Get well soon tushantin. Hmm, maybe there's a bright side -- James Cameron came up with The Terminator while he was languishing in some kind of fever. Maybe this will help you dream up the Next Big Thing!
Well, majority of my inspiration came from
Fata Morgana today. I feel better than this morn, but went to the docs and she says I'm
still horribly ill -- that explains my constant pangs of weakness on physical exertions (damn, I shouldn't have done those push-ups...) Haven't eaten all day, though; worried I might throw up.
I don't mean to nudge myself into a conversation which rightfully belongs between you and Lord J, tush, but I think I may be able to refine your argument a little.
Not at all!
It's a Forum, and anybody is free to join in the conversation, and I'm always interested in knowing people's views. So, here we go.
See, India is in a completely opposite state than the USA; it's been a LOOOOONGGG while since we ever had religious wars (like, pre-freedom era)
which ended the moment Shirdi Sai Baba (a bi-religious Guru) delivered his teachings, and at the current state it's the
government that's screwed up while
religion attempts to save lives and reverse damages by educating the poor, passing wisdom and empathy, etc. all because of the moral value that stayed true to their teachings and all in the name of human welfare. Though many renowned schools were expensive, my poverty stricken friend, who lived in a mud-hut at the road-side, was educated at a Christian-funded academy, while I got my admission at a Sindhi school that lowered expenses for my struggling family.
(Side Note:
Sindhi, compared to any other Indian Race, are considered to be the truest and purest Indo-Aryan/Hindu races of
Bharata, masters of trade and economy, but also the earliest to be influenced by Islam; the Sindhi Hindu however, staying true to their early culture migrated and blended. Thus the reason they keep saying
Allah despite worshiping Hindu gods. Oh, and I'm also a Sindhi.
)
I think you are heavily informed by the fact that philosophy and religious thought seem quite closely wedded in the history of Hindu thought.
Hell yeah! ...Sort of.
Yes, and no. I'm not sure how to explain this (illness still takes control of my mind), but here's the (example) answer in one word: Guru. No, I'm not talking about the Guru from the western perspective, rather Indian, where
Guru means
teacher. Some were practical at their trade, while some others were philosophical sages, and there was a reason they were know as
Learned/Enlightened and most of them were empowered by religion.
I think you can deduce the rest; if not, lemme know and I'll explain once my illness subsides.
But morality, at least in terms of analysis of right and wrong, doesn't exactly require religion. So your emphasis on its ability to instill ethics in a person is a little misguided. Cultural mores can do that just as effectively, and for my part, I think that cultural mores are actually the driving power behind religiously motivated ethics; all the examples you ascribe to religion are pretty indistinguishable from cultural assertions. So I'd encourage you to think of what religion can offer on the subject that philosophy, logic, and cultural cultivation of empathy and civicmindedness can't.
Ah, you misunderstand me there:
of course, it isn't a requirement! (Actually, it
was a requirement, since all moral principles flourished
from religion and thus expanded beyond its boundaries to stabilize civilizations) However, Religion does have the power to empower ethics and influence cultures, and filters and amplifies the best positive emotions. Hmm, I think I'll have to explain by examples (pardon my incompetence at explanations):
See, religion is usually one focus, while people and societies tend to segregate into castes, thus importing and altering upon the same philosophy in the name of the same religion. Problem is, what these differences, whether good or corrupt, that are called
religious teachings are actually nothing more that cultural mores or independent practitioners (see Benny Hinn and Westboro Baptist as corrupt, but Shia Islam as an improved caste); this also makes it an easy target for political agenda. For instance, take any religion and travel; in one area that religion would be sacrificing animals, while in another the same religion would say God does not tolerate sacrifices. If both have the same source, how is this difference even possible, you've probably guessed. But if the philosophy behind any religion is strong enough, such as Buddhism or Hinduism, it can remain rigid and also open.
