Life without Religion is Meaningless

As a student of religion I have learnt that religion is an indispensable part of human life. History shows that every religion, it may be revealed or not, has risen in the crucial moment of the human history. According to the Semitic tradition human history has began with Adam and Eve, first prophet in Abrahamic tradition. In Indian tradition, though God is omnipresent but he directly intervened into this world, what we called Avatara, to make a clear distinction between right and wrong. In primitive society also people’s lives were highly motivated with religious affiliation.

In every point of human history, we observe, a common scenario of religious activities is to establish peace. The way of religion to establish peace may be different but the ultimate aim of human life according to every religion is to  harmonize environment with justice. To hold justice every religion offers a code for its followers. This code is nothing but a regulation of human life. It includes everything of human life, one’s behavior also. The great contribution of religion in history is promoting morality. Every religion stands on its strong commitment of morality. In today’s world, we talk so much on  humanism, focusing on human values and concerns. In this connection I may mention a religious code in Islam which says that “None of you has faith until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself." (Bukhari.) Here brother means mankind. The Holy Quran declared that “O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into races and families so that you may know each other. The most honored of you in Allah's sight are those who best keep their duty." (49:13)

Question is : what is religion? In theology definition of religion is a debatable issue. To define religion J.S. Mackenzie, a British philosopher, wrote that “It may be enough to regard religion as meaning the spirit of devotion to the perfection of human life.” (Outline of Social Philosophy, p. 210) Eric Von Der Luft, editor of  The Owl of Minerva, defined religion as  follows: “In essence, religion is an attitude, or a sum of attitudes.”  My own  understanding of religion  is “a system to make a worthy life.”
To become a holder of worthy life we need some qualities which are as follows:
•    Knowledge
•    Accountability
•    Responsibility
•    Orderliness
•    Loyalty
•    Love

And proper use of these qualities will help us to lead a fruitful life.

Now let me analyze the position of religion in human history. We may turn briefly to prehistoric times. Religion in prehistoric times was nothing but   a sense of security against the elements of nature. Religion in the early stage of human history   had certain characteristics and some common features. These are briefly outlined to determine the role of religion in human life:

Awe before the God: it is a general scenario of our life that all the religious places, symbols, persons, things, and rituals are regarded holy to us. We may or may not belong to that  religious ideology but we consider it as sacred and venerate them, if not for anything else then out of a fear that disrespect may entail their wrath.  In primitive ages people were scattered in living and they had not enough security. They were scared of  facing earthquake, flood, cyclone so on, even were scared of  big tree, hill etc. They considered them  as holy or something powerful. And to be safe from these spirits' curse they worshipped them.

Expression of anxiety in ritual: In the presence of sacred , there is certain anxiety or worry  among the people: will the holy power be moved by offerings and supplication? Will the power be favorable to the devotee? In this context one of the fundamental bases of religious rituals is that the anxiety gave  birth to rituals. There were two types of anxiety in primitive times. First kind of anxiety arose from the crisis or strains in the life of the individual or the community. Anxiety concerned mitigation of the crises. Second  type of anxiety arose from need for further rituals of purification. The rituals of primitive people were not only the restoration or reassure but also bind them together to their further performance.

Ritual and expectancy: Not all the rituals of primitive people were centered on anxiety. Rituals were also  performed to bring health, offspring, productivity of the soil, fertility of cattle, healing from disease, security from natural disasters. Primitive people were more dependable upon ritual to make a secure environment of life.

Myth and Ritual: Rituals also have a basis in myth. Myths shaped life and beliefs of the ancient people.  They explained every happening through mythical traditions and gave weight of supernatural origin and authority. Rituals accompanied such traditions and myths.   “The fathers taught us to do these things” – saying this they would  push back the origins beyond remembered fathers to mythical progenitors.

Magic: Magic may be loosely defined as an endeavor through utterance of set of words, on the performance of set of acts, or both, to control or bend the powers of the world to man’s will. (John B. Noss, The man’s religion, p-13) In primitive age people used three methods of control of power. The first is fetishism. This includes the veneration and use of certain objects into which useful power did not have to be induced, because they were believed to be already there. These are the so-called natural fetishes - the curiously marked pebbles, bones, odd shaped sticks - which seem to bring good fortune and to frustrate the evil design of one’s foes. The second method is Shamanism. In this case, spirits are conjured into or out of human beings by one who is himself spirit possessed. The third method is popular magic. It is not confined to magicians or priests, but is defused through the group. It is the endeavor of the common folk either to prevent the spirit powers from doing harm to the individual or the group or to make them serve private or group interest.

Mana: Mana is a belief in occult force or indwelling supernatural power as such, independent of either persons or spirits. It is a force that is thought to be transmissible from objects in nature to man, from one person to another, or again from person to things.

Divination: The general primitive belief is that the shamans or priests possesses the power to make contacts in the spirit world, including communion with the spirit of the dead, and gains inaccessible information about things and events, on, above, and under the earth.

Animism: The general belief is that all sorts of motionless objects as well as living and moving creatures have souls or spirits in them, and that every human being has a soul living the body temporarily during dreams and with finality at death.

Veneration and worship of spirits: It has been said that man has worshipped everything he could think of beneath the earth, everything between the earth and sky, and everything in the sky above.

Recognition of Supreme God: In primitive ages people  considered all the stranger as god and worshipped them. This idea of god gradually creates a sense of Supreme God which also helps them to unite into a community.

Taboo: Taboos are prohibitions, applied many things, persons and actions. Specifically, there are several things in a society that may not be touched or handled, persons who must be avoided or who may be approached to a certain distance, places that may not be performed, places that mat not be entered. . (John B. Noss, The man’s religion, p-15)

Sacrifice: This has usually entailed the giving up or destruction of something. The simplest form of sacrifice is always the giving of offerings, gifts of value of many sorts in the hope of pleasing the spirits.

Common features of religion in early stage of human life, primitive age, as outlined above, show that religion is not a tool for human torture. If we deny the revelation then we have to summarize that the prime reason behind religion is awareness. It is an inherit consciousness of primitive people that there is a Supreme one who is the Creator and Controller. Primitive senses of religion unite people into a community and create a sense of responsibility for neighbors. Their concept of sacrifice and Mana grow accountability into them and make a clear distinction between right and wrong and increase consciousness about their deeds.

LIFE means duration of one’s breath. Average age of people globally is 67.2 years. Within this short period we come across a variety of professions like  farmers, tailors, labors and so on. We depend on farmers for food, labors for shelter, tailor for dress and we earn money to maintain it. We also depend upon air for breath, water for drink, earth for living, sun for lights. We are using all the natural elements and taking service from our neighbors but how much feedback we return. Probable answer will be zero. Though it is our moral responsibility to treat well with them but we do not do that because of our detachment from religion.  Religion is a system of life. One who follows that system should have faith in it and accept it as true and act accordingly. Else none can be called to the believers of that system. No one claim to the believer of religious faith by birth only. If life is not anchored in religion, there will be no pressure of accountability. To me only religion enjoins accountability and arise moral awareness. To lead a moral life we need some qualities what have mentioned before. And those are the basics of faith.

To make a fruitful life all the religions of the world offer a good and meaningful framework of life. In Christianity morality and love towards God and neighbors are first and foremost responsibility of a follower. Jesus Christ has said that “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all your soul, and with your entire mind. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”  Matthew describes the teachings of Jesus Christ as: “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”  “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you; leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court.” These teachings of Jesus Christ to his followers speak clearly of religious morality. If any follower of Christianity deviates away from these then he mainly become divorced from religion.

