v.kumaresan
Religionless World flourishing constructively for the comman good of humanity is a reality. Providing choice and freedom to practice any religion and bringing reforms in religion are exercises of merely concealing incurable disease by applying pain-killer balms.
Genesis of Religion
The way of life of the human beings, of course the resultant effect of evolution of primitive living things, lasted during the beginning stage with the drive of natural instincts like hunger, urge to be protected from other living things, mostly ferocious animals and natural disasters. Such instincts were developed where water source was available and other resources that are vital for human existence were easily reachable. Slowly, the thinking process, which differentiates humans from other living beings emerged by which the stone age humans began to ask themselves ‘why’, ‘what’, etc.
With the limited knowledge the humans possessed when they were unable to find out answer to their question, only a few persons started to think vigorously further. Majority of them wanted to conclude by linking their unanswered questions to super natural powers, which later transformed as ‘god’. When the concept of god was conceived, the mode of exploitation also commenced simultaneously. The exploiting sect of human society in order to sustain the ‘concept of god’ and derive materialistic benefits out of it, developed some organizational structure viz. religion. The practices of religious activities were framed as ‘rituals’ for their meek adherence. Questioning religious activities was considered crime and in course of time, such questioning was treated with severe punishment. This is the core history of any religion that is presently practised in the world. Based on the super natural power, conceived by humans, and also on the caliber of the exploiting the respectable in such society, the religious binding, got established and became an integral part of the rulers of social behaviour. When political invasion started, religious invasion also accompanied it and it was very much supportive and beneficial to achieve the political aspirations of the social leaders.
birth based discriminations are professed as the divine prescription of god.Once it is prescribed by god, the discriminated subjects do not dare to question the sanction of god. this is the discriminaray and diving tactics involved in Hindu religion, causing social enslavement.
Social clutches were put by the exploiting sect of religion viz. clergies on the ignorant and susceptible subjects, through the creation of new texts, insertion into the existing texts with least bother of intellectual honesty. The significance of religion got strengthened according to the articulation of the religious clergies, the patronage available to them from the ruling classes and above all the acceptability and adherence level of the ignorant people who formed the majority. All these social set up made people subservient to religious beliefs and their ignorance was deliberately sustained to keep them not to question but continue with meek submission, nobly coined as ‘faith’.
Emergence of Science and Technology
The lateral and deviated thought process co-existed throughout history of mankind. Such co-existence was the basis for the development of science and technology. In course of time and space, science and technology developed and advanced much which created a lot of comforts and conveniences to human living. Such developments negated many of the beliefs and concepts, preserved by religion. Religion apparently started the propaganda of preaching on such beliefs and concepts but continued to sustain with the rest to upkeep their control and dominance over others. This sort of tug of war, viz., concealed war continued for so many centuries. The real victory stands by the side of science and technology to put it aptly ‘rationalist outlook and approach’ (with or without proclaiming it.) The disguised victory, which religions project on their side is becoming exposed more and more.
Journey Towards ‘Religionless World’
Basically all religions are exploitative in nature for the benefit of a few. Keeping the subjects in the dark and ignorance is the strategic approach adopted by all religions but the degree and depth of such method of keeping the subjects are not uniform. In respect of all religions, other than Hinduism, the religious texts do not discriminate their subjects. Only in practice they do discrimination. In Hinduism, the religious text itself discriminates the subjects with graded inequalities. To be more specific, such birth based discriminations are professed as the divine prescription of god. Once it is prescribed by god, the discriminated subjects do not dare to question the sanction of god. This is the discriminatory and dividing tactics involved in Hindu religion, causing social enslavement. Besides, the mind- set of the subjects has been tuned to enjoy such birth discrimination and the social insults, experienced by them. So, overcoming such hurdles, prevalent in the hindu religious world is a more difficult and challenging task. Lack of the challenge is the main social advantage for the advancement of science and technology in the non – Hindu religious environment of the world.
