Religion- I sometimes wonder how good this cult entity is and also if it has not done more harm than good in this world. Hindu-Muslim riots, the mass killing of Jews, and on a micro level, the suicidal deaths many a rustic Indian couple commit, on experiencing their parents’ staunch disapproval of their (inter-religious) marriage – all these are reminders of how religion causes the very events that it is supposed to foreclose.
Now, for the rest of this article, let us just assume the absence of religion as we now know it and the presence, instead, of one all pervading set of truths and principles, or guidelines for good-living (as I prefer calling it), in the world. Let us assume there are no Hindus or Muslims or Christians; no Iyers* and Iyengars*; no Shias or Sunnis or no Catholics or Protestants. Let us assume that all are one and there is just one catholic religion called the Good4All (the name won’t be unseemly in today’s sms world).
Under such placid circumstances, in the Indian context, Mr. Advani would not have had the chance to grudge the presence of a mosque at the RamJanmaBhoomi as a result of which thousands of lives could have been saved directly and indirectly (the Mumbai bomb blasts of 1993 are strongly linked to the demolition of the mosque). In a more International context, a certain (in)famous man called Adolf had a certain passion towards practicing militant Anti-Semitism which cost the lives of about six million Jews (that’s slightly less than the current population of Austria, Adolf’s birth place). Can anyone dispute the thought that these events could have been prevented in the absence of multiple religions and the consequent multiple egos?
Not only on a universal scale, even on a micro level wherein you and I are affected, inter-religious or inter-caste marriages bring grief and in some cases, even death, upon many of the parties involved in the marriage, including either the couple itself or in some cases, even the parents. There have been numerous reported (and unreported) instances in India where a couple (owing their genesis to varying castes/religions), have committed suicide unable to withstand the pulls and pressures of their constantly nagging and objurgating communities and succumbing to the frustrations of not being able to lead their lives with a person of their choice. And more incredible is the fact that there are groups in Nigeria in which the parents of children who do the ‘heathenish’ by marrying people of a differing community, thereby casting a forever indelible shadow on the purity of their own communities, take away their own lives.
Apart from obliterating all vestiges of peace, assuming such fundamentalist mental postures only leads to slowing down the rate of human development and more dangerously, reversing what progress has been tortuously made. The human mind cannot be blamed if it loses faith in all humanity when it experiences such frightful vicissitudes in its already short life-span.
Now wouldn’t using the Men-In-Black forget-all device on the citizens of our world and installing this Good4all religion in their minds, lead to avoiding such a condition and restoring faith in humanity and all that are God’s creations? Wouldn’t the absence of superior feelings in peoples’ minds lead to tranquility in the world?
Accepted, different religions preach their own ways for good-living and teach us wonderful practices and principles, and ways of living life. From tolerance to equality of rights, to the virtues of honesty and compassion, the list is endless. But if these are the only reasons for religion, why shouldn’t Good4All encompass all these spirits and replace every religion in the world, if that means no further disputes or killings in the name of religion? Why should not Good4All act as the ideal emancipator of us all from this evil called religion?
It does not come as a surprise to me that the two illuminating personalities of the 19th century, Swami Vivekananda and Karl Marx held similar views on religion (though the former never out rightly espoused the abolition of the same). Marx held views such as ‘Religion is the opiate of people’ and that ‘exploitation of human ignorance and credulity are made possible through the presence of religion’. Swami Vivekananda, though not as blunt, said that ‘…although social customs had been formed in the past with religious sanction, it was not now the business of religion to interfere with matters such as marriage, inheritance and so on’ and also that ‘Mankind ought to be taught that religions are but the varied expressions of THE RELIGION, which is Oneness, so that each may choose the path that suits him best.’
In conclusion, though I am not against religion per se (and if anything, am all for the vibrancies of the assorted paths to reach God (As Swami Vivekananda quotes)), taking into consideration the gruesome events that have been narrated in the third paragraph, I am not able to remove the idea of Good4All out of my mind. Let all paths suggested by this religion lead to the God of Good4All who will at least not be disturbed by the loud anger of the Hindutvas or the Nazis who forever would continue to charge with their hackles up!