Buddhism is well known because of its doctrine of middle path. The duties what have been prescribed by the Lord Buddha are a sketch of a worthy life. Lord Buddha had said that human life is full of suffering and to get rid of suffering he prescribed a way known as eightfold path which contains right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. (Chiko Komatsu, The way to peace, p.11) Lord Buddha had prescribed some moral precepts for all. The precepts fall into two categories, those which forbid and those which encourage. The precepts which forbid evil works are: do not commit adultery, do not be abusive, do not delude others, do not slander, do not insult, do not covert, do not give way to anger, and do not be intentionally ignorant. The ten precepts that encourage good deeds  are: concern for life, selfless giving, purity of conduct, viewing the body as impure, compassion (giving joy and removing sorrow) and knowledge of causes and condition. (Chiko Komatsu, The way to peace, p.13)
Like all other revealed religions the aim of Islam is to surrender to the will of Allah and to spread good thing in the society and the world; to prevent all from doing any mischief or bad things and to serve the humanity, in particular and to establish justice to all creation of Allah that may be any animal and even any plant or hill or ocean. (Khondakar G. Maola, The election of Caliph and world peace, p. 137)

As an ideology of life Islam prescribes the highest form of morality for its followers. Qadi 'Iyad reported in his Shifa, ch. 2 that " 'Ali asked the Prophet one day about the principles governing his general behavior, and he replied, "knowledge is my capital, reason is the basis of my religion, love is my foundation, desire is my mount for riding, remembrance of God is my comrade, confidence is my treasure, anxiety is my companion, science is my arm, patience is my mantle, contentment is my booty, modesty is my pride, renunciation of pleasure is my profession, certitude is my food, truth is my intercessor, obedience is my sufficiency, struggle is my habitude and the delight of my heart is in the service of worship.” The  Holy Qur’an enjoined for its follower that “Thy Lord hath decreed, that ye worship none save Him. And that (show) kindness to parents. If one of them or both of them were to attain old age with thee, say not 'Fie' unto them nor repulse them, but speak unto them a gracious word. And lower unto them the wing of tenderness through mercy, and say: My Lord! Have mercy on them both, as they did care for me when I was little. Your Lord is best aware of what is in your minds. If ye are righteous, then lo! He is ever Forgiving unto those who turn (unto Him) in repentance. Give the kinsman his due, and the poor, and the wayfarer, and squander not (thy wealth) in wantonness. Lo! The squanderers are ever brothers of the devils, and the Devil was an ingrate to his Lord. But if thou hast to turn away from them, waiting mercy from thy Lord, for which thou hopest, and then speak unto them a gentle word. And let not thy hand be chained to thy neck nor open it with a complete opening, lest thou sit down rebuked, denuded. Lo! Thy Lord enlarged the provision for whom He will, and strained (it from whom He will). Lo! He is ever Knower, Seer of His slaves. Slay not your children, fearing a fall to penury; we shall provide for them and for you. Lo! The slaying of them is a great sin. And come not near unto fornication. Lo! It is an abomination and an evil way. And slay not the life which God hath forbidden save with right. Whoso is slain wrongfully, we have given power unto his rightful representative, but let him not commit excess in slaying. Lo! he will be helped. Come not near the property of the orphan save with that which is better till he come to strength; and keep the covenant. Lo! of the covenant it will be asked. Fill the measure when ye measure, and weigh with a right balance; …. And walk not in the earth exultant. Lo! thou canst not rend the earth, nor canst thou stretch to the height of the hills. (Qur’an 17:23-27)

Object of human life in Hinduistic terminology is known as purushartha. Here purus means either God or human being and artha means object or objective. The word artha also mean wealth. In Hinduism four main aim of human life is dharma- righteousness, artha- wealth, kama- desire and mokkha- salvation, salvation from the cycle of rebirth. In Hinduism salvation is the ultimate goal of human life. This salvation depends on person’s karma. To attain salvation Hinduism offers a code for its follower. “Plough with truth. Plant the seed of desire for knowledge. Weed out falsehood. Irrigate the mind with the water of patience. Supervise your work by introspection and self-analysis. Build the fence of yama and niyama, or right conduct and right rules. You will soon attain Sivananda, or eternal bliss of Siva. (Tirumurai)”

In Hinduism the word dharma does not mean divine nature of man only, but it include religion, law, duty, order, proper conduct, morality, righteousness, justice, norm etc. To act according to dharma is, in essence, to act appropriately; what is appropriate is determined by the context in which the action is to be performed and who is performing it. And the acts only then become appropriate when person will get liberation from suffering of rebirth.

According to  Mahatma Gandhi,  man is a mixture good and evil. He believed that man is potentially divine and that that he was under divine obligation to reveal his hidden divinity by his conscious effort and endeavor. He is something higher of all the creation of God; man is the only animal who has been created in order that he may know his maker. Man’s  predominant calling is from day to day to come nearer his own maker (Young India, p. 14).

Hindu philosophy holds that the ultimate goal of human life is liberation or mokkha. Liberation means freedom from sufferings and acquittal from repeated births and deaths. It also means self-realization or God realization. Self-realization means to understand one’s true existence and God-realization means to understand one’s identity with God, the ultimate reality. And to attain this ultimate goal of human life Hinduism offers some vows. They are: nonviolence, truth, freedom from anger, renunciation, serenity, and aversion to fault-finding, sympathy for all beings, peace from greedy cravings, gentleness, modesty, steadiness, energy, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, a good will, and freedom from pride (Bhagavad Gita).

From the above discussion,  we may conclude that religion is an inseparable part of human life. From the very beginning of human history religion makes a sense of accountability. When institutional education was absent then religion works as an institution to grow awareness among human being. And it was success because of which till today religious precepts work as a boundary line between good and evil. Above illustration from religious texts again exemplify that only religion is the source of morality and without morality life is a big Zero. For example, religion is like human body. And morality is its head. So, without morality religion is valueless and without religion morality is not-exist.

Society and Religion

The term society is derived from the Latin word ‘socius’ which means companionship or friendship. Society is an organization which liberates and limits the activities of man, sets up standards for its members to follow and maintain. In defining  society, R. M. Maciver said, “society is a system of usage and procedures, of authority and mutual aid, of many groupings and divisions, of controls of human behavior and/or liberty.” August Comte, the father of sociology, saw society “as a social organism possessing a harmony of structure and function.” It is the web of social relationship and necessary condition of every fulfillment of life. There is a strong relationship in man and society because where there is man, there is society. But this relation is quite dynamic  and subject to constant changes.

Society is an expression, expression of human attitude or behavior. Social behavior is nothing more than collective behavior of its members. An individual born with a nervous system and a glandular establishment will also grow through the development of emotional expression, physiological drives, and the organization of behavior patterns. Behavior may be of four principal types which are inter-related. These are: emotional, motivational, perceptual, and learning. The basic physiological and neurological aspects of this behavior are in the human individual susceptible of great modification and direction by experience in society and culture.

As a social unit, family has a great role to determine individual behavior. In every society, the members have to be reproduced, biologically maintained, socialized, organized for production and distribution of goods and services, made able to maintain internal and external order, and to find adequate motivation and meaning of their life. For these, family is working as an agency whose activities have been traditionally considered as indispensable to the society. The way, in which parents are supposed to behave to children, children to parents, brother to brother, brother to sister, sister to brother, younger to older, older to younger, and to unknown one is again learned first inside the family and keep alive the social bond and harmony. In what follows, different functions of human society are outlined.

Physiological functions:    Every human individual has some minimum requirements for his/her living which is shaped by the physiological requirements of each human organism in relation to its external physical environment. The individual requires food, water, shelter, and clothing. He/she would require protection against injury from other person and animals. Sutherland said that “the biological make up of man and his physical environments provide limits within which survival must be achieved. But they do not determine the normative social order by which survival is achieved.” Usually there are alternative methods by which a human society can provide for the adequate physiological functioning of its members.

