Religion---one of the most controversial subjects that has been subjected to heated debates over and over the years…
There are god-fearing people, there are atheists, and then there are agnostics. I wouldn’t know which category I come under, but I sure do know what I feel about religion. Religion, to me, is personal, intimate. It’s a one-to-one relationship with God. It’s more intimate than the love for your partner or for your child. It’s an unwavering faith in the Almighty, the shoulder to lean on when in need, the one to look up to when lost, and the one to rejoice with and thank when satisfied.
Many a word has been said about religion and about the various religions that the population of the world shares. Despite being one of the most controversial and, albeit, touchy topics ever discussed, I shall nonetheless exercise my right of speech to express my feelings and maybe a dash of cynicism toward religion.
God, for me, is ONE…Although by religion I am a Hindu, I have no qualms in entering a church, a mosque, a dargah, or a temple, be it Jain or otherwise. For me, to be one with God is to be able to connect with Him one a one-on-one basis. As for the rites and rituals that are associated with this entity, I believe that they are mere formalities. However, I do feel that the various rules imposed on us, don’t lie, don’t drink, don’t murder, don’t steal falana falana, are imposed to protect us from the worst sides of ourselves. But not everyone follows this; that doesn’t mean that they are condemned to hell. I’m sure they are, but the worst hell is your conscience or, worse, karma, or the fruits that it begets. And such hell is deserved only by those who in a conscious frame of mind indulge in acts that harm others. What you do to urself, is your problem.
I would like to call myself a person free from the hackles of religion, but I know that somewhere I am bound…bound by my upbringing, that has been instilled and laced with religion and the dependency, less the fear, on God. As a child, I was enchanted with tales of Krishna, the Mahabharatha is one of my favorite epics. I used to light God’s lamp every day. When I came to Mumbai, Ganapati, being by “favorite” god, I used to visit the Siddhivinayak temple on a regular basis. However, somewhere down the line, life got busy and I stopped going. But, does that mean I lost my faith in god? I have made so many mistakes in life, which one of us hasn’t, but never have I felt lost simply because despite my unfortunate circumstances or bad luck with certain situations, I have managed to come out of it.
The same was with churches. One of my favorite churches is the Convent of Jesus and Mary. Its one of the most beautiful churches ive been to and the peace that it gives me is indescribable.
Religion, since time immemorial, has tried to hold on to its devotees, whether it’s the fanatics, the fundamentalists, or the passivists. However, in the bargain it has ensured that its subjects have become so insecure such that for them to accept someone else without the tag of religion is impossible. To do that, would be to go against their religion, their god. But which god, assuming that there is more than one god, has propagated violence through religion? It is the religious heads that encourage this more often than not, using subtle means of blackmail. It’s possible that the sense of power that goes with the job is reiterated and fed at every instance that an individual follows or obeys.
Where does all this stop? It stops when we use the brains that god has endowed us with, the intelligence that we have striven to sharpen. It stops when we stop trying to connect with god through another person and look inside our heart.
