“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.”
- DALAI LAMA

Have you ever filled out a form asking for your religion? Well, I don’t know about other countries but in my country, in almost 2 out of 3 forms, be it an admission form, a survey form, or even a registration form, they ask for your religion. Are they an option? You wish!! Most of them are necessary and even if you want to, you cannot exclude them. I never have and never shall understand the importance of the option of religion in these forms but I do somehow have started to comprehend the importance of religion in one’s life. I am slowly understanding why my mother starts and ends her day by chanting the name of Lord Krishna. I am slowly understanding why our Muslim neighbors wake up at dawn every day and perform their prayers. No, it’s not because one day someone will give them a surprise visit and reward them. It is because of the simple belief system that there exists a power that is invisible to the naked human eye and is capable of healing the pain that is unknown to others except oneself.

During my childhood, there was a time when having faith in one’s religion meant uncool; when celebration of the religious occasions meant only lots of food and a holiday. I used to often laugh at my mother for being an extremely pious person and dedicating more than half of her life to the devotion of her holy Gods. I even confronted her about this and that didn’t go well of course; I had to deal with 2 days of nagging. Well, I don’t know how or when things started to change. My perception of the whole concept of religion just changed recently when I got surrounded by an environment where people believed in believing; where people surrendered themselves to an invisible source who they thought was omnipotent.

BEYOND THE REALITY AND DELUSION

“The true meaning of religion is not just to believe in something, but to live it every day.”
- Unknown

People around the world may worship various forms of Gods, but their wishes are almost similar to live a better life than their current one. No matter what form, shape, or name these various Gods take, it is believed that they all have similar values and teach nothing but love and peace. The existence of various questions among humans such as; “Where do we come from?” or “What is the purpose of my life?” or “Where will I go after the fulfillment of my human life?” has led to the ultimate formation of the global multifaceted religious belief system. The complexities of human life are made simple by the faith of people in their religions. The entire concept of letting go of all the stresses and problems of life and believing in the simple fact and the so-called ‘truth’ of life that there is an invisible power stronger than the entire universe, writing the destinies of everyone; the conception of that power sitting there and putting everything in its place is the backbone of almost all religions. In other words, if your plan doesn’t work remember God has a better plan for you.

Now the aspect that must be pondered upon here is whether the existence of God is real or not. If there exist believers and followers of God, there also exists a group of people who think that the existence of God is unreal and are known as atheists. These people live upon various belief systems such as there is no scientific proof about the existence of deities, or the wellbeing of the human community must not be reliable on religious principles, or human beings must follow only the principles of humanism rather than worshipping invisible powers and various other perspectives. Atheism is said to be a misrepresented and miscomprehended concept. Atheism is not devoid of moralities or ethics but is rather based on a more skeptical and philosophical point of view. In a world driven and dominated by religious beliefs, atheism gives a unique worldview that aids in comprehending the practicality of human life. Atheism aids in promoting an inclusive and emphatic society that is focused on humanities rather than the worship of invisible deities.

EDUCATION IS GREATER THAN DEVOTION

“The highest result of education is tolerance.”
- HELEN KELLER

A person may be an atheist or a pious; it is their own choice. But one must never be ignorant of their own choices and beliefs. One must always consider first educating oneself about the religions they are preaching to others or whose values one shall be depending upon their whole life. An unpractical approach to religious beliefs may not only harm oneself but the entire society. One must forbid themselves from following preachers blindly without first comprehending the context of their deeds. In addition, one must also consider pondering about the environment while following their personal religious beliefs. Wastages must be avoided during religious prayers and other related festivities and sustainable approaches must be applied.

In a secular country like India where several religions are followed by the residents, superstitious beliefs are seen to be a major issue in the country. Several superstitious beliefs such as periods being considered a taboo, or a black cat crossing roads being symbolized as bad luck, etc. still today exist in our society. Though some of these beliefs have minor consequences certain superstitions are seen to have major consequences and even are responsible for the destruction of various families. The existence of various fake and fraud priests is a prominent problem in today’s time where these fraudsters are seen fooling innocent people for money and involving them in various unethical and illegal practices. Henceforth, people must avoid being influenced by superstitious beliefs or even fraudsters pretending to be priests and have a rational approach towards religious practices. A careful consideration of religious beliefs and practices must be approached by one and all for the existence of an ideal society. In conclusion, it is hoped that one’s religious system upgrades a society rather than degrading it and these religious beliefs make our world a better place.

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