30 Jun 2013 13:07:40 -0000
Baba
== HURLING STONE ON RELIGION ==
Namaskar,
Although some radical fundamentalists do exist in every religion – they are comparatively few in number. Here the term radical refers to those who blindly follow negative and detrimental theories based on irrational ideas devoid of logic and reasoning. Strictly following bhagavad dharma is not radical as it is based on rationality and for universal well-being. If someone is an adherent of harmful dogmatic teachings from the religions, then surely they are radical.
Here Baba points out the defective mind-set of such persons.
“It is very difficult to persuade religious bigots to follow the path of logic because according to them even to listen to others is a sinful act. This is nothing but mere sentiment. According to some religions beef eating is forbidden but the killing of deer and goats is permissible. This is totally irrational.” (1)
Thus in this age of reasoning, most are not convinced or drawn in by religious leaders. Because when those religious leaders themselves do not follow the path of logic, then the common people just think such priests etc are outdated. For this reason the various religions are shrinking.
RELIGION IS FADING
In comparison to a 100 years ago, religion on the whole is a much weaker force than it used to be. In the middle ages, millions were killed in the name of religion during the crusades. Today however, religion is no longer the dominating influence in peoples’ lives. Mostly it is just a namesake – i.e. something that people passively follow.
Most do not ardently adhere to the various religious rituals and mandates. People no longer base their lives on what the scriptures say. With the rise of science, people depend more on their logic and reasoning. They are no longer moved or swayed by irrational religious doctrines. Hence religion is fading away in most parts of the globe.
MUST NOT INCITE REVIVAL
However, if an overtly offensive attack is launched against those religions on the sentimental plane – such as by burning their holy books etc – then there will be tremendous backlash. There will be a major uprising as waves of those followers will staunchly line up behind their religion.
“Through such religions it is next to impossible to establish unity in the society. Religious differences should be minimized as much as possible, but it should be remembered that blind faith in a religion cannot be forcibly eliminated. To strike at any type of sentiment will only cause that sentiment to grow stronger.” (2)
Why do we see – from time to time – profane language used by one religious follower to another? Because of some political gain. This has happened time and again. It has happened in the past and will recur in the future. Intelligent people should always be alert and aware of such tactics. Those not in power incite tense situations to get the power and thereby create chaos in the society. This unfortunate maneuver occurs all around the globe. When we see such incidents it means some political gain is at stake. Those not in power want to come in power by escalating the situation and creating differences.
One political party did this in the USA in 2009 & 2011 – before the upcoming elections – whereby they spoke out against Muslims to ignite the Christian fundamentalists. That political party thought that by this way the can regain their political might. And a similar event occurred in India surrounding the Babri mosque whereby Hindus clashed with Muslims to rally people and regain power. For more about these incident see the link at the bottom of this letter.
The key point here is that if we allow people to create religious conflicts by such ploys then fissiparious tendencies and divisive forces will rise and society will be torn apart. All remnants of peace will be gone.
Thus to lambaste any religion on sentimental grounds will only make matters worse. That is Baba’s pointed warning. Religious leaders can only rely on sentiment and emotion to rally their people – they cannot say “use your brain” because the religions do not adhere to rational teachings.
So if we attack their religious sentiment by insulting their holy texts then that will only invite a dogmatic resurgence of that religion. Everyone, inside and outside of Ananda Marga, must be careful about this.
HOW MUST WE PROCEED
Here Baba outlines what our approach must be in order to create peace and harmony in the society.
“Psychological methods will have to be employed to make people realize the irrational nature of blind religious faith. This requires a rational interpretation of philosophy through enlightened intellect. When the human mind is gripped by the fear psychology it gives indulgence to blind faith rather than logic and reason. If human fear is removed through logic and reason, the very basis for blind faith will be weakened. That is why human beings will have to be taught philosophical doctrines in a rational way.” (3)
Thus we are to generate interest in logic and reasoning within the common people. Gradually those believers will begin to use their brain and that is the most opportune time to teach them. So logic and reasoning are our faithful tools to combat religious dogmas. Resorting to insulting behaviours and / or belittling their faith will not do.