Now back to the differences between it and those cultural mores. While the ethics re-enforced by culture alone might be powerful it can at times also be misguided, which is where Religion comes in: it not only improves the situation but also pushes ethics beyond the boundaries of that culture. Here's a fun-fact: in India, it is the collective Religion (yup,
over seven Religion) that united and
defined our culture in the first place! While some backward societies and classes were in some point of time (and still do) stuck with horrible traditions, like feminine inferiority, dowry, baby-girl sacrifice, etc. (See? Cultural mores) but we tackled them and did our best to improve situations. These classes were then educated, but this did not improve their anxiety, tribalism and anger until temples were opened and they learned empathy. Religion at this point acts like a Filter of Humanity -- it teaches you how to be a better person.
Now here's something I love about my country's culture, and how it was defined by religion. There's a reason they call India a nation of
Unity in Diversity, and it is that we're not only cool to be different and embrace whatever beliefs we want, but also that together we stand unbreakable, and that every religion philosophies are interlinked and form a web of guidance. Our best philosophies and ethics come from
United Religion that force their ways beyond their cultural borders. We celebrate Festivals called in by Religion for certain purposes (oh, and having fun too), such as
Diwali where not only do you get to destroy a Demon King with a flaming arrow but also as reminder of victory of light over darkness; the night conquered by light. And the wisdom given forth also helps you in a long run.
One may also consider religious teachings as an Academic teaching: both seem important. True, a man can learn ethics either by experience or cultural pressure, but that takes time. Religious, or philosophical, studies give a man a head-start. It's like warning a child that fire can hurt him before his curiosity leads him to burning himself. Yes, experience is the best teacher, but if one still insists that it's the
only thing one needs, well, then don't pay for the child's school and let him figure out
Science on his own.
Of course, Civic-mindedness does improve upon society, provided the system is proper.
Think about your grandfather, maybe, and what role religion actually played in giving him a meaningful framework that he passed along to you, separate from his (possible) good moral fiber and his philosophical development. Think about the Bhavagad Gita and why it's not written as a philosophical treatise. And if you have thoughts on that, I'd love to know them, for my part.
I may not be religious, but I do practice it if only because my parents and grandparents believed in their Gods. To me, the stone statues before me (with all the humbleness and respect in my heart) are either a memory of the distant past, of my ancestors, or simply a magnificent craftsmanship brought by art and literature of incredible devotion; but to them, these idols were more than that.
My grandfather was a hardcore Philanthropist, a wise man, and religious to the core. Religion strengthened his good nature and opened his mind, showed him the art of tolerance, helping him learn of the outside world better. Despite all the bullshit and deception he had to deal with from evil folks, he simply never gave up his good will, even if it drove him into ruin. All he wanted was the world to be a better place, even if it meant to make a random person smile everyday, because when you smile the whole world smile with you. He lived through poverty and suffering but never lost faith in his dream. He truly was a
Sage. But further more, what Religion gave him most, was discipline and humbleness.
Speaking of Bhagwad Gita, Religion also partakes into amplifying metaphysical, practical and philosophical curiosity with thought-provoking literature and art, essentially where the major Religion keep drumming in intellectual concepts such as
Ignorance is Sin. Such as the quarrel between the Hunter and a Brahmin, and Krishna's lessons about "the lies and the truth", all point to educating the reader/masses into understanding their world, how to deal with it, and how to decide their own destiny.
I'm sorry if my post makes no sense. I'll try again later.
P.S.: I would like to point something. In the words of Diane Vera (a Satanist -- yeah, Satanism is awesome too),
Worship doesn't necessarily mean mindless devotion or selling yourself to a fictional supernatural deity; most commonly by the worshipers, the term usually means something alike
Undying Respect.
There's also a word in Hindi relating to religion that doesn't seem have an English equivalent. The word is
Shraddha, a kind of sentiment that the truest and the most devoted people feel, whether for their Gods, their ancestors, or ones they've lost. The term means a lot of things; Faith, respect, loyalty, love, gratefulness, etc. but its proper meaning is hard to express accurately in English. And funny enough, from what I've learned, most English speaking people don't even
have that kinda emotion, and even if they do they're misdirecting/mis-inducing it as something else entirely, all because language controls human imagination.
What's interesting is that those who do feel this emotion are instantly sincere, if only for a few moments.
Shraddha, in turn, induces empathy.
Now those funeral rituals and Satsangs make sense!
