Not something I would chose to write on easily, but lately
my thoughts keep circling around this.
I wouldn’t call myself a religious person, no. For me,
religion has always been a concept introduced by humans to stay within the
lines of morality and as an attempt to bring some sort of order into this
chaotic world. That’s how I have always looked at it. But then I am of the view
that religion isn’t necessary to stay within those moral boundaries. In fact I
have atheist friends who are better human beings than some of my theist ones
(this isn’t meant to point at people) or vice versa.
For me God and religion are two completely separate
entities. You can say I believe in God, but not in religion. Perhaps, it is
because of the way of thinking around which I was brought up. Actually, that is
the reason for how my standpoint is today. I was raised by a father who spent
nights telling me stories from each and every religion. And that’s what they
were to me, stories; stories spun by old men from days past and read out as the
only truth over generations. Perhaps that is the reason I believe in God as
well, because of the beliefs surrounding my formative years as a child. And
that’s what it amounts to in the end; your beliefs are a result of your
surroundings, and no one belief can be justified as right or wrong. Be it an
atheist, agnostic or a theist, it doesn’t matter. Everyone has a right to their
own beliefs and justifications.
Discussions on these have always been tiresome and hardly
ever end without at least one of the parties getting offended. Heaven forbid, a
person walking out not offended from that particular debate. My views, now that
I read through what I just wrote, sound lax and vague. I would be lying if I said I do
not get offended by some of these discussions. I do, and hence the general
avoidance of the whole matter.
I believe in God, I believe in prayers, I believe that
everyone has a right to their own beliefs and I believe that no one faith is
greater than the other. Most religions teach us that anyway, it’s just that,
some of us in our deep piousness tend to overlook that little fact and
interpret the words of holy books in our own way. But then again, there is
nothing wrong in that, as long as you do not start denying others their basic
rights based on your take on the matter. Live and let live.
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