Integration of activities and orderly social relations:     Human society is moving based on the co-operation of its members. In every society we see that survival requires some division of labour based upon sex, age and specialization. For the most part, the integration of this division of labour is achieved through a general agreement that persons in certain positions are to do certain things in each of a variety of situations or relationships. This division of labour is also the assignment of rights and duties.

Social practice:    As a member of a society, every human individual is more or less agreeable  to certain normative behavior. It includes the legal and institutional behavior based on the role of labour. It includes all the shared ways of thinking and feeling, of noticing and responding. It also includes the shared attitudes and values, the shared understanding, shared ideas of the proper, the good and the true. This is what is meant by human social order as a normative order.

Replacement of members:    Man cannot live forever. He/she must die. But human society is an ongoing process. To continue this social order human procreation is most important through which a society can run. Sometimes new members are obtained from other society through voluntary immigration but it is not a dependable source of recruitment, the primary reliance has always been on the biological reproduction of its own members. In the long run, no society could continue without such reproduction.

Maintenance and continuation of social order:    In general, human child is born with the inherited capacity for acquiring the general living of any society. He/she can become a saint or criminal. Within the limit of his own heredited capacity, he can learn any kind of behavior pattern manifested by human beings. This is one of the important factors for human society. The continuation of social system is not determined by any hereditary predispositions to set behavior patterns. It is totally dependent upon children’s learning. Whatever he learns from his surroundings he must behave accordingly.

Socialization:    After birth, a child is completely dependent upon his learning experiences. This attitude and behavior pattern of a child is determined through practical observation about society. Sutherland said that “in this helpless state, he, without any choice on his part, begins his development in a particular group of persons who share the behavior ways of a particular society. Their normative behavior patterns become his model for the patterns and organization of his own behavior.” It is our parents and others who are responsible to provide a reasonable social flavor around the children.

Social control:    Deviation from normative behavior is not only a possibility at any age, but it is also an ever present tendency. We find that every society makes allowance for a margin of deviation from the ideal norms. But the weakness of social control leads this marginal deviation to a greater crime. To maintain a normative social behaviour ‘social control’ has more importance. The chief reliance for social control is, of course, upon the internalization of the society’s norms. But because norms are learned patterns of behaviour, they require the constant reinforcement to maintain the learning.  

Meaning and purpose of society:    Human society has a meaning and purpose. It is a way of human socialization. This social process unites the human beings under a relationship which help us to fulfill our fundamental needs. In a society, human beings collectively work as a body and every individual is its parts. The great service of a society is that as a human being we are not sufficient and dependent upon others and the satisfaction in the fulfillment of one’s roles contributes to the maintenance of orderly relations, health, meaning, and even the reproduction of the group.

Communication:    Communication is another important prerequisite of an ongoing society. Communication symbolically has meant in the development of man’s intellectual life and to pass his achievements from one generation to another and thus to build up a social heritage, for example, development of language in human society. In today’s world, our daily co-ordination would break without verbal communication. Sutherland said, “if humans were equipped by their biological inheritance with a multitude of ready-made behavior patterns, perhaps simple human social of symbolic communication. But humans are not equipped, they are dependent upon learning. It is through learning that they create their normative social orders, and they very functioning and transmitting of their social system and dependent upon learning. The necessary correlate of such a quality of learned behavior is a high communicative ability of the order we call symbolic communication or language. Without language, not even a simple human society could exist.”

Man is unique among living creatures. As a social being he possesses in a high degree three great abilities:

•    Man can think and reason
•    Man can communicate with others by means of language
•    Man has ability to use tools.
Hunt also said that because of his ability to think, to transmit knowledge by means of language, to use tools man control his natural environment to a far greater degree than another creature.

Though the personality of each individual is largely molded by society, it is clear that society can have no existence apart from the people who make it up. Ralph Linton has said that a society is a group of people who have lived together long enough to get themselves organized and to think of themselves as a social unit. A society consists of people, and the characteristics of every society are gradually shaped and changed, over the succeeding generations, by the people who belong to it.

Though the basis of any society is a group of individuals, equally important to its establishment is the continued existence of this group over a period of time. As Linton said, a crowd gathered browed for a football game is an aggregate but it is not a society. Its members are close together in space, and for the moment are united by a common interest. When this game is over they  disperse. They are not together long enough to organize a society. But if the some people were marooned for a year on an uninhabited island, they would be forced to organize themselves into a society. They would develop common ideas and interests, and techniques for living and working together.

Having reviewed the constituents and functions of society, let us turn to religion.  Religion is one of the great driving forces in human nature, both individually and socially. It gives occasion for celebrate institutional assembly. It provides a reference for the explanation of many events in human life which seems obscure and demands a meaning. Raymond Firth has said that it (religion) has promoted philosophy through humility, self-examination, and the desire to push back the bounds of knowledge. It has led many men to do much for their fellows by the charity and love it may enjoin.

The word ‘religion’ is an English word derives from Latin re-ligare which means “bond.” Rhys Davids translate the religion as “conscientious frame of mind.” If we consider these two meanings of religion then easily we understand that our meticulousness about life hastens to establish a strong bond or relationship among the human beings.

Religion is an important social factor. It is an ideology. In every religious ideology, belief is the core ideaincluding belief in God or goddesses, or any other Supernatural being or beings. The reflection of this belief is revealed in the practice of religion. Through this belief system religion laid its importance on its followers from both, inner and outer aspect. In this regard, Kimbal Young has said that the inner life of the person does not consist of mere collections of ideas, stereotypes, and attitudes. Rather it is the organizing of these into larger units of belief. Such beliefs constitute the life philosophy of the individual, the pattern of which is determined by his basic motives and interests and by the situations in which his daily life takes place. Religion offers certain standard of conduct for himself and others. He expects certain action from others and is expected to make counter-response.

Though religion is an inevitable part of human life but it is difficult to define it become of its broadened nature. We find many definitions of religion but not a satisfactory one. Henry Johnson quoted that religion varies so widely in doctrine, practice, and organization and religious feelings are so personal and collective and difficult to describe objectively that any definition of religion will necessarily seem inadequate. Malinowski defines religion as an indispensable pragmatic figment without which civilization cannot exist. To define religion J.S. Mackenzie, a British philosopher, wrote that “It may be enough to regard religion as meaning the spirit of devotion to the perfection of human life.” Eric Von Der Luft, associate editor of “The Owl of Minerva,” define religion as “In essence, religion is an attitude, or a sum of attitudes. The various institutions of’ religion grew up only after and as a result of certain attitudes, first felt by the individual, subsequently shared with a group. William James has described religion as the manner of a man’s total reaction upon life.

The range of religion is wide as it is not possible to confine into any definition. In my view, religion is a system; system of life. Religion is a culture. Religion is an attitude. In short,  we may define religion as “life.” Religion, as an ideology, covers all the activities of human life. Religion is a process of learning. It teaches its followers how to behave and how to reveal attitude. As a life philosophy it encompasses all the breaths of an individual. It teaches us to be moral. It gives us knowledge about right and wrong, good and evil.

Belief:    what is belief? Belief is a feeling. A system may be defined as an organized body of ideas, attitudes, and convictions centered around values or things regarded as important or precious to the group. Belief system provides a larger frame of reference which tends to control the more specific thoughts or actions of individuals. So, it provides stabilizing elements and makes for order and control.

