When Religion Misled Humanity
Or would it be more appropriate to ask if humanity misled religion?
Religion has helped humankind to keep its sanity. Every major religion has been founded with the best of intentions. But somewhere along the way, it seems, we lost the ways of our religions, and now we find ourselves standing face to face in conflict on every turn.
What has really transpired?
Except for Hindu Dharma, almost every religion has been “founded” by one person. And, like Jesus or Buddha, each of those founders saw or knew God personally. Therefore, whatever they taught to their disciples in those days made absolute sense as what they said was the truth. Even in Hindu Dharma, what is mentioned in the scriptures was the experience of the sages and rishis. They shared their experience for the benefit of society. Since these founders had direct experience of God, all their teachings are the truth.
The problem arose when the founders’ teachings got organized and institutionalized instead of leaving them as personalized. As we all know, organizations cannot exist without members. Therefore, the zeal to attract higher membership twisted and distorted the original teachings. Consequently, the followers of these organized religions have been served the information that benefits the organizations, not the followers. True religion is personal. The founders ‘ teachings help foster the connection between a person and God.
A major reason that the followers of a religion are left disillusioned is the prohibition to question. It is natural for the human mind to question. Seeking answers to questions and clarifying any doubt are the ways to knowledge. But, if the followers gain knowledge about the organization not being truthful, they would move out, which can be detrimental to the organized religions.
Therefore, to survive, these organized religions tend to sow guilt in the members’ minds if they do not follow their mandates. For example, religions sometimes force the members to donate a certain amount of their income every month to the organization in the name of God. However, God does not need the money. That money often ends as mansions and exotic cars for the “faith leaders.” Thus, it is no wonder that most people are losing faith in religion and God. The distortion and exploitation of faith in the name of God have eroded the spirit to seek God.
It is not a religion that avers itself to be the best or the only true religion and requires the non-followers to be shunned or killed. If we do not treat every other living being equal to our self, we, in a way, mean that God failed to create the other living creatures as good as we are. God could not have failed. It is we who fail to understand His creation.
True religion is personal. The organizations would be helpful only if they selflessly helped the members search for God.
Luckily, there is a simple way to find God.
Just look inside yourself. You will find your God right in there.