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Perhaps most interesting is that the narrator views atheism as a religion of a different sort. How can this be true? What does he mean when he says, "Like me, they go as far as the legs of reason will carry them -- and then they leap"?
What is wrong with people? Why would you want to hurt zoo animals?
Thoughts on the goat scene?
With the exception of the guinea pigs, the narrator's father simply tells of the dangers the other animals are capable of...why start with the excessively violent scene with the tiger? Why would he do this to his sons? Why not just tell them like he did with the other animals?
39 comments:
Mr. Kumar doesn't believe in religion, but he views that the animals in the zoo show a scientific order. In a conversation with Pi, Mr.Kumer states that the zoo is his temple. I believe that he says that because to him everything is all about science since he is an atheist. To me when Pi says "Like me, they go as far as the legs of reason will carry them -- and then they leap" means that people can only reason through religion so far before they have to take a leap and come to their own conclusions on an idea. WHY would people do that to animals? There is no rhyme or reason for hurting zoo animals that were just living their lives like they do everyday. I do not understand why Pi's dad would show that to his kids. Why would he show kids a hungry tiger attacking a goat, especially when they were that young.
I seem to agree thee Sammy on the reason Mr. Kumar is portrayed as an Atheist, and why Pi says, "Like me, they go as far as the legs of reason will carry them- and they leap." I am more indulged in why people hurt zoo animals. Since man learned they could control others action they have mastered the "art” of it. The human race has been altered to conquer what it finds inferior, and then master it, which is why we have zoos to begin with. I believe Pi's father was trying to teach that exact lesson to his children. The animals tend not to attack, since they have been treated as the lesser creature, but when given a reason to strike scientific order will take its course.
I think that Mr. Kumar refers to the zoo as his temple because he does not believe in religion and at the zoo he believes it shows scientific order. Since Mr. Kumar does not believe in religion he only believes in science and the zoo shows him that. I think "Like me, they go as far as the legs of reason will carry them -- and then they leap"? means you follow religion to a point but no matter what you will always have your own opinions about things. I think people hurt the animals because they think it is a fun joke and view the animals as objects and not real beings. I think Pi's father started with the tiger because it would be something Pi and his brother would never forget. As they went through the other animals they would remember the tiger and how horrific the event was. I believe that Pi's father did this to show the boys how dangerous these animals could be so they wouldnt try to do anything stupid and get themselves hurt.
As others have said, Mr. Kumar refers to the zoo as his temple because, in his eyes, it is. He equates the understanding of the scientific order of things to the belief of a higher power in a religion. Therefore, it only makes sense to equate a temple, or religious building with the zoo. The meaning I have gathered behind the quote "Like me, they go as far as the legs of reason will carry them-- and then they leap" is that atheists try to understand the world around them as much as they can then they trust the surroundings and "leap" to other conclusions that are not as supported. Most of the thoughts brought forth in these two chapters are comparisons. Comparing an atheist to a religious person, comparing trains of thought, and so on.
People are obsessed with control which leads me to understand a reason why zoos are created. Animals are controllable without being too rebellious, therefore it becomes appealing.
The goat scene was slightly disturbing. I understand why it was important to show the children, but comes off as vicious and overwhelming. I think the father starts off with the violent scene with the tiger to really emphasis the importance of the lesson. Something so shocking and gross would definitely stick with his sons and ingrain the message.
Mr. Kumar refers to zoos as his temple because, he sees it as his temple of reason. A temple is a building devoted to the worship, or regarded as a place in which god and goddesses reside. It is ironic how Mr. Kumar does see a zoo as his temple. His temple is filled with facts and proof of scientific order and nothing to do with religion.
The narrator views atheism as a religion because to him atheism has religious qualities such as blind faith, and that your beliefs are right. In many religions, there is faith, happiness, and comfort involved, all that happen in atheism. They have faith that there is no higher power, no after life, but they do have faith. There beliefs and thoughts give them happiness and almost a sense of closure in believing something so solid. They also have comfort there is comfort in knowing how it is going to end and not fooling ones self into a religious thought. Though it is not a technical “religion” it has the same quality’s only a little contorted version. When Pi state, "Like me, they go as far as the legs of reason will carry them -- and then they leap"? I believe he was telling the final ending of all people religious or not. All people go as far as their knowledge will take them, go as far as there final words, but all must take the final “leap” into faith that something is going to happen in the end.