A religion is more or less coherent system of beliefs and practices concerning a supernatural order of beings, forces, places or other entities: a system that for its adherents has implications for their behavior and welfare: implications that the adherents in varying degrees and ways take seriously in their private and collective life.

Rituals:    Ritual is particularly important form of religious action. We can identify at least six general characters of rituals.

•    Ritual often involves the manipulation of tangible sacred objects, and the action is meaningful with in the frame of reference of the supernatural order.
•    The performance is part of the religious system for attaining salvation in some form sometimes its effectiveness is
presumed to depend upon the will of a supernatural being; thus, when people speak of prayer or supplication, they imply that the supernatural being who is
addressed may or may not fulfill the wishes of the petitioner.
•    The ritual may be happy, even joyous,but it is not regarded by the faithful as primarily a form of entertainment: it is, as Durkheim says; “part of serious life itself.”
•    Being good-directed, ritual is a kind of instrumental action; but it is also
expressional. That is, it is charged with symbolic content expressing, among other things, the attitude of the participants and possibly of onlookers who may regard as co-beneficiaries.
•    Any ritual tends to be bound to a practical period over long periods of time.
•    Ritual must be interlinked with moral action- that is, with action in conformity with social norms values for their own shake.

What are the social functions of religion? Though the belief of religion is an individual affair but its survival is a collective effort. It is a universal function of human life. From the very beginning of human history till today religion works out as a panacea of human mind. All the living religions mainly deal with the social life of human being. In society religion has the following functions.

Religious experience: this is the basic social function of religion. Prayer, worship and meditation are the summery of religious experience. Through these man expresses his/her awe, reverence, and gratitude to the Almighty. This religious experience helps one to be accountable about his activities. It creates a sense of responsibility. It ennobles the human desire, ideals, and values. It facilitates the development of personality, sociability, and creativeness.

Peace of mind:     In every crisis, personal or collective, religion is called in for consolation and peace of mind. It promotes goodness and helps the development of character. It reduces one’s grievances to some extent. It supports to establish values and goals and reinforce the moral. It offers man inspiration, hope, faith and optimistic look.

Social solidarity and unity:    Religion upholds and validates the traditional ways of life. A common faith, common value judgment, common sentiments, common worship is significant factors in unifying people. By their participation in religious rituals and worship, people try to identify themselves as having something in common.

Promote welfare:    Religion render service to the people and promote their welfare. It appeals to the people to be sympathetic, merciful and co-operative. It arouses among the people the spirit of mutual help and harmony. It promotes culture and provides the means of development of nation.

Values of life:    Religion is an effective means of preserving the values of life. Religion defines and redefines the values. Moral, social and spiritual values are greatly supported by religion.

Social control:    Religion is one of the forms of informal means of social control. It regulates the activities of people in its own way. It prescribes rules of conduct for its fellow. Religious concepts of life after death and heaven and hell have strong effect on the behavior of the people.

Create accountability:    Belief in the Almighty God or in the Supernatural being or beings creates a feeling within a follower that as a creature we are being observed by the creator. Our every activity is noticed by Him. We have to accountable to Him for our every deed. This sense helps us to be cautious about right and wrong; to be sincere about our behavior; inspired us to be moral in our though and action; and formulate us as harmonize social being.

Finally, let us turn to relation between society and religion. The society is an organization consists with the mutual agreement of human being. Religion, as an ideology, is followed by the people. In other words, religion is followed by the society. Religion is not any private property, it’s an attitude; attitude of human activities. As a human being what we reflect in our daily activities to follow a certain attitude is religion. The relation between religion and society is the same as between sun and light. Sun and light are interlinked. Where is sun there is light, in another, where is light there is sun. We may exemplify the relation between religion and society as: religion is a being where man is its body and society is its soul. And the fulfillment of religion comes through out the individual and social practice of man.

In a social life religion reveals in many ways. It influences upon human’s family, social, economic, and political life. We have to remember that, religion comes to us, firstly, individually through its concept of belief in the Almighty God or in Truth. Though this sense of belief acquires individually but it reflects collectively. Belief in Almighty God or Truth creates some quality within a believer which helps one to lead a social life and also influenced the society.

Religion is said to help to satisfy the human need for spiritual fulfillment. This at once raises the question of what spiritual fulfillment is. One description of spiritual fulfillment is the need to feel comfortable with things that are beyond human understanding. Thus the need to believe in a god or gods arises from the inability to understand the origin and purpose of life.

Religion as common social phenomena:    Mail Edwards has said the question of the truth of religious world is largely the question of the objectivity of our highest values. As a matter of belief, religion is an individual affair but as a matter of practice it is a social affair. It has been revealed in many way of social life. Religious institutions or sacred places help us to be united. Sociologist Blackmar has said, religion is more social than individual. As a figure of social control, religious influence is clear in our daily life.

Religion, as a promoter of peace, is one of the great sources of morality. It preaches just and talks against evil. It influences the person’s character and helps him to lead a social life. Religious teachings of loyalty, humility, and love helped one to be honored toward others. Proper practice of religion reduces communal conflict. Though today’s religion is misused and abused but the appeal of religious teachings of universal brotherhood strongly exists in our society.

Role of religion as a social cohesive force:    religion has two important roles in human society. Firstly, in the limitness of human life it creates aspiration to be unites with the limitless almighty and through which he finds his perfection. Secondly, it unites the human beings in the same belief of God. This belief makes a sense of relationship within them which tends to lead a harmonious life. Religious propaganda for peace is not individual but collective effort as Durkheim has said, religion is the expression of collective consciousness.

Religious festival reunites the people:    Another importance of religion is to reunite the members of the society. Religious festivals (e,g,. Eid, Puja, Christmas day) spread a flavour of social unity. Daily rituals of religion create solidarity within its followers. Another feature of religion is that its concept of belief in the unity of God brings together its fellow beings under one leadership.

It is true, that the rapid developments in the field of science have affected the religion to a great extent. Some of the age old religious beliefs have been exploded by the scientific investigations. Science has often shaken the religious faith. The growing secular and the rationalist attitude have posed a challenge for religion. Still, it is understandable that the institution of religion is so deep-rooted and long-lasting that it will continue in the future withstanding the dangers of changes and the ravages of time.

Faith Profile: Shintoism

The national religion of Japan, Shintoism, is the oldest religion in Japan’s history. It is unlike other religions inasmuch as it is basically not a system of beliefs. It is defined by John B. Noss as “basically a reverent loyalty to familiar ways of life and familiar places... it is true to say that for the masses in Japan love of country, as in other lands, is a matter of the heart first, and of doctrinal substance second”.  Shintoism is regarded as the traditional religious practices which originated in Japan and developed mainly among the Japanese people along with the underlying life attitudes and ideology which support such practices.

Shinto, meaning the way of gods, traditionally dating back to 660 B. C., is a loosely organized religion of the Japanese people embracing a wide variety of beliefs and practices. In its most basic sense Shinto is a religious form of Japanese patriotism. The mythology of Shintoism teaches that Japan and the Japanese people were brought into being by special divine creation and that their emperors were literally descendants of the Sun Goddess. In Japan a person may in good conscience be a Buddhist, a Confucian, and a member of a Shinto sect at the same time.

Before the arrival of Buddhism in Japan there was no formal Shinto religion, but many local cults were grouped under the name Shinto. Like many prehistoric people, the first inhabitants of Japan were probably animists; devoted to the spirits of nature. In their case these were the Kami (the best English translation of kami is 'spirits', kami also translate as the forces of nature) that were found in plants and animals, mountains and seas, storms and earthquakes, sand and all significant natural phenomena. The early Japanese developed rituals and stories which enabled them to make sense of their universe. By creating a spiritual and cultural world that gave them historical roots, and a way of seeming to take control of their lives. It also regarded that the cults which grouped under Shinto were from Korea.

