Iridescence !

Something I have wanted to write about all this time still got no foothold...disarray of thoughts failed to develop in a logical flow. Maybe because I didnt really know the other side. Now that I have began exploring it, Im a little perplexed coz I still dont know the actual reasons. Why is our world growing 'not so religious anymore'? One reason I could identify from the talks of a few friends was the anti religion sentiment. People believe religions have lost their plot.  Atheism and existentialism attract people mostly coz they have experienced the religious phenomenon to be more intense and sometimes unjustified, not coz atheism does hold any substance in its own. Therefore, most of the times atheism is advocated just in order to reject the religious branding.

Most of the reasons of not being religious presented to me were as follows:

1. Most of the religious fanatics hate each other asserting that theirs is the only true path.  Then dont be a fanatic is my answer. No religion says neither have I read in any scripture that you should hate your fellow being coz he has different mental processes and ideologies , different beliefs than you. Its mostly upon you how to maintain a moderate approach. I know more about Islam so I would quote that to people who think Islam is an extremist religion. In Quran its said..''Tell them what u believe in, if they still wont believe in same, tell them their religion for them, you religion for u''. This phrase 'ur religion for u my religion for me' has been repeated twice in the same ayat, establishing the emphasis. Islam and Muslim are derived from the root 'Salema' which means peace and purity. This is the not only the literal meaning but is also the intended meaning. And I know each and every religion promotes peace and co existence. There are identified dimensions of rights of minorities in Islam and I remember reading it all in 9th standard. If I did, almost everyone would have. Still I see religious fanatics around. Its the meager 5 % that has hijacked our societal image. Jihad is a term often misused by these military activists. Jihad means standing against the tyrant, raising your voice. It can never be interpreted in brutal massacre of innocent people and children. I see non muslims co existing peacefully with muslims in almost all countries except for the subcontinent. Therefore implying a problem with interpretation of the religious bounds there. And why only Islam, Hinduism is a favored choice, Christianity is. The few religious fanatics from muslims, hindus or christians hating other religions or trying to convert them do not reflect on character of God. So why give up on God himself. Muhammad p.b.u.h eradicated slavery in Arabia. My atheist friends would acknowledge efforts of Martin Luther King Jr., but not Muhammad, in order to escape the religious tint. Bhagwat Geeta and Quran support women in stronger roles, emphasizing their respect and value, but they would choose to listen to Su Kyi and Calpurnia. Isnt it the same reverberation I say?

2. We would prefer to follow the religion of humanity. To that my answer is tell me one religion that is not the religion of humanity. The prime objective of every religion is same, core value structure is same. Its just operational definitions that are different. You may pray to God on a prayer mat, you may pray to him wid a thali in ur hand in a Mandir, its just Him. Why do we let the Maulvi or the Pujari or the Priest come in between us n Him.  He wants u to respect and honor the lives of others, as for example in Quran. The ayat says 'he who kills one kills the whole humanity' but the Maulvi from Sipah Sahaba says kill the others they are non believers. Who shall be followed? Its the word of Quran against a stupid low life CIA sponsored Osama or any of the similar breed. Its on us to hear them out or reject them out rightly.

In today's world I believe religion is the traumatized victim... people using it for their personal advantage or that of a particular group.It tries to rise above all the misconceptions and some of us drag it back again by doing something in name of religion that is exceedingly unfair to the others. It tries to voice itself through a few in society like Mansoor A.S and they have to face forfeiture pushing the religion further back to the dungeons. It now has to survive as a tormented slave in our society waiting for some of us to revive it back to its magnificently revered stature only to help the society back.

"yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Four verse 7)

"Sri Krishna said: Whenever and wherever there is a decline in virtue/religious practice, O Arjuna, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself, i.e. I manifest Myself as an embodied being."

And now why  I want people to adopt a religion so badly? Whats different with someone who holds no religion and someone who does, regardless of the religion they follow? And the difference between someone who follows a religion is its true essence and someone who just follows another humans tagged a particular religious brand?Someone who believes in the religion and someone who just holds the garb of it ? Answer to all these questions is accountability. Whether its self accountability, term it Karma, call it the Day of Judgement, concept of heaven or hell...but it stems from religion, setting ethical bounds for one. In  absence of reinforcement its difficult to maintain ethical composure. We as humans are slave of bounded rationality and we need logic to feed upon it. In my view religion is the basic source of that divine logic.

Khuda kya hai muhabbat sirf muhabbat bas muhabbat .....