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Religious Drift

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by HariLakhera, Jul 14, 2017.

  1. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    RELIGIOUS DRIFT

    Drifting away from one religion to another by choice or otherwise is not as bad as drifting away from religion itself which is not thinking about God or becoming increasingly secular.

    Are we part of it or acting blind? I think it is both.
    First we have failed to pass on our religion to the generation next both in words and deeds. Thus we have become part of it. What is worse is that we have confused them by narrating our religion is best and at the same time telling all religions are equal. If all religions are equal how can religions be good, better or best?

    Materialism, pleasure, secular media, lessening family ties, growing immorality have added to the already degradation. This way not only we are part of it but we are acting blind too as we are not seeing the danger ahead.

    The unsavory and shameless actions of so called God men and women have driven away the already dwindling numbers of believers.

    The problem is ever body complains of bad weather but no body can change it. In order to protect ourselves from the unpleasant weather we have centrally air conditioned our houses and trust all is fine.

    Locking ourselves in our individual puja rooms will not help. We will have to keep our doors wide open and welcome all those who want to come in irrespective of cast, creed or color. The more the better. It can neither be by force or allurement or both.

    We will have to do away with prejudices, needless rituals and orthodox behavior. We will have to tell that God is only a concept to bind us together, nothing less, nothing more. We will have to be frank enough to admit that we have not seen God, at best we have experienced some super natural power that guides our destiny. Till such time we find a real answer, we continue calling it God.

    We will have to come out of that mysterious concept of creation and the creator. We will have to accept that though we have seen and experienced the various sides of creation but we have not seen the creator as we see his or her creation when we open our eyes. If we can not see it, it is not there, as simple.

    Yet we need a God. We have created Him for our own good. The obligation is on us and not on Him. He has not imposed Himself on us. He is happy as long as we are happy.

    I think the generation next and next will understand if told in simple words.

    Amen.
     
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  2. Sandycandy

    Sandycandy IL Hall of Fame

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    Being religious does not imply one is less materialistic or less immoral. Similarly, being secular does not mean one is immoral. This generalization is what is most detrimental to society and we are seeing effects of that in India currently.
     
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  3. BhumiBabe

    BhumiBabe Platinum IL'ite

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    As human beings, we are endlessly stuck in a cycle of creating a "us verses them" mentality. I am born a Hindu, to a religious mother and a secular father. Throughout childhood, I could easily connect with people who were NOT ritually religious, but rather more spiritual, despite being neither. I understood religion intellectually, so I enjoyed the discussion and found it stimulating, to challenge what I already thought I understood. For a small amount of time, I ended up thinking I was spiritual... but despite all the spirituality and connection to God and each other that I learned, the society that I learned it from maintained an understanding of those who were NOT spiritual to be people were NOT ready to embrace spiritualism. They did not judge against them, per say, but there was less of the readiness to mingle with people who did not enjoy integrating spiritualism into daily life. After marriage, I met people who were ritualistically religious - something I didn't understand and didn't want to understand. I accepted their ideology as their own, but it was hardly something that resonated with me. Again, the same dialogue about those not practicing rituals were considered different and just not ready to learn the rituals, appeared.

    Nowadays, I am personally quite secular. It surprises me how secular I am, since I remember how spiritual I thought I was. Not thinking about god, has actually improved my life, in a way, because I no longer pray to god for a better life, or blame god for the life I have. I feel a little more responsible for my own actions and try my best to maintain my own integrity and good heart. There is no fear, because my own conscience leads me to do the right thing, not the possibility of punishment from god.

    I have seen religion be a balm for some people and a anathema for others.
     
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  4. Naari

    Naari Platinum IL'ite

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    OP, I am so confused !!:thinking::thinking:

    You start out by talking of 'we the ppl' not doing our duty to pass on the religion and its importance to the next generations and you end the write-up questioning the existence of God and saying that we created him for our benefit??? :sconf::hollering: Isn't a God at the centre of any religion??
     
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  5. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    You mean

    @Sandycandy: you mean to say religious people can also be materialistic and immoral. That is the problem. The moment we see such people leading dubious life, we start losing faith in religion itself. It is more so for present generation. Secularity is different. Fact is we all have to be moralistic and less materialistic before we try to preach religion and gain the confidence of generation next.
     
  6. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    You mean

    @Sandycandy: you mean to say religious people can also be materialistic and immoral. That is the problem. The moment we see such people leading dubious life, we start losing faith in religion itself. It is more so for present generation. Secularity is different. Fact is we all have to be moralistic and less materialistic before we try to preach religion and gain the confidence of generation next.



