On Religion
Multiple reasons and incidents have prompted me to mull the place of religion in my daily life - anti-conversion debates, religious leaders issuing commands to people to increase their respective populations and so on, just to name a few.
So, to start with, what is Religion? Its a framework of principles and beliefs that came into existence due to the need for man to assign a meaning and discipline to life, to allow people to live life according to some rules, to give people something to hold on to during difficult times, and to allow for the creation of a society that can offer mentors to provide spiritual guidance at crossroads in life.
I believe all religions started off either as a set of rituals and practices followed by groups of people (for example Hinduism), or as a set of tenets preached and developed by founders of those religions (such as Buddhism, Jainism, Christianity, Islam etc). If you look for the lowest common factor, all religions define certain rules that a follower must follow and define rules and guidelines that define what the religion considers "good" and "bad". All these principles differ from religion to religion. So Hinduism says you can't eat beef or pork, Jainism forbids consumption of any animal-based foods, to cite a few examples.
One has to bear in mind, that such definitions of "good" and "bad" were based on the thoughts of the founders of the religion. But, the followers of those religions should also exercise their own logic to decide whether those rules are really meaningful or not. So, for example, if tomorrow I (born a Hindu) have nothing to eat, I would have no qualms in consuming beef or pork, since I know God doesn't want me to die of starvation. Starving because someone told me "my" God doesnt want me to consume beef is absurd. This train of thought also leads us to conclude that following or not following a religion is in no way connected to a person's belief in God.
Having stated those basic points, the next point to ponder is whether many of these religions have to really be mutually exclusive? Why should a person follow only one religion? Why cannot I be a Hindu, a Christian and a Muslim (Moslem) and follow all the things that I find good in these religions? Why is religion considered a part of my most fundamental identity? To offer an example, why do Hindus not name their children Paul or Abdul or Catherine; -- and so on, even for followers of other religions?
The question can be broadened further to challenge the relevance today's religions. The rituals in all religions were laid down centuries ago, by people who were probably unaware of a lot of things about the world. They were also unaware of the existence of other civilizations. For example, the founders of Christianity or Islam had no way of knowing Aryans had started establishing their own religion somewhere in Asia, and vice versa. Given that, there is a need for people to start understanding that religion is not what defines them, that a person belonging to another religion is inherently that same as they themselves are, and has just been subjected to a different ideology due to the society and family into which they were born. No one's religion can bind a person. Indeed, a person can follow any number of religions as they choose, if they wish to. So why the talk about conversion and anti-conversion, why not just stop categorising a person by their religion? If a person can follow a profession of their choice, why not allow them to also follow the religion(s) of their choice too? If I am disillusioned by my religion, then why cannot I simply switch to another religion whose principles I find more appealing and logical? Why do people make such a big fuss about conversions?
Today, there is the need for people to start going beyond their own religious beliefs. Indeed, there is the need for religious leaders to start encouraging their followers to experiment with other religions. Ofcourse, that's a wish that will never come true, since every religious leader wants to propagate their own faith. Given which, its up to normal people to start experiencing and embracing multiple faiths voluntarily, to enrich our lives and minds, if nothing else. Ultimately, what matters is whether a person has the courage to follow their conscience, doesn't it?
So, to start with, what is Religion? Its a framework of principles and beliefs that came into existence due to the need for man to assign a meaning and discipline to life, to allow people to live life according to some rules, to give people something to hold on to during difficult times, and to allow for the creation of a society that can offer mentors to provide spiritual guidance at crossroads in life.
I believe all religions started off either as a set of rituals and practices followed by groups of people (for example Hinduism), or as a set of tenets preached and developed by founders of those religions (such as Buddhism, Jainism, Christianity, Islam etc). If you look for the lowest common factor, all religions define certain rules that a follower must follow and define rules and guidelines that define what the religion considers "good" and "bad". All these principles differ from religion to religion. So Hinduism says you can't eat beef or pork, Jainism forbids consumption of any animal-based foods, to cite a few examples.
One has to bear in mind, that such definitions of "good" and "bad" were based on the thoughts of the founders of the religion. But, the followers of those religions should also exercise their own logic to decide whether those rules are really meaningful or not. So, for example, if tomorrow I (born a Hindu) have nothing to eat, I would have no qualms in consuming beef or pork, since I know God doesn't want me to die of starvation. Starving because someone told me "my" God doesnt want me to consume beef is absurd. This train of thought also leads us to conclude that following or not following a religion is in no way connected to a person's belief in God.
Having stated those basic points, the next point to ponder is whether many of these religions have to really be mutually exclusive? Why should a person follow only one religion? Why cannot I be a Hindu, a Christian and a Muslim (Moslem) and follow all the things that I find good in these religions? Why is religion considered a part of my most fundamental identity? To offer an example, why do Hindus not name their children Paul or Abdul or Catherine; -- and so on, even for followers of other religions?
The question can be broadened further to challenge the relevance today's religions. The rituals in all religions were laid down centuries ago, by people who were probably unaware of a lot of things about the world. They were also unaware of the existence of other civilizations. For example, the founders of Christianity or Islam had no way of knowing Aryans had started establishing their own religion somewhere in Asia, and vice versa. Given that, there is a need for people to start understanding that religion is not what defines them, that a person belonging to another religion is inherently that same as they themselves are, and has just been subjected to a different ideology due to the society and family into which they were born. No one's religion can bind a person. Indeed, a person can follow any number of religions as they choose, if they wish to. So why the talk about conversion and anti-conversion, why not just stop categorising a person by their religion? If a person can follow a profession of their choice, why not allow them to also follow the religion(s) of their choice too? If I am disillusioned by my religion, then why cannot I simply switch to another religion whose principles I find more appealing and logical? Why do people make such a big fuss about conversions?
Today, there is the need for people to start going beyond their own religious beliefs. Indeed, there is the need for religious leaders to start encouraging their followers to experiment with other religions. Ofcourse, that's a wish that will never come true, since every religious leader wants to propagate their own faith. Given which, its up to normal people to start experiencing and embracing multiple faiths voluntarily, to enrich our lives and minds, if nothing else. Ultimately, what matters is whether a person has the courage to follow their conscience, doesn't it?
posted by Dream Runner | 5:57 AM
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