Terror has returned with a vengeance – not that it had become a distant memory. Pune lost its innocence and enrolled itself into a never-ending list of dangerous places to live in. The crux of the matter is not terrorism or Pakistan (this would have happened even if Pak didn’t exist) but a religious divide – an inconvenient truth that is slowly shaping into an open confrontation with epic names like “The Clash of the Civilizations”. History is no stranger to such wars but in an advanced age where reason is held above religious ideologies- it is ironical. Although in a peaceful manner – we all hold prejudices against other religions. The violent rendition of this resentment can be termed as Jihad, Crusade or Dharmyudh respectively. Religious Terrorism isn't just about violence - The other day, my Hindu friend’s 9 year old daughter came home sobbing because her friends at the convent school told her that she will go to hell because she did not believe in Christ.
In my early teens, I was asked by my teacher to defend my religion, which led to a lot of introspection culminating in my inability to continue with my beliefs and religion. I ceased to be a Christian, the identity that I had grown up with. During those trying times, while standing at my balcony gazing into space on a breezy afternoon, I saw my four year old neighbor being chased by her mother. Balancing a plate in her hand, the mother was in hot pursuit trying to feed the little one. After an unsuccessful cat and mouse routine, the anxious mother sat on the steps in the compound thinking of an alternative plan. As she looked up, she saw a crow perched on a tree making its usual sounds. She turned to the little one and announced, “ Sweetheart, if you aren’t going to eat your food now, that crow there will turn into a monster bird, lift you and fly away”. Since in those days discovery channel and animal planet hadn’t made their way into our living rooms – the kid gave in and ate her lunch. The moment calmed the storm within me and eased the pain of being without a religion. Like the little child who has limited understanding to know how food impacts her nutrition levels and growth – we with our limited vision and intellect need an edible story to put us on a path of growth when our mind is still in infancy and fails to understand the glorious truths of this universe.
Religion is important for discipline and growth but no ‘Christianity’ can ever be greater than humanity. The idea is not to do away with religion but to understand the essence of all faiths which can be compared to pure water, it quenches our thirst while curing us of every disease known to man – but when it gets diluted or contaminated with say alcohol or colors or preservatives, it could lessen the essence and even cause harm. Being good, loving and compassionate to others automatically makes us believers in Christ, gives us a place in Allah’s Jannat and makes us part of the Krishna consciousness.
Little children going to school need fancy school bags and pencil boxes to keep them interested in education – we need to identify these frills in our respective religions and learn to unlearn these fixations or else we will continue to be victims of the 'war'. The other day I saw this status message on my friends account “We have divided ourselves into groups with arms ready to kill or die just because we don’t agree on whose fairy tale is more correct”. Moral of the Story: Keep the faith but cut the hate - else we won’t have to worry when the glaciers will
6 comments:
Nice read Jimmy...very well put. There is an acute need for the masses to understand the essence of all religions being the same...wish there were others who shared a similar insight before they marched towards the annihilation of human emotions...
Thanx sunshine - very true but to be fair it is a difficult task unlearning coz religious poisoning(read 'focus on frills and ignoring essence') starts early in life
nice piece !!!!
Sorry Boss, I don’t agree with your strategies of defining religion alongside the hews of the “Glorious truths of the Universe”. One should never forget that the Universe was created by the Creator and all the powers & the +ve and –ve energies of the Universe were also put together by him alone. Religion is pivotal in our lives without which our lives individually and the country or the world as a whole would have had no disciplinary or principle means of living. Absence of religion dismisses the existence of the very strong terms “faith and hope” without which one’s life becomes aimless, meaningless and empty.
You may be an articulate speaker but your statement on “No Christianity can ever be greater than Humanity”, is blatantly offensive. The meaning of a Christian is nothing but simply setting our lives to be “CHRIST – LIKE”. However the meaning of Humanity has different shades to which an extended meaning of it would be to exhibit politeness and courtesy to fellow humans. Nevertheless, the existence of Religion came through scriptures, religious books and doctrines written in ancient times and because our ancestors to a great extent lived their lives and ruled countries and kingdom’s on the basis of these books, we have inherited a way of living through these readings without which we’d never know the difference between the Rights and Wrongs of life. And because Religion, since generations has taught us to be good humans, we in today’s day can be called as Human Beings. What if these teachings never existed?? On what basis would be decide the difference between Good’s & Bad’s?
Did religious books come first into existence or did the book “Human Behavior” written by Michael Pak; first arrive??
If God didn’t exist, even the most powerful person in the world viz.. the President of the United States of America would not have rested his hands on the holy Bible whilst taking the Presidential oath!
Several people claim to not believe in God and do not give God the credit of helping us out in our day to day needs and yet; paradoxically, in times of a natural calamity or disaster
a) they switch to getting on their knees and pray for survival!
b) When 3 out of 4 people of a nuclear family, meet with a fatal accident, that one man hope’s for the almighty to miraculously save the lives of his loved ones!
c) The same man would ask the believers to pray for his (critically in labour) wife/ sister’s safe delivery!
d) He will definitely use the phrase “Oh God!” several times in a day while exclaiming or reacting to instances!
Why, Why and Why do these hypocrites do this?
All of the above instant reactions of non – believers comes from within which is nothing but a proof of inner consciousness that there exists a supreme being.
Follow this link to see how people remember God in times of distress and helplessness http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtVG86UpxBc
Moral of the story: “If there is no God, you are responsible for yourself and you should be able to control your life and death too but in quieter moments of reflections, the conscious of every man whispers that there is a God; a Supreme being and only fools deny it”.
Diana.
@ Sid : Thanks buddy
@ Diana : Am not contesting the importance of religion. It is important and as our society we need it. But what is being highlighted in this blog is the need to reflect on the frills that does not constitute the core of any religion but are becoming a serious concern since these frills are fostering hatred and violence.
Jimmy....As usual...very nicely written!
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