Thursday, May 10, 2007

God - Whats in the name?

Have wondered about this for a considerable portion of my life and I am still unable to get a satisfactory answer.

Why cant people seem to understand that there is a difference between Religion and God?

When I think about the whole thing, it seems rather simple, and the answers seem very obvious. At the same time, there are people who think veryyy differently. Ok.. here we go

According to me - most of you guys reading this blog (assuming that someone will actually read it - wishful thinking, I guess) - hmm like I was saying, most of u people reading this blog would agree that there is only one god, right?

(for the ones who agreed - read on)

Now does it really matter what one chooses to call that only one god? I mean - seriously, what's in the name?

What is more important - going to the temples/churches/mosques ... or just being a good human being?

Is going to a temple/church/mosque a prerequisite to being a good person? I don't think so. I am pretty sure god doesn't think so either.

Just think about it (I know it's kind of a beaten topic.. but.. just couldn't help it) - every one believes that there is only one god.. everyone believes that god is omnipresent and omnipotent. yet there are individuals who would just sit and argue with you endlessly over the topic just because you were born into a family which follows a different religion.

The saddest part is - most of the opposition comes from people who are educated and that really bothers me. If it was an illiterate person yapping all this, then it would've been fine. At least that way I could hope that - if given proper education, in a non-isolated environment, perhaps this person would get some perspective and not have such views. BUT as I mentioned.. it's the educated individuals who harp on about these distinctions and that's so disturbing.

What's even more surprising is (at least to me) that this post of mine is going to be frowned upon. People will come in with stuff like tradition, culture, history and all that (again - assuming someone will be reading this).

In principle, they will all agree that there is one god. But when it comes down to it - they would insist on giving the supreme being.. the force.. the creator a NAME and that's where the problems will start. You will have people quoting various religious scriptures, wanting to convince you that -

THIS IS HOW IT HAPPENED BECAUSE IT SAYS SO IN THE BOOK and HENCE DOING WHAT THE SCRIPTURE SAYS IS THE ONLY TRUE WAY TO GOD.


3 Opinions:

Coolness Personified said...

a real nice one raj!.....this still remains the best among the blogs.

well...lemme ask all the ppl something...What is Religion?
according to me, the answer is really simple...religion is a way of life. n if u read the Holy Quran, Bible, any of the scriptures of Hindu mythology etc, you'd understand that first and foremost, none of the books themselves claim to be "holy" as what has continued to be interpreted. all of 'em contain stories and story lines from which we cud infer loads and loads of morals...not to hear from one ear and remove from the other...but to apply them in real lives. that's the actual "religious" life we shud lead and that's the aim of all the "religions". so it's the other way round...u read them as work of art, and then u understand that the contents of the books consist of the basic facts of life and much more...hence they get termed as "holy" in our minds. well...it's my view! the underlining statement is as raj said....all the "religions" (so called) ask us to be good humans....which we so frequently fail to be :-) so in actual terms, most of us are not "religious" (though we all claim to be)

no religion claims that u'll see God or that you'll attain salvation by reading the holy scriptures....perhaps the way to that wud be through one's deeds.

faith in God shows faith in oneself. if we believe that god is omnipresent and omnipotent, u shud think that God is in you. every person has a different concept abt God. now, if a person calls his God as Ram and another calls Rahim, how can it cause them to fight in His name? after all...what's in the name!?

Agnel said...

The first post I read... still a wonderful read :)

L o r d R a j said...

Agnel,

Glad you think so. :)

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