What makes a man a man - eyes, or tears?
Man can see, though he can not see enough. But he can feel. He can feel pain, not only his own but of others as well. And that - compassion - makes him a man. Not efficiency, for efficiency makes him a machine, a robot.
Man has five senses. He could have more but he has five only. Some have fewer than five. There are institutions to take care of their handicap. Similarly some men can not think, or they can not think enough. They are entrusted to mental hospitals, or prisons.
Religion is another asylum, which is made for the spiritually handicapped - those who lack sensitivity, those who need to be told that killing is sin.
9 comments:
Do you really believe that religion does at all times tell people that killing is sin?
Here, I completely agree with you. Religion disgusts me too. There is no reason to feel good institutionally or collectively. It creates the illusion of owning God. Look at Muslims: they think they own Prophet Muhammad; look at the idiots: they think they understand the Buddha. How can one uderstand him unless he becomes him?
- Laughing Buddha
@Meenakshi
Well misguiding people in name of religion is misuse of religion to meet political ends. Institutions are curruptible. Religions are corruptible too. And religions have been corrupted by the corrupted men.
@ Laughing Buddha
Religion does not disgust me, espe the religion that says that 'Killing is sin'.
I have seen spiritually handicapped men who see problems with killing but they still do it. Logic can not help them, but the myth of hell can.
If it can, it is welcome.
Religion is not a discovery but an invention, so does it not cease to be anything beyond what is practised?
Religion is a realization.
I have realized that good and evil exists in us. We should know them, and be aware of them.
I have realized that some people are just incapable to see the truth; they are myopic, they can not see far, they can not see the interconnection, they are spiritually blind.
But you have to live with them in the same house. They can not be allowed to go berserk. So they should be simply told to do the right things, because they can not understand, and because you can not make them understand.
Thinking that way, it is more of a discovery. But yes, with time it is indeed invented, and reinvented.
Realization happens at an individual level. Collectively it is more likely to be indoctrination.
Realization can be communicated among those who realize.
Unfortunately, common sense is not common. Man is not as good as you like him to be. He thinks less than he ought to think; he feels less than he ought to feel. He is ignorant, cruel and selfish. In the raging chaos of everyday life, sometimes he doesn't even get a chance to think and feel. He just gets time to act and react.
Religion sets his 'default behavior' at place - Dos and Don'ts. Religion is indeed indoctrination; it is not education. And it is not for the educated.
You and I may not need religion. But that doesn't mean much in a greater context. You and I may not need hospitals, but that doesn't mean that they should not exist.
I am the Laughing Buddha. Come laugh with me!
- You know me and I am scared of you
After stumbling upon your blog and reading this post, I guess that through this post you mean to say that religion is needed but it is needed by the ugly and the stupid?
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