas 2 hal saja, hal lainnya mungkin akan saya tulis dalam update blog saya berikutnya :)

Menurut saya aneh jika ada orang terpuruk dan kita menambahi bebannya dengan mencaci, menggosipkannya, atau bahkan memusuhinya.
Saya ambil contoh (ini hanyalah perumpamaan dan bukan cerita sebenarnya), hanya untuk membawa kita memahami situasi yang saya maksud.

Misalnya: ada seorang rekan yang melakukan kesalahan dalam hubungan dan terpaksa kemudian menikah. Lalu karena tekanan keluarga dan teman-teman yang menudingnya baik dengan kata-kata atau perbuatan, dia harus menutupinya dengan kebohongan.

Saya hanya berusaha menempatkan diri dalam posisinya, dia pasti sangat tertekan, merasa berdosa di hadapan Tuhan, merasa gagal membuat orang tua bangga, merasa masa depannya hancur, dan berbagai pikiran yang mungkin merasuk dalam benaknya. Dan pastinya, itu hal yang berat dan tidak mudah.

Menurut saya, bukankah seharusnya kita berbelas kasihan ya?
Setiap orang pasti pernah melakukan kesalahan, kita boleh saja mengingatkan atau menegur, tapi bukan berarti lalu kita jadi Tuhan dan menghukumnya dengan hal-hal yang semakin memojokkan dan memberatkannya kan? Seolah-olah kita tidak pernah berbuat salah. Seandainya anggota keluarga kita atau sahabat kita yang mengalami hal itu, tentu kita berpikir dua kali untuk lebih menyakitinya lagi.

"Dan sekalipun aku membagi-bagikan segala sesuatu yang ada padaku, bahkan menyerahkan tubuhku untuk dibakar, tetapi jika aku tidak mempunyai kasih, sedikitpun tidak ada faedahnya bagiku" (1 Kor 13:3)

Hal kedua yang menurut saya aneh adalah, kerap kali kita merasa insecure saat orang lain berhasil, saat orang lain sukses atau lebih baik dari diri kita. Bukannya berpikir bagaimana ya saya bisa seperti itu juga dengan belajar lebih baik, bekerja lebih baik, and do your best, tapi malah insecure dan iri hati. Iri hati seringkali kemudian menggelitik "korbannya" untuk membicarakan kejelekan orang tersebut.
Kalau saya pribadi ketika melihat orang lain sukses dan berhasil saya belajar turut mensyukurinya, karena menurut saya, kalau dia bisa, saya juga pasti bisa karena kita sama-sama manusia yang diciptakan sempurna oleh Pencipta kita :)

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” (Proverb 23:7)

Overall, hal-hal itu membuat saya berkaca dan belajar untuk jadi orang yang lebih baik. Life is always a lesson. Persoalannya adalah apakah kita mau mengambil pelajaran dari situ atau tidak. Saya belajar dari Ayah saya, beliau punya motto bahwa seumur hidupnya, beliau akan terus belajar. Kita mungkin belum mencapai kesempurnaan baik secara rohani, jiwani maupun jasmani, tapi saya mau terus belajar :)

Thanks for reading anyway! :)

Masa Kecil

Tulisan kali ini akan saya tulis dalam bahasa Indonesia. Karena ada teman baik saya, sebut saja namanya "Dewi". Duduknya persis di sebelah saya di kantor. Dia suka protes kalau blog saya ditulis dalam bahasa Inggris. Jadi, kali ini saya akan tulis dalam bahasa Indonesia, selamat membaca :) *hehe peace Wi! :p

Jika aku melihat ke belakang. Sepanjang ingatanku, MASA KECILKU BAHAGIA.
Bahagia ini tidak kudefinisikan sebagai tidak adanya tangisan atau pertengkaran saat usiaku masih dini. Sebenarnya waktu kecil aku lebih sering dimarahi oleh orang tuaku (tentu karena aku bandel, tidak mau makan, tidak mau tidur, tidak mau bangun, tidak mau potong rambut, dan masih banyak lagi 'kebandelan-kebandelan'ku).

