Religion is as old as man. It is based on instincts of man. It
gives him solace and contentment. It's his food for his soul. Every religion
has a set of beliefs and code of customs, rituals, and ceremonies. The
followers do not question the veracity of these beliefs. In fact, they develop
a blind faith in these beliefs. Though the progress of science has made people
doubt the relevance of religion in today's world, yet the protagonists of
religion are not prepared to give up. They cling to it more firmly. Thus, religion
continues to survive in the world side by side with science.
In the past, cruelties and barbarities have been committed in the name of religion . Fierce clashes between followers of different religions resulted in great loss of life and property in many countries of the world. The menace is continuing even today. In countries like India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and many other, religious differences have been the root cost of communalism. Moreover religious difference led to the separation of Hindustan into Pakistan and India, Sudan into south Sudan and north Sudan. Though many of countries have declared itself as a secular state, communal clashes do take place in one or the other part of the world in every year.
Unfortunately, followers of every religion have forgotten the essence of their religion. They confuse religion with its rituals and ceremonies. Most people think that religion consists of going to temple, monastery, mosque, church, fasting, going to places of pilgrimage, wearing a holy thread or a cross, obedience to monks, Pandits, priests or mullahs, giving donation to the religious institution, lying prostrate before idols of gods and goddesses, work-shipping the holy books, reciting prayers etc.
Religious leader like Dalai lama taught us that that rites and ceremonies are not true religion. What makes a true religion is truth, nonviolence, meditation and compassion. Guru Nanak pleaded his follower that they should follow the essence and true spirit of religion rather than its form.
The essence of all religion is love. Christ's famous precept
"love thy neighbor as thyself" implies an ideal of service and self
sacrifice. A person with a religious bent of mind is always inclined to relieve
human misery and increase happiness . He is full of compassion and benevolence.
He is honest to the core. He hates cunningnees, hypocrisy, cruelty, etc.
According to Pope Alexandra, " an honest man is the noblest work of god". Honesty is more valuable than all the rituals , ceremonies and practices of all religion of the world. In reality a person can be truly religious without calling himself a Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim and christian instead of calling himself a Human. Otherwise Taslima Nasrin shouldn't have written in Lajja, let another name for religion be humanism. If a man does not go to a religious site, it does not mean that he cannot be a religious man. A true religion has nothing to do with it.
Religion makes people believe in destiny and fate . People stop making efforts for progress. They do not aspire to struggle for anything in life. It is the reason that Karl Marx condemned religion. He called it an opium of the masses.
Science has no doubt made a tremendous progress but it has still not been able to unravel many secrets of life and nature. Mediation can help us to run inward and introspect. This is what self realization means. We should not mediate or pray in a mechanical way. Our whole personality should be involved.
Religion is a way of life. It is a matter of one's faith and conviction. When religion embraces fanaticism, it loses its soul. Followers of one religion become the archenemies of the followers of the other religion. Instead of bringing the people together, religious fanaticism divides them.
What is more disturbing is that religion has started making inroads into politics. It has got intertwined with political squabbles. Some countries have gone to the extent of making a religion of the majority population as their State religion. Though Nepal has been declared as a secular after 2006- People's movement or Democracy movement, but we have political parties and pressure group such as a Rashtriya Prajatantra Party (Nepal) and Nepal's Hindutva ( Hindu nationalist) elements who advocate to reinstate Nepal into Hindu State. Those groups has wedded to interest based religion, and can't accept Humanism as a religion.
but I believe in the essence of religion, I will imbibe the qualities of truth, nonviolence, honesty, love and compassion. I will not give undue importance to any rituals, ceremonies or dogmas of any religion. I will cultivate universal brotherhood. I will not dilute the purity of religion by injecting politics into it. i will accept humanism as religion. What about you?
In the past, cruelties and barbarities have been committed in the name of religion . Fierce clashes between followers of different religions resulted in great loss of life and property in many countries of the world. The menace is continuing even today. In countries like India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and many other, religious differences have been the root cost of communalism. Moreover religious difference led to the separation of Hindustan into Pakistan and India, Sudan into south Sudan and north Sudan. Though many of countries have declared itself as a secular state, communal clashes do take place in one or the other part of the world in every year.
Unfortunately, followers of every religion have forgotten the essence of their religion. They confuse religion with its rituals and ceremonies. Most people think that religion consists of going to temple, monastery, mosque, church, fasting, going to places of pilgrimage, wearing a holy thread or a cross, obedience to monks, Pandits, priests or mullahs, giving donation to the religious institution, lying prostrate before idols of gods and goddesses, work-shipping the holy books, reciting prayers etc.
Religious leader like Dalai lama taught us that that rites and ceremonies are not true religion. What makes a true religion is truth, nonviolence, meditation and compassion. Guru Nanak pleaded his follower that they should follow the essence and true spirit of religion rather than its form.
“This is my simple religion. There is no need
for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart
is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.”
Dalai Lama
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According to Pope Alexandra, " an honest man is the noblest work of god". Honesty is more valuable than all the rituals , ceremonies and practices of all religion of the world. In reality a person can be truly religious without calling himself a Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim and christian instead of calling himself a Human. Otherwise Taslima Nasrin shouldn't have written in Lajja, let another name for religion be humanism. If a man does not go to a religious site, it does not mean that he cannot be a religious man. A true religion has nothing to do with it.
Religion makes people believe in destiny and fate . People stop making efforts for progress. They do not aspire to struggle for anything in life. It is the reason that Karl Marx condemned religion. He called it an opium of the masses.
Science has no doubt made a tremendous progress but it has still not been able to unravel many secrets of life and nature. Mediation can help us to run inward and introspect. This is what self realization means. We should not mediate or pray in a mechanical way. Our whole personality should be involved.
Religion is a way of life. It is a matter of one's faith and conviction. When religion embraces fanaticism, it loses its soul. Followers of one religion become the archenemies of the followers of the other religion. Instead of bringing the people together, religious fanaticism divides them.
What is more disturbing is that religion has started making inroads into politics. It has got intertwined with political squabbles. Some countries have gone to the extent of making a religion of the majority population as their State religion. Though Nepal has been declared as a secular after 2006- People's movement or Democracy movement, but we have political parties and pressure group such as a Rashtriya Prajatantra Party (Nepal) and Nepal's Hindutva ( Hindu nationalist) elements who advocate to reinstate Nepal into Hindu State. Those groups has wedded to interest based religion, and can't accept Humanism as a religion.
but I believe in the essence of religion, I will imbibe the qualities of truth, nonviolence, honesty, love and compassion. I will not give undue importance to any rituals, ceremonies or dogmas of any religion. I will cultivate universal brotherhood. I will not dilute the purity of religion by injecting politics into it. i will accept humanism as religion. What about you?
Convincing post, I agreed.
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