| Religions are now again in the news. This time, | | | | Knowledge per-se is without any colour or attribute |
| religions are accused for the wars and conflicts in the | | | | but people use the knowledge for pursuance of their |
| world. Almost every day, there is some blast in some | | | | own objective. The reveled knowledge of the |
| part of the world that is caused by so called Religious | | | | scriptures is no exception. |
| Fundamentalists and the victims are none other than | | | | Knowledge of God is as Immense as the Knowledge |
| their own brothers and sisters. As a result religions, | | | | of Universe |
| particularly Islam, is accused to be the inspiration can | | | | The essence of all religion is spirituality i.e. a belief on |
| cause of the terrorist attacks and violence that has | | | | a nonmaterial reality in this world that lies beyond the |
| gripped the world in last one decade as most people | | | | senses. This "Spirit" which permeates all creations of |
| involved in the violence happens to be Muslims, the | | | | this universe is often called God. We know God as |
| followers of Islam. | | | | we too are part of God as God resides in all |
| However, the truth is only partly revealed by terming | | | | creations including each one of us. Thus the |
| one religion as violent while calling other religions as | | | | knowledge of God is "inherent" and as natural as the |
| peaceful. It is only few decades ago that Christians | | | | knowledge of the "self". It is for this reason that |
| were fighting against each other in the two World | | | | Hinduism does not distinguish between "Atman" (Soul) |
| Wars that killed almost 65 millions of people, mostly | | | | and Paramatman (God or Universal Soul) as there is |
| Christian and resulted of the execution of more than | | | | no difference between a drop of ocean and ocean |
| 7 millions Jews including children just because they | | | | itself. |
| belonged to a particular religion. It is impossible to | | | | Thus the knowledge of God is extremely mysterious |
| imagine how the followers of Christ, the God of love, | | | | as one has to go "inside" the self to know God while |
| can engage in such brutalities against each other. A | | | | all our sense organs only help us in seeing the outside |
| German Philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer has said | | | | world. Therefore, only with intuition and |
| sarcastically in 18th century | | | | "Self-Enlightenment" one can know God. |
| "The fruits of Christianity were religious wars, | | | | There is no doubt that most of us are ignorant about |
| butcheries, crusades, inquisitions, extermination of the | | | | God just like even the best scientists knows only a |
| natives of America and the introduction of African | | | | little about the universe. Even the father of science , |
| slaves in their place" | | | | Sir Isaac Newton admitted, |
| It is easy to blame religion for the conflict, more so if | | | | I do not know what I may appear to the world; but |
| the people committing violence do not belong to your | | | | to myself I seem to have been only like a boy |
| religion. However, one dare to look in their own | | | | playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now |
| religion, they are bound to find out that their own | | | | and then finding of a smoother pebble or a prettier |
| religion had often been used and can be used for | | | | shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay |
| creating conflict and wars. The Biblical concept of "an | | | | all undiscovered before me. |
| eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a | | | | The same is true with our knowledge of God or the |
| hand, a foot for a foot" appears in Bible (Exodus | | | | nonmaterial reality of the universe. The scriptures |
| 21:22-27) had been used not only by Jews but also | | | | provide immense knowledge about the spiritual world, |
| by the Christians. Gita, the Holiest book for Hindus, | | | | yet there is lot to be known and discovered by |
| teaches the concept of eternity of Soul and the | | | | personal effort. |
| need for war in the following words of Lord Krishna | | | | Religion in Theory |
| Considering your specific duty as a warrior, you | | | | Religions had been used by people to achieve their |
| should know that there is no better engagement for | | | | political goals. They ignore all aspects of the religions |
| you than fighting on religious principles; and so there | | | | which are beneficent to the humanity and use only |
| is no need for hesitation. O Partha, happy are the | | | | such "words" of the religion that suits them to sow |
| warrior to whom such fighting opportunities come | | | | the seeds of hatred in the world and cause conflict |
| unsought, opening for them the doors of the | | | | and wars. How else a Christian can ignore these |
| heavenly planets. (Gita 2:31-32) | | | | sermons of Christ and remember only "eye for eye", |
| The fact is that religions had always been used for | | | | "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and |
| wars. | | | | tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil |
