I was discussing with a good friend of mine about religion. He had seen the documentary "Zeitgeist", and it was under his insistence that I too had seen. At the start of the conversation, I didn't understand his intentions behind the discussion and so I cared very little to understand his tone and mood. He went on to describe how the movie was fantastic and how it could be true belying our common perceptions. How religion could be the roots of all evils, how the US 9/11 could be state sponsored, how churches could be for the very purpose of manipulation. All in the name of power.
I was baffled about his talk because, he very well knew that I too have watched the movie and I was going to agree to whatever he said. When he went a step ahead to claim that religion could primarily be used for manipulation resulting out of the urge to hold power, I became rebellious. I then went on to say that the very purpose of religion is altruistic and for good purposes. The very simple fact that man can't stand alone in his deeds and requires social and spiritual support would easily hint at why religion might have been created. And as such from an individual's point of view, religion is a fantastic concept. Any atheist would gladly accept this argument because this bases on the fact that God is fictitious. Another aspect to this is that God should remain un-understandable and only then the awe gets to form a religion. Hence for a rational person, religion might not be needed.
But the conversation went on further, and he pinned down 'Lust for power' as the root of all evils. Whatever the system, such people would manipulate and inflict immense damage. The question was 'Would the world have been a better place without religion'?
I then went on to draw a parallel. I said religion is a system. Just like this spiritual system, we do have political systems viz democracy etc etc. And people do continue to play havoc in the name democracy. So would world have been a better place without democracy in the first place, is anyone's guess.
But then I realized what he was arriving at. He said that groups of living organisms could live together with no disparity in power. This happens in schools of fishes, microbes etc. So, abolishing this system might solve many problems. This is something similar to the organisms in “Prey”, a book. He kept wondering. That kept me wondering too.. Is atheism a solution?
Well you have stated atheism as a solution but i would say it would not be a soultion but only a manisfestation of another form of religion. Wat is religion? its just a faith and belief but forced on diety. But athesim is also a belief tat there is no GOD but forced on one another. There would be never an end to wat u hav discussed. Human folly needs a support to hold on to. I read an article which said that person belonging to religion are better equipped mentally than atheist. Because since they have a form to vent out there mental pressure. And when it comes to the microbes and fishes there intelligence is so negligible for us to compare with them. The idea of a free society without rules is actually a nightmare. I will borrow the words from the Matrix movie in which the creator of matrix will say that a perfect world is something sort of a flaw and a curse which the humans will never appreciate and will never last unless they lose the sense to reason. The sixth sense is both a curse and a blessing upon us. With it no solution exists for a peaceful existence.
ReplyDelete@ Nagu,
ReplyDeleteYou are right. In a way. Mainly because, it is not tough to believe that something is not there when its not there. Hence Atheism is not a belief in that sense. You were right in the fact that Atheism is also about belief, but its belief about self. And you were perfectly right when you said that religious people are psychologically well equipped. Isn't this a strong reason for manipulation still ?
@ Siva
ReplyDeleteI accept religion is the instrument of manipulation nowadays. But nowadays i find it very hard to see one relationship without manipulation. Every act of human being has now moved towards manipulation of others. there is no act so great witout manipulating others. Here the religion is the victim not the cause. Its sometime the tool but not the yielder. But abt atheism i accept it a belief in oneself and depends on the quality of self. If that self is flawed then it to becomes an act of manipulation.
Well, i am basically a very religious person... never once have i questioned the existence of god in my life, even when things went otherwise.. though i do strongly disapprove ppl claiming power in the name of religion, i feel d mistake is on the human side.. after all what has god to do with that?? n i get reminded of what i read recently, " We need god, coz there are few questions which even google cant answer":P
ReplyDelete