Tapi masa kecilku bahagia karena aku punya dua orang tua yang baik, aku punya rumah untuk tinggal, aku disekolahkan di sekolah yang baik, aku dididik dengan baik (termasuk dimarahin saat nilaiku jelek atau saat aku tidak mau makan), aku punya banyak teman baik, punya banyak mainan, and the list goes on and on (ga abis-abis hal-hal yang bisa membuatku bisa berkata, Ya, masa kecilku bahagia!).

Rasa syukur karena masa kecilku yang bahagia itu kubawa sampai aku bertumbuh dewasa (tak terasa tahun ini usiaku 25 tahun. Benar-benar tidak terasa!).

Tapi sayang, apa yang aku dapatkan semasa kecilku, mungkin tidak dapat dirasakan oleh sebagian anak di Indonesia, bahkan di dunia. Di luar sana, banyak anak harus tidur di bawah jembatan, di pinggir jalan. Mereka harus mengais-ngais tempat sampah untuk mencari makan. Sebagian dari mereka sudah tidak punya orang tua. Bahkan sebagian orang tua membuang anak tersebut. Dan..seakan anak-anak itu tidak punya harapan, suatu hari kelak aku akan jadi insinyur, dokter, pilot atau pengusaha! Sekolah saja tidak bisa, bagaimana bisa berharap seperti itu.

Aku ingat suatu siang yang cukup terik di Jakarta. Aku melewati sebuah halte dan disitu tergeletak seorang bayi, di samping ibunya yang pengemis. Tampaknya bayi ini baru saja dilahirkan. Disitu, hatiku menjerit. Bayi itu layak tidur di tempat tidur yang bersih dan empuk. Tapi dari usia sangat dini dia harus merasakan kerasnya hidup, dimulai dengan kerasnya tempat dia berbaring.



Fakta seperti ini mungkin terdengar menyedihkan sekaligus klise. Tapi realita ini tidak bisa kita sangkal, bahwa mereka adalah generasi penerus bangsa kita.

Dari hatiku aku berharap, hai para orang tua, jangan pernah buang anakmu meskipun mungkin anak itu tidak kau harapkan. Masih banyak orang di luar sana yang tidak bisa punya anak. Bersyukurlah bila Tuhan memberikanmu anak. Dan bagi orang tua yang memiliki anak, didiklah mereka sungguh-sungguh, jangan kau jadikan anak pembantu. Anakmu butuh kasih sayang, perhatian dan didikan orang tuanya, bukan hanya butuh uang. Karena, seperti kalimat bijak yang saya kutip dari Rick Warren, beliau mengatakan “In the poorest slums on earth I’ve learned that gangs and violence are not created by poverty but by the absence of fathers.” Anda ingin kehidupan bangsa ini lebih baik? Anak-anak butuh mengenal ayahnya secara pribadi.

Sekali lagi aku bersyukur, ayahku selalu bersamaku saat aku tumbuh dewasa. Ya, aku dekat dengan Papa. Aku tahu isi hati beliau, impian-impian beliau, aku tahu cara berpikir dan perasaan beliau. Karena itulah, aku akan berusaha membuatnya bangga dan bahagia, seperti orang tuaku membuat masa kecilku bahagia :)

The Danger of Workplace Gossip

It seems so harmless. The little chitchat at the water cooler about so and so. The debate over someone’s relationship with someone else. The speculation about so and so. Is it chitchat or is it gossip? How can you tell the difference? And who cares?
There is a very big difference, and it is an important one, because gossip run amok can be dangerous and destructive in a workplace. First, while light conversation can be value neutral, gossip is often negative, inflammatory and embarrassing to the person being spoken of. So how does one tell the difference between idle chatter or gossip? Here is a test: Consider the impact of what is being said. Does it cast negative aspersions? Does it create rifts? Does it exult in the misfortune of others? Does it have a negative emotional charge? Does it serve to perpetuate conflict or negativity? Is it hurtful or damaging? Is it something you would say in front of that person?

Technically, any sharing of trivial or unsubstantiated information can be considered gossip. But you have to consider the sentiment. For example, if it were rumored that a co-worker is being promoted, and you discuss it with a co-worker, is that gossip? If the discussion is hurtful or damaging or negative, then yes, it is gossip. But if it’s value neutral then it’s not. If the story is told with negativity and without good will, then it is gossip.