On the hurting animals note. I do not know why people do it. I do not know why people do many things. However, I tried to look up a term for it, and the first thing that popped up was, “ a dumb abusive loser”, so I guess there is that answer.
The goat scene in my opinion was just way over the top and horrific. It thoroughly scarred the children for life, though I found it funny that eventually Pi would be stuck with the exact animal that terrified him as a child. However, with the goat scene, it made the book later on much more understanding and dramatic on the raw power and violence a tiger has.
I believe the father started his lecture with the extreme violence of the tiger to simply prove his point, even though it was to a ridiculous excess. The father just wanted to show his children that even though they live with these animals they are dangerous and violent. He went more for the “actions speak louder the words” idea first with the tiger and goat. Then I believe after the initial terror the father wanted to almost “ease” them back by just telling what the other animals were capable of doing.
I believe Mr. Kumar is taking to the zoo a his "temple" because he feels safe where he can prove with reason why these animals came to exist and how they have come to change. I agree wth Pi "What a terrible disease that must be if it could kill God in a man." (28) when Mr.Kumar was talking about when he go polio. Atheism is a religion you put your faith in something, that something is scienc and reason! Pimeans when he says that atheists "leap" is that they can only go on what they know for sure and the world is not completely figured out yet so they have to "leap" into thier faith. people hurt zoo animals for one of two reasons, to make themselfs feel better or to show off in front of thier friends. Is it right? No, but people still do it a disgustin thought.
Mr. Kumar called the zoo his temple because being a biology teacher, everything was about natural selection, genetics, the science of life, all of which are demonstrated in a zoo.
Saying that atheists have a religion of their own is interesting because it appears to be contradicting. To be an atheist means to not believe in a god or gods. When most people think of the term ‘religion’, they immediately think of God. So to not believe in God means to not be religious. However, that isn’t true. The definition of religion is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe. Believing there is no God is still a belief in the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe.
When Pi says "Like me, they go as far as the legs of reason will carry them -- and then they leap"? He means that most people use what they know for fact to draw conclusions but when there is no solid evidence to use, you must guess and believe what you see as the most plausible explanation.
There really isn’t one, solid reason why people like to cause harm. Perhaps it is a dominance complex; they like to feel powerful and in control. Maybe they get off on it. Maybe they don’t see anything wrong with it. The reasons why are endless.
I thought the goat scene was very interesting. Although it was a bit harsh, I can’t blame the father for making the decision. Being around dangerous animals everyday desensitizes you to them. The children needed to understand just how deadly they could be, how quickly they would kill them if they ever climbed into the cages.
The lion and the goat shocked the children enough to not have to see what all the other animals would do to them. They believed what their father told them.
Mr. Kumar refers the zoo as his temple, because a zoo is a perfect example of biology and evoloution at its finest. Just as a temple is a momument built for the worship of a god, a zoo is like a monument to natural selection.
Atheism is the beleif in no god, but just like any religion it is a belief, rather than just the absence of religion.
Why would people hurt animals? Maybe they were exposed to violence as a child, I dont really know.
I think Pi's father started with the voilent scene to shock and appal Pi and his brother. Rather then just describing voilence to them he showed it to them up close and personal so they would not foreget it.
Mr Kumar doesnt believe in a God or a higher being. For me it is a little strange for him to call the zoo his temple because usually the owner of the temple is at a higher power than the other things around it and for him not to believe in a higher being but for him to protray himself as one is a little strange to me. Im not sure why the people were harming the animals im sure most of them didnt mean to like the guy thought he was helping the animal by feeding it a fish but in turn made it very sick. As the goat scene goes i think it was needed to show the kids that the animals arent pets and can be danerous, the father just wants his sons to be very careful around the animals.
