mytinyspace

Religion cannot be bound in a definition. It is a divine bond between the God and man, the creator and the created.

An etymological rootage of the word may be traced to Latin word ‘religio’ which nearly means to ‘re-connect’ or reverence for gods’. Religio in social parlance is prayer at personal level. The Greek work ‘threskeia’ which is translated as religion, actually stands for worship. The Arabic word ‘din’ too is interpreted as religion, whereas translators have expressed it as ‘law’. Throughout its long history, Japan had no word equivalent to religion! ‘Halaka’ in Judaism also denotes ‘walk or path’. In Sanskrit the word ‘dharma’ now referred to as religion, then meant ‘law’.

There might have been several reasons which sprung seed of religion in human heart. One may be the need to search for an identity; the other may be a cardinal requisite to connect to the almighty and so on. As the search intensified the simple prayers were tagged with certain philosophies and doctrines. By and large these were endorsed by the society. The search for god the ‘most pious one’ could be accomplished by walking on a path equally virtuous. Certain rules were set for the masses to follow. It worked like a guideline for the people. It not only benefitted the masses with a virtuous bent of life but was equally useful for the society as it ensured moral and ethical binding on the conduct. Reducing the concept to its simplest yet most significant form possible, without loss of its spirituality, i.e. in its canonic form, we may interpret that religion at this stage was doing its best at micro level and macro level.

As weeds invade a field, as lava oozes out of a crater, as confidential information leaks from a project or as an acidic residue seeps into a river, similarly the rituals found their way into the holy concept of religion. Rituals bred on superstition and wiped out the logical reasoning and essence of religion. Gradually rituals supplanted the basic purpose of religion. The rituals had a mass appeal with a strange binding factor and also related very well to the mythological stories woven around each God.

History records that since 2nd century BC, 1,763 wars in the name of religion have been fought. But the research infers that most of the overt or covert religious wars have been waged exploiting cultural differences and used as a tool to usurp territory, grab power, and cumulate resources or for vicious greed. All such wars have been fought with a concealed political vendetta. Religion when associated with powerful regimes has proven fatal. The Kings, the rulers, the regimes, the authorities have all agnized that religion is the weakest link in a multicultural world. The innocent people and impeccant hearts are drawn into bloody wars for political gains.

Faith is a private issue. The god and the devotion for salvation to him should be close to the heart. What are the beliefs of the person next to us should not be our concern. Any attempt to this effect is violation of privacy and should be treated as moral crime. Faith and religion should dwell in our heart and soul. Faith is like a cool breeze on a sunny day or a like a oasis in a dry desert. The key issue is not irreligion but religious identity which makes us a puppet in the hands of politicians. Let us nurture the religious identity in our hearts and the moment we step out in the streets, may we behave like humans full of compassion and fondness for each other. Let us not let the politicos take advantage of our faith.