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The log on this site tells me that the last time I logged on was in… well it has indeed been a while since I even wrote anything let alone blog (not that I have blogged before with any seriousness; and this should effectively be my first post) but I am currently blessed with three things: time, the inclination to clatter on the keyboard and the realization of the sadistic pleasure of inflicting upon the world the words of my writing.

So now that you have assented to allow this infliction upon yourself by continuing to read, let me begin in all earnest. As I am treating this an endeavor in serious writing or at least an attempt in that direction, I’m going to try and discuss my views about something that is as old as humanity itself: religion.

I have never really been at ease with religion. It has always bothered me. I never remember being very pious either. I must say that this definitely had nothing to with my environment or upbringing – my school and my parents are definitely god-believing.

I had taken ‘Hinduism’ off from my social networking profile long ago. And yet it was only recently that I decided to confront myself with the reality of my beliefs. Was I a non-practicing believer, an atheist or something else? Who and what was I when it came to religion?

To me one statistic does it: more humans since the dawn of the species have been killed in name of religion than anything else.

I believe that our religions were created as a response to humans attempting civilizational organization. And yes let me remind you that the ancient world was a fierce and violent place. And I believe that religions are a consequence of the most primeval of feelings: fear.

I find this to be true at two levels. Of course, groups of humans, proclaiming clanship and choosing for themselves a religion, were at some level doing this in the context of their security and hence fear. But more important is perhaps the other level. Before I go into what that is, I would like to discuss something related.

Over the millennia, religion has acquired an aura of its own. An aura that allows otherwise perfectly normal people to become the most terrible of beings. But more terrible than that is what it does to the intellect – by giving us a formulated and functional system of belief, it takes away our most cherished of possessions: choice.

No, I talk not of the choices that we make in everyday life, nor of destiny, but the choice of formulating and making functional one’s own system of beliefs.

It is said in industry (unlike in academics) that if you do not have the solution to a problem don’t bother bringing it up. And I admittedly confess to having no solution to the question posed. Not because there aren’t any but because a solution involves both the acknowledgement of a lack of one and the execution of this acknowledgement on a personal level.

The moment we start touting solutions we start veering towards the realms of religion.

There is a fine line dividing the acknowledgement of chaos and the fear of disorder (or even the celebration of disorder). And although this line might be fine, I personally find it the sharpest division in the universe. And it is this division that I try to choose, over anything else, to derive my sense of morality.

Fear is primeval, but perhaps the most primeval fear is that of the unknown. It is the unknown that – to borrow certain phraseology – scares the shit out of us.

So do we know god exists? Is he/she/it there somewhere? Or are we alone, not just in this universe but across all space-time? I know you want to point out to me that in the pursuit of religion these questions are incredibly redundant – why? Because religion is formulated and practiced on one tenet: belief. And it is belief that annuls all these questions. Or does it? I think we choose believe that it does.

For it is not the society that looks at the things of possibility, but one that looks at the possibility of things that moves beyond the throes of dead habit and stagnation.

Religion at the end of the day just this: an idea (no, I don’t hold any position of profit with the AB Group :) And I think it has had its day. I do not see a future for religion by cause of its virtues. As rose the religions, so must arise the new systems. It is only a matter of when; for if we, as a species, fail to see that religions are just ideas – it shall be only to our peril.

It is said that when confronted with fear, a person has but two options – one to run away and the other to face that fear. But I think there is more it than just that: how you face your fear is also pertinent – with open or with closed eyes.

And I think religion allows us to do just that – face our fears with closed eyes. And I wonder for how long we can afford to continue doing that…

What 'notes' of life?

Answer follows - Copyright is damn well mine :)

Words

Here I stand, in love's own pain.

Beneath dark clouds that partake in the rain.

My heart but searing, my self but slain.

Oh! Why these words? Oh! Why refrain?

As unseen as the sounds of a fife

Yet stinging to tears with their strife.

Mere scratches on paper, on pain so rife.

Still songs of birth and notes of life.