Non – Hindu Religious World
Since the influence of religions remains only in practice, the arrival of religionless world would be comparatively easier in the countries, other than India. As knowledge proliferates and wisdom proceeds in the forefront, the progress to religionless world would be wider and the impact would be fast. That is what is happening in the United States of America, United Kingdom and other European Countries, which is more under the influence of Christianity.
In the USA, it is printed in all the currency notes, ‘In God We Trust’. It shows that the State is under the influence of religion and the non- believers of god were insulted more than with insanity. Now the rationalist fervor is gaining momentum, moving up to the level of conducting, ‘Atheist Rally’ with active participation of nearly 30,000 non-believers in Washington. The Atheist Rally has proclaimed that the political support of non-believers, whose numerical strength has increased substantially, will be extended during the elections to the contestants who exhibit concern and commitment to the cause of non-believer population. To that extent the non-believers have become a political force.
In England, the numerical strength of atheists has increased from the earlier level of 29 per cent to the 2011 census level of 48 per cent. Especially, the youngsters, distance themselves from the religious beliefs and practices, says Dr.Stephen Bullivant, Senior Lecturer of Theology and Ethics in St.Mary’s University, Twickenham.
The main reason for this is that the upcoming generation wants to spend more on education related matters and do so, stating that time spent on religious affairs is utter waste. Besides they raise the question among themselves that in what way religion is helpful for the social harmony.
In Scotland and North Ireland, where the people adhere to the old religious testaments in strict terms, 52 per cent of them have stated to the census authority that they are non-believers. Even among the believers the frequency of their going to church and attending the prayer, is becoming less. In many churches, the record of the attendance of believers, attending prayers does not exceed a single page.
In Czech Republic, which got, detached from Union of Soviet Socialist Russia, 45 per cent of population has expressed that they were born, brought up and now remain as atheists. 30 per cent of people have changed as non-believers.
In Japan, 25 per cent of population has distanced themselves from the conservative tradition and religious rituals. 31 per cent say that they do not believe in any super power.
In Germany 60 per cent of the people are atheists.
57 per cent of the population in Israel has declared themselves non-religious, 8 per cent has stated that they changed themselves into non-believers.
In Norway, two years ago, the strength of believers and non-believers was almost equal and at present the non-believers have increased above the numerical level of believers.
These are the social trends, started to set in the countries and it can happen so in non- Hindu religious environment. Though these countries have not declared themselves ‘secular’, the respective States remain pro secular, devoid of any initiative to arrest the gaining momentum toward non- religious environment.
Hindu religious environment :
The above stated trend cannot happen in India where the influence of Hindu (Vedic) religion is explicit in the affairs of the State, ‘Secular Constitutionally’. The meaning of the word ‘secular’ is interpreted deliberately and adopted as multi religious, of course with bias, by encouraging religious affairs and not remaining non-religious on the part of the State. The agenda of Hindutva is getting accomplished fast in a meticulous manner by the saffron rulers at the Centre. It happens despite the popular opposition and protest by the mainstream political parties and social organisations. A perceptible phenomenon prevails i.e. the people, discriminated and oppressed owing to the religious texts and practices, when the suppressed sections become advanced in educational and economic fronts, they conveniently forget the cause of their oppression during the past. Not only that; they do imitate the religious practices of the privileged people, by considering themselves superior. Whatever be the economic status of such imitating people, they will not be considered on par with the historically privileged people, for which the Hindu religious texts remain against. The religious prescriptions,
there by social proscriptions still continue as legal codes. That is the onerous challenge ahead for the country, predominantly of Hindu religion. The process of wakening and enlightening the enslaved, in the Hindu religious web has to be strengthened through extraordinary means to counter the extraordinary move of the State machinery, engineering the religious agenda under the banner of Hindutva. Unless some concrete initiatives are taken by the progressive and humanist forces, India, joining the stream of religonless world would be deferred both in time and space. The fruits of developments of science and technology would not be enjoyed by the citizens of the country fully. The present position will keep the Human Development Index (HDI) of India at low level. India, becoming more civilized depends on its distancing from the Hindu dominant religious perception and practices and its complete elimination ultimately. Until then, any religious reform measure would be of exercise of merely concealing incurable disease by applying pain-killer balms.
