Dan Brown, I know the moment I take this name the whole lot of controversies come to the fore. He is a great author of fiction in my view, especially if you talk about his creations like Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. Great mystery novel they are though I don't rate them high on the factual correctness. Reading his novels (Angels and Demons being my latest read) raises some questions in one's mind about God and the Religion. So it did with me and here I am ready with my laptop to pen my thinking down.
God, defined variably by religions across the world and as if the number is not sufficient, everyone keeps trying to define his / her own God. Some think about Him from heart and some from head. Some believe Him as omniscient and omnipotent and yet some believe him to be able to make mistakes like human. Now, defining God is definitely not something I want to discuss here. My subject is Religion. The God has long been kidnapped by religion. Every religion defines it's own God and wants us to believe it is The reality. Then every religion goes beyond defining God and tries to define the way one should live. Again the same story, every religion wants us to believe that it's is the way to live and any other is wrong.
Every religion also, claims that it's sacred text is The truth and contains everything what is to be know for human.
Every religion to some extent has used the force to put it's points across. It may be Christianity trying to force Galileo to accept that the earth is flat and is in deed the center of universe, it may be Islam trying to force convert people and more recently Hindus destroying a structure. Few of religions which did not or could not wield the force either have become extinct or on the verge of it.
If the religions have already uncovered the mysteries of the universe, if they know what life is and beyond, if they know the God, then why the texts contradict each other? Why every God and Sons of Gods are different? And is it right to use force to make people follow "right" path?
Another question which troubles me is the antipathy most religions have towards Science. Science or "New Knowledge" has always been opposed by most religions and their leaders. Now, at least we know that science's is a cardinal truth proved beyond any doubt, though not complete at the moment.
Is religion then only a way to keep people in a state of belief where they fear God and trade the directed path by sacred text? Only a way to keep the masses controlled. Is the faith only a way to keep people going in case of troubles by making them believe that the troubles will be sorted out for their is a God beyond? Is this some kind of Opiate as Marx called it?
God, defined variably by religions across the world and as if the number is not sufficient, everyone keeps trying to define his / her own God. Some think about Him from heart and some from head. Some believe Him as omniscient and omnipotent and yet some believe him to be able to make mistakes like human. Now, defining God is definitely not something I want to discuss here. My subject is Religion. The God has long been kidnapped by religion. Every religion defines it's own God and wants us to believe it is The reality. Then every religion goes beyond defining God and tries to define the way one should live. Again the same story, every religion wants us to believe that it's is the way to live and any other is wrong.
Every religion also, claims that it's sacred text is The truth and contains everything what is to be know for human.
Every religion to some extent has used the force to put it's points across. It may be Christianity trying to force Galileo to accept that the earth is flat and is in deed the center of universe, it may be Islam trying to force convert people and more recently Hindus destroying a structure. Few of religions which did not or could not wield the force either have become extinct or on the verge of it.
If the religions have already uncovered the mysteries of the universe, if they know what life is and beyond, if they know the God, then why the texts contradict each other? Why every God and Sons of Gods are different? And is it right to use force to make people follow "right" path?
Another question which troubles me is the antipathy most religions have towards Science. Science or "New Knowledge" has always been opposed by most religions and their leaders. Now, at least we know that science's is a cardinal truth proved beyond any doubt, though not complete at the moment.
Is religion then only a way to keep people in a state of belief where they fear God and trade the directed path by sacred text? Only a way to keep the masses controlled. Is the faith only a way to keep people going in case of troubles by making them believe that the troubles will be sorted out for their is a God beyond? Is this some kind of Opiate as Marx called it?
