What is religion, any religion, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, what is it that makes it what it is? Many educated proponents of these and other religions propose return to the basis, an understanding of its history, its tenants, the innovations that have taken place. Some of them argue for personal search in religion, using the intellect, in effect saying investment of time and seeking knowledge can give us better understanding of the religion. Then there are those who think religion cannot be understood through reason and intellect alone, and ordinary humans cannot understand the divine laws and therefore one needs a guide, that could be a religious scholar, an imam, a priest, a yogi, a monk, rabbi. Only through these can one understand religion....but is this debate relevant? Does it matter? If one believes, one simply believes, this is not something one can believe using ones senses, because the five senses cannot give us any clue about the divine. They tell us that the divine does not exist merely because we cannot 'sense' the existence.
These religions were formed many centuries ago, we cannot know for sure about the lives and times of our own grandparents let alone of the circumstances and contexts of these religions so many eons ago. Therefore history and the formation of religions is also poorly documented and is mostly conjecture.
So then what is it that is allowing these religions to function century after century? I think it is pure and simple faith. Personal faith, with all its syncretism, its amalgamations, its idiosyncrasies, its focus on rituals, its symbolism even its superstitions. If we try to purify religions and attempt to go to some ideal puritan, earlier period, firstly that period is just that-IDEAL, it never existed and secondly, it completely discredits human development, association, interpretation and adoption of religion. It discredits its fluidity, a very human element. It makes religion a terribly sanitized phenomenon which can look good in a laboratory or operation theater but never in places where there is vibrant human activity.
These religions were formed many centuries ago, we cannot know for sure about the lives and times of our own grandparents let alone of the circumstances and contexts of these religions so many eons ago. Therefore history and the formation of religions is also poorly documented and is mostly conjecture.
So then what is it that is allowing these religions to function century after century? I think it is pure and simple faith. Personal faith, with all its syncretism, its amalgamations, its idiosyncrasies, its focus on rituals, its symbolism even its superstitions. If we try to purify religions and attempt to go to some ideal puritan, earlier period, firstly that period is just that-IDEAL, it never existed and secondly, it completely discredits human development, association, interpretation and adoption of religion. It discredits its fluidity, a very human element. It makes religion a terribly sanitized phenomenon which can look good in a laboratory or operation theater but never in places where there is vibrant human activity.
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