Is Religion Relevant Today?

© Harish Jharia

With my deep belief, regards and respects for all the religions in the world including in my own religion Hinduism, I recognize this widely asked question, in a global perspective, as to why this question is arising in the minds of people in current times.

Why have we started analyzing religions under scanners? Is it because modern operators of different religious bodies, institutions and organizations, are drifting from the fundamental guidelines based on which the religions were formed?

Commercialization of religion, use of religious inclination for terrorism and dividing the world community are the negative aspects of practicing religions. Some people are exploiting religions for antisocial and inhuman activities that go against well-being of human kind for which the religions were discovered.

Initially the basic purpose of introducing religions was to civilize the barbaric humans in prehistoric era. Different religions were discovered by different ‘god-men’ at different parts of the globe. However, I firmly believe that all the religions were introduced almost at the same period… same century.

All the religions preach right ways of life and the code of conduct for all the religions are also almost same:

1. Be good, do good, speak good
2. Don’t betray
3. Love your neighbor, coworker, clan
4. Get social recognition for men-women living together
5. Marry someone other than your blood-linage
6. Follow decency
7. Don’t steal property of others
8. Earn your own livelihood
9. Provide shelter to week people
10. Oppose torture against other living beings
11. Etc…etc…

All the religions preach almost same philosophy; nevertheless, followers of different religions claim their own religion as better than the other. People have reduced going to the places of worship, they try to avoid following traditions as most of then do not match with the modern lifestyles.

Practicing religion has now limited itself to celebrating festivals with pomp and show and in extravagant style with the least religious formalities. They buy new clothes, get their houses painted, and few people even venture out on pilgrimage.

In view of the above the importance of religion appears to be for keeping the followers together and share celebrations and struggles of life with one another. Successively people are getting used to the new point-of-view towards religions. People of different religions, races, faiths and regions are coming closer to one another and now it is the HUMANITY that is reigning supreme and dominating over all other age-old discrimination aside.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
npad