The narrator views atheism as a religion because it is a belief. It is a belief in science and what the eye can see. It is the same concept as someone believing in God or reincarnation. The saying “They go as far as their legs will carry them- then they leap” is widely associated with those who believe in a higher power that cannot be seen because there comes a point where you just have to trust your faith. I had never thought of associating that with atheism. After thinking about it for a whole ten seconds didn’t see how it shouldn’t apply to atheism too. They can believe in science that they see but when it comes to theories is when it’s their time to leap and just believe. They may argue and say that there is plenty of evidence that supports their theories but don’t religious people claim they have the same through miracles and their holy books? Then I thought for another ten to eleven seconds about how a zoo is like a temple. What I came up with is this. A religious temple, or church, is a place to go to learn about your religions history and the actual structure and members and deeds that the church does is where the religion is at that point in time. It is a part of the timeline so to say. A zoo is much the same way for those who are atheist. In the book it talked about how Mr. Kumar reads the signs in front of the exhibits. This is like reading the Bible in a church. It is telling the history of that animal, its evolutionary process. And going to the zoo, seeing where these animals are is like looking at their place and where the world is on a timeline.
As Mr. Kumar is an atheist, he has no temple or building of worship. He believes in science, and to him animals prove the scientific order of things; so it makes perfect sense for Mr. Kumar to call a zoo his “temple”.
Pi says that atheism is a religion of a different sort. He thinks so because neither atheism or Christianity or Hinduism is based on doubt. All are certain with their views. The all believe in something without doubt. When Pi said, “Like me, they go as far as the legs of reason will carry them—and then they leap.” (35), he means that reason can only take people so far into religion, and then they have to believe
People hurt other things for their amusement. I don’t understand why.
Though the way Pi’s father showed them that tigers are dangerous was a bit over the line, it was effective. It was smart to start with the violent scene, because then the boys knew their father was serious. Starting with the tiger made the boys more aware of the danger of all the animals.
I also find it very interesting that one of Pi's favorite teachers is such an avowed athiest. I agree with Hannah Kessler that atheism is a religion of a different source because it really is a belief. Atheism is the belief in only what you can see or prove and nothing else. That in itself is a belief and therefore can be considered a religion.
The goat scene was a cruel way of showing children how harmful the animails in the zoo can be. The memory of the goat is a constant reminder of what the animals can do. They are very dangerous and children don't always know that. I don't think that it was necessary for Pi's father to go to such extremes to prove his point, but it was definitely affective. I think the father wanted to show what the tiger is capable of with a demonstration. He only really needed to show that sort of violence once, and just talking about the other animals was enough. He did that to his sons so that he would be absolutely positive that his sons were so afraid that he would never have to worry about them sneaking into the cage of any animal.
I believe Mr. Kumar referred to the zoo as his temple, because although he was an avowed atheist, he needs a place to practice just as say a Christian or Muslim does. Although he does not believe in God, he has a theory on how things are the way they are, and he needs a place to meditate on that fact and his ideas, and what better place than a zoo to explore the evolution of animals and humans.
I believe the narrator is correct in saying atheism is a religion of a different sort. By no means am I supporting atheism, I am simply saying that just as any other religion, an atheist has beliefs and theories too. Obviously, in any system of thinking or any religion, there has to be some explanation as to how the world was created and how everything is the way it is now, and although an atheist doesn't believe in God or a supreme being, they have different beliefs. Maybe it is science, or anything for that matter, but religion is belief or faith in something, whether it be a supreme being or not, it is its own sort of religion.
Personally, I thought the goat scene to be utterly disturbing. I understand the lesson that came with the act, but my goodness, is there no better way to teach life lessons to adolescents?
When people see something of beauty, they want it. When they see something dangerous, they fear it. When they see something both beautiful and dangerous, trapped in such a position that they believe it cannot hurt them, they sometimes feel a sense of power over it. There's an old saying I, for some reason, like: "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." That power can encourage some with already shaky morals to do something like harm that beautiful, dangerous, and (to an extent) harmless animal.
Pi's dad knows that one way to control a being to do what you want is by means of fear. There are other ways, yes, but I think he felt that making the boys realize firsthand by spectating the cruel ways of nature was the most concrete. In essence, their curiosity could have made them go back on a promise to stay a safe distance away from a threatening animal, but the image of the goat would certainly make them too terrified to ever feel that curiosity again. I thought it was awful and creepy and I didn't agree with his method at all, but I do understand where he was possibly coming from.
