Religion and the modern society
In ancient times, when civilizations were born, each one was a self-sustaining unit –an individual society. All its members were like the spokes of a wheel, functioning synchronously to keep the rim that was their collective lifestyle, moving smoothly. The central hub to which these individual spokes were tethered was the concept of religion. Religion was merely a set of rules governing daily life and deemed essential to uphold the society’s unity and enforced interdependence. It also helped define duties of its members and maintain harmony in the society. As trade developed, it necessitated migration of people. Confronted with perilous journeys, possibilities of not returning back, long periods of absence and vast distances from home, the one constant comfort to these migrants was the refuge to practices of their religion.
Rules framed by man are regularly set in stone by passage of time and mystifying of source. Often the essence of the words and their context are lost in the blind devotion to their literal translation. And as more followers are led astray by such fool-hardy zealousness, degeneration sets into that religion.The modern world comprises of a single society –the Global society. The advent of better transportation and faster communication has principally fostered a global community by creating opportunities and facilitating large migrations. The religion-based societies have been amalgamated into this one synergistic society.
But, to carry the wheel-analogy forward, the ancient hubs of religion still function to create separate societies based on moral and ethical ideologies. While the modern world, in general, is run on a unifying theme of inclusiveness with a common purpose of collective advancement, religious beliefs still steer individual lifestyles and practices.The notion of a set of rules, rooted in morality, dictating private choice is an agreeable, nay, favourable undertaking. But religious fervour often manifests itself in intolerance of other religions. And fanatic adherence to the ‘hubs’ strains the cords that bind one to one’s religion. And as more strained cords intertwine, the very fabric of society is stretched. The society is transformed into a wheel with multiple hubs, polarized spokes and a rim that is in absolute disarray. The wheel wobbles, veers drunkenly, largely goes nowhere and faces the dangerous eventuality of falling flat on its side.
So how does the global society negotiate the problems posed by these religious sub-societies? The answer lies in revisiting the fundamentals of inclusiveness and tolerance that form the basis for the creation of modern civilization. Atrocities in the name of religion are merely the festering wounds of social inequalities clothed in collective garb of faith. For, what better unifying ideology for such brimming discontent than one the oppressed already subscribe to. The need of the hour is not alienation of one religion or faith. It lies in addressing the social causes which incite a populace to justify their retaliation to society at large. Religion too has its role to play in the scheme of things. It will take the collective efforts of all upholders of every religion to find a common path of cooperative tolerance and peaceful existence. Every religion must evaluate its place and value in today’s world. It must keep in mind to not lose the wood for the tree. The underlying basic values might remain the same, but their paths of pursuit have to be pertinent to the age. Religion must shake off its rigidity, avert stagnancy and keep pace with times. It must constantly reinvent and update itself. Meaningful evolution is an essential cornerstone for religion to retain its relevance. Religion is as much an identity of an individual, as nationality, political affiliations or any other. The core foundation of religion is to instruct its practitioner on how to lead a life that is productive and useful not only to oneself, but also for the society on the whole. To paraphrase Isaac Asimov, religion must never get in the way of doing what’s right. As long as this dictum is observed, religion will only serve to propel society forward and advance our civilization.

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