The Religious Quandary

Today as the the priest washed the feet of members from the congregation (both male and female, making you hope that one day they would go further than these set genders), as Jesus did for his disciples, all those years ago, symbolic that if you want to be the greatest you would first have to be the servant of all, this made me wonder where the hell did we loose the entire plot? When did we start behaving like an entitled lot, like one of the Pharisees? When did religion become a pawn in spreading hatred, become a pawn in vote bank politics? I believe in God as a divine being, I believe in religion, but don’t consider myself religious. I am a Catholic, but I am a Human Being first. I don’t want my religion to define me, to label me, cause I am a human first, the rest will all follow. 

Though I am religious (a tiny insy-winsy bit) I fear the religious zealots. Every religion have them, the ones who feel like they are entitled ones and the rest are undeserving sinners, they consider themselves the chosen and the others lost souls, those who feel heaven is theirs and the rest is left to fend for themselves. Who look down on people from other religions, other social status, other communities, the LGBTQ, in short people who don’t meet their expectations. But then they fail to understand that Christ spent most of his time around tax collectors and the so called sinners, preaching to them, eating with them. Wonder if these would the same, well maybe if there’s something in it for them.

Somewhere down the line we seemed to have lost our humanity, the whole idea and it’s preaching, of loving one another, of forgiveness (ok this is difficult). If God is love, and where there’s love there’s god, so why is religion so intolerant, why is religion so unaccepting, so cruel. Well it’s not religion that’s intolerant, that’s unaccepting, it’s the religious who are that way, who put it squarely on religion for their behaviour. They make you feel unwelcomed because of your beliefs, who you are, especially when you fail to fit into their narrow definition. But then no religion propagates hate, exclusivity, that’s all mans doing. And if you blame religious tenets then remember it’s written by man, and his interpretation of what god said. If they really wanted to follow anything then they should stop coveting their neighbour’s wife, or even honour your father and mother.

Somehow I feel that an atheist has more humanity and humility than most priest and religious do (see I used most and not all cause there are those rays of hope). There’s love in a world where there are no labels, that’s more accepting irrespective who you are, your gender, your social status, your religious beliefs, your orientation, what you believe in. And in doing so, people have begun to move  away from religion, to something that’s accepting of them, where they don’t feel threatened. We all need a safe space where you are allowed to be who you are, to be true to yourself. Sadly this is the one thing that religious zealots will never give you.

It’s time we change the way we see the world, and through our actions bring about change in the heart of these religious heartless. Show them religion is more than just what they believe, they need to change the way they see the world, take off their self-righteous religious glasses and be humane. It’s time to change the way religion is interpreted, change the way religion is perceived, it’s time religion and humanity walk hand in hand.

Do the Gods Discriminate?

Do the Gods discriminate?  Do they have differential system in the way they treat their devotees, in the way they perceive the world? Well no matter what the world tells you, what society at large tells you, the Gods don’t discriminate, and neither are they condescending or judgemental.

They really don’t care who you are, or even where you are form, or what you did, as long as what you do comes from your heart and is pure and unconditional. They are not bothered about your background, or your social status, your gender, size, religion, political leaning, or even your preferences, your orientation. It doesn’t matter if your black or white, rich or poor, big or small, gay or straight, you have all the rights to believe in the divine (if you choose to believe in a higher being), you have all the right to worship the way you were meant to worship.

Gods don’t discriminate. They listen to the prays of the poor, accept their offerings as they listen to the prays of the rich, there’s no preferential treatment. They don’t care if you come to them in all silken finery, or your torn and tattered clothing. They see all as equal, all as one. 

Gods are all tolerant, they accept a repentant heart, as much as a pure of heart. They are more accepting, they don’t care about who you choose to love. They don’t judge you for that, they don’t forbade you. Cause Gods divine nature is love. All the judging and forbading is done by society.

They don’t care of your gender. A woman has every right to worship as man. A woman’s menstrual cycle doesn’t make her impure or unclean. This is nature’s law and nature is a form of the divine. So how can we call the divine impure (this is just my thoughts).

You can be holier than thou, offering prayers, following all the tenets that religions say you should follow, but still be impure of heart. Cause such a person is condescending, judgemental, intolerant, unaccepting, especially in things that go against their beliefs. Where’s the purity in this? Wouldn’t this make us hypocrites?

Let no one, no being tell you that you can’t. You will find  more non-Christian than Christians at Mount Mary and St Michaels paying devotion to Mother Mary for their belief in her. You will find non-Hindus joining their Hindu brethren in celebrating festivals like Holi, Diwali, Ganesh Chathurthi. Same for Eid. It is only society and evil that men do, that bring a divide, that become intolerant. 

So in the end, if someone tells you that you can’t worship, because of who you are, just call their BS.