Religion: Defending what you don’t even understand
Kafka’s novels were published a century back (1925-27). Much of what he said back then makes sense even today. The absurdity of human affairs is not restricted to any particular historical period. There is a scene in The Trial in which a guard of the protagonist remarks to another: “He admits he doesn’t know the law and yet he claims he’s innocent.” The profundity of that statement is such that I’m tempted to apply it to the present situation in India where the majority religion has suddenly found too many defenders and warriors none of whom seem to understand what they’re fighting for. “He doesn’t know what religion is, and yet he claims to be defending it.” One of Kafka’s characters would definitely say that in today’s India. Let us look at the guard’s statement in a little detail. What it means is: You don’t know the law. Therefore you cannot know whether you have violated it. Therefore you cannot legitimately claim to be innocent . The law is possessed by the bureaucra...
