Religion and Culture

Religions have always tried to define the correct relationship between God and man. They have also set rules for ideal social behaviour and norms for inter personal dealings. Worship of one supreme God, the creator of the universe, is another common factor among religions. All religions, including Hinduism, in essence are monotheistic. On the other hand, almost every religion, including Catholicism and numerous other Christian denominations are, in practice, polytheistic also. Veneration of saints in Catholicism is nothing different from the worship of numerous gods by Hindus. Even the fiercely monotheistic Muslims, in practice, worship at the burial places of dead saints.

Belief in the life after death is another common character of all religions. Every religion offers heaven for the just and warns of hell for the wicked. No religion justifies crimes like rape murder or theft. Prayer, offerings, philanthropy are common.

Therefore, there is no earthly reason why religions should quarrel with each other. Since there is a lot of common ground, every sane person will expect different religions to cooperate with each other in making the lives of the followers better and emulate each other in areas of superiority. But, even in the modern day scenario, even non-practising Christians and Muslims distrust each other, although most people cunningly hide their mistrust. Islam phobia is widespread in the West. Most Hindus in India believe that every Muslim is a terrorist, and Islamization of India is the fond dream of most Muslims.

Why are the followers of great men like Jesus and Mohammed at each others throat throughout the world?

Founders of religions were great reformers. They set out principles and models for their followers so that the society around was a better place with less injustice and greater peace. Some of the principles laid down were applicable only for the age and the region or country in which the founder lived. For example, the prophet’s exhortation against feminine infanticide was applicable to Arabia but not to Europe of that age. Similarly Jesus’ words against fanatical practices of the priests had application only for Jews.

Yet another set of principles was applicable to the human race of all times and countries. Not surprisingly, these principles taught by all religions are similar in essence.

Founders of religions were intelligent visionaries but they were men inheriting the cultural background that brought them up. Jesus clothed himself, ate, and spoke like any other Jew of the age. Mohammed was every inch an Arab in these superficial matters.

The leaders and priests who were destined to carry the torch of wisdom to the later generations were not as intelligent as the great founders. They did not see or care the wine of wisdom draining out of the cultural casks but stubbornly held out the casks as sacred relics. They insisted that the followers should dress and speak like the founders. Catholic priests in South India are invariably clean-shaven when the lay people sport moustaches. Muslim priests and devout followers everywhere sport beards imitating the Arabs.

Culture evolved in every clime and region according to the climatic peculiarities. The Arabs covered their heads probably because of the dust and heat in their habitat. The people in the East wear loose garments to protect themselves from heat. The Europeans don multi-layered clothes to protect their bodies from extreme cold. Not so intelligent followers of great men always insist that the dress code of the founder should be strictly followed.

In fact, it is these superficial matters that cause all the trouble. Instead of following and practising the great principles which the founders stood for, the priests and faithful clamour for trifles and rivalry arise among religions.

Sex and Spirituality

There is a wide-spread misconception that sex and spirituality are incompatible. Anybody, especially a woman, who has had sexual experience, is considered a shade less pure.

Originally, sex was considered the acme of all human experiences. The holiness of sex and its supreme influence on the psyche impressed them so much so that many early civilizations began to worship sexual organs and the sexual act. Phallysm, or the cult of sex, was a great religion in the centuries before Christ. Sivalinga, the penis in the vagina, is still considered to be the unique symbol of all that is pure, beautiful and powerful.

To prevent quarrels among men for mates during the exodus, Moses banned sex outside marriage. By Christ’s time, premarital and extra marital sex had attained the status of abominable sins. Anybody who indulged in these crimes was awarded death by stoning. When Jesus challenged the mob which was about to stone an unfortunate sinner, they all left. They were about to punish the woman for their own sins. Everybody assembled to stone her down had indulged in the same crime many times. What agitated and outraged them was, in fact, their own guilty conscience.

I’m not justifying or glorifying adultery or prostitution. The hypocrisy of the general public and the guardians of spirituality is what I’m against.

By the third or fourth century after Christ, the obsession for ‘purity’ had attained such a frenzied state that convents were invented to keep ‘saintly’ women from worldly temptation. By the eleventh century priests were banned from marrying. This enforced celibacy has done irreparable damage to society’s free and natural growth. The priests, who were banned from having sex, naturally became perverts. Their suppressed libidos came out in the form of crimes and indecent acts to the great peril to the society.

To think that Mary, mother of Jesus, had been a party to such a shameful and sinful act as sex was unthinkable. So they invented the myth that Mary, after the birth of Jesus, though she lived under the same roof with her husband Joseph, remained a virgin. The worship of Mary is the most important religious activity of the Catholic Church today.

This perverted misrepresentation of human nature and history resulted in the crime of building convents and confining thousands of women to them in total disregard to their physiological and emotional needs. Among the numerous crimes and follies the church has been responsible during the past centuries, this sin and crime will stand out as the premier one.

What happened in India was not different. Buddhist monks were supposed to be celibates and there were convent like institutions for women. Less devout men and women married but thought that they were indulging in an act of shame. The dignity and sacredness of the sexual union was compromised to a large extent. Any action against which the mind revolts, is prone to be injurious to both the mind and body.

The Islam was more tolerant. It permitted even polygamy when the man concerned was emotionally and financially sound enough to have more than one wife. Here also selfish men misinterpreted the compassion of the prophet and made women little more than instruments for their enjoyment.

But, not all sex can be called sacred. Sex with love is undoubtedly holy. It nourishes the body, mind and soul. You are elevated to the highest degree of spiritual perfection.

Sex with consent but without love is sexual gluttony. It is one of the worldly pleasures which may release some tension. It is better than total sexual starvation but provides with little spiritual nourishment.

Sex without consent is a heinous crime and an abominable sin. It tears up not only the victim’s soul but corrupts that of the perpetrator.

Religions, which are supposed to be custodians and controllers of spirituality, have, over centuries, stifled the free expression of the sexual urge and are, therefore, responsible for most of the sexual perversions and crimes.