| Yet how correct it would be to blame a religion for | | | | person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, |
| the wars? | | | | turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to |
| What's Wrong with Religion | | | | sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak |
| Let us first understand what we mean by religion? | | | | as well. (Matthew 5:38-40) |
| Religions are based on the Scriptures which contains | | | | The word "Islam" itself means "Submission to God." |
| the "revealed knowledge" of the Prophets or saints. | | | | The Arabic word "Islam" means the submission or |
| The knowledge of the scriptures contains certain | | | | surrender of one's will to the will of the only true god |
| truths that are believed by the followers of the | | | | worthy of worship, "Allah" (known as God "the |
| religion. As per one definition | | | | Father" in Christianity). Anyone who does indeed |
| "A religion is a system of human thought which | | | | submit to the will of Allah as required by Islam is |
| usually includes a set of narratives, symbols, beliefs | | | | termed a "Muslim," Islam teaches peace like any |
| and practices that give meaning to the practitioner's | | | | other religion as clearly stated in Quoran, |
| experiences of life through reference to a higher | | | | "And the servants of the Beneficent God are they |
| power, deity or deities, or ultimate truth". | | | | who walk on the earth in humbleness, and when the |
| However, most people of any religion have never | | | | ignorant address them, they say: Peace." (Quran |
| read their scriptures and never known these | | | | 25.63 ) |
| "revealed truths". They consider themselves as part | | | | Religion in Practice |
| of the religion simply because they were born from | | | | A truly religious person is one who follows the |
| the parents following their religion. Therefore, while | | | | scripture or the words of God rather than "knows" |
| they call themselves religious or "theist", they hardly | | | | the words of scripture by heart. A man becomes |
| understand anything of their religion. They are often | | | | religious only if he follows the path shown in the |
| guided by their Priests, Monks and Imams to know | | | | scriptures. Thus to become Christian, it is needed to |
| their religions. These people provide the people only | | | | follow Christ and be become like Him. Yet people |
| "little knowledge' which suits their vested interest and | | | | have found a way to defy everything that Christ |
| as always "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" | | | | said and yet claim that they are Christian. |
| and that danger is often manifested in the form of | | | | In the same way, a true Muslim is one who follows |
| wars. | | | | the path shown by Prophet Mohammad. Still people |
| Not only religion, but every single piece of knowledge | | | | call themselves Muslims despite of consuming alcohol |
| had been used constructively and destructively by | | | | and other intoxicants, accumulating wealth and |
| human beings. The knowledge of relativity and | | | | following the path of violence forbidden in Islam. |
| mass-energy-equivalence discovered by Albert | | | | Hinduism too pays lot of value on the practice and |
| Einstein was not only responsible for the birth of | | | | believes the principle of "Karma" which alone is |
| "Modern Physics" and the modern development in the | | | | considered virtuous in men. Yet many people engage |
| field of electronics but also responsible for the | | | | in evil karma, corruption, adultery and yet call |
| development of the nuclear bomb that killed millions | | | | themselves Hindus. |
| of people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Can we call | | | | Religion is the Knowledge of God |
| Einstein or the theory of relativity responsible for the | | | | There seems to be nothing wrong with any religion |
| nuclear weapon or the wars? Why should we not | | | | nor does any religion preach violence and hatred. |
| give Einstein the credit for the development of the | | | | Religions are nothing but a practice and ritual to know |
| modern science and technology and development of | | | | and realize the non-material reality of the world which |
| nuclear energy for the world? | | | | we call God. It is only by prayers, humbleness, |
| Every single invention had been misused by the | | | | service, love that we can realize God. Yet, the true |
| human race. "Dynamites" was not only used for | | | | knowledge of God requires deep introspection and |
| breaking mountains to make roads but also used for | | | | search within to develop the intuitive eyes that alone |
| making bombs that killed millions. Internet is not only | | | | can help a man know God. Without self-realization, |
| being used for dissemination and communication of | | | | the knowledge of God is not only incomplete but also |
| knowledge but also for pornography and a number | | | | wrong as God is beyond any description of words. |
| of cyber crimes. The televisions and radios had been | | | | There are many people who are clever to use such |
| used not only for entertainments but also for | | | | ignorant people to realize their political and material |
| propaganda. | | | | goals. |