The inheritance of Faith.

In this world, embroiled in chaos, the most intelligent species on the planet looks to an irrational and inexplicable phenomenon for comfort and understanding.  Faith! Faith as I understand is the belief in the existence of a supreme being, God. People are known by their faith. Societies, communities, civilizations and Nations have been built on faith. Safe to say, we wouldn’t exist as we do without faith.

There is often a lot of confusion between faith and religion. Religion according to me is a set of customs and practices based on faith.Faith can exist without religion. Religion on the other hand cannot exist without faith. A lot (if not all) of what we know to be right and wrong, good and evil; morality in short; has its basis in religion and its practice. From childhood we are conditioned if you do bad things you’ll go to hell. Do good things and you’ll end up in heaven. Obviously the people who talk about hell haven’t been in a jam packed local train in Mumbai. 

I digress. Coming back to faith, people cling on to faith like a pair of crutches. Every human being questions about his or her own existence and its meaning. Who am I? What is the purpose of my existence? These are some of the questions which have plagued mankind since the beginning of time. Faith is the best bet to receive a semblance of an answer to these questions. Answers might not make logical sense but it is the best we’ve got.

The aforementioned confusion between faith and religion has made people believe that one is the other. If you don’t follow religious practices then you do not have faith. Unfortunately, because of this confusion and because of the fact that we inherit most of our understanding of faith from our parents and elders, we a stuck in a realm where our sense of inquiry is stifled. Please note that it was this sense of inquiry that made us who we are today on this planet. Do anything even slightly nonreligious and be prepared to be typecast as an Infidel (no pun intended). Faith is inherent, religion is inherited by practice.

Just wanted to point out how even in our vocabulary we keep making reference to God. Oh my God! (Exclamation), Oh dear God no. (Fear), In God we trust (Statement), God help you (warning), How in God’s name (surprise), I swear to God (threat), etc. And this is just the English language. I could go on and on.

Personally, I do believe in the existence of a supreme being. I wouldn’t prefer calling it God though.  I believe in it because the world is just full of miracles. How else can you explain in spite of the infinitesimally small probability of the co-existence of all the environmental conditions favourable for the creation of organic life, life existing in all its glory? Coincidence might explain it. But it is just too much of a coincidence, which points us to the existence of a higher power.

By questioning the existence of God, we question the existence of faith. Or is it the other way around? The questions on existence of God, brings into question the purpose of existence of Human beings. Some people feel human beings exist to fulfill the will of God. Others (a very few) do not believe in God at all. And there are those who choose the middle path or the path of convenience.

A few of my friends are devout followers of their religion. Having had a strict upbringing especially in matters of religion, they blindly follow what they are told. This doesn’t help in our growth as human beings. A sense of inquiry is critical in our expansion as a civilization. Blind faith and inquiry cannot co-exist. The inquiry that I am mentioning is not with regards to faith, but with regards to religious practices. Just like any living thing, a religion needs to evolve over time to survive. It has so far. Certain practices which were carried out in the name of religion are not anymore. New practices have come into the picture. The source of these practices can lead to a whole new discussion altogether. So let us not get into that. Over time even these practices will change. What will not change is, us being pawns in this evolution.

Some people find it against their sense of self and logic to follow certain practices. This leads to them being vilified for it. The fear it seems is, our religion will one day die out, if we don’t follow our religious customs. Well, to be honest, some religions force practice, others are good either way. The people who follow religion do indeed force others to practice. And this is most probably the reason why some people are resisting it. But if you actually think about it, it is all for the greater good. The vilification I mean.  Without the vilification, there would be no revolution and hence no evolution.

There is a concept in this country, Freedom of religion. That is exactly what it is, a concept. There is no freedom in us choosing the practices we follow. It is always in extremes. I’ve had the unfortunate chance of visiting a few of sacred places of pilgrimage. The fanaticism, the arrogance, the need for people to understand is suffocating. It makes me pissed. Who said that to be religious or be of one faith you need to stand first in line to view the unveiling of the deity. Who said that walking through a carpet of burning coal will please the Gods? Who said that fasting for a month every year will grant you a place in heaven? Let me let all of you in on a little secret. God did not say all of this. It was one of us. Someone with very good intentions (and possibly a lot of time on their hands) wrote all of this down in a book. Fortunately or unfortunately for us, these books are now considered to be the basis of faith or rather religion. But it is the interpretation of these scriptures which change with time. For us, living during the phase of transition, this period is just too long. If you actually think about it, every generation would probably go through the same process. Anger over being told what to do, fighting for what you think you should do, bargaining as to what you will and won’t do and finally acceptance. Not unlike the five stages if death.

In conclusion, religion will evolve over time to suits peoples conveniences. Faith will remain as is, until we can answer the questions which are at the very core of our being.  For people, freedom to choose is the way to go.

Daddy knows best?

When a child grows up, he or she always idolises his or her father. But as time goes on, things change drastically, well, usually drastically. As a child, the father looks after its interests. The child being a child accepts what is being done for it. With time, as the child sees more of this world, forms its own view of it. Strangely, this view is radically different from the view of the person who gave them that life and that freedom to actually view this world.

A child is inquisitive. The father considers the childs questions as an opportunity for it to grow. But the same inqusitiveness comes forth as stubbornness and bull headedness when the child is all grown up.  With his or her own views, this grown up now doesn’t conform to what his or her father expected him or her to be. They become their own person, just as their dad wanted them to be, but not exactly as they wanted them to be.

Earlier, the child would do things to please its father, albeit unknowingly. This would naturally please the father. But when this pleasing stops the trouble begins. Being raised by the same man, they become similar to them. Just as stubborn and just as pig headed. The fathers want their children to be the kind of person they want them to be. Does it make them wrong? Does it breach the laws of fatherhood? When the child is born, does the father say that my child would be a certain way? They don’t love the child any less if he or she is not. There is just a lot of conflict.

One father demands his son to stop meeting his friends of eight years just because they are of a different faith. The same father taught his son about religious tolerance. Hypocritical, I know. Another father wants his daughter to get married to someone from the same caste. Wasn't the caste system abolished a zillion years ago?

Enough of the dad bashing don’t you think.