These religions were highly localized, and not organized into a single faith. Nor were they seen as a single religion; the realms of Earth and the supernatural were so closely integrated in the world-view of the early Japanese that the things that modern people regard as a faith were seen in those times as just another part of the natural world, even though a part of enormous power.

In the 6th century A.D when Buddhism arrived in Japan, Shintoism took some religious elements and rituals from Buddhism. Some Shinto shrines became Buddhist temples, existed within Buddhist temples, or had Buddhist priests in charge. As time went on, the Japanese became more and more accustomed to both the Shinto concept of Kami and Buddhist ideas in their spiritual lives. Philosophers put forward the idea that the kami were transformations of the Buddha manifested in Japan to save all sentient beings.

With the advent of Buddhism, Shintoism became less important to Japanese people. Later, two century before Meiji dynasty there was a movement toward a pure form of Shintoism, with a particular focus on the Japanese people as being the descendants of the Gods and superior to other races. Buddhist and other influences were filtered out of institutions and rituals. This was not so much a purification of something that had once existed, as the creation of a unified faith from a group of many ideas, beliefs and rituals. During this period Shinto acquired a stronger intellectual tradition than it previously had. This change was evolutionary, as had been previous changes in the nature of Japanese religion.

In 19th century, Shinto was reorganized, completely separated from Buddhism, and brought within the structure of the state administration. Amaterasu, who until then had not been a major divinity, was brought to centre stage and used to validate the role of the Emperor, not only as ruler, but as the high priest of Shinto. Shinto became the official state religion of Japan, and many shrines were supported by state funding. However, this financial aid was short-lived, and by the 1890s most Shinto shrines were once again supported by those who worshipped at them. One result of this reformation was that it was no longer acceptable for kami to be identified with Buddhist deities, and a considerable reorganization of the Japanese pantheon of spirit beings had to take place. Shrines were cleaned of every trace of Buddhist imagery, apparatus, and ritual, and Buddhist deities lost their godly status. Buddhist priests were stripped of their status, and new Shinto priests were often appointed to shrines with a tacit mission to purify them.

After the World War II, Shintoism was reformed and the divine superiority of emperor was at end. The emperor wrote: the ties between us and our people have always stood on mutual trust and affection. They do not depend upon mere legends and myths. They are not predicated on the false conception that the Emperor is divine, and that the Japanese people are superior to other races and fated to rule the world (Imperial script, January 1, 1946).

Despite the loss of official status Shinto still remains a very significant player in Japanese spirituality and everyday life. And despite the non-divine status of the Emperor, considerable religious ritual and mysticism still surrounds many Imperial ceremonies.

The term Shinto is commonly associated with the expression of eighty myriads of kami, indicating the truly immense number of such kami found in the religion, and suggesting the obvious reason why Shinto is usually referred to as a polytheistic belief system. In Shinto, there is no faith in the concept of the absolute one god who is the creator of both nature and human beings. The ancient Japanese had never divided material and spiritual existence, but considered that the both were inseparable, seeing everything to be spiritual. In other word, they did not draw a border between a certain object and the work of that object. According to the Shinto myth, there was one thing in the beginning of this universe. Later that thing was divided into two things: Heaven and Earth. From Heaven, Kami appeared and a couple of Kami who were male and female appeared last gave birth to the various Kami, the land of Japan and her nature as well as people. The Shinto faith starts with a belief in this mythology. Therefore, Shinto does not acknowledge the existence of the substantial difference or discontinuation between Kami and man, nature and human beings. It can be said that Shinto is basically the faith in the life-giving power.

Nevertheless, all of them are not Kami by themselves. The principle of the polytheism is reflecting here that the only thing that has a great influence on human life could be Kami. For instance, relating to natural phenomenon, Kami of Rain, Kami of Wind, Kami of Mountains, Kami of Seas, Kami of Rivers, Kami of Thunders is worshipped. Thus, objects of worship are limited to those which are closely associated and have great influences on human life. In the case of human beings, all people are revered after their death at their home as ancestral Kami. However, people whose spirits are enshrined after death are limited to those who have had a great contribution to a community or the state. People who are enshrined during their lifetime are especially limited to those who have enormous spiritual power over human life.

The idea that kami are the same as God stems in part from the use of the word kami to translate the word 'God' in some 19th century translations of the Bible into Japanese. To make understanding easier kami are often described as divine beings, as spirits or gods. But kami are not much like the gods of other faiths: Kami are not divine like the transcendent and omnipotent deities found in many religions. Kami are not omnipotent. Kami are not perfect - they sometimes make mistakes and behave badly. Kami are not inherently different in kind from human beings or nature - they are just a higher manifestation of the life energy... an extraordinary or awesome version. Kami do not exist in a supernatural universe - they live in the same world as human beings and the world of nature

Kami include the gods that created the universe, but can also include: The spirits that inhabit many living beings; Some beings themselves; Elements of the landscape, like mountains and lakes; Powerful forces of nature, like storms and earthquakes; human beings who became kami after their deaths.

Today’s, Shintoism is distinguished into many cults and lay emphasize on different rituals. To distinguish between these different focuses of emphasis within Shinto, many feel it is important to separate Shinto into different types of Shinto expression.

Generally, Shinto is not based on a set of commandments or laws that tell the faithful how to behave, but on following the will of the kami. So a follower of Shinto will try to live in accordance with the way of the kami, and in such a way as to keep the relationship with the kami on a proper footing. The overall aims of Shinto ethics are to promote harmony and purity in all spheres of life. Purity is not just spiritual purity but moral purity: having a pure and sincere heart.

Shinto ethics start from the basic idea that human beings are good, and that the world is good. Evil enters the world from outside, brought by evil spirits. These affect human beings in a similar way to disease, and reduce their ability to resist temptation. When human beings act wrongly, they bring pollution and sin upon themselves, which obstructs the flow of life and blessing from the kami.

Things which are usually regarded as bad in Shinto are: things which disturb kami; things which disturb the worship of kami; things which disrupt the harmony of the world; things which disrupt the natural world; things which disrupt the social order; things which disrupt the group of which one is a member.

The followers of Shinto observe some festivals which are mainly for celebrating the New Year, child birth, coming of age, planting and harvest, weddings, and groundbreaking ceremonies for new buildings. Death, funerals, and graveyards involve Buddhist rituals, not Shinto. Shinto shrines hold regular festivals, matsuri, to commemorate important dates related to the shrine and its deity(s) and to pray for a wide range of blessings such as abundant rice harvests, fertility, health, and business success. The essential meaning of the term matsuri is "welcoming the descending gods" or "inviting down the gods," for it is believed that Shinto's heavenly deities periodically descend to earth to visit shrines, villages, and families, and to make their wills known among the people.

There are currently 119 million observers of Shinto in Japan, although a person who practices any manner of Shinto rituals may be so counted. The vast majority of Japanese people who take part in Shinto rituals also practice Buddhist ancestor worship. However, unlike many monotheistic religious practices, Shinto and Buddhism typically do not require professing faith to be a believer or a practitioner, and as such it is difficult to query for exact figures based on self-identification of belief within Japan. Due to the syncretistic nature of Shinto and Buddhism, most "life" events are handled by Shinto and "death" or "afterlife" events are handled by Buddhism—for example, it is typical in Japan to register or celebrate a birth at a Shinto shrine, while funeral arrangements are generally dictated by Buddhist tradition—although the division is not exclusive.

