Dear Friends,

 

I have been reading the different postings on religion, and religious conflict. Let us not miss out the fact that religion in each of its forms provided much solace, and emotional and mental strength to its practitioners, and has been the basis of much beauty, and creativity in all cultures, just think of the Bhakti movement, the Sufi saints and their enchanting songs, the gorgeous architecture that has come up under different religions, one realises that religion in its higher (or shall we say more humane) forms is a manifestation of compassion, and love. On the other hand, religion and religious faith strangely also leads to the expression of most bestial qualities in human beings. Let us try and understand why we human beings need religion, and god / gods.

 

after all religion has been the basis of the most ancient societies, and the tribal communities have some of the most harmonious forms of worship, where they worship nature in its different manifestations, which could be the foundations of an ecological faith. They never tried to put God within the four walls of a temple or church. Nature is their god.

 

On the other hand, to abuse those who 'invented' god, as some have done in this posting is taking things too far. I really do not think god was 'invented'. some thing in the human make-up leads one to perhaps wonder, and seek for explanations, answers beyond the three dimensions, beyond the world of solid tangibles, and so it begins. And yet, looking at the bigotry in the name of different religions, hinduism, chritianity, islam, buddhism, etc. I think the only excuse for God/s is that none of them exist or ever existed.

 

Buddha was hugely foresighted, and would not be drawn into debates on after-life, existence of god/s etc. In fact Kancha Illiah calls his teachings a political philosophy, rather than a religion. however, history placed him on a devine pedestal, and look what we have now, in his name. Over time, there have been others who have questioned God. Periyar too questioned institutionalised religion, and the existence of God.

 

Let us not get bigoted about our faiths or non-faiths. bigotry, and hatred only breed more bigotry and hatred, and eventually demean the faith.

 

Vidhya

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