Mr. Kumar refers to the zoo as his temple mostly surrounding the fact that he doesn't really have a religious temple. The animals are very simplistic, sensible, and comforting to him. To him the zoo acts as a reassurance to the science he strongly believes in.
Atheism can be viewed as another sort of religion just as agnostism is considered a religion. To not have faith in one thing, wouldn't you have to have faith in another thing? Athiests have faith in that no "superior" being created everything. That everything is created in a logical, explainable way. To "go as far as the legs of reason will carry them" shows a sense of wisdom. A sense of knowledge where they wouldn't make arguements that they know not of anything to back up their reasons.
People can be sick and twisted, and sometimes their sense of entertainment is more extreme than others.
I think that the goat scene is disturbing. Why would you ever want to just send that messages to kids at such a young age? Especially to children that had no interest of running into a tigers cage at random.
I feel like he started the scene with the tiger to show a gradual decline of violence. The boys were probably extremely shaken up from it, and it was probably to ease their mind about what they had witnessed.
I think that because Mr Kumar has such an interesting outlook on things it made him one of Pi's most memorable teachers. Mr Kumar had an interesting outlook on things. When people go to a temple it is usually because they feel good there and it is somewhere they like. I think Mr Kumar enjoyed the zoo and it made him feel good that is why he refered to it as his temple.
When people go to church or believe in a religion there is not much proof it is mostly based on stories that they choose to believe in so when he says "like me, they go as far as legs of reason will carry them-- and then they leap" he means like any religious people, athiests have no real proof they just believe.
I think the father showed them the tiger first so that when he was speaking of all the otehr dangers the kids thought back to that and knew he was not just over exaggerating. I think it put the fear into their minds.
I think that people would hurt zoo animals, any animal even, because they are scared that those animals are stronger and more dangerous than people are. Society believes in a food chain, and they like to believe that they are on top of that chain, but if you look closer, animals are much more higher than people. That scares some people, so they abuse animals to feel better, to feel more in charge. It makes them feel safe to have the power to harm animals, and by feeling safe, they believe they are safe.
With the goat scene, though, the narator's father makes sure that Pi and his brother are aware that though zoo animals sometimes seem tame and sweet, they are in no way safe. Pi's father wants to make sure that his sons do not make the same mistake that other people make in believeing that a somewhat quiet Tiger in a zoo is a pet. He wants to scare that belief right out of the boys, and this is how he believed he should do it. In my opinion, though, he didn't have to be that horrible to his sons to get the message across.
I believe that Mr.Kumar refers to the zoo as his temple because he lives by the science of everyday life and he can see his own views come into play at the zoo. Mr.Kumar doesn't live by religious beliefs but rather by the facts of science. The easiest place for him to see simple facts of science is at the zoo.
Atheism can be viewed as it's own religion because you can live by simple ideals of ideals of atheism, just as many live by the ideals of their own religion. The narrator believes this because every religion has views it lives by, as does atheism. When the narrator says, "Like me, they go as far as the legs will carry them-- and then they leap" he means that in atheism, there is not a life beyond what is on earth and what his own legs weather and carry him is as far as he can go.
I believe the goat scene does what it was meant to do and taught a lesson to the boys. It made them think about the dangers of everyday life. By giving the boys a demonstration of what an animal is capable of, he is much more clear and leaves a longer lasting impression.
I think people hurt animals simply because they are bored. They feed the animals random things, such as broken glass bottles, just to see if the animal will eat them. People who enjoy hurting zoo animals probably think that since the animal is behind a cage, the animal can't attack them. The person wouldn't have to deal with the consequences of hurting the animal unless he or she is caught, which is unfortunate.
I think Pi's father used the example of feeding the goat to the tiger because it was such a violent example. Yes it may have traumatized his kids, but the lesson would stick in the children's minds. They would better remember the lesson exactly because it was such a violent lesson.
