I have always thought of Religion(in the Hindu Society) as a way of the Brahmins to have a free lunch. They have been successful for over centuries now to have their free meal. To me the Brahmins are the most unproductive part of the Indian Society. I consider myself a Hindu to the extent that my parents are. I don't believe in Religion. To me, Religion is only spiritual, in the sense that i may like parts of different Religions say Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Sikhism or Christianity. I believe in the principle of Moral Values than Religious ones.
Religion has always been one point of confrontation between me and my mom... She is the religious kind of a woman (not an extreme one though), the kind that most Indian middle class women are. I mean she prays daily for 10 minutes, goes to the temples occasionally and is extremely devotional. But this is not the point of confrontation.
Like many at my age and with the kind of education that I have received, I don't spend a minute in a month praying. I think that there are many of my kind and that I am not the odd person out. There have been times when we have had serious and intense arguments. My mom thinks it necessary to pray daily or atleast weekly and I am the kind who will not do it.. No matter what.
To me, the worst thing is that many of my relatives(not my parents thankfully) give huge donations to the temples and the priests. I hate it. I just hate it. How can they not think of the people dying on the street everyday and make such extravagant donations in the name of GOD! If only they could educate one person in their life time, I think it would be a much bigger donation to GOD and even he would stand and laud. To me, providing food to the under privileged is a much bigger donation that filling the large bellies of the shameless priest who sits in the temple waiting for another fool to come and give a huge donation to the temple.
This post is for all those who give money to the priest in one of your favorite temples. Please donate to the poor, to one of the schools that provide free education, to one of the charities and instead of wasting hours in the name of god, do something for god's children, goto a backward area and teach something to someone.
PS:
1) I dont mean to label all the Brahmins in one category. I understand that some of them are very hardworking and pious and do not go for their prayers for money. It is only a reminder that our society is undergoing a change and it needs to keep undergoing more and more reforms daily.
2) If you will, you might label me anti-religious. I would be proud of myself if the followers of RSS or VHP labeled me Anti-Hindu (I dont want to be a Hindu of their kind). To me they are as bad as some of the Islamic Radicals if not worse.
3) I am agnostic or an Atheist (Actually I am confused about this one) . My ideas relate to the Arya Samaj kind of philosophy even them i dont agree to fully.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
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