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Religion is not necessarily idiotic

Pope Francis


Pope Francis has declared that the Big Bang theory and his religion are not in conflict with each other.  The Bible is fiction. 

The Bible is scripture.  It is not meant to teach science.  As Galileo put it beautifully, “The Bible teaches how to go to heaven, science teaches how the heavens go.”

Even the religious fundamentalists are interested in how the heavens go rather than how to go to heaven.  Even they know that there is no heaven.  

All that religions have been doing so far is to manipulate.  So that they have power.  Power.  No exceptions. 

Exceptions became extinct.  Or evolved.  And gained power.  Or are begging/fighting for power.  

When power rules, humanity dies.  Because power belongs to the animals. ‘ Might is right’ is the law of the jungle.

Religion originated as a quest.  A search for the beyond.  What could not be understood was labelled as god or demon. 

Do we need that sort of search anymore?  Don’t we have a better tool in science?

Science has its drawbacks and limitations.  Yet isn’t it the best tool that we today have?

Can’t we keep our scriptures and epics in our libraries and become human?

Religion need not be necessarily idiotic.  I love Pope Francis for saying that.  Of course, I have paraphrased him.  He will forgive me, I know.  He is not an idiot.
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  1. DMR SekharOctober 29, 2014 at 8:18 PM

    Yet we may need religion ... In small doses .......... a soft one without hatred ....... as tranquilizer …….

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalOctober 29, 2014 at 8:39 PM

      I agree, DMR. That's why I've posted this.

      And thanks for being here after a long time.

      Delete
    2. UnknownOctober 29, 2014 at 9:49 PM

      "Religion originated as a quest. A search for the beyond. What could not be understood was labelled as god or demon. " I agree with you sir. But if we realize that God is nothing more than that,do we still need religion.Will there be really a chaos without God or religion? I too sometimes feel the need of a superpower who denotes goodness and with whom I can talk to,but I don't believe that there is such a power. Even if I start believing in him it will be after transcending all the religions. Do you think that religion is necessary to get to know about God?

      Delete
    3. UnknownOctober 29, 2014 at 11:57 PM

      The search for knowledge and truth has been the human endeavour from time immemorial.Conciousness evolves through honest intellectual search.One's life is the quest for discovery of consciousness evolving into deeper knowlege and understanding this is truth.

      Delete
    4. Tomichan MatheikalOctober 30, 2014 at 6:33 AM

      Amitach, religion has been more a hindrance than a support in the path towards truth. It blinds the believer with given truths. The search for spiritual truths is a highly personal one. Religion can help provided the seeker knows how to use it instead of being used by it. Most of the time people are not seeking any truth; they are seeking community - hence communalism.

      Delete
    5. Tomichan MatheikalOctober 30, 2014 at 6:38 AM

      Babychetta, it is the honest intellectual pursuit that I'm defending. Has the Church ever defended it? Hasn't it actually prevented any such search? Hans Kung, the theologian himself, said in an interview to Frontline a few years ago how many theologians were persecuted by the Church because they wanted it to be more truthful... I think we should welcome and support the Pope's initiative to make the Church relevant to the contemporary world.

      Delete
  2. Fascinating QuestOctober 30, 2014 at 12:21 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Fascinating QuestOctober 30, 2014 at 12:27 AM

    A lot of what religion is perceived to be depends on its interpretation.
    Usually when it comes across as 'idiotic', it is the idiots construing it who should be blamed.

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    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalOctober 30, 2014 at 6:30 AM

      Religion has been highly regressive, Nimi. It always pulls back to the past. It refuses to accept the new and the different. The theory of evolution was questioned all the time by the Christians and heir churches. So the present statement by the Pope is a revolution in the Church.

      Delete
  4. Shesha ChaturvediOctober 30, 2014 at 10:36 AM

    I don't understand why science and religion can't co-exist!!! Why one has to oppose the other? Science aims at world-development while religion is for moral development. Though excess of both can ruin the things! isn't it? Religion happened to encourage people towards good Karmas, to define better ways to live, which later on was misused by authorities for their selfish interests. While christanity has been quite orthodox about science, many scientific theories and ideas are presented in our ancient Hindu texts (Vedas). I believe in both soul and cell, evolution and God, probably that suits me best!

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    1. Tomichan MatheikalOctober 30, 2014 at 2:09 PM

      Your last sentence says it all. Ultimately, religion is a mere personal need and nothing more. For any spiritual quest or moral development, religion is not required at all. In fact, religion distorts one's spirituality and morality. Look at the number of crimes, riots, wars, and so on perpetrated in the name of religion. Religion has been, perhaps, the biggest cause of pain among men.

      Delete
  5. Online JournalistOctober 30, 2014 at 10:40 AM

    I can't agree .... that "the Holy Bible is fiction"
    I am greatly worried...
    Because the Holy Bible says ... all these things and things greater than these are bound to happen..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalOctober 30, 2014 at 2:10 PM

      Pope Francis was not the first to say this. Many Biblical scholars said long ago that the first 11 chapters of the Bible are mere myth not to be taken literally.

      And don't ever delude yourself that what the Bible says will surely happen. Poetry and fiction can be interpreted differently.

      Delete
  6. Kokila guptaOctober 30, 2014 at 12:12 PM

    I agree . with you and Galileo :) It sums up all :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalOctober 30, 2014 at 2:11 PM

      True, Kokila, two different purposes and they don't necessarily meet.

      Delete
  7. Roohi BhatnagarOctober 30, 2014 at 1:56 PM

    Good post.. Religion came into being to teach civilizations a way of life.. It was meant to explain the laws of nature (in short science :)) to common man in layman terms.. Now it has diminished to just rules and controversies.. Like any entity it has got adulterated with time.. Now there is need to undo all the evolved religious beliefs that has divided the mankind in various sects and write a new, fresh scripture that can connect all.. once again..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalOctober 30, 2014 at 2:12 PM

      A new, fresh scripture ... or at least interpret the existing one meaningfully. I think the Pope wants to do that. But his cardinals won't let him go too far, I assure you. The Church is a very powerful organisation rooted in obscurantism.

      Delete
  8. Tomichan MatheikalOctober 31, 2014 at 9:25 AM

    It is not at all about carefulness, Ashwini, it is all about enlightening people. I am fabulously delighted that a man of no lesser stature than the Pope has come out to state that his religion was able to accept science. It is a great beginning.

    ReplyDelete

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