RELIGIOUS STRIFE

RELIGIOUS STRIFE

Co-operation was the anvil of progress for the biocosm. Competition was simply a tactic for minor corrections on its path. Till man was created it was all food chain, feed back loop and hence, ecofriendly. As he ate the so-called ‘fruit of knowledge’ (used as a metaphor only) he became aware of himself. He had no respect for co-operation. He believed only in competition. Cain killed Abel or our ancestors killed their kins the Homo habilis and the Homo erectus and we called ourselves ‘the wise’ – ‘Homo sapiens’ - Conceited and Ironical.

Of course initially it was a strife between the species, later it was the fight between the races. Now we have graduated to kill in the name of religion.

Religion is nothing but politicized (organized) faith. I feel Karal Marx was very compassionate and sympathetic to religion. He said “Religion is the sign of the oppressed creature; the sentiment of the heartless world and the soul of the soulless condition. It is the opium of the people.”

I would prefer to join Jonathan Swift “we have enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.”

Thrissur

3/1/2003 Dr. Varghese Mani.