Most of the people follow some or the other religion, but I doubt even a small percentage of them know the real meaning and purpose behind a religion. If they did then there wouldn't be fights on the name of religions and no one would be considering one's own religion better than the other. In fact, so many different religions wouldn't exist on the first place. There are many things that are just passed down onto us from generations and have lost meaning in the process. Religious teachings are one of them.
As this blog is for truth-seekers here we strive for the truth alone, and the only way to reach truth is by being rational. So let's assume a rational perspective and find out what religious teachings are – or what they are/were supposed to be.
For as long as the humankind has survived it has been our constant endeavor to look for some ideal way of living. The way of living which is most suitable for all existence can be called an ideal living.
The basic purpose of religious scriptures is to prevent humans from being harmful to the world by showing them the right way. A religion is a set of beliefs aiming at giving people an ideal life. It's supposed to guide people to do right things by stating things in a way that it's the God's wish.
How successfully the religions and their scriptures have been used over the centuries to serve this purpose is another point. All I am saying is that originally they must have been conceived for good.
There have been countless religions and preachers in the history of humankind for the purpose of guiding people towards an ideal living. The need for religions arose because at some point of time people must have felt the need for some ideal way of living, as a result of development of intelligence. Hence some genius took upon the task of telling people of their duties towards the world. He observed the world and made his notes. He foresaw the problems and devised ways to prevent them. Then he wrote a book similar to the scriptures we have. That is how the first religious scripture must have been born. In time, at different places in the world the truth came to be explained in different ways. That is how there are about three hundred religions, and different theories today.
The way and the approach might differ in them, but the fundamental purpose of all the religious scriptures is one and the same. After all, people need something to tell them only one thing, that is, how to live ideally.
Again, whether they've helped or not is another point. I am just saying how they are supposed to help people.
Imagine the kindergarten children who are told stories with some moral attached at the end. Little stories which infuse in their mind the sense of what is right and what is wrong. They inspire the children to be good and do right things in life. For example, if you tell a child not to be abusive then perhaps he will not take your advice seriously. He might rather come upon you abusing! It's human nature. But if you tell him an interesting story of a boy who gets God's blessings for being nice to everyone then he will be inspired to be nice! He just needed to know the benefit of being nice. The scriptures/religious stories work the same way. Humans are the youngest of creatures, in a way. They are so immature. They wouldn't understand simple things told simply. They wouldn't do something which requires them to give up their own convenience and comfort. That is why some genius took upon the task of writing down "stories" which we see today as religious scriptures. They wrote books and preached the truth as it is the God's wish so that people should be motivated to follow it. The concept of God as the governing superpower appeals to the children's (and undeveloped adults') minds, and is comforting to them.
This whole concept of God and the religions might have been successful for a while and to some extent, but upon the whole it's miserably failed. Instead of learning the "moral of the story" which is the same in all religious scriptures, people have become so engrossed with the story itself, and its characters (which they see as Gods), that today they are fighting for proving their own religion right! No one, in truth, sees the moral of the story. Everyone takes the moral which suits one's own way. That is the reason religions are one of the biggest problems facing humanity today.
You do not have to belong to any religion as long as you know in your mind the purpose behind them. When you already understand the "moral of the story" what's the need for the story!
I believe in no religion and no God as people around me do. I visit no temple, do no worship. People say I am atheist (update: now I say it too, proudly), a non-believer, and look down upon me.
I just want to tell them this: Truth is my God, rationality my religion and my devotion to it is worship. And I am quite happy with it.
Note: I just re-posted this article with some modifications. On the earlier version Ketan had made a very pertinent comment, which I would not want to lose. Hence, I am posting that comment also from my end on Ketan’s behalf. It’s the first comment that appears below.
As this blog is for truth-seekers here we strive for the truth alone, and the only way to reach truth is by being rational. So let's assume a rational perspective and find out what religious teachings are – or what they are/were supposed to be.
Why stories/scriptures?
For as long as the humankind has survived it has been our constant endeavor to look for some ideal way of living. The way of living which is most suitable for all existence can be called an ideal living.
The basic purpose of religious scriptures is to prevent humans from being harmful to the world by showing them the right way. A religion is a set of beliefs aiming at giving people an ideal life. It's supposed to guide people to do right things by stating things in a way that it's the God's wish.
How successfully the religions and their scriptures have been used over the centuries to serve this purpose is another point. All I am saying is that originally they must have been conceived for good.
How are religious stories/scriptures formed?
There have been countless religions and preachers in the history of humankind for the purpose of guiding people towards an ideal living. The need for religions arose because at some point of time people must have felt the need for some ideal way of living, as a result of development of intelligence. Hence some genius took upon the task of telling people of their duties towards the world. He observed the world and made his notes. He foresaw the problems and devised ways to prevent them. Then he wrote a book similar to the scriptures we have. That is how the first religious scripture must have been born. In time, at different places in the world the truth came to be explained in different ways. That is how there are about three hundred religions, and different theories today.
The way and the approach might differ in them, but the fundamental purpose of all the religious scriptures is one and the same. After all, people need something to tell them only one thing, that is, how to live ideally.
How would religious stories/scriptures help?
Again, whether they've helped or not is another point. I am just saying how they are supposed to help people.