Sikh Religion in Bangladesh

This article makes a general  introduction of Sikh religion to our readers and presents its profile in the context of Bangladesh. Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded by Guru Nanak in 15th century in India. It is also known as Gurumat because of its religious philosophy and expressions. In the system of Sikh beliefs and practices,  we may find some syncretistic  assimilation of Indian and Semitic religious concepts. Fundamentally, Sikhism beliefs in one God, Waheguru, and advocates the path of salvation through meditation on the name of God. The followers of Sikhism are ordained to follow the teachings of the Sikh Holy scriptures, the teachings of Sikh Gurus.

Sikhism started its journey with the teachi9ngs of Guru Nanak, the first Guru of Sikh religion in 1499. Sikhism started its journey when its preacher was only 30 years old. It is here it it bore similarity with the initiation of other major religions like Christianity when Jesus Christ was 30 years old,  Buddhism when Gautam Buddha was 29 years old and Islam when on 29 years of Gautama Buddha, and Islam when Muhammad (peace be upon him) was  40 years of age. 

Like most of the religion, Sikhism maintains a spiritual destination of its followers, spiritual union with God, known as Waheguru. There are five hierarchical levels or Khandas  of Sikh spirituality, namely : the level of seeking moral duty; the level of wisdom and knowledge; the level of effort; the level of fulfillment; the level of truth...union with God. The graduation of the  levels are shown in the diagram below:

Sikhism beliefs that God is immanent and self-existent into His creation. The Guru Grantha Sahib says that “the Self-Existent God manifested Himself into naam.” The immanent aspect of God has been variously described as His will that directs the universe. Guru Grantha Sahib says that “He creates all, fills and is yet separate.” Sikhism also beliefs God is a Transcendent being. Guru Nanak said that “to think of the transcendent Lord in the state is to enter the realm of wonder. Even at that stage of sunn (void), He permeated that entire void.”

In Sikhism God is described variously. They may recall God as Kartar (The Creator), Akal (The Eternal, Sattanama (The Holy Name), Sahib (The Lord), Parvardigar (The Cherisher), Rahim (The Merciful), Karim (The Benevolent).

Initially, Sikhism did not have any ritualistic approach. Guru Nanak opposed rituals, religious ceremonies, and idol worship and discouraged fasting and pilgrimage. To them, God is everywhere, so, to remember God there is no need to go for pilgrimage. This religion generally is based on justice and social solidarity. However, in later years, many rituals and ceremonies did arise. They observe morning and evening prayer. The morning prayer is Guru Nanak’s Jaap ji and the evening prayer is Guru Govinda Singh’s universal Jaap Sahib.

Sikhism basically a scripture based religion. They have four scriptures to follow. One is Adi Granth. It was compiled primarily by Bhai Gudras under the guardianship of Guru Arjun Dev in the early of 17th century. Another one is Guru Grantha Sahib. It was compilled by Guru Gobinda Singh in 1678. It consists of the original Ãdi Granth with the addition of Tej Bahadur's hymns. The Guru Granth Sahib is considered the Eleventh Guru of the Sikhs. It contains compositions by the first five gurus. It also contains the teachings and hymns of such as Kabir, Namdev, Ravidev, and Sheikh Farid. Another scripture is Dasam Granth. The Dasam Granth is a scripture of Sikh which contains texts attributed to the tenth Guru. Both the dasam granth and Guru Grantha Sahib describe the religious significance of Sikhs. Another scripture is Janamsakhis. It is basically the biography of Guru Nanak.

Sikhism believes in the immortality of the soul. The devotee has no fear of the pangs of death. In fact, he welcomes death, because it gives him a chance for the merger into Divinity. The evil person, however, dreads death. For him, it will lead to the unending cycle of birth and death. After death, man comes to the next birth according to what he deserves. If he has been wicked and evil, he takes birth in the lower species. If he has done good deeds, he takes birth in a good family. The cycle of birth and death keeps the soul away from Divinity. It can merge with God, only if the individual, by spiritual effort, has amassed the capital of the Name and thus lives with the Holy Spirit. The Sikh religion teaches that salvation consists in knowing God, or in obtaining God, or being absorbed into God. The general method of salvation is fairly consistent with the supremacy of an inscrutable God, and with the accompanying doctrines of the worthlessness of the world and the helplessness of man. This method of obtaining salvation by a pantheistic merging of the individual self with the mystical world soul is identical with the method of salvation.

Karma belief says that actions and the consequences of these actions decide whether a soul can be set loose from the cycle. Freedom from the cycle of rebirth is called mukti or salvation. Sikhs believe in reincarnation. This means that a person's soul may be reborn many times as a human or an animal. Sikhs believe that upon death one merges back into the universal nature.

Sikhs do not believe in heaven or hell. Heaven can be experienced by being in tune with God while still alive. Conversely, the suffering and pain caused by ego is seen as hell on earth. Sikhism views spiritual pursuits as positive experiences in and of themselves that transcend death, not as sacrifices made in order to collect a reward that is waiting until after death. The Sikhs believe that the soul has to transmigrate from one body to another as part of an evolution process of the soul. This evolution of the soul will eventually result in a union with God upon the proper purification of the spirit. If one does not perform righteous deeds, one’s soul will continue to cycle in reincarnation forever. A being who has performed good deeds and actions in their lives is transmigrated to a better and higher life form in the next life until the soul of the being merges in God.

The holy place for Sikhs is Gurdwara. The place where Guru Grantha Sahib is installed and treated according to Sikh code of conduct is referred as Gurdwara. Though the first Gurdwara was built in 1521 by Guru Nanak in Punjab but the word Gurdwara was first introduced by sixth Guru, Guru Hargovind. In Gurdwara, everyone is treated as equal. Gurdwara mainly deals with three functions. First one is Shabad Kirtan: which is the singing of hymns from the Guru Grantha Sahib. Second one is Path: which is religious discourse and reading of Gurbani from the Guru Granth Sahib with its explanations. Third one is Sangat and Pangat: which is free community kitchen where langar (food) is served  for all visitors irrespective of religious, regional, cultural, racial, caste or class affiliations.

Along with these main functions Gurdwaras around the world also serve the Sikhs community in many other ways including, libraries of Sikh literature, schools to teach children Gurumukhi (Sikh scriptures), and charitable work in the wider community on behalf of Sikhs.

Sikh followers observe some festival and follow Nanaksahi calendar. Because of the controversy over Nanaksahi calendar, most Sikhs  follow Hindu calendar. They observe the date of birth and death of Sikh Gurus, pohela boisakh, diwali so on. Every Sikhs follow some moral codes. Which are: equality, personal rights, action counts, living a family,  sharing, accepting God’s will, valuing four fruits of life: truth, contentment, contemplation and Naam-in the name of God.

Sikh followers also observe some prohibition in daily life. These  are: non-logical behavior: superstitions, or rituals which have no meaning, such as pilgrimages, fasting and bathing in rivers, gambling, worship of graves, idols or pictures, and compulsory wearing of the veil for women, are prohibited.

Another important matter of Sikhism is their concept of Khalsa. During the lifetime of Guru Gobind Singh he established this Khalsa order which means pure. The Khalsa uphold the highest Sikh virtues of commitment, dedication and a social conscious. The Khalsa are men and women who have undergone the Sikh baptism ceremony and who strictly follow the Sikh Code of Conduct and Conventions and wear the prescribed physical articles of the faith. One of the more noticeable is the uncut hair and the Kirpan (ceremonial sword).
Before his death in 1708 Guru Gobind Singh appointed his spiritual successor as Sri Guru Granth Sahib, his physical successor as the Khalsa.

