The More Religious You Behave The Less Human You Become

De Waal defines, “Religion is the shared reverence for the supernatural, sacred, or spiritual as well as the symbols, rituals, and worship that are associated with it.”

I was born in a city where Hindus and Muslims were living almost in equal numbers. Christians and Buddhists were in a minority. I have had close friends in all communities since childhood. In my interaction with friends in other communities, I noticed, that all these communities have such people. Those who feed young minds with resentment against one another. They give convincing logic to believe them without a question.

Petty Differences among Religious Communities

Hindus consider Muslims unholy as Islam permits them to have a bath once a week on Friday. I know this is wrong. Muslims too follow the same routine like us. I always clear the doubt in my community, by saying that Islam originated in such a country where there was a shortage of water. People couldn’t wait for bathing for daily prayer. This is the reason that Islam allows worship without a bath. In fact, now I realize the futility of some rituals before worship.

Muslims mock Hindus to worship idols and cows. Then I could not understand the deep philosophy of Hinduism. In those days I had never come across any priests from both the communities who bothered to clear such petty doubts. You may find it difficult to believe. It appears to me that the preachers in both communities hardly bother to patch religious differences.

Instead, they feel happy with the differences that will keep them apart from others. And so, they can guide their community to achieve their vested interests and marketable designs. Since each one is convinced to believe that they are superior to another.

Is Religion greater than Humanity?

It may surprise you a bit. How could a religion diminish the scope of humanity? I narrate to you my personal experience. Religious communal riots inflamed two times between two different communities in the city where I lived. Religious mobs killed innocent people of the other communities. They destroyed and looted their properties. Both the communities didn’t even spare children wherever they found them an easy victim. I heard all about it. Nothing happened in my presence. This horrible incident still pricks me since then.

You can understand. These riots divide a religious community into three groups. Some topmost community leaders perhaps under political influence instigate a few blindly loyal supporters. They terrorize other communities. Anti-social criminal minds join them to kill and loot. They spread rumors of violent atrocities on their community by the other to arouse the sentiments of common folks of the community. They too become revengeful and approve of all violence on the opposing community, and stay silent.

Hindus are in the majority in our country. Muslims always blame Hindus for victimizing them as Muslims are in a minority. But truly, I say, it is not true. Bad people are in both communities. They want to fulfill their vested interests in the name of the community. They are equally dangerous for their own community as well.

Someone has rightly said the religion is the opium of the masses. The essence of all religions is the welfare of humanity. But some teachers and preachers of a religion segregate the community from other fellow beings. And they divide humanity to form their exclusive group, highlighting the virtue of their principles.

The primitive concept of making groups for hunting genetically transformed into religious communities. It is an essential component of social cohesion.

A cohesive society facilitates the persistent growth of civilization. These days in our modern democracies, politicians appease religious communities. So that they can garner the support of their opium driven mass in the election.

It is disappointing that a man has lost his natural identity. We know him as a Muslim, a Christian, a Hindu, and so on. There is nothing wrong with the fundamental concept of any religion, but some priests misinterpret their scriptures and teachings, as they find it convenient from time to time to suit their self- centered intentions. Such a practice in religion seems to be ancient. My father told me it was so during his lifetime as well. Let us examine how long religion would remain part of our lives.

Increase in Non-Affiliated with Religion

In a study published online,on the basis of over a century of census data from nine countries that inquired about religious affiliation, researchers have observed that religion in Australia, Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Switzerland is heading toward extinction. In fact, in many modern secular democracies, people consider religion a matter of choice. And publicly they identify themselves as non- affiliated with a religion.

Don’t think religion is going to disappear in the years to come. The roots of religion are as deep as ours.

A Modest Increase in Religious Believers by 2050

According to Pew Research Projection by 2050, there will be 2.9 billion Christians, 2.8 billion Muslims, 1.4 billion Hindus, 16.01 million Jews, and the unaffiliated religious population expected to be 1.2 billion. The Buddhist population is expected to be stable, as it was in 2010. The world population would probably be 9.3 billion. The survey predicted a modest increase in religious believers, from 84% of the world population today to 87% in 2050.

Despite the fact, religion isn’t disappearing from the world, religion can be overhauled, refined, or transformed into new form and practice but continue to exist. The concept of religion or faith in supernatural power has been existing since the primitive ages. It has surpassed numberless paradigm changes.

Does Religion originate from human suffering?

“Part of religion’s appeal is that it offers security in an uncertain world,” says Zuckerman. What does it mean? The nation that reports the highest rates of atheism are those that provide their citizens with relatively high economic, political, and existential stability. Security in society seems to reduce religious faith.

Ara Norenzayan, a social psychologist observes that people want to escape suffering, but if they can’t get out of it, they want to find meaning. For some reason, religion seems to give meaning to suffering much more so than any secular ideal or belief.

Religion is an Integral part of Human Survival

Religion does not seem to exist only because of people’s suffering, even if the world’s troubles are miraculously solved and we all lead peaceful lives in equity. Religion would probably still be around. Like me, you are also curious to know the reason. I wasn’t specifically aware of the references before writing this story. I have found very convincing reasons to believe that religion is an integral part of our survival. It is here for your reference

This is because a god-shaped hole seems to exist in our species’ neuropsychology. As per ‘dual-process psychological theory’, we have two basic forms of thought.

System1 and System2

System2 developed relatively recently. It is the voice in our head- the narrator who never seems to shut up that enable us to plan and think logically.

System1 is intuitive, instinctual, and automatic. These capabilities regularly develop in humans, regardless of where they are born. It allows us to speak our native language without prior thinking and gives babies the ability to recognize parents and distinguish between living and non- living things. It makes us seek meaning for random events like a natural disaster or the death of loved ones.

Some scholars think that System1 also enabled religions to grow and persist. System1 further encourages us to see things dualistically meaning we have trouble thinking of mind and body as a single unit.

This tendency appears quite early; young children regardless of their cultural background are inclined to believe that they have an immortal soul, that their essence or personhood existed somewhere before their birth. And it will always continue to exist. This disposition easily assimilates into many existing religions.

All in All

Religion is essentially going to survive with us. Some preachers and priests will always be there with their selfish motives. Only you can make a difference. Never, never allow religion to become a threat to humanity. A religion that doesn’t identify a man as a man but a follower isn’t fit to be called a religion. Religion is for love, compassion, and co-operation.

Thank you so much for giving your precious time to read. If you like this story, please appreciate in the way the most convenient to you.

Disclaimer: The original version of this story was published on another platform. Link to original version: https://medium.com/illumination/the-more-religious-you-behave-the-less-human-you-become-45f7403c4463