1 Religious Appeal

Leter on Harmony

religious appeal, Shasa, February 14, 2005

A religious person means one who loves life and can find contentment. Religion teaches us the secrets of life. The stories narrated each have their meaning, significance and purpose. But stories are not told for themselves, but for their moral and their learning.

First, do understand that whatever I say will never in a million years take you one millimeter further from Mohammed / Christ / Krishna / Buddha. They are beings I wish I could begin to be like in a 1000 years. the ideal. For the rest of this essay, I will refer to Christ, but the arguments can be fitted to any religion / spiritual leader.

Lets forget for a minute that Christ is God. For after all he did chose to come down in human form in which time he was called Jesus Christ. And he didn't do it to amuse himself. He had a specific purpose. So lets try to understand the real significance of his coming down to earth.

He came down to save us all? No! He came down to show us all what love was. What life was. And he cared for us all. And because he loved us so deeply, with every fibre in his body, his father gave him the power to heal the sick for he was so moved by the love that poured out of his son's core.

His son tried to explain to us all the meaning of life. But we were too busy ogling at his miracles that we forgot his words and his teachings. Do you think it would mean more to Jesus that we all prayed to him or rather, that we followed his teachings?

Yes, we all go to church to learn about his life and the good things that he taught.

But how did God take care of his children before he sent down his only son to save us all? he gave us all a conscience. And that conscience is the inner voice that tells us all through our life what good is and what bad is.

It's that voice that tells us killing is bad. Look at the hatred religion has brought; and the bloodshed. And what makes it all possible? Religion! For its a passion that we let stir in our hearts, thinking that it will take us closer to God. And twisted minds use it to turn us against our brothers.

Or don't you understand how propaganda works?

It's only the religious person they can poison. People who over years of faith and belief have stopped listening to the voice inside their head, but rather to the man on the pulpit. And all of a sudden, one day he tells us of the evil the people in the temple are doing.

How each day they spurn the sacrifice of Jesus and popularize idol worship - the very evil that Jesus sought to destroy. And because we've stopped listening to the voice in our heads, we believe him implicitly.

When in fact, those idol worshipers are no different from us. And Jesus didn't come here to stop anybody. He came here to spread the message of love!

But the seed has already been cast, and it doesn't take long for us to begin to distance ourselves from the other community. This dissent is sped up by similar propaganda spread from the other pulpits, until an atmosphere of distrust reigns.

And once that foundation of distrust is built, they start feeding words to incite us. Dont believe me? You can see its effects all over the world, just turn on the news.

Wonder why I seem to be addressing Christians? Well it not that they're especially bad! We're all fools who've forgotten to listen to our own conscience all of us. once we start forming a community based on religion, we're already doomed.

I mean how many Muslims donate to Christian charities. Or anything of the sort?

We'll under the skin we are all the same. We were all created in His image. But why then do those very same doors that preached equality all these years, now so subtly start pointing out the differences between our communities, and how we're the persecuted peoples.

propaganda again

divide and conquer.

And in their wars, they all sit as kings. and order us all to pick up arms and attack our own people. for like Chuck Horner said "war is to be hated in every form, for it brings out the worst in mankind"

And we think we're all doing it to protect our religions.

But the little voice inside our heads, all this time quitely pointing out stuff to us now yells loudly at what we've done. We've just gone and burnt down a temple or taken part in a lynching. and our captains tell us what a magnificent job we've done and how we've just secured our places in heaven.

And this guy has had enough. and he yells at us to stop.
but they've got him lock stock and barrel.

For now he becomes the devil, come to play tricks on us as cheat us of our place in heaven. at least so they make us believe.

And were such blood-maddened souls that we even kill him. and who is he really? the gentle reminder in each of us of the love that was once Jesus and Rama and Mohammed and Buddha. Does it really matter if I forget a few names? must anyone be offended? after all they were all members of a higher community, each man serving in his place the vast multitude that is Earth.

The devil's ultimate victory! The king in his mighty pulpit! Who has just made us turn on love itself. Killing the very ideals we seek so bitterly to please. The ultimate irony of life!

how do we stop this all?

Let's stop going to one religious place only. Visit none, or visit them all.
Treat everyone like your brother.
Think not so much of heaven but just keep working on love (as Chiang said).
Don't think you've dodged all the pitfalls of the devil and wind up at the heart of his stronghold, all the while thinking how your 'faith' in your leader has kept you from the path of err.