Guru Gobind Singh felt that all the wisdom needed by Sikhs for spiritual guidance in their daily lives could be found in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Eternal Guru of the Sikhs. Sri Guru Granth Sahib is unique in the world of religious scriptures because not only is it accorded the status of being the spiritual head of the Sikh religion, but besides the poetry of the Gurus, it also contains the writings of saints of other faiths whose thoughts were consistent with those of the Sikh Gurus.
Male Sikhs carry five symbols: kes (uncut hair), khanga (small comb), kirpan (steel sword), kara (steel bangle), kachh (loose drawers worn as an undergarment). Sikh men do not cut their hair, but tie it up and tuck it under their turbans. They neither shave nor trim their facial hair. The main Sikh festivals are observances of the birthdays of the gurus. Sikhs also observe the first day of Baishakh. The death anniversaries of their religious heroes are also observed. Sikhs burn their dead and throw their ashes into rivers or canals.

We now focus on introduction of Sikhism in Bangladesh. There has been a number of phases of Sikh inflow in Bangladesh,  of course, in very limited scales. Guru Nanak travelled across India extensively in 1499 to propagate his teachings and ideals. Then he journeyed to China, Bhutan, and the Middle East before visiting Maldah and Krishnanagar in West Bengal and Faridpur and Dhaka in Bangladesh. He first propagated Sikhism among the potters of Rayer Bazar in Dhaka, where he excavated a pond for drinking water. At Jafrabad he built a gurdwara (Sikh house of worship). But these works of Guru Nanak are no longer extant. The 9th Sikh guru, Teg Bahadur Singh (1621/2-75), came to Dhaka in 1665. He built a Sikh dharmashala at Bangla Bazar and stayed there for some time. After his death his son, Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708), the 10th and last guru, also visited Dhaka.

Sikhs constitute a small minority in Bangladesh. They usually come from abroad and live here temporarily. Sikh gurus also did not stay very long in Bangladesh to propagate their religion. During the Mughal and British rule, Sikh soldiers used to be posted to Bangladesh for short periods. They kept very much to themselves and did not develop close relationships with the local people from whom they differed not only in religion but also in language and lifestyle. [Sambaru Chandra Mohanta]
In Bangladesh Sikhism exist as a minor religion with approximately 15000-20000 followers. The grand secretary of Gurudwara management committee in Bangladesh told this author that in Bangladesh there are  seven Gurudwaras. Those are: Gurdwara Guru Nanak Chowk Bazar, Dhaka; Gurdwara Nanak Shahi, Dhaka university campus, Dhaka; Gurdwara Sangat Tola, Dhaka; Gurdwara Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur, Dhaka; Sikh Temple Chowk Bazaar, Chittagong; Sikh Temple Punjabi Lane Phahartali, Chittagong; Gurdwara Sahib Shivpuri, Mymensingh. The main Sikh temple in Bangladesh is Gurdwara Nanak Shahi situated on the campus of Dhaka University. All of above Sikh Gurdwaras is run by charitable fund.

However, various Sikh delegations and visitors visit Bangladesh from time to time.  The first-ever large Sikh representative group or jatha to Bangladesh came to Dhaka last year end. The jatha comprising 58 members, including women, will visited various gurdwaras in Bangladesh. The jatha was sent  by Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) head Jathedar Avtar Singh Makkar. Makkar said jathas will now be sent regularly to Bangladesh. “Earlier, permissions were granted to only granthis (Sikh religious workers) but now the Bangladesh government has agreed to give permission for this large jatha. We will soon meet the Bangladesh High Commissioner in Delhi for granting visas to more Sikh devotees”, he said.

Makkar also offered to build a serai (hospice) at Gurdwara Chittagong near Dhaka. “Various gurdwaras in Bangladesh, built in the memory of visits by Guru Nanak and related to various Sikh historic dates, need repair and we are ready to take on the kar sewa (volunteer service). We will take up this issue with Bangladesh’s High Commission and seek the Government of India’s help, too,” said Makkar.

It may also be mentioned that the Gurdwara in Dhaka University campus has made some interfaith impact in Bangladesh. Practicing what he preaches has won Sikh priest Bhai Piara Singh many admirers in Dhaka, the capital of overwhelming Muslim Bangladesh.

Singh came to Bangladesh 13  years ago from India to head the main Gurdwara, or Sikh temple, in Dhaka, where his doctrine of peace and generosity to all mankind has made its mark on Bengalis of all faiths -- and helped keep his community safe.
"People respect us," Singh told Reuters. "Often I get a chance to speak at inter-religion discussions."  "Never we had a communal problem nor did I hear of any. People of all religions visit us. Muslims often donate (money) to help us run the Gurdwara," he added.
The century-old building is protected by the authorities but also fondly preserved by students, who often engage in gun battles on campus.

"All religions preach non-violence, no hatred and love. The Sikhs are a true reflection of that and so they are loved by all," said Atiqur Rahman, Muslim who attended Dhaka University. Sikhs are a major religious community in mainly Hindu India, but they number only a few thousand in Bangladesh, where few wear the traditional turban and heavy beards. The Gurdwara host annual feasts in November, January and April, which politicians and diplomats attend, regardless of their faith. They all eat vegetarian meals and sing Sikh songs.

The temple is one of five offering Friday and Saturday masses to the followers of Guru Nanak, who founded the Sikh faith centuries ago. Hindus often take part in these prayers and sometimes Muslims come to listen as well. Many praise Singh.

Ratan Kumar, a Hindu, said he visited the Gurdwara almost every Friday for last 12 years. "I find it (Sikh religion) very liberal and kind." "Whoever believes in one God is welcome here. There is no bar," he added. Singh and other Sikhs also offer food to anyone who visits the temple on Fridays, attracting a big crowd from all faiths. On Saturdays, the temple gives food to poor children.

"We offer cooked food to children who otherwise find it difficult to find a meal," said Singh. "It's once in a week, but that gives them satisfaction and pleasure for a day.”

Inter-faith dialogue: Change for peace

It is stated that in the past there have been hostilities between the religions, but it is necessary now to strive for mutual understanding, for social justice, for universally valid ethic foundation, peace and freedom. The historic process to this insight was often marked by violence, forced conversation, Anti-Judaism, Anti-Semitism. But we know that the value of one religion can only be measured by the ethic standards.    We should sincere that religion survive because of its followers as well as demolish also. Every people belonging to different faith love their religion. We want harmony, we want peace. All the people hate chaos but history shows that war after war, terrorists’ activities and all other violence held by people. My question is why. Answer is lack of preaching of proper religious feature, lack of religious practice, lack of religious knowledge. To remove all kind of religious anarchy the most emphasized point is dialogue among different faith. It helps us to hold a clear idea about other.
The term interfaith dialogue refer to cooperative and positive interaction between people of different religious faiths and spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional level with the aim of deriving a common ground in belief through a concentration on similarities between faiths, understanding of values, and commitment to the world. Interfaith activity can be seen as a major component in and contributor to promoting peace and co-existence between people and communities of faith. This has always been the case and people from a wide variety of countries and conflicts have used interfaith dialogue and action as a medium for more harmonious co-existence.
Interfaith dialogue then can help:

• to eliminate ignorance and reduce stereotyping and prejudice about particular religions and religious communities

• to lay firm foundations to overcome differences or to meet common goals at local and national levels by building confidence and trust through rational dialogue and co-operative action

• to link relevant religious and multinational organizations to mitigate against terrorist responses to situations :

- By improving communication
- By facilitating dialogue and deep listening
- By addressing together perceived injustices
- By understanding or respecting different value systems and learning about them.
 

