Religion has been or is lingering beyond its expiry date

 

Story is good, as most stories of Panchatantra are. But comparison is not. 

 

Almost most parts of the world are secular, out of necessity, as we are living in a global economy of interdependence. 

 

We need to observe the world, 'Institutionalise, make everything Accessible,  Appealing , Accommodative, Affordable and Acceptable' to the modern generation with some 'rational and contextual relevance'.

 

Unfortunately, or fortunately, Hinduism is not a one Scripture, one God, one Institution religion. But on the contrary sees only God in everything be it animals, five elements or trees and venerates every book of socio-moralistic codes, ethics, and personal discipline as scriptures. It is, in a way more logical and flexible to include scope for variety which is the undeniable aspect of nature and hence there is no uniformity or one authoritarian dictate. 

 

But the grammar of religion as distorted and delivered by vested interest hegemonies is a simplified, institution driven one. These simplified versions of religion along with ruling class making it as a tool ensured the geographical spread of the Abrahamic religions.

 

After or along with geographical spread there was economic development and growth. These books made majority of the people not to bother about religion while the fanatical majority exploited their own religious followers, used their money,  projected and propagated their religions as one more global industry.

 

It attacked on the weaknesses of all other religions, exaggerated them, pumped in funds to convert, focussed on providing necessities like the versions of modern health care, education, and infrastructure etc to produce useful and healthy robots which could perform according to the instructions given. 

 

This construct cannot be broken overnight. The educated persons in those religions have realised the futility of them all and don't give any importance beyond the nice story value and cursory observation of rituals at important junctures of their life like during birth of a baby, marriage and funeral where a priest is given importance to lead the rituals with all other paraphernalia. 

 

Of course, this is the case with most religions and majority of the human beings though the religious leaders and professionals making a living out of religion make it sound as if religion must be part of anything and everything one does 24/7 as if God whom no one knows or seen or can prove  supervising everything ( anyway that is the believers problem).

 

So, once these ( basic economic parameters,) are in place, along with these, we can carry on with all or any tradition as majority of the West, China , Russia, Israel is doing. Majority in these countries are not over religious or not obsessed with religion but follow it as and when required as a social obligation and end up putting it in its place of 3% to 5% space or importance in life. 

 

They like the myths, stories for their value as a  diversion. Nothing more nothing less. ​

 

Places were religion was and is so much an intrinsic part of life that almost every building , every house, including entrance pathways to mosques and churches have temples as the first construction as in Bali, where everyone does some Puja every morning for some ten minutes, keep some prasadham also smoke dham inside the temple premises, they all have very well jelled with all aspects of modern life, entrances to casinos too have temples. Tourists throng those sites. 

 

Do anyone know how many churches have been converted into Akshardham temples, Iskcon centres and Temples in USA. 

 

Identities are inevitable like one's name, frame of body, profession, capabilities, characteristics, nationality, culture, and traditional milieu one is born into, food habits etc but to be cocooned and confined into the cages of any identity is as stifling and restrictive as being in a cage, even if the cage is a diamond studded golden cage, it is still a cage. 

 

In short, all religions and every religion has been  or is  lingering beyond its expiry date. 

 

Religions did play an important part in human evolution and some aspects of them are important and relevant anywhere even now but overall most aspects of religions are irrelevant and useless.