Furthermore in His teachings on neo-humanism, Baba guides us to fight against isms and dogmas with our logic & reasoning. And that logic and reasoning can only be successful if one has inherent love for all of humanity. Such persons are sadvipras. They only can wipe away dogmas and isms.
If politicians try to crush, suppress or push aside the religions then they will fail. The communists tried that scheme but they could not smother those religions. Rather such religions flourished underground.
“It should be remembered that there are certain differences in the society which should be taken into proper consideration. These differences are usually removed through natural fusion. It is not possible to eradicate them by force. When human beings come close to each other with a genuine feeling of unity, when they share the common joys and sorrows of life, those external differences gradually vanish as a matter of course. In the human society there are four main types of external differences: food, dress, language and religion.” (4)
That is why Baba encourages inter-caste, inter-race & international marriages. And indeed we see that in any metropolitan city around the globe where there is a wide representation of diverse ethnic groups living and working together, such as in New York, Sao Paulo, or London, etc such types of heated social problems are much less.
We should rally around similarities not differences. We can also encourage rational philosophical discussions as that will clear up the minds of students.
IMPORTANCE OF FREE THINKING
The most detrimental aspect of religion is that people stop using their brain. In any era, or country or place where religion is very dominant, people are forced to blindly follow dogmatic edicts and keep away from rational analysis. In that way, they degrade themselves to near animals.
This is not just limited to religious affairs but in all spheres of life those believers become accustomed to blindly following certain politicians and radio show hosts. A leader declares: “Vote for this candidate”, “support this proposition”, “buy this product”, and the people respond – blindly. So their habit to passively follow and obey – without using their brain or critical intellect – applies to social, political, and economic life as well. Verily that habit of not using their brain in other spheres of life is the by-product of religion.
Everyone knows that the rational intellect is the unique quality of being human yet the religions mostly force people not to use their intellect – they stifle the entire method of free inquiry and open discussion. If we gradually encourage logic and reasoning – especially with youths – then gradually the hateful religions will be a relic of the past.
That is why Ananda Marga is working hard to establish educational and neo-humanistic institutions around the globe.
The rate at which religion is fading now is staggering; it is on a big downturn. We must raise the slogan of intellectual freedom and rational thinking. Then we can get success because religion does not allow such logic and reasoning.
In contrast, if we allow impulsive and fiery preachers to burn the Koran, Bible, Torah, Giita etc, then that will only ignite the flames of religious outcry and rebellion. That will be counter-productive.
RELIGIOUS DIALOG:
PHILOSOPHICAL DISCUSSION VERSUS ATTACK ON SENTIMENT
As margiis we should understand Baba’s guideline for discussing the religions.
In Ananda Marga, we appreciate healthy debates on philosophical grounds based on religious teaching and preachings. Hence we can respectfully speak about the loopholes of any of the religions in a very psychological manner. For instance in Christianity we can debate their positions on heaven, hell, and Satan etc, and with Hindus we can raise the point of idol worship etc. We can discuss why these things are right or wrong with regard to all the religions.
But these philosophical discussions must be carried out in a very respectful and dignified manner. There must not be one bit of hatred or disrespect towards any religion. On this very point Baba says in Caryacarya:
“Never attack the religious beliefs of anyone. Make the person understand gradually with logic. If you attack a person’s religious beliefs, it means you have attacked Ananda Marga.” (5)
So we do not appreciate any type of attack on one’s religious sentiments. That means no bible burning, no Koran burning, no destroying of idols, no cartoons about Mohammad, no wall writing about the religions using offensive language etc.
It is fine to politely discuss the defects of idol worship but we should not stand from afar and hurl rocks at those Hindu temples.
Debating the principles is very important, Baba says we should do that. But we must not hurt their emotional or sentimental feelings of their religion. That will only lead to social chaos and and rouse the followers behind those religions. Because at that time their rational brain is not functioning, rather their ego and emotions are dominating. That is why the problems will escalate.
IMPORTANCE OF FREE INQUIRY
The question comes: Why should we encourage philosophical debates? Because we believe in the liberation of intellect and free use of logic and reasoning. Before choosing any religion, one should use their brain as to how far it is logically meaningful.
We see in the society that when some people purchase anything they consider how they should spend their money. But when committing their entire heart and emotional feeling to a certain religion then they do not use their brain. They do not question its veracity.
