Can God be More Supreme than GOD? - Part 2
In continuation to : Can God be More Supreme than GOD? - Part 1
Based on the knowledge inscribed in the Religious texts around the World, Religion has been enunciated as the foundation of an action based virtuous ethical life. The next logical question arises, then how did it get monopolised, politicised and segregated into the version we see around the world today? Here are some logical fact-checks:
- Since our religious books articulate ‘the Word of God’, it is meant for the greater good of all species and so should be made accessible to everyone. All religious books around the World are written in different languages. All languages consist of words. All words in all languages have synonyms. Each synonym of each word has its own meaning too. So to have God’s wisdom shared with the rest of the society in an easily relatable manner, these ancient texts were bestowed upon a certain group of people in every civilisation with the responsibility to study and learn the book’s ancient languages, understand and simplify it.
- World histories have proved, where some ‘enlightened individuals’ from this group genuinely shared and preached the true religion, some others on the other hand taught and preached their own version with the agenda to acquire power. The power to be recognised ‘Supreme’ right after God because they alone ‘knew “His” consent and intention’. The ‘True Word of God’ became manipulated and lost beneath the specific references given to the common people without complete context about a certain topic being discussed.
- With the change in generations, dynasties and cultures, this agenda driven group held ‘Varchasva' or ‘absolute unquestionable power’ from being the sole spokesperson of God, taking advantage of a common man’s fear of God. They not only influenced social customs and norms, but also participated in creating social laws that may seem beneficial for the common people but in reality benefitted them instead, making them more powerful over the years.
- ‘In the name of God’ the society was divided into sections, groups, races, class and castes, and assigned a set profession establishing who will reign supreme amongst them. Discrimination of all forms in the name of God ran rampant. Fear of God’s wrath conquered Love for God, even when He is considered to be the most merciful and benevolent.
- In this society, education was only meant for and available to either the rulers and kings, religious groups or atmost the upper class. The majority of the population was either illiterate or had knowledge specific only to their line of profession along with limited access to the knowledge around their own religion. It was easy to psychologically manipulate and subjugate this collective using fear of God.
- Brutal colonisation around the World added another layer of terror. The strategy of the colonists (with the exception of a few names) was to control the masses with any means necessary. Even if it meant a ‘Promise of Power’ to the already socially superior groups. Irrespective of the social segregations present even then, all countrymen stood up to the colonists in one voice. If we all can unite against a common enemy, then why can’t we stay united otherwise as well?
If you think about it, doesn’t all this sound like a mass brainwash ongoing for centuries now?! Consider this. When we get involved in some misdeed, quite often our elders give references from our own Religions as a guidance to mend our ways. At such times these answers are from the perspective of the person who is quoting our religion back to us. Most of the time specific singular reference examples are quoted without any appropriate context. Quite often it may also include a hint of a personal bias. Would you expect them to sit you down and give you the entire context or read out the entire chapter from your particular Religious book? On the flip side, would you be willing to give them your time to acquire complete knowledge and information? Would you be ready to be preached? How many of us truly read our own Religious books to find the complete truth involving a religious issue? How many times do we look for answers to a social issue that complains Religion to be the root cause of it?
Consequently, references given from Religious books without context are misunderstood, misrepresented and misinterpreted. Meaning of words change and passages seem to interpret something that was not even the intent meant in the first place. Unfortunately most of us still living in a world that glorifies discrimination in the name of Religion and surrender to it. Do we ask ourselves why does discrimination still even exist, when our own religious books give evidence that God doesn’t discriminate amongst any of his own creations? Why do the classifications of race, caste, colour, religion, social status and gender still exist when God’s word denies any such segregation? Isn’t this proof that discrimination is only an offspring of someone’s agenda-based personal perspective or a biased opinion towards another? The agenda to feel powerful, to feel superior to another in some way?
Think about this example. Imagine you are caught in a natural calamity (like flood, earthquake, etc.) and someone extends a hand to save you - either the National Guard, Army, Police Rescuers, etc. Would you slap away the hand seeing that it is of someone who doesn’t belong to your caste, race or religion? Or would you tell them that you will wait while they get someone from your caste, race or religion to help save your life? No, right? The reason - FEAR for your life. So if you will not discriminate against another person, when your life is in danger, why do we make them fight a different battle otherwise? Why do we generalise our opinion for one person or a small group of people to reflect it on the rest of their community? How is the entire community responsible for the actions of one person? Does the community even know that this small group or this specific individual exists? While generalising our opinion about anything, do we think about how populous the World is compared to a specific group? A judge giving out a sentence, a soldier protecting our borders and a doctor treating his/her patients have one thing in common. For them every life matters. Their Religion is to save each and every innocent life, irrespective of race, colour, religion, social status and gender. They do not discriminate while performing their Religion of saving lives. Would we expect them to? Then why do we? Even today, every blood bag mentions the blood group and not the donor’s religion, because irrespective of who we are, the colour of our blood is Red.
I’m sure the next reasonable question raised would be, that some people kill millions of innocents everyday and they are almost always from a certain religion or race. I would agree with you. But I personally would call them terrorists. Terrorists in my opinion don’t have a religion, neither do they belong to a society. They only have an agenda. The agenda to instill fear to maintain their stance of power. They prey on the victims of our own societies manipulating them. Just think. When a bomb blasts, does it segregate between who it’s killing? In a communal disturbance, all are equally victims. It doesn't matter which religion, caste, race or social section we may belong to. But it’s a human tendency founded on the psychological emotion of Pain that we feel the most victimised compared to others, forgetting the other person’s loss.
So based on this context, should one person be held responsible for the rest of their community? Should one person be considered as their entire community’s representative? If yes, would you apply the same logic to yourself as well? Should you be considered as the representative for the rest of your community as well? If no, then why do we shun away and discriminate against an entire community based on the actions of some? Do we realise that in doing so, we are creating our own demons that are coming to haunt us? Is it possible for one person in their lifetime to know everyone from another community, inhabited throughout the World? Is it possible for that person to know all of them intimately enough to conclude everyone to be the same? No, right? Then why do we succumb to this opinion often? Why do we stereotype them? It is a normal human tendency to be scared of something that you cannot understand or know - just like a sudden change in our lives that we have no control over. The solution to this concern I feel, is to take a baby step. A baby step to unearth the complete truth yourself. To make an effort to know the truth objectively from all aspects. To show compassion towards the other, just like all our Religions preach, and spend time with them to get to know them enough before making an informed opinion about them. Until, then at least give them the benefit of the doubt. Yes, this is a time consuming process, but at least there’s satisfaction knowing that we know the complete truth based on our own findings. That we are not bowing to only what is being fed to us.
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