REASON, REALISATION AND REALITY ... 5
So long as a religion claims to be the only true Word of God or that it is the final revelation, it proves its own falseness by attempting to limit the Infinite. This is the sad tale of the Semitic religions which have supposedly unique revelations to the chosen prophets of God to substantiate their claims to Truth. One may not rationalise with their propositions but must accept them blindly as true, such is the degree of freedom allowed in these systems of belief. One is free merely to subscribe to the dictates of men described as prophets and has no right to reason the dogma preached as the inviolable Word of God.
Judaism is not a proselytising religion and keeps its own counsel in so far as religious indoctrination is concerned, and as such, it is more benign than its siblings in Christianity and Islam where dogma and domination have gone to extremes. Unbelievers (kafirs) are to be persuaded into believing by offering them invitation ('dawah' in the case of Islam) to accept the true religion and, should they refuse, they must be compelled by taxation ('jizya' in the case of Islam), humiliation (conferring of the status of 'dhimmi' on Jews and Christians by the Muslims) and even force on the infidel ('kafir' in the case of Islam) to convert to the 'true religion'. And to bring about such conversion is a high virtue in these religions and a real meritorious act.
Christianity and Islam have over the past two millenia converted vast populations not by superior philosophy but by force of arms in conquered territories. It has been a political conquest everywhere followed by cultural decimation and annihilation of all who have opposed this dastardly design to dominate.
The medieval tribal instincts still dominate these religions whose stated agenda is world conversion to a monolith of faith with their worshipped God as the supreme arbiter of life here and hereafter when He will dispense His justice to career people unto heaven or hell. Such doctrinaire fear of the hereafter is instilled into children born into families practising these faiths to keep them in perpetual subservience to dictates dating back to tribal times. That the children suffer incalculable harm thereby is scarce the concern of priests and clerics whose only duty is to tend the flock to the once and for all formulated path of God.
Reactions are coming from the modern man by way of ex-Muslims becoming atheists and ex-Christians becoming godless free human beings who live their lives by secular moral codes rather than prophetic injunctions. Christianity is struggling in Europe with an ever decreasing number of Church goers and its thrust is now in Africa to increase its failing following. Islam, through population boom and conversion carried openly and in clandestine manner, is ever on the rise numerically and in several decades will outnumber the Catholics and eventually the entire mass of Christians across the globe. The Jews are relatively static in their numbers owing to Judaism not being a proselytising religion.
In sharp contrast to whatever has been stated above are the Indian dharma traditions but more of that later.
Written by Sugata Bose
So long as a religion claims to be the only true Word of God or that it is the final revelation, it proves its own falseness by attempting to limit the Infinite. This is the sad tale of the Semitic religions which have supposedly unique revelations to the chosen prophets of God to substantiate their claims to Truth. One may not rationalise with their propositions but must accept them blindly as true, such is the degree of freedom allowed in these systems of belief. One is free merely to subscribe to the dictates of men described as prophets and has no right to reason the dogma preached as the inviolable Word of God.
Judaism is not a proselytising religion and keeps its own counsel in so far as religious indoctrination is concerned, and as such, it is more benign than its siblings in Christianity and Islam where dogma and domination have gone to extremes. Unbelievers (kafirs) are to be persuaded into believing by offering them invitation ('dawah' in the case of Islam) to accept the true religion and, should they refuse, they must be compelled by taxation ('jizya' in the case of Islam), humiliation (conferring of the status of 'dhimmi' on Jews and Christians by the Muslims) and even force on the infidel ('kafir' in the case of Islam) to convert to the 'true religion'. And to bring about such conversion is a high virtue in these religions and a real meritorious act.
Christianity and Islam have over the past two millenia converted vast populations not by superior philosophy but by force of arms in conquered territories. It has been a political conquest everywhere followed by cultural decimation and annihilation of all who have opposed this dastardly design to dominate.
The medieval tribal instincts still dominate these religions whose stated agenda is world conversion to a monolith of faith with their worshipped God as the supreme arbiter of life here and hereafter when He will dispense His justice to career people unto heaven or hell. Such doctrinaire fear of the hereafter is instilled into children born into families practising these faiths to keep them in perpetual subservience to dictates dating back to tribal times. That the children suffer incalculable harm thereby is scarce the concern of priests and clerics whose only duty is to tend the flock to the once and for all formulated path of God.
Reactions are coming from the modern man by way of ex-Muslims becoming atheists and ex-Christians becoming godless free human beings who live their lives by secular moral codes rather than prophetic injunctions. Christianity is struggling in Europe with an ever decreasing number of Church goers and its thrust is now in Africa to increase its failing following. Islam, through population boom and conversion carried openly and in clandestine manner, is ever on the rise numerically and in several decades will outnumber the Catholics and eventually the entire mass of Christians across the globe. The Jews are relatively static in their numbers owing to Judaism not being a proselytising religion.
In sharp contrast to whatever has been stated above are the Indian dharma traditions but more of that later.
Written by Sugata Bose
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