Saturday, August 14, 2010

Delusion of Religion

Just look at the mass delusion of religion, its the embarrassing dark age fiction through which people put faith in and justify their actions. As cognitive and behavioral imperative, religion was born to understand the phenomenon of the nature. It was built around the primitive knowledge and has intermixed the myths and facts with the deep human experiences. With the more and more use of logic in the ours quest for explaining nature, we observe religion on a hundred fronts losing the argument with science. Also, a class of people have became priestly clan in the religious camps and grow on the basis of collective fear and paranoia of masses. Thus, religion became authorizing in its claim of knowledge and truth, and there starts its fall.

What can be canceled, logically, must have once had value. And thus there can be reforms with new generation as new logic will emerge on the basis of time and new human experiences. That's why fraudulent practices or wrong theories are corrected in science through scrutiny with the time. When the religions are aware of the limits of their claim to the truth, when they allow doubt, the chance of reforms develop from inside.

Religion does not grow in the ideology that continuously goes through scrutiny of several groups and individuals. Any ideological bias can be extreme but they are backing it with the reason. Logic is there in the development of all these ideology. What mankind often does with religion is often more self-serving and abominable as they are mere unproven beliefs. They are treated as factual by many religions and the extremes to which some followers have taken them. Religion takes the path of extremism without any basis of reason.

Nadeem F Paracha summarized about Extremism extremely well : Extremism is nobody’s friend. It only deals in might gained from coercion. It does not rest after it has defeated its ideological opponents because then it goes on to destroy even those supporters whom it deems too soft or moderate.

Perhaps the world can come to realise that the real war is between those who believe in the ultimate sanctity and value of a human life and those who do not. If you are not willing to seriously investigate your faith and ask questions then you are at the mercy of others who will define it for you. Isn't searching for truth personally better than bracing false hopes in existing answers ? Science, constructive doubt and investigation are the tools while faith is positive suspension of critical thinking.

I will produce here a thought about Dharma perceived by Buddhist monk : Excessive faith without sufficient wisdom leads to the blind faith, while excessive wisdom without sufficient faith leads to undesirable cunning. Too much energy combined with weak concentration leads to restlessness while strong concentration without sufficient energy leads to indolence. But as for Mindfulness (sati), one can never have too much of it, it is never in excess but always in deficiency. We need to cultivate Mindfulness.

8 comments:

  1. I totally agree. Any religion that endorses violence except in reasonable self defense is wrong ipso facto.

    When will people understand this?

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  2. Self defence is a basic human instinct for survival not to be dictated by any religion. It is more easy to fall in the violent path as power of revenge is only next to love. That is my humble opinion.

    Thanks for coming here bhagwad.

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  3. Almost all religious texts of the major religions in the world endorse violence. If we do not follow what our scriptures state then are we a follower of that religion in the first place?

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  4. Anthropologically any thing that could not be explained or controlled fell into the realm of religion and all that had cause and effect relationship went to science and the dubious little went to the sphere of magic. At times it feels like religion is a man made monster that has gone awry; Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Then oftem I wonder what has God or the creator of universe got to do with religion. He/she was there even before the religion(s) came into existence... Did the creator give humans brains to use or brains to use humans...

    ...power of revenge is only next to love.

    How? Unclear, please elaborate.

    ...But as for Mindfulness (sati), one can never have too much of it, it is never in excess but always in deficiency. We need to cultivate Mindfulness.

    Is it "sati" or "Sat." I ask because both words are in subject and object/verb relationship.

    Good one,

    Peace,
    Desi Girl

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  5. @hari, violence is the part of human nature due to its struggle for survival. But giving it validity for the faith only is utterly wrong. Religion deludes rational thinking and as you said gives thumbs up to violence for its spreading. I am thinking to put a post on violene and religion. Thanks Hari ,for such an idea..

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  6. The problem with the assumption of God is too much to ignore. You are correct that anthropologically any thing that could not be explained or controlled fell into the realm of religion. Everything need modern interpretation with changing times. Failure of religion to change or mostly oppose for any change like using condoms to prevent AIDS is without any reason.The affinity of ban or making anything sacred to escape scritiny is biggest obstacle in the progress of society. Our brain was there before any 'God' comes in to existence and this 5000 years of Godly world will end also with the evolution.

    Regarding power of revenge is openly embeded in ours pursuit of justice and truth. Revenge is a emotion born directly from hate dissatified with the position. I never see any emotions that can propel human for greater causes other than revenge and hate. Revenge is not a valid motive, it's an emotional response. As psychologists explore the mental machinery behind revenge, it turns out there are two perspective behind it, depending on who and where you are. If you're a power-seeker, revenge can serve to remind others you're not to be trifled with. If you live in a society where the rule of law is weak, revenge provides a way to keep order.

    There are five spiritual faculties faith, energy, concentration, wisdom, and mindfulness in Buddhism. I have read this in Aung San Su Kyi book so this Sati is a burmese world for Mindfulness. Not sure about it...

    Thanks girl for visting here. My answers lack a cutting edge since I am not good in replying in words. Still tried my best. :)

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  7. Yes, I have always believed that any form of life anywhere ( Including human beings) is nothing but a phenomena of nature. Everything else is nothing but a product of human brain to suit its own needs and wants at different times, naturally religion , which is also one of the product of human mind, has evolved with all its flaws and shortcomings and has worked more for the selfish purposes than for anything else. If I look at all that is in this grand ever expanding universe , I feel more and more sure that we humans are nothing but writhing, squirming bacteria like creatures trying to find our place in this universe. I do not know why we feel so great and powerful. it is nature that is all powerful so "pantheism" fascinates me. I think I have told you about this earlier also.
    I like to read what you write.

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  8. @Anubhava, Our brains are evolving over a period of time and religion has eveolved more as a result of mixture of answer to natural curiosity and common experinces in the social behaviour. You look to the universe and proclaim that humans are writhing, squirming bacteria like creatures trying to find our place in this universe. People view universe and experince the same but are very rigid to the answer. Each day experinces are new but religions focusing on static nature of truth fails to grasp this understanding. Yes, I remembered always about yours fondness to pantheism. Pantheism is like transcednetalism to me. It brings us more close to the nature. And what I can say more than human culture is reaction of the nature. I don't agree with you fully on the basis of reason but can experience it very closely as both of us are trying to rise above religious dogmas and connect to the nature. And, I am happy that some quality is present there in my scribblings that you are still liking it.

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