Although Mr. Kumar is an atheist it made sense that he would become one of Pi’s most memorable teachers. People often times learn the most and have large amounts of respect for people who are the most different from them. Since Pi was highly devoted to religion, the perfect counterpart would be a self-proclaimed atheist. When Mr. Kumar referred to the zoo as his temple, I believe he meant it as the zoo is his place to go to get away from the stress of everyday life and to connect to something that allows him to reason with himself. As Pi investigates the different religions, he is able to find somewhere where he feels he belongs and that feels natural and safe, and that is what Mr. Kumar finds in the zoo.
Atheism can be viewed as a religion of a different sort, because it is something that the people believe and follow. Although atheism is the absence of believing in a higher power, the people who are atheists choose that path, believe in that path, and do so because they use their reasoning skills up until they can no longer reason anything and then they make their decision.
Mr. Kumar refers to the zoo as his temple because he is a biology teacher and he know all about natural selection and the zoo shows scientific order...making his aethiestic beliefs stronger. Atheism is a religion because just like all other religions it is a belief. I think that when he says "Like me, they go as far as the legs of reason will carry them--and then they leap" he means that people will believe something as long as there is still reason to believe it. Eventually they will learn the truth. I think people want to hurt zoo animals because i think humans are violent creatures in general. Think about it...the sport that is becoming more and more popular is ufc...why? because people enjoy watching other people get hurt. same with animals. Even though the goat scene was really hard on Pi, i feel like it taught him a lesson. I think his dad started with a violent scene because he wanted Pi and his brother to see it in person, otherwise Pi and his brother would not believe anything he said.
I think Mr. Kumar is saying where as Catholics go to Church to worship their god and beliefs, he goes to the zoo to worship his. Atheism to me is similar to all the other religions, just that rather than worshiping a higher being, Atheists worship science, fact, reason, and natural selection. The zoo is a great example of science and evolution at work so i can see how it is considered his temple.
Religion as all about faith, you go as far as you can believing the religion, looking at reason and facts, but at one point you will need to blindly leap, use your faith and trust that the religion will guide you and is correct. Pi is saying that like other religions, Atheism to has you at one point relying on faith to believe that there is no higher being or god.
Mr. Kumar's reference to the zoo being his temple makes sense to me. A temple or church is where all your beliefs, questions and understandings come together. I think for Mr. Kumar,a zoo is where he can truly question life. But through a science point of view. Not a higher power Holy Spirt kind of view. It's his sanctuary, it's where he finds peace. Now the whole having the kids watch the tiger eat the goat, yes it was harsh, and on the violent side. However, it was to teach the kids not the go in the cage with the tiger and it showed them that he was a serious preditator, not a house cat. So I don't see anything wrong with what Pi's dad did.
I think the reason why people try to hurt animals in general is because they want to feel empowered. Being able to harm a creature below you in status gives the sense authority. Kind of the same thing that happens with bullies and their prey. Putting an animal in a small cage is like shooting fish in a barrel,to say the least. Some people may do it to flaunt their strengh and impress others, which in itself is rather animalistic.
He probably refers to the zoo as his temple because that is where he finds comfort with what he chooses to believe in. We find a church to be our temple as Christians because that is where were taught to go to that is most sacred. Since he is an atheist I guess he has to find some other place sacred.
They probably search and search for logical reasonings. They obviously won't find them because only when we die will those sorts of things be revealed to us. So they wander looking for answers and when they see the "light" they realize wow there is something greater and they jump to faith quickly before they are dead.
The goat scene makes me sad. It is distrubing.
The tiger is viewed as a great preadator...he probably wanted to teach his sons with something that will effect their memories forever. He wanted it to sink into them forever. Its a lesson he wants his children to learn up close and personal.
I greatly admire what Pi's father did to show of the dangers of the animals in the zoos. I am a strong believer of tough love, and by showing the boys what the tiger does to the goat is a strong example of "tough love". I believe that by being young boys PI;s father must know that curiosity can get the best of them. It's clearly known that children do not always listen no matter how urgent a demand is. His father simply wanted to make sure that his children would not denounce him and go against what he says. This is all in hopes to ensure there safety.
I also think Pi love Mr. Kumar because even though he believes there is no god, he still has to have faith in his belief in atheism. This shows once again how Pi loves faith and respects anyone and anything that has a strong belief.
