Religion - an end or a mean!

July 4, 2005

Hello,

I have a question for knowledgeable visitors to this forum.

Is religion a mean or an end in itself?

I have some thoughts.

It seems that the current tends in the world indicate that the religion has become an end in itself. Where you go to pray or what you wear in your locket has become more important than the "realization of God" which should have been the end of any religion. The tendency of some religion to look down upon other religions is because of the narrowmindedness and tribal instincts of human beings. How can any human being be any less than any other human being and given the level playing field every human being is capable of performing well.

Who are we to decided which is the best way to reach the God when he has given freedom to choose. How can any path which look down upon other paths can be a way to realization of God?

We wear different clothes which are means to cover our body, we eat different food / dishes which are means to get nourishment, we speak different languages which are means to communicate. They all serve the common objective.

Then how can a religion say that theirs is the best religion unless it is an end in itself.

Hinduism says when a person reaches enlightenment....that person sees God even in animals and mundane things. Prahalad saw Vishnu in the pillar from where Narshimha appeared to kill Hrinakashyap. That is the stage of God realization.

How can any religion advocate killing of other believers, breaking of temples, idols? How any religion permit coercive practices against other believers? How can any soul be any less than any other soul? How any any religion permit something like 9/11?

Is God residing in four walls of a building or in heart of human beings? When somebody is in operation theatre, does he / she asks for blood from his her own religion?

When we eat an apple do we care who grew that apple? Can a person who has realized god ever even kill an animal with his/her own hands or even eat it?

Well...all these might appear as lots of babbling to some people because they are children of higher Gods.

God Bless everybody!

Sephiroth · July 4, 2005

Is religion a mean or an end in itself?

There is some religion, modified into become part of Living and Culture for a society. No founders, just people who experiemented with it for a long time and found which is the best course of actions in daily life, according to Nature so they could live in peace.

And there is some religion, which sole purpose in existence is to give Placebo Effect for its followers.

Placebo is a type of medicine given by some doctors to fool patients (who believe they have some sort of sickness when there is none) into believing they will become better.