*Iyers and Iyengars: Sub castes of Brahmins, who are in turn, Hindus
P S: The thoughts expressed are from a neutral mind and anything in this passage hurting the sentiments of any religious community, is purely unintentional.
Now, for the rest of this article, let us just assume the absence of religion as we now know it and the presence, instead, of one all pervading set of truths and principles, or guidelines for good-living (as I prefer calling it), in the world. Let us assume there are no Hindus or Muslims or Christians; no Iyers* and Iyengars*; no Shias or Sunnis or no Catholics or Protestants. Let us assume that all are one and there is just one catholic religion called the Good4All (the name won’t be unseemly in today’s sms world).
Under such placid circumstances, in the Indian context, Mr. Advani would not have had the chance to grudge the presence of a mosque at the RamJanmaBhoomi as a result of which thousands of lives could have been saved directly and indirectly (the Mumbai bomb blasts of 1993 are strongly linked to the demolition of the mosque). In a more International context, a certain (in)famous man called Adolf had a certain passion towards practicing militant Anti-Semitism which cost the lives of about six million Jews (that’s slightly less than the current population of Austria, Adolf’s birth place). Can anyone dispute the thought that these events could have been prevented in the absence of multiple religions and the consequent multiple egos?
Not only on a universal scale, even on a micro level wherein you and I are affected, inter-religious or inter-caste marriages bring grief and in some cases, even death, upon many of the parties involved in the marriage, including either the couple itself or in some cases, even the parents. There have been numerous reported (and unreported) instances in India where a couple (owing their genesis to varying castes/religions), have committed suicide unable to withstand the pulls and pressures of their constantly nagging and objurgating communities and succumbing to the frustrations of not being able to lead their lives with a person of their choice. And more incredible is the fact that there are groups in Nigeria in which the parents of children who do the ‘heathenish’ by marrying people of a differing community, thereby casting a forever indelible shadow on the purity of their own communities, take away their own lives.
Apart from obliterating all vestiges of peace, assuming such fundamentalist mental postures only leads to slowing down the rate of human development and more dangerously, reversing what progress has been tortuously made. The human mind cannot be blamed if it loses faith in all humanity when it experiences such frightful vicissitudes in its already short life-span.
Now wouldn’t using the Men-In-Black forget-all device on the citizens of our world and installing this Good4all religion in their minds, lead to avoiding such a condition and restoring faith in humanity and all that are God’s creations? Wouldn’t the absence of superior feelings in peoples’ minds lead to tranquility in the world?
Accepted, different religions preach their own ways for good-living and teach us wonderful practices and principles, and ways of living life. From tolerance to equality of rights, to the virtues of honesty and compassion, the list is endless. But if these are the only reasons for religion, why shouldn’t Good4All encompass all these spirits and replace every religion in the world, if that means no further disputes or killings in the name of religion? Why should not Good4All act as the ideal emancipator of us all from this evil called religion?
It does not come as a surprise to me that the two illuminating personalities of the 19th century, Swami Vivekananda and Karl Marx held similar views on religion (though the former never out rightly espoused the abolition of the same). Marx held views such as ‘Religion is the opiate of people’ and that ‘exploitation of human ignorance and credulity are made possible through the presence of religion’. Swami Vivekananda, though not as blunt, said that ‘…although social customs had been formed in the past with religious sanction, it was not now the business of religion to interfere with matters such as marriage, inheritance and so on’ and also that ‘Mankind ought to be taught that religions are but the varied expressions of THE RELIGION, which is Oneness, so that each may choose the path that suits him best.’
In conclusion, though I am not against religion per se (and if anything, am all for the vibrancies of the assorted paths to reach God (As Swami Vivekananda quotes)), taking into consideration the gruesome events that have been narrated in the third paragraph, I am not able to remove the idea of Good4All out of my mind. Let all paths suggested by this religion lead to the God of Good4All who will at least not be disturbed by the loud anger of the Hindutvas or the Nazis who forever would continue to charge with their hackles up!
*Iyers and Iyengars: Sub castes of Brahmins, who are in turn, Hindus
P S: The thoughts expressed are from a neutral mind and anything in this passage hurting the sentiments of any religious community, is purely unintentional.
