Is HOPE the synonym for God?

My beliefs about religion have changed over the years. I believed in God for sure, visited temples sometimes, bribed him for good marks, fasted etc.  Not that any of it was imposed on me, but mainly acquired and  influenced by people around me. One of the main reasons I was doing all this,  I would say was due to fear or avoiding trouble; looking at God as a savior.  I later started questioning myself  that if there is a God, he has to be kind and can’t punish us for our errors. After observing a number of instances in my life, I realized that what is going to happen, will happen. I should do the best I can in a given situation. I was able to overcome the fear.

All the rituals that I followed earlier, blindly, out of fear or because everyone else did, or asked me to do, I stopped doing all of it. I also understood that I am responsible for my actions and any repercussions that follow and it is me who should learn to deal with it, rather than counting on some external entity to help me out of the situation. I believed in karma, and doing the right thing. But I want to do the right thing, not because I will have to pay for it, or it will come back to me, but that is the way of life for me. I definitely question the existence of so many gods and religions. Stories have always intrigued me, and that’s how I have read and heard  all the Hindu mythology stories since childhood. Now, I want to explore the other religious scriptures also, in detail. I believed then and even now I think, there is some superior power that drives the world, though I am still not sure 🙂 We do not have enough evidences about the big bang theory or evolution, so I still wonder that how did everything come into existence and where are we heading towards? But should there be an answer to all the questions?

Today, there are so many top notch actors, celebrities, sportsmen, politicians’ who visit some temple or dargah (under tight security). Some of them have had humble beginnings and they accredit all their success to the almighty God. Most of them are well educated and so-called role models of the society. The common man sees yet another hope that by worshiping God, he will be able to fulfill his dreams. This is something that we all have been brought up to believe, but if we are able to  empower the next generation to at least question and find out for themselves, not only about God, but anything they are brought up to believe, they will do what they do with their own conviction.