To those who responded to my post: Let us ban all religion. It has nothing to do with logic. And you have misunderstood my comments. Hamish - please do not flatter yourself - my comments were not directed at you and I submitted them before your post was published.

My argument is this: Where does the boundary lie between the "advanced" western world sticking up for human rights and the rights of any society to practice its beliefs?

For example, I personally find the "culture" of female circumcision abhorrent. But the question remains: does a society have the right to practice their culture if it harms another person or in some way breaches the human rights of others.

And before anyone answers that question, have a really good think about what your culture does, the impact it has on others.

We put a lot of faith in science, yet it fails to explain a great deal. Nothing is certain. Everything is conjecture until it is proven wrong. For all I know, these girls plowing these fields naked might just make it rain. Just because my knowledge of meteorology says it is absurd doesn't mean that it is impossible.

I bet it works wuith other things as well. I reckon we should start doing this in New Zealand, it may stop the recession!!!

(I would come to work more often)

Ever wondered why adam and eve wer naked? well ther was global warming back then making it very hot. Men and women of the world, stop using hybrids! We have a solution :D

Gravey, our society is more technologically developed. Many superstitions are harmful, many viewpoints are harmful, it does not mean that they are right. Sending these girls out into the fields wearing nothing does not help it rain. The concept of a weather god is based on absolutely nothing but superstition, and even if it did exist, why would it care in the first place? Onto "respecting peoples' beliefs" and where we draw the line. Should would respect and allow the belief of extremist religious fundamentalists who believe it is alright to kill? It may be an extreme example, but superstition can be harmful -- not just to the people who believe in it. For instance, no-one asked these girls if they wanted to parade around the fields wearing nothing. Don't you think that it might be a bit inconsiderate to ignore their feelings, so that some tenuous belief can be followed out. Many second nad third world countries believe that Women are inferior to Men. Should we accept this just because it is a belief? No, because it is not the considerate and fair view. Humans have the concept of "fair built into us". First world societies were once like some parts of eastern india. We believed for instance, that Women were inferior, but this was revoked because many Women thought that this was unfair -- and it was. Because men were dominant in our societies back then, the view of the Women was hardly expressed. Equal rights was more rational, it was more beneficial, and it was above all else, fair. The feelingo f unfairness was what started the feminist movement. It destroyed this harmful belief of female inferiority. In conclusion, beliefs can be harmful, we don't always have to respect them. This article demonstrated that misconception dilute our understanding of reality. Superstition is assumption -- and it's usually based on absolutely nothing.

Sounds about as productive as a National Party policy!

Next time, give me a call first, and I will be there to plow the fields so to speak. Now I will track the rain reports for this part of the world. They need to do this in the US

I think this superstition was started by the MEN... hehe

skeet skeet skeet.

It indeed is a superstition, but we must understand and respect the views of other cultures. These parts of India are very very poor and life depends on money made by selling crops.

It must be noted that these are desperate measures to survive!

my comment has nothing to do with imposing western culture upon these people or whether its terrible to subject girls to such a thing be it naked or not. My gripe is with the hold that superstition has on their lives. Culture is one thing but logic supersedes all of that. By your argument then we should see it as wrong to object to the practice of men in Africa having sex with young virgins to cure them of AIDS... Its the superstition that is harmful and how it preys upon ignorance. This has nothing to do with western views on things, logic and reason over-ride any cultural belief otherwise we would all be off to see the witch doctor once we show swine flu symptoms.