    [QUOTE="BhumiBabe,

    Nowadays, I am personally quite secular. It surprises me how secular I am, since I remember how spiritual I thought I was. Not thinking about god, has actually improved my life, in a way, because I no longer pray to god for a better life, or blame god for the life I have. I feel a little more responsible for my own actions and try my best to maintain my own integrity and good heart. There is no fear, because my own conscience leads me to do the right thing, not the possibility of punishment from god.



    I admire your frank admission. I am meeting more and more of your lot these days. Is am one of those guys who claim to be spiritual but not ritualistic-meaning I do believe in some super natural power but do not go to meet him in the temples or at a specific place in my house. But some of the old conditioning is still there like visiting temples once in a while, reading religious books like Gita and Ranayana as a routine and so on.
    Generation before me and even my generation made so many conditions difficult to believe and more difficult to follow. Present generation is rationalistic and argumentive and they want proof. Any thing that we can not see or talk to but feel only does not convince them. It's like a taste, you can feel it but cannot describe it.
     
  7. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    That exactly is the problem. There is no religion without God. We could have said this is only a concept and not proven fact. We made it mysterious. Present generation wants proof and we have none. I would advise them to accept it as a concept and then try to find it for themselves. Even if they do not want to accept it as a concept also I have no problem with that. The world can survive without God or concept of God. My point is don't force it.
     
  8. SunPa

    SunPa Platinum IL'ite

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    But how many religions even accept God as a concept? Or atleast as a personal decision.
    To many even such a thought is blasphemy.
    For that matter how can one say one religion is the best if you havent practiced and learnt other religions ? But they do, even when they cannot even tell the basic tenets of another religion.
    This extreme religious ones are the ones really harming religion.

    DD was telling me about a bunch of University kids at her campus, trying to get friendly and tell her how on Judgement day , whether you believe it or not , "God" will consider her a disbeliever and send her to hell. Some of the brightest kids, supposedly.
    Really? If they knew my daughter they wouldnt have said that :tongueout:. Because she is the kind who would say , if you people are going to heaven, then I will gladly accept hell. I am sure I will have scintillating company there.
     
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  9. shyamala1234

    shyamala1234 Platinum IL'ite

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    Dear Hari
    Dear Hariji,
    Faith in God is a personal thing . It does not appeal to logic or rationality.
    Religion.....because I am born as a Hindu I love my religion and at the same time do not have anything against other religions .I respect them.
    In any religion there are some negative things.......should make an attempt to remove them atleast at a personal level.
    How one wants to interpret religion also varies from person to person. Cannot generalize.
    Syamala
     
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  10. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Hariji,
    You have taken an important unsolved question for discussion.Your arguments have been put forth in a way -about which volumes have been written even from the days of Ramayana.

    There have been existing for long religious, spiritual, God fearing and ritualistic people in the world each having different ideas about the creator and Creations. Advaitham, ,vishishtaadwaitham and Dwaitham cocepts have created waves already.Research is already on about the 'delusion' or Maya as suggested by Advaitha and the reality or otherwise of 'mind' in famous Western Universities.

    A question arises ,whether our ancestors well versed in astronomy and other sciences would have spent fortunes merely on temples for delivering a simple 'concept'.

    We should have a concept to conceptualise what a'concept'.is.
    First of all we don't know what a concept is.
    Concept has many wonderful definitions beyond our understanding.

    Is it an idea or thought that emanates out of our mind? and then where does that mind exist?
    How long -period- a concept can last? can it last for ever? can it change its face?
    Where is the concept located? Is it real or virtual?
    How the concept of'God' compares itself to many other concepts?like concept of the structure of'atom', concept about a 'radar' or rocket or satellite or concept of a big 'sky raised' building or concept of 'alapana' or raga or rhythm during a musical concert?or the concept of a simple algebraic equation?

    Does concept have a content of its own?
    Does it relate to idea or any form of knowledge?
    If we do not have clear answers for these questions ,how can we treat God as a 'concept'?
    Anyway the degradation of present day values among human beings can never be attributed to the'faith' people have in God and the associated rituals and religious practices associated with 'God'.
    Even if all the people in the Universes accept that God is only a 'concept' and desist from religious rituals,the world cannot become better unless there are amazing transformation in respect of other factors that have attributed to the present deplorable state.

    Jayasala42
     

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