Thursday, July 22, 2010

False Religion and Human Nature

If True Religion calls us to transcend the limitations of Human Nature, what is the cause of False Religion?
The irony is that it is, again, Human Nature!

Just as Capitalism and Socialism tend to appeal to Greed and Laziness, respectively, False Religion tends to appeal to Power.
The seeking of Power and Control over People, in the name of God, is the essence of False Religion.

True Religion demands that there is a struggle to overcome the Ego. It is only when the Ego has been transcended that the greater 'Self' can emerge.
This greater 'Self' is where a proper relationship with God can grow. We all need an 'Ego'. It would be impossible to survive in the everyday world without it, but it has to be subservient to the greater 'Self' and thus to God.

The False Religious Leader has failed to transcend the Ego and ends up acting in an egotistical way, all in the name of God.
This is extremely dangerous both for the Leader and those whom he/she would lead.

Egotistical Religious Leaders often condone great Evils which can include Murder, Genocide, Slavery, Oppression and the misinterpretation of the Word of God.
The modern world is replete with many examples of this.

Despite these dangers, I believe that Religion is absolutely indispensable for civilized life. Without True Religion, we end up being victims of a Human Nature which can only find its true role in relation to God.

How do we avoid False Religion?

In my view, there are two ways.
Firstly by overcoming the temptation to identify with the Ego (the Ego is a means, not an end).
Secondly, by holding true to the principle that we are not obliged to obey anyone except God. No Human Being has the right, no matter how knowledgeable or holy they may appear to be, to act 'in the name of God' on our behalf.  God has the ultimate Sovereignty over Human Beings and will have the last word.

This is not a recipe for a sort of religious anarchy. It is right to look for wise men and women to emulate but only God should be served.
The violence that is carried out 'in the Name of God' is all about Power and much of it can be traced to the activities of various Government Intelligence Agencies. Despite all this, the world does need True Religion.

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