I can relate to Mr. Kumar at some level. Science can be more than what most people see; it offers reason, truth, trust, and comfort, all things that any other religion offers. As to the zoo being his temple, what else is a better place than seeing the works of science? Evolution, mechanics, biology, microbiology, chemistry, and a multitude of other things are all exhibited at zoos! People find entertainment in all sorts of ways, hurting animals is just one of the more common forms. Just watch the news or do some searching on Google and the things you see are terrifying. Oddly the goat scene is what drew me into the book, not for the violence or animal cruelty, but because of the lesson behind it. One of the greatest lessons a person can learn in life is the dangers in life. To me his father didn't show him how dangerous each animal was because he lived in a zoo and wanted his children safe. It was to show his children the variety of people out there and that each kind of person had their own way of hurting you.
I think people want to hurt animals to feel dominant over them. Humans are a power hungry species who thrive on feeling more powerful than someone or something else. I think the tiger scene was necessary. At the Toledo zoo I have. Ever seen a tiger do anything but sleep. That doesn't give me any idea how dangerous tigers can be. Showing Pi and his brother how dangerous a tiger can be is important notated what it takes
I think the people hurt the zoo animals because they have nothing better to do. They get bored just watching the animals and they want to see what will happen if they give the animals a non-edible object like plastic, glass, and metal. I don’t think they necessarily do it to be mean, just because they’re bored.
I think what happened in the goat scene was a very gruesome but effective way to teach his children a lesson. Seeing what a tiger can do to something when it’s hungry will help them to understand why they shouldn’t mess with a tiger because they could get seriously hurt or killed.
I think the father just told the dangers of the other animals and not of the tiger because the tiger is the most dangerous animal in the zoo and simply telling them how dangerous it is won’t be as effective in getting the children to understand as showing them specifically the dangers it can cause.
I believe that Mr. Kumar refers to the zoo as his temple because he feels at peace there. He can watch the animals and meditate with understanding much like a person who attends a church with a congregation and prays.
I think that his comment "Like me, they go as far as the legs of reason will carry them--and then they leap" is like a christian who reads the bible and has that as reason to understand and everything else is based on the faith that builds.
I think the people are mean to zoo animals is to show the control they have over them. I think they are possibly weak people and they prey on the weakness of these animals.
"What is wrong with people?" This is an answer that has and will always allude me. Simply, people are just straight screwed up. There is no reason to harm zoo animals but I'm sure there are still people today doing it, only for the reason that people are just messed up beings. I will never understand the actions of people but also have learned to realize you can't change them.Now that I'm off that rant. The goat scene was a bit harsh,but we know one thing is sure, the message got across. I also think this is foreshadowing into future events involving a certain tiger. I think he did this to his sons because words only go so far. A parent warning you not to do something only stops you for so long. But, actually seeing and experiencing something that leaves you scared will most likely stop you from ever doing it.
Pi's father shows intelligence when he shows his sons the ferocity of a tiger. Pi is not even positive if he saw blood or if his brain added it in later. It is apparent that Pi, as well as Ravi, are traumatized by the event. The two boys learn to respect all creatures despite their size. The compassion of Pi's father is expressed near the end of chapter eight when he hands Pi a guinea pig. Although the shipwreck is obvious simply by looking at the book cover, this chapter, to me, foreshadows something about the tiger. All animals have a ferocious side-the tiger-and a peaceful side-the guinea pig. I think the two sides of the tiger will be exposed later in the novel.
The lesson that Pi's father taught him about the tiger was a harsh eye-opening lesson. Pi watched as his father fed a tiger a live goat. He saw blood and was possibly traumatized by the whole thing. His father was teaching him that although this tiger can be seen as a calm and beautiful creature, it also has a very dangerous and vicious side. This may possibly foreshadow future events in the novel in which Pi may have to relive this lesson he was taught by his father in order to avoid harm or deceit.
A temple is a testament to one's faith. It is full of symbols and tools to relate one to their deity. The zoo is a temple because it is a testament to the theory of evolution and order, and uses the animals to teach the faith of science; to show visitors the wonders of the natural world.
