RELIGION: A CRITICAL SURVEY Origin and Development of Religion

How exactly can world peace be established? How do we bring about harmony among the various religions in the world? What lessons does Hinduism have to share with other religions in this respect? What is the global duty, global responsibility, and global contribution of Hinduism? This article studies the past of religion and then extrapolates the learnings into the future.

2015

Religion occupies an important place in human society. It is believed by many thinkers that religion is instinctive in men. Almost all the aspects of society including economic and political regions are guided and controlled by it. It formulates human conduct, behaviour, social sense morality etc. But in spite of all these, there are some dark sides of it, for which some thinkers are of the opinion that if religion is eradicated from the society, many bad things will be vanished and people will live peacefully. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the meaning, origin, different aspects and role of religion in society. Side by side efforts will be given to delineate the dark aspects of it and finally to justify the necessity of religion in society.

Undoubtedly, religion has walked the stairs of history with man. From time immemorial, it has stepped into the activities of man: affecting his actions, punishing his inactions and Setting standards that will guide the affairs of men. Its effect is far-reaching, and has remained unmoved in the face of science and technology. The aim of this work is to provide the readers with a basic understanding of the intricacies of religion; its types, forms and importance. It contains four chapters, well written, readable and intriguing. From the very first chapter, the writer leads the reader through a tour to understand some basic concepts of religion, types of religion, forms of religious beliefs, down to the main crux of the work; the importance of religion to humans. It is hoped that the work act as an invaluable asset to the reader and is therefore, highly recommended for research as well as general academic exercise.

Religion is in disrepute in our times. It is variably seen as a cause of conflicts and wars, as a body of illogical and superstitious beliefs and practices, as a refuge for the weak and the unaccomplished, as a bastion of male supremacy and control of the masses, as a repository of unscientific and superstitions beliefs and practices, and as a relic of the past. From one perspective, all these critical views of religion are accurate. However, a dispassionate, objective review of the origins, teachings, and accomplishments of the main religions of the world reveals that every race and group of people has a religious and spiritual orientation and history. All religions address physical, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of human nature and prescribe moral and ethical principles that govern human relationships and conduct. All the universal codes of moral and ethical conduct, as put forward by the main religions of the world, are in fundamental agreement. All religions concur that life is sacred; that human life is a process of actualization of our inherent potential qualities of body, mind, and spirit; and that the main purpose of religion is to bring meaning, direction, harmony, cooperation, beauty, and civility to the life of the individual and society alike. The examples of the lives of the Founders of the major religions of the world are outstanding unique testimonies to the fundamental nobility, integrity, universality, and unity of their teachings. This paper offers an integrative perspective on the phenomenon of religion, its progressive nature commensurate with the ever-evolving collective development of humanity, and its fundamental harmony with science. The paper also analyses the main reasons for the decline of religion and its misguided applications. In its analysis of the nature and purpose of religion, the paper draws heavily from the teachings of the Baha’i Faith.

As progressive beings we are endowed with faculties such as reasoning, discerning, probing, inquiring, critiquing and exploring. Nowadays we could proudly say that 'sky is not the limit' and human aspirations is such that to get to know and get into the unexplored terrains and conquer everything at one point of time termed as 'mysteries', now a reality. With the application of our critical and creative faculties and questioning and exploring capacities we keep moving on to greater heights. Inquiring and questioning mind and reasoning power are the greatest components endowed in human beings that enable and extend the urge in us to move forward and higher. Homo sapiens per se have been innovative, creative and ground breaking. Science and technology contributed to approximate these achievements. Parallel to these developments, side by side, religion co-exists. Organized religion from time to time instills or refills its adherent not to drift from the basic tenets, rituals, religious practices, traditions and belief system. The belief in God as the center of being continues and for this the organized religion sustains their belief in varied ways. In trials and tribulations and frustrations and hopelessness, the leverage of hope is extended only by religion apart from cementing the