Why gossip hurts
Gossip can have many adverse side effects on an organization. It can increase conflict and decrease morale. It results in strained relationships. Gossip breaks down the trust level within the group, which results in employees second-guessing each other and ultimately running to the supervisor to clarify the directions or instructions, or to settle the differences that will arise. Gossip is the death of teamwork as the group breaks up into cliques and employees start refusing to work with others.
Gossip results in the supervisor spending an enormous amount of time trying to figure out who said what to whom. Or, worse yet, the supervisor struggles to explain to the manager that the on-going conflicts and communication problems within the workgroup are the reason work doesn't get done only to hear the manager comment, "Why can't you manage your team better?" Productivity is lost, as are good employees who do not want to work in that toxic environment.

Breaking the gossip cycle
Let’s say you are not a gossiper. You simply listen to your co-workers so as not be rude. You’ve been taught to be a team player right? But here’s the thing that most people don’t realize—as a listener, you are a co-narrator to the gossip. In other words, the act of active listening actually supports and promotes gossiping. The more you listen, the more you encourage it. If you don’t listen, the gossip has nowhere to do. Think about the last time you told a story to someone who was clearly not interested. The story probably withered on the vine.
Here’s how to get out of the gossip pipeline:

1. Be busy. Gossipmongers want attention. If you're preoccupied with your work, you can't be available to listen to their latest story.
2. Don’t participate. Walk away from the story. Don’t give visual clues that you are interested in listening. If someone passes a juicy story on to you, don't pass it any further. Take personal responsibility to act with integrity.
3. Turn it around by saying something positive. It isn't nearly as much fun to spread negative news if it's spoiled by a complimentary phrase about the person being attacked
4. Avoid the gossiper. If you notice one person who consistently makes trouble, take the necessary actions to have as little interaction with that person as possible. Avoid him/her.
5. Keep your private life private. Don't trust personal information with coworkers. Remember, if they are gossiping about others, they will gossip about you, too. Don't give them ammunition.
6. Choose your friends wisely at work. You spend a good deal of time at work so it's natural for friendships to develop. Share information sparingly until you are sure that you have built up a level of trust. Also, close association with gossipers will give the perception that you are a gossiper.
7. Be direct. If you confront the gossiper and confidently tell him or her that such behavior is making it uncomfortable for you and other coworkers, it's likely to stop.
8. Don't be afraid to go to a superior. Gossiping wastes a lot of company time and hurts morale. A company interested in a healthy work environment will value the opportunity to correct this type of situation.


If you are the target of gossip you have two choices. You can confront the source or make a public statement. Thankfully, gossip has a very short life span. Sometimes, the best thing to do is let it run its (hopefully) short course. Creating a stink sometimes causes more drama than just letting it go.

What the employer can do
Gossip is as old as mankind. It is unrealistic to think we could free the workplace of gossip. It’s also conducted through the free will of employees, and regulating that is very difficult without creating a big brother climate. That being said, there are some things that employers can do to minimize negative gossiping and rumormonger:

1. Communicate regularly and consistently with employees about what's going on in the workplace. Regular communication minimizes the influence and need for gossip, because everyone is "in-the-know." If employees don't have good information from the supervisor about what is going on, they will make it up in the form of speculation and gossip. Consistent and authentic communication will work wonders in stopping the gossip.
2. Discourage gossip in official company policy. Include a section that deals with gossip in the company handbook. Convey to your employees that such talk is injurious to morale and productivity and will not be tolerated. Ask them not to participate and not to tolerate it from others.
3. Nip it in the bud. If an employee comes to you complaining of gossip, or if you know an employee to be a gossip, be proactive. Tell the offender that you are aware of his behavior. Describe how his behavior results in others not trusting them. For some, this single statement will be a realization that will result in immediate change. Furthermore, incorporate the impact the gossiping employee's behavior has had on the workplace in his/her performance evaluations. This should be incentive to stop the behavior.
4. Incorporate employee driven group discussions and expectations about gossiping. This gives permission to coworkers to hold each other mutually accountable for having a "gossip-free" workplace.
5. As a supervisor or manager—do not engage in gossip yourself. What is good for the goose is good for the gander.

Source: http://workingwisdom.blogspot.com/2007/09/working-life-danger-of-workplace-gossip.html