Critical Thinking
Questions galore, answers zilch. This is the situation I always face when I have queries about religion. Either my questions are brushed off as immature or trivial or in extreme cases blasphemous. What is it that propels one towards religion? Is it genuine faith, a sense of spirituality and divinity or plain fear? What I have observed in recent times and my personal experience is that it is FEAR plain and simple that pushes one towards religion. What else could explain the mass hysteria that religion garners? Ideally shouldn’t religion be a private matter to be practised within the four walls of our home rather than bringing it out on the roads? Why have we made our Gods so cheap?
I believe religion should evolve over time. When a religion is introduced or born it is according to the requirements of that time and era. As time passes and changes occur, shouldn’t religion also make those changes? Is what was relevant centuries ago, relevant today? Wouldn’t religion find more takers if it was rooted in contemporary reality rather than antiquated beliefs and rituals? Evolved religion may be able to achieve what stagnated religious beliefs have failed to do so; religion may actually be able to unite people of the world instead of creating discord and disharmony. Food for thought?
Ayman Shaikhmahmud
Courageous critical thinking Ayman! Fully agree with you – that “status quo” can’t be maintained in any area of our life and that includes our religious beliefs!
I agree Ayman mam, I believe in humanity and the fact that despite all our flaws, we can be good to each other. While we doubt virtuous intentions of our fellow beings and its absolutely impossible to believe sometimes that a person may have helped just out of a “desire” to help…. we have absolute, unshaken faith in something (a “power”) that we have never seen.
A lot of dharam gurus also point out this fact that these days when we cannot trust our closest relations, it is only (unseen) god who will stand by our side always. I guess while religion may have strengthened our faith in the unseen, unheard, it has or may slightly affect our faith in each other.
At the end of the day, religion is a sacred school of thought and should be respected and revered, it is a phenomenon that always has open ended questions unlike other topics which give and provide answers…if it was not for religion they would not be peace!
How can religion evolve without thought of the past and it’s presence in the future….this is exactly why religion is where it was 1000 years ago…!!
]] Aum [[
Agree Ayman. But for me such thoughts can be shared with people who are ready to listen even if they don’t believe in it. I have faced a lot of such issues on sharing 🙁 . But I try not to stop sharing. 🙂 A recent show on Travel XP where they were talking about Yamnotri said , ” The hot water spring which is existing is due to God Surya “Sun” who visited his daughter “Yamuna”. My immediate reaction was it is a volcanic region. Can’t stop questioning.
I agree to this “Ideally shouldn’t religion be a private matter to be practised within the four walls of our home rather than bringing it out on te roads? ”
Just because I don’t want to pray in front of anyone or in public that doesn’t mean that i am “Non-believer” of god.
Completely agree Ayman. Looking at the kind of hysteria people show toward dharmagurus, I feel instead of evolving the society is moving backward day by day. A reform is much in need.