One God, Many Gods?
"I contend we are
both atheists, I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you
understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand
why I dismiss yours."
|
|
...Stephen F Roberts
|
|
Picking up from where I left, I would
like to mention that these cultural and geographical factors influenced the
religions around the world. Ancient civilizations, with their limited
scientific knowledge tried to find answers in miracle, and also to maintain a
balance in newly formed societies, a set of rules and regulations were formed
under the umbrella of religion.
It cannot be denied that all the religions teach us to be moral and kind to others. Also, having faith in something beyond materialistic world during the times of distress provides strength and hope for a better future. Thus, faith does play an important role in one’s life. However, this faith can be precarious when it turns into superstition.
Also, too much dependence on some supernatural power and expecting them to vanquish all our problems makes one an individual who tries to hide under the blanket of prayers whenever something bad happens.
As I entered the stage of agnosticism from being a believer, the curiosity to learn more about these things made me read several different texts of different religions. It was a feeling of liberation, as if I had come out of the boundaries of one particular belief system. Should religion be a binding force or a way of liberating someone?
Even though I ceased to believe that there was someone sitting above the cloud who was taking account of all my good and bad deeds, I did start to understand and acknowledge the beauty of different religions. From the concept and reason of idol worship in Hinduism to the concept of one god in Islam, everything started to make sense.
Initially, there was a constant battle; a contradiction between contrasting beliefs. The vegetarianism of the religions of east, polygamy of Islam, pantheism of Hindus, etc. everything seemed to be a paradox when put together on one platform. The question was that if every religion teaches that God is one and the whole humanity is governed by him/her, then why do the children of same God practice such contradicting faiths? When every religion claims that their texts were revealed straight from the God then why are there so many differences in them?
It can only be attributed to the fact that there are not one but many Gods above the cloud.
The answer lies in what I mentioned before; every faith and religion was influenced by the cultural and geographical factors from where it originated.
Thus, it was clear that all these rituals and traditions, idols and prayers, although had a practical implication, they were definitely not created by a God. Therefore, it can be said that ‘in the beginning man created God in his own image’.
It cannot be denied that all the religions teach us to be moral and kind to others. Also, having faith in something beyond materialistic world during the times of distress provides strength and hope for a better future. Thus, faith does play an important role in one’s life. However, this faith can be precarious when it turns into superstition.
Also, too much dependence on some supernatural power and expecting them to vanquish all our problems makes one an individual who tries to hide under the blanket of prayers whenever something bad happens.
As I entered the stage of agnosticism from being a believer, the curiosity to learn more about these things made me read several different texts of different religions. It was a feeling of liberation, as if I had come out of the boundaries of one particular belief system. Should religion be a binding force or a way of liberating someone?
Even though I ceased to believe that there was someone sitting above the cloud who was taking account of all my good and bad deeds, I did start to understand and acknowledge the beauty of different religions. From the concept and reason of idol worship in Hinduism to the concept of one god in Islam, everything started to make sense.
Initially, there was a constant battle; a contradiction between contrasting beliefs. The vegetarianism of the religions of east, polygamy of Islam, pantheism of Hindus, etc. everything seemed to be a paradox when put together on one platform. The question was that if every religion teaches that God is one and the whole humanity is governed by him/her, then why do the children of same God practice such contradicting faiths? When every religion claims that their texts were revealed straight from the God then why are there so many differences in them?
It can only be attributed to the fact that there are not one but many Gods above the cloud.
The answer lies in what I mentioned before; every faith and religion was influenced by the cultural and geographical factors from where it originated.
Thus, it was clear that all these rituals and traditions, idols and prayers, although had a practical implication, they were definitely not created by a God. Therefore, it can be said that ‘in the beginning man created God in his own image’.
There are
literally thousands of religions being practiced today. Here are 20 of the most
popular, along with an estimate of the number of followers:
- Christianity: 2.1
billion
- Islam: 1.3 billion
- Hinduism: 900
million
- Chinese traditional
religion: 394 million
- Buddhism: 376
million
- African Traditional
& Diasporic: 100 million
- Sikhism: 23 million
- Juche: 19 million
- Spiritism: 15
million
- Judaism: 14 million
- Baha'i: 7 million
- Jainism: 4.2
million
- Shinto: 4 million
- Cao Dai: 4 million
- Zoroastrianism: 2.6
million
- Tenrikyo: 2 million
- Neo-Paganism: 1
million
- Unitarian-Universalism:
800 thousand
- Rastafarianism: 600
thousand
- Scientology: 500
thousand
[Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica]
To be continued...
No comments:
Post a Comment