very interesting...you are talking to a religious uperstitious person who believes i miracles and in all fairness seen and been ganted a few...
but it is also the scientist in me who seeks proof...if my son asks me..why are you praying to anjenaya on thursday and balaji on saturday and amman on friday... i dont have an answer(largely because i am not that well read) but thats something i believe in....
talking of miracles...
there was an athiest son of a devout muruga baktha who used to take kavadis from his village to a place between vallam and sengipatti (near mudalipatti vari a stream)where there was a murugan teple and the legend was it was from the soil from palani and was as powerful as palani....
the muruga bhaktha died and everyone said we have to do the kavadi ituals you have to carryon his traditions....he refused and said if the villagers were keen then he would let his two sons do the deed...
As usual it is pankuni utharam...they bath the two youngsters one 16 and another 14 give them the kavadi....the elder son moves but the younger one is rooted and cries everyone is so anxious this kid weighing only 40 kgs cold not be moved by 7-9 burly men hes just there with an amanushya shakthi....
everyone is anxious the atheist father is worried...thanaadataalum sathia aadum....
ten a young cowherd comes by in hat wilderness and queriies whats the problem and asks whats the problem and is told....
he turns to the athiest father and says,,..edho deivakutham pola nee ethavathu vendikko naan inda kavadiya kondu serkiren,,,,
the worried father says nee mattum inda kavidiya kondu serth en pullaya kaapathu naan sagara varaikum jenma kavadi edukiren.....
the boy borrows a udukku...tels the youngster en pinnadi vaappaa and starts the kavadisindhu....
to everyones ashtonishment the youngster follows to the temple places the kavadi and faints.....
everyone huddles arund the boy resusitate him he has no recollection of anything.....
thy then start looking for the cowherd.....theres no sign of him.... its a potta kaadu he just dissapperaed and everyone said that it was muruga himself.....
my grandfather did fulful his prayer till his death with a jenma kavadi my uncle who was the little boy is such a devout muruga devotee his car consultation room even operating theatre has muruga idols....
seeing is believing....
your wifes in labour...you go to have a shower and check the nalla neram and thithi...its a bad thithi and maranayogam till 5.oo am.....its 22..hrs and the midwife says baby ll be out soon....prayers tension trembling inside brave face outside.....epidural prolongs labour.....pain this that and finally he arrives at 5.05 am.....
LEt me add my 2 cents to it. Science is universal: that is, it is applicable eveywhere. Beliefs are not necessarily universal. For eg, if you believe in rahu kaalam etc, then it should affect a person in Washington, London and TImbuktu also the same. However scientifically it is very difficult to prove it.
Having said that, science as we know it is only a means of understanding the wider universe. What we identify as miracles MUST have very rational scientific explanations. We are only limited by OUR understanding of science.
However, faith is something far more intense and personal. ANd that is one aspect where I never debate/argue with people.