"Like me, they go as far as the legs of reason will carry them -- and then they leap." Atheists are not bigots, not hopeless sacks of nothing, not drains on society. They are the mathematicians behind your computer, the lab team in your immunization, and sometimes even the author embedded in your book pages. The open-mindedness that Piscine shares with these people is the lack of something definite and restricting to hold on to. He believes in something, but he knows that nothing in life is definite. The same with the atheists he describes. They "run" as far as their minds can take them, and then "jump" and put faith in their guts. The acceptance that one always has more to learn is what Pi shares with these people.
People hurt zoo animals simply because they can. It's the sadistic nature that fuels the idea of civilization; the love of being on top.
Children are 100% curiosity. Simply telling a child what death looks like doesn't mean he'll know the pain. Burning that image of the terrified goat into the children's minds was necessary for them to realize that death and pain are real.
I have run into several Christians who believe that being an atheist requires much more faith than being a Christian. They would argue that it is much harder to believe that everything popped into existence and formed as it did with no guiding force. They would ask how everything came into existence without a God. How could someone believe that something existed without any creator? It is much easier to think that there was a creator that has always existed and is constantly interacting with its creation.
From what I can tell by reading the comments posted so far, most of you (all of you?) are not atheists. I myself am an atheist, so perhaps I can share a different perspective, more of an "insiders" look.
It seems to me that Mr. Kumar views the zoo as a temple because that is where he goes to observe and learn about the world around him. Christians do not go to church to believe in God, they always believe in God. Church is simply the place where they learn and explore their beliefs. In that same vein, I think the zoo helps Mr. Kumar develop a sense of order in life. (In my opinion) most people want some semblance of order in life. Randomness is scary, and the idea that things happen for a reason (whether divine, karma, or simply cause-and-effect) is comforting to people.
Secondly, I do not view atheism as a religion. There appears to be a common misconception among theists (correct me if I'm wrong) that atheists believe that there is no god/higher power. That would be an antitheist. An atheist is someone who simply lacks a belief in a god. The best way I can explain it is by describing different religions as different TV channels. Atheism is just 'off', not a TV channel of it's own right.
Because of this, and because atheists share no common belief system, moral code, ceremonies, meetings, agendas, or other linking factor, I cannot qualify atheism as a religion.
I would also like to mention that, in my mind, the "take a leap" metaphor is flawed. I think that Pi is confusing faith with speculation. Faith implies a belief in something as absolutely true, speculation implies a belief in something that is the most likely outcome given the situation. I have faith that the sun will rise tomorrow. I would stake my life on it. I speculate that it will not snow. This is wouldn't stake my life on.
One final point on the atheism-as-a-religion topic: Mr. Kumar says that he is an atheist, literally someone without belief in a god, gods, or creator/ruler of the universe. That's all that's really important. It is useless to speculate on whether or not he has faith and in what and which faith is the hardest to hold.
I feel that, probably because there aren't many atheists in literature or the public view, atheists are misunderstood. No one is questioning whether or not Pi, as a theist, truly holds faith in a god. We take him at his word that he does. Let's take Mr. Kumar on his. Trying to force him into some sort of "well everyone has a religion of some kind" box is offensive (in my opinion) to both theists and atheists alike.
The end.
It makes sense to me that after all this religion talk that He would mention one that is an atheist. It would seem weird to acknowledge to many views on the the universe and life and ignore atheism. I think it is hard for Mr. Kumar to see the order of things in religion and sees it quite clearly in science. It seems too obvious to him to simply ignore. It's no wonder that Mr. Kumar considers the zoo his temple when animals reaffirm and remind him of what he believes in. Isn't that what places of worship do?
Atheism can be looked at as a religion quite easily. Instead of God shaping the world, there are simply the laws of science. You can only make out and understand so much for yourself then you have to take a leap. Some leap to believing in something and others leap to believing in "nothing."
People hurt zoo animals because they're messed up and it somehow helps them confirm their twisted sense of superiority.
The father did it to ensure the safety of his sons. One's caution increases as his or her fear does. Hearing something and seeing something have different effects on a person, seeing something having the stronger effect. He made sure the scene with the tiger was first in order to color things with a serious tone and so that every animal seen afterwards will be seen with the tint of fear.
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