Que sera, sera—what will be will be. Let go and let God.We’ve all heard these phrases, but sometimes we don’t recognize the deep relationship between religiosity and resignation. In the most conservative sects of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, women are seen as more virtuous if they let God manage their family planning. Droughts, poverty and cancer get attributed to the will of God rather than bad decisions or bad systems; believers wait for God to solve problems they could solve themselves.
This attitude harms society at large as well as individuals. When today’s largest religions came into existence, ordinary people had little power to change social structures either through technological innovation or advocacy. Living well and doing good were largely personal matters. When this mentality persists, religion inspires personal piety without social responsibility. Structural problems can be ignored as long as the believer is kind to friends and family and generous to the tribal community of believers.
Think corporate personhood. Religions are man-made institutions, just like for-profit corporations are. And like any corporation, to survive and grow a religion must find a way to build power and wealth and compete for market share. Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity—any large enduring religious institution is as expert at this as Coca-cola or Chevron. And just like for-profit behemoths, they are willing to wield their power and wealth in the service of self-perpetuation, even it harms society at large.
In fact, unbeknown to religious practitioners, harming society may actually be part of religion’s survival strategy. In the words of sociologist Phil Zuckerman and researcher Gregory Paul, “Not a single advanced democracy that enjoys benign, progressive socio-economic conditions retains a high level of popular religiosity.” When people feel prosperous and secure the hold of religion weakens.
The Irony that I observer everyday and it is blood curdling to see so...there is a temple nearby and there was some great procession and revelry...people from my building were giving money to the band players and rather using money to incite them to play harder...all Indians know this practice!
The procession was because the temple had completed one year from construction and the flag on the apex was supposed to changed and doing so is a highly religious even, benefactors of the temple had gathered and they had paid million for the statues and gold plated decorations. among all this revelry and "merry-making" I saw a middle-aged woman, into abject poverty, with an infant tied to her shoulder with a piece of trash fabric made into a sling.
She was begging for something to eat or some money so that she could feed the poor child who had just seen the light of the world, I was watching this spectacle from the balcony of my bedroom and I got into a rage I was angry to see that no one even cared to look at that poor woman, even if they did they ignored her, as if she was dead for the society...as if she was some trivial word dropped from the syntax of the society. Clearly she was not considered important and the child did no good to gain sympathy. Religion is one thing that should keep humans grounded and make them understand the humanities in our society then isn't it ironical that we couldn't see an iota of humanity in this who claimed to be the foremost devotees of god and danced in his occasion. We danced for a stick and a cloth tied to it (the holy flag), they danced cause god was celebrated , but they didn't care for a human entity, a form of life that wanted a little help, if God exists wouldn't he want us to help the lady first, this happens 365 days of the year outside every temple, church, Dargah, synagogue! YES, it happens outside cause Im pretty sure one never gets to see a beggar or a ghetto in a temple, no they aren't allowed and if they want to they are kicked out! That just makes me so angry and disgusted to see such hypocrisy in the society!
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