Religion Is A Monumental Chapter In The History Of Human (And Individual) Egotism
By
Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
11 January
2024
“Religion Is A Monumental Chapter In The
History Of Human Egotism.”
― William James
So very
true! Let me add the word 'individual' to the quote of the great philosopher
and one of the first modern psychologists William James whose birth
anniversary falls on January 11 to rewrite it: ' Religion is a
monumental chapter in the history of human and 'individual' egotism.'
Aren't you
all witnessing one particular individual's sickening egotism in the brouhaha of
Ram Mandir? It seems as if this man is redefining Hinduism and turning a
putative deity's consecration into a national carnival.
Whether
Muhammad, Mahavir, Moses or Modi, the saga of religion/s has been the
manifestation of human and personal / individual egotism in the history of human
civilization.
Egotism is,
'the fact of being excessively conceited or absorbed in oneself.' There's a
subtle difference between 'Egoism' and 'Egotism'. While both are negative
traits, 'Egotism' has more negativity to it because it's full of I, Me and
Myself.
If you read
Gita, the megalomaniac Krishna calls himself the Essence of Existence (Jeevan
Sattva) and the Alpha and Omega of divine consciousness.
William
James further wrote that in all religions, the so-called prophets and
proponents superimpose human egotism upon their respective divine fabrications
and call their own faiths or sects as the only true way to divinity.
In fact,
all the religions are the most egotistical as well as egoistical manifestations
of collective human ego but ironically, all religions try to project themselves
as models of modesty and egalitarianism.
It's an
egotistic delusion of a Protestant Christian that he calls himself greater than
a Catholic Christian or a Sunni Muslim will look down upon a Shia, though both
belong to Islam.
Egotism is
too much insistence on one's own prejudices and false perceptions. And what's a
faith if not a huge compendium of prejudices and false perceptions? Egotism
dwarfs the presence and existence of others and builds its own ivory tower of
pathological exclusivity.
All
religions, sects and sub sects have been doing this right from their inception.
It's egotistic Islam that never approved of other faiths wholeheartedly.
Judaism and its followers also did the same and called Christianity and Islam
as false faiths and mere tributaries (which is, however, theologically a
correct statement).
The
egotistic neo-Hindus or today's Sanatanis are calling their version of faith as
the most authentic. Please read Sanjay Dixit's ridiculous and most puerile book
'Why All Religions Are Not The Same.' You'll understand how an egotistic
Hindu thinks in these religiously polarised times.
Humans are
not bothered about their fellow humans. They're only bothered about their
religious egotism. Yet, we call ourselves as evolved beings and that's yet
another example of humans' perennial egotistical behaviour.
----
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 the world's premier publications in several
languages including Persian.
URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/religion-monumental-history-human-egotism/d/131494