Indian Sawaal-My India, My Views

Religion since thousands of years has definitely played very important part in lives of human beings. The first temple is believed to be as old as 11,500 years.Evacuation is underway and this had led to hypothesis called ‘First Temple , then city’.

Idea of god , what after death , how earth was created , why live on earth and such things have been part and parcel of human brain since thousands of years. Time and again human’s zeal of getting answers to such questions has led to many scientific discoveries as well as evolution of philosophical thoughts and religion.

Religion has had immense contribution in human race. Religion has immense contribution in smooth functioning of social system.

Somebody had asked an eminent scholar (atheist) that “Do we need religion”. To every one’s surprise he replied in affirmation. Now atheist stating that ‘religion is needed’ definitely is something surprising. Isn’t it?

He elaborated about why he thinks that religion is needed. According to him life is not always fair.  At times people do have bad times , have someone who ditches them , have some things which let them down , have times when one feels , why me?.

Religious beliefs do help in those times. It does promise that in the end right would prevail , truth would win and negative forces would be defeated.

It promises that good work would be rewarded . Some religion have concept of heaven while some have concept of salvation. Never the less if you do good,you shall be rewarded is the theme.

Similarly bad deeds would be punished. Some religions have concept of hell for punishment while some have re incarnation with demotion as punishment.

So religion does help humans to keep floating and see through bad days , deal with deaths of loved ones , keep moving with faith , try to be good (out of fear of hell or motivation of heaven).

Of course ideally one should do good for sake of doing good and not out of fear of hell or motivation of heaven but it does work for most that way.

While contribution of religion cannot be rejected , it is also a truth that religion has caused death of human being and history if full of such religious wars . Religion has been time and again used as tool to gain political power either by person who created the religion or by people who used name of religion/prophet/god to gain power.

Having faith in god and one’s religion is personal matter.Obviously most of religious believers believe that their scripture is only true scripture , their prophet is only prophet , their path is only path and their interpretation of god is only god. Now it wont be any problem if one adheres to that belief and keeps it to  oneself.

Problems occurs when this ‘my god is better that your god’ is imposed on others who is turn believes that ‘their god is better than imposer’s god’. This had led to riots , conversions by use of force or bribe in many places in ancient times. Riots do still keep happening in many places where two religious groups are in substantial numbers.

As world is becoming smaller places , religious people need to understand that faith is personal matter and stick to believe that their god, their book, their prophet is best but for them. Communal harmony can be achieved only when one adheres to one’s faith but respect freedom of others to adhere to their faith. Their faith may be disbelief in god , or belief in other religion but respecting his/her right of adhering to it is civilized way.Isn’t it?

Ironically most religion have concept of judgment day.Most agree that it is god who would judge people . It is equally surprising that they themselves turn judge and ridicule people who don’t adhere to their faith.

I had an interesting chat with a person who called himself religious person. I asked him that since I don’t belong to his faith , what are my chances to go to heaven?. He replied-’None , because his religion was only way to get to heaven’. Sort of exclusive right. So according to him more than 50-60 percentage of people wont go to heaven.

I then asked him that what is i have been doing all that has been prescribed in his book ,unknowingly. Can I then make it to heaven?. He said ‘No. You must believe in his god, doing comes later’. Also he doubted that how can I do good prescribed in his scriptures since I never read it?

So according to him first comes believing in his books because god was define in that book and then doing what is prescribed to get into heaven. In other words ‘his god being better than all other versions’.

Now it is fine as long as one believes in whatever book/god one wants to. That is personal matter but trying to impose is something which is not right thing to do.

‘My god is better than your god ,but for me’ this might solve lot of issues.Isn’t it?