Imagine the kindergarten children who are told stories with some moral attached at the end. Little stories which infuse in their mind the sense of what is right and what is wrong. They inspire the children to be good and do right things in life. For example, if you tell a child not to be abusive then perhaps he will not take your advice seriously. He might rather come upon you abusing! It's human nature. But if you tell him an interesting story of a boy who gets God's blessings for being nice to everyone then he will be inspired to be nice! He just needed to know the benefit of being nice. The scriptures/religious stories work the same way. Humans are the youngest of creatures, in a way. They are so immature. They wouldn't understand simple things told simply. They wouldn't do something which requires them to give up their own convenience and comfort. That is why some genius took upon the task of writing down "stories" which we see today as religious scriptures. They wrote books and preached the truth as it is the God's wish so that people should be motivated to follow it. The concept of God as the governing superpower appeals to the children's (and undeveloped adults') minds, and is comforting to them.
Where do humans stand today?
This whole concept of God and the religions might have been successful for a while and to some extent, but upon the whole it's miserably failed. Instead of learning the "moral of the story" which is the same in all religious scriptures, people have become so engrossed with the story itself, and its characters (which they see as Gods), that today they are fighting for proving their own religion right! No one, in truth, sees the moral of the story. Everyone takes the moral which suits one's own way. That is the reason religions are one of the biggest problems facing humanity today.
Do we need religions?
You do not have to belong to any religion as long as you know in your mind the purpose behind them. When you already understand the "moral of the story" what's the need for the story!
I believe in no religion and no God as people around me do. I visit no temple, do no worship. People say I am atheist (update: now I say it too, proudly), a non-believer, and look down upon me.
I just want to tell them this: Truth is my God, rationality my religion and my devotion to it is worship. And I am quite happy with it.
Note: I just re-posted this article with some modifications. On the earlier version Ketan had made a very pertinent comment, which I would not want to lose. Hence, I am posting that comment also from my end on Ketan’s behalf. It’s the first comment that appears below.
I too used to think purpose of religions was to guide people to better lives, but I no longer think that, especially, after I read a bit of history of the ancient religions.
ReplyDeleteYes true, relatively more intelligent people deviced stories to manipulate people at large, but what I very recently realized was that this was done not for the selfless larger good, but rather for personal selfish gains.
That's why religions historically had always been deeply associated with politics and power struggles. Best way to win over a territory was to convert people religiously en masse. That's why almost all the major religions that had displaced some other religion 'expansivist' attitudes.
Imagine, none of the religions ever talked of fundamental 'equality' of humans. They never talked of democracy. They never said a king's progeny, if undeserving should not become the next king. They almost never said both genders should be treated equally. And never did they promote rational inquiry? Why? :)
But then what I pointed out in my current comment is immaterial because if people become more independent thinkers by coming across your ideas, the goal would be served much better than telling them - the religion you have fallen in love with is crass! ;)
I might put up a more elaborate comment later.
In the meantime, IF YOU FIND TIME, please go through my following posts:
1. A few responses to criticism of atheism (click) - very close to your post in dealing with religion, morality and immorality.
2. Are (a few) religious leaders atheists? (click) - deals with the same idea of religious leaders being wiser than common people, and more importantly, themselves knowing that the religion they teach is crap!
3. Educational post (click) - takes a lighthearted view of why people (and in the past, even I myself) believe in God. Almost unrelated to your post. But it's another reason for people to believe in God. For people it's NOT sufficient to just know that God exists, but also HOW to book one's seat in the heaven! ;) That's where rituals ( = religion) come into play.
Well written article!
TC.
I agree with Ketan on the above comment of his. Major religions of today (Christianity and Islam) seem like nothing but giant political parties controlling people's mind.
ReplyDeleteHowever, in the article above I have expressed a more general view taking all religions and their teachings into consideration. For example, the ancient Hindu scriptures and Buddhists teachings etc are quite sensible and truthful in their own right. And I couldn't think in any other way about their origin and purpose.
But as I said in the article itself, even these religions have failed. Actually, with the current level of human knowledge and understanding, people should realize that religions are the things of the past now. There's no need for them anymore. We now have education systems which can do the job in a much better way.
Agreed with each and everything. It's always heartening to find people who can think beyond what's forcibly taught by culture.
ReplyDeleteI agree with ketan and would quote napoleon "religion is a great tool to control people".. and thats how it has been used since ever..
ReplyDeleteThou i cant say the same about ancient religons like hinduism because unlike other religions hinduism was never forcefully spread, and nobody controlled it.. it was like this huge ancient wikipedia.. anybody could add anything into it.. and if it was good enough it got a permanent inclusion...
Hi Darshan,
ReplyDeleteI agree that religion has outgrown its purpose. This is a good post. In my mind, the question is how to get that message out to the people who really need it, the people who are reading religious blogs that support their beliefs. How to get people to be true seekers of truth? That is the question that, if we could answer it, would make the world a far nicer place! :)
Also would like to say that religion began as the first attempt at science. That is, man had no other way to understand the world around him and answer questions about life and death than to make up stories about it. There was no formal science until the Enlightenment, which began in the late 1600's and ushered the scientific method, democratic government, and "free thinking," which was basically the courage to question dogmatic beliefs. It's very hard for us to imagine a pre-Enlightenment world where there was no distinction made between the church and science, but that's how it was. Thus the church WAS science, it was the institution that answered all of man's important questions. It hasn't had that role for about 300 years now, but I guess old habits die hard. Hard to give up so much power, I suppose.
that's right, we have to be truth seeker's.. for Jesus said,"know the truth and the truth shall set you free"(John 8:32). You cant find truth in religion but thanks to HIM for He is the way the truth and the life...(John 14:6 and John 17:17).
ReplyDelete