For instance, Hindus believe that if you hold the tail of a cow on the bank of the Ganges in Varanasi and pay a priest 50 rupees to recite the rituals for “godana puja”, then you will go to eternal heaven and receive all kinds of luxuries and niceties.
Likewise in Catholicism, if a follower confesses their sin and gives money to the priest then their sin removed and a seat is reserved for them in heaven. And similar tactics are done in Islam and Judaism as well. Followers are led by tales and tall talks.
Such an approach is not good. Everyone should use their brain and logic and see how far it is rational to surrender to those religious beliefs and theories.
In any geographical region where education is prevalent, the grip of religious dogma is melting fast. But where people are not well educated, they are more prone to illogical beliefs, rituals and dogma. So education is very important. It should not be forgotten that even in America 14% of the population is illiterate – they cannot comprehend the newspaper. Thus we must work hard to raise the intellectual standard of all peoples in all countries – that will help promote an environment of all-round respect and cordiality.
WHAT TO BE DONE
With the rise of science, logic, and reasoning, the influence of religion is far less than it used to be. However, if anyone insults, taunts, and attacks any religion, then those blind religious followers will create an uproar. Unfortunately, some resort to desecrating and destroying religious symbols – as one religious preacher threatened & burned the Koran (Quran) etc – and that only creates more harm in society.
As in the case of all critical issues, as Ananda Margiis we should be crystal-clear about Baba’s teaching. We should know our stand – i.e. the stand of Ananda Marga. Thus if someone threatens to publicly burn the Bible or the Koran, or draws a caricature of Mohammed, or mocks Hindu idol worship etc, we should know how to respond and intervene.
Specifically, (a) what is our policy with regards to the burning of holy books from the various religions, (b) what are our weapons against such religions, and (c) on what level can we address religious claims.
To reach these answers, we must adhere to Baba’s, our Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji’s, aforementioned key guidelines about the various dogmatic religions.
THERE MUST BE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
Baba has graciously given us all the teachings to form a harmonious human society. We must pay heed to His guideline of not hurting anyone’s religious sentiment nor should we try and forcefully root out any dogma by methods of suppression, repression, or terror. We are all one people – brother and sisters – united in under the loving shelter of one God. Whatever differences we have must be sorted out in a respectful, safe, and diplomatic manner.
“The more human beings live in unity, shoulder to shoulder, the greater the welfare of the human race will be. Let no one try to suppress others on the basis of nationality, language, religion or anything else in any sphere of life. Let the path of full expression of human intelligence be kept open forever.” (6)
Namaskar,
In Him,
Gagan
REFERENCES
1. Prout Nutshell – 7
2. A Few Problems Solved – 2
3. A Few Problems Solved – 2
4. Prout in a Nutshell – 7
5. CC-2, “Society”, pt #9
6. A Few Problems Solved – 3
Note: FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO KNOW MORE
For those who want to know more about how certain opportunists create rifts among the religions in order to gain power should read the below letter (click link.)
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2013/06/igniting-religious-sentiment-for.html
PRABHAT SAMGIITA
“Nijer chanda ha’riye phelechi toma’r chande na’cite ca’i….” (1400)
Purport:
O’ Parama Purusa, by Your grace I have lost my own individual rhythm. Now I want to dance in Your Cosmic rhythm. I do not have any language, tune, or proper voice by which I can sing Your glory. So I sing Your name completely depending on Your grace.
O’ my Lord, whatever known or unknown things I had, big or small, everything I am surrendering at Your lotus feet – by Your grace. And I am doing sastaunga pranam countless times. O’ Dear Lord, please grace me.
O’ Parama Purusa Baba, I did not come here on this earth with any attributions, qualities, or wealth. I came empty-handed and I will go empty-handed. I will not go back with a huge treasury. Whatever sin or negative deeds I performed, those reactive momenta should remain along with me and I am ready to suffer the consequences. But whatever good things I did, making the garland of those virtues, I offer You the mala. So I am ready to face my sin but my virtue You please take. Baba, I am offering all my virtues as a mala…
When you say it is wrong to worship a stone(idols) why do you worship a photo?