Religions Are Periodic Imprints in the Annals of Human Civilization
By
Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
02
November 2022
"All
faiths are false and this is not a preconceived notion to study religions with.
Myths constitute a religion and they (myths) aren't realities, though they
become supposed realities as time goes by. It's imperative to analyse religions
as periodic imprints and episodes in the annals and spiritual journey of human
civilization."
-Alfred
North Whitehead, though he belonged to a family of Anglican ministers
"Be
less devout
And
begin to doubt”
-Dag
Hammarskjold, former UN Secretary-General, in Markings
...
One
reader Zama has asked a very pertinent question: 'How is it possible for all
world religions to be true?' Hats off to you. At least, you have the brains and
gumption to ask and doubt.
All
religions are false, including your Islam which I presume, you belong to.
Anthropologically, all religions are groups peppered with esoteric beliefs and
all mumbo-jumbo. Controversial 'spiritual' guru Osho Rajnish would often say,
"Dharm daal hai jis mein aap ishwar aur andhvishwason ka tadka lagate
hain" (Religion is daal in which you put a dash of god and your irrational
beliefs).
When
you study a group, you understand its dynamics. The dynamics of a group, small
or big, depends upon the uniformity of beliefs, esp. religious beliefs. The
very root of the word Religion is to bind (Latin Religare: to bind) Religious
beliefs have an adhesive quality because anything unintelligible has the power
to influence you and it brings people together. The human mind believes when it
fails to understand something or some phenomenon.
Our
primitive ancestors formed groups with members having certain identical
religious beliefs depending upon geographical, climatic, and pre-sociological
(neo-anthropological) factors. That's why you find striking similarities among
a bunch of faiths from the same geographical region. For example, all three
Semitic faiths viz, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are content-wise ONE big
faith. Islam, despite its outlandish claims of exclusive monotheism, is a mere
tributary of parental Judaism. So is Christianity, one more rivulet from a big
river called Judaism. In fact, Islam and Christianity are not independent
faiths but are cults of Judaism.
In the
Eastern context, Jainism and Buddhism branched out from Hinduism. All these
belief systems are relative and comparative truths. The very idea of an
Ultimate Truth is utopian. So, whether monotheism or polytheism, all belief
systems are useless and fit to be thrown away with their scriptures and revered
characters.
Religions
survive, thrive, and stay alive depending on the level of human intelligence.
Centuries ago, Roman historian, author, and philosopher Pliny the Elder put
humans in three categories, Cunda, Ecunda, and Emcunda; unevolved,
semi-evolved, and fully evolved respectively. Unevolved are animals in the
forms of humans who require a battery of deities, semi-evolved are those who
believe in a higher and superior power without believing in deities, books, and
rituals. And evolved ones, though a handful, are those who have gone beyond
deities and have no faith in any transcendental power or reality. We need more
and more humans from the last category. Zama, if you're young enough, you must
come out of this suffocating pigeonholing of Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Jainism,
and all that crap and inhale the air of religio-godless freedom. Or else,
you'll waste your 'intelligence' on descanting upon what's kufr and who's a
Kafir! Since all faiths are equally bad and most of their followers are
mentally challenged and rationally deficient, it's better not to carry and
flaunt the label of any bogus man-made faith. Instead, try to be a good human.
That sums up the 'teachings' of all faiths.
Learn
to doubt and believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it,
unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.
-----
A
regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative
religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to
world's premier publications in several languages including Persian.
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