These activities lead us to peace. Interreligious dialogue which leads us to remove religious anarchy help us to established religious harmony among different faiths.
Inter-religious harmony means inter-religious understanding. The term understanding implies a process of mutual knowing the other side and affirms a desire for tolerance. Inter-religious understanding is indispensable for peaceful coexistence. It should be kept in mind that inter-religious disharmony is scarcely responsible for all world’s turbulence.
The first task for inter-religious harmony will be to establish and enumerate the ethical and moral code common in all religions. As well as it should be realized that doctrinal complexities asides, all religions work on almost the same basic principle and lay down almost the same ethical and moral code.
After all, it is important to realize that peace cannot be achieved without religious conciliation and tolerance, peaceful and fraternal coexistence between people of different ethnic cultural and religious groups.
It is not the doctrinal difference amongst religions, but what unites them that should be emphasized and highlighted, so that a proper knowledge is attained in a positive and meaningful way
The main obstacle will be the false notion that people of one faith harbors about another faith, sometimes even about their own faith. Some of the false notions were formed because of misunderstanding and lack of communication, some were slanderous concoction by hostile minds and some were appended and interpolated by religious leaders of the same faith whose self-esteem far outmatched their grasp of the essence of their own religion.
As well as extra religious issue, involved in inter-religious understanding will be difficult to resolve. International disputes which evoke different response in the minds of people belonging to different religious faiths should be dealt with objectively and justly. Otherwise, any issue creating sympathy in the minds of one group of people and irritation in the minds of another group, especially because of difference in religious affinity, in potentially the biggest cause of disharmony and unrest.
For overcoming it we need a common culture and inter religious peace order. And culture should be
Culture without violence
Culture with reverence for life
Culture of solidarity
Culture of tolerance and truthfulness
Culture of balanced rights and partnership of man and woman
For holding such culture and religious peace order we need fruitful inter-religious dialogue and the net result will reach at people’s level. Because they are not aware, proper educated about their own religion and its peaceful approach towards others faith. For a peaceful religious culture inter religious understanding is needed must at people’s level.
In conclusion, I can say that,
No peace is possible between the nations without peace between the religions.
No peace is possible between the religions without dialogues between the religions
No dialogues are possible between the religions without global ethical standards.
No survival of our world is possible in peace and justice without a new paradigm of international relations based on global ethical standards.

Fasting in World Religions

Fasting is a common practice among different world religions. Fasting has been considered by and large in all  religions  of the world as a fruitful way of self control and purification. If prayer is the essence of soul, fasting is an essential part of prayer and thus it becomes part of the soul. Although  methods of fasting may differ,  the aim of fasting has been to attain spirituality and highest morality in life, in order to maintain deep love with Supreme Being. In this article, a short introduction to the divergent practices of fasting in widely accepted religious traditions has been provided.

In Hinduism, fasting is one of the important parts of religious rituals. It generally indicates the denial of physical needs for the sake of spiritual demand. According to Hindu religious belief, fasting helps one to create an attunement with the Brahma by establishing a harmonious relationship between body and soul. Hindus observe fast depending on personal devotion and deity of choice during certain days of the month such as Purnima (full moon),  ekadashi (eleventh day of every lunar fortnight)

Many Hindus observe fast in the month of Sravan (mid July-mid August). This month is also sacred to the Hindus for ‘Janmastami’ (birth day of Lord Krishna), and ‘Rakhi’ festival. During this time temples are decorated with lights and become live with chanting bhajans (devotional songs). Some Hindus will not cut their hair or shave over the month of Sravan. In the fasting time they engage themselves with some charitable work. They offer donations for temples, poor, and other social activities. They also cook for the hungry and poor. By these good deeds they hope that they will be liberated from the cycle of rebirth.

There are some variations among the Hindus in practicing fasting. During fasting some eat one vegetarian meal while some others do not eat  at all. Some Hindu observes fasting all year round on particular days of week. They also observe fast on the particular day of the week for their devoted deity. A seven-day rundown of practices of fasting and offerings by the Hindus may be presented as under:

On Saturday, many Hindus also fast for Honuman (monkey) God. This fast is usually observed by men. This day they go to the temple of Honuman to make offerings of  flowers and oil. They pour oil all over the statue of Honuman. On Sunday, Hindus fast for all goddesses. They fast on this day in order to believe that through this fast they will get energies from goddesses. On Monday they fast for Lord Shiva and his wife Durga. This particular fasting is popular mainly among the Hindu women. In the morning women, particularly, unmarried women, go to Shiva’s temple with offerings of butter, milk, honey, sugar and tulsi (herb) leaves. It is believed that by offering these to Lord Shiva they will find their dream husband. On Tuesday, many Hindus fast for ambe ma (another name of Durga) and Monkey God ‘Honuman’ this day they recite the Ambe maa’s aarti (devotional offerings) and visit temples for prayer. On Wednesday, some Hindus fast for their God Bahuchara mataji and recite the aarti and visit temples for prayer. On Thursday, many Hindus fast for Laksmi (Vishnu’s wife), and Bhuvenashvri mata. They fast this day for good health, wealth, and to achieve success in life. This day they prayer in the morning and evening in family program. On Friday, some Hindus fast for Santosi ma. This fasting is also important to Hindu woman. This day they do not eat any food and fast continuasly for sixteen Fridays. At the end thy invite many who are aged under sixteen and prayer to Santosi ma in order that satisfaction and happiness will come in the family.

Besides these weekly fasting, Hindu followers observe fast in different religious festivals. They fast for a variety of reasons. Fasting is also guided by precepts and instructions in their horoscope or astrological signs (janma patrika). They also fast with the instruction of their priest and astrologer.

In Buddhism fasting is considered as an ascetic pactice. It is one type of invigoration practice. In fasting Buddhism holds thirteen specific practices, four of which related to food: eating once a day, eating at one sitting, reducing the amount of food, and eating only that food what one receives from the first seven houses. This fasting is mainly voluntary activity and not involved into the regular Buddhist monastic activities.

Buddhist followers’ consider  fasting as one of the ways of purification. Theravedan and Tendai Buddhist monks fast as a means of freeing the mind. Some Tibetian Buddhist monks fast to aid yogic feats, like generating inner mind. However, in Buddhism, fasting highlights one's attachments to food and to good flavour; thus it helps the practitioner to distinguish how much of his or her craving for food is need, and therefore, normal and necessary, and how much is greed, and therefore a hindrance to liberation.

Fasting in the Buddhist community is known as ‘zhai’ which means being vegetarian and at the same time, practicing fasting as well. The importance is that removing the meat from one's diet, twice a month on the new or full moon days, or six times a month, or more often, is also considered as a kind of fasting. The principle of fasting holds that removing indulgences to luxuries from the diet is already a form of fasting, and brings merit to the one who fasts.

When a Buddhist practitioner adopts a direct fasting practice, he or she eats dry bread for three days to prepare the stomach for no food. The standard fasting period in Buddhism is eighteen days and only a small amount of water is taken daily. If this first fast is successful and beneficial to one's practice, then one can attempt a thirty-six day fast. Some practitioners have extended the period gradually over years to include fasting for up to seventy-two days. This is an extreme practice that is only recommended to one who has taken all the required steps under the supervision of an experienced teacher.

In Buddhism, facting is not for all. Here Rev. Heng Sure, Director of the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery, offers analogy of a car. He said that without gasoline in the tank, the car would not carry you down the road. Persons who function in the world of the marketplace need nutrition to carry on business. Certainly over-eating and under-eating both defeat the purpose of food, which is to nourish the body and keep us healthy so that we can work to benefit the world.

Fasting is a common practice in Jaina religious tradition. It is a part of their every religious festival. The type of fasting in Jainism is different from all other religions. To the Jains, fasting is an effectual event to purify body and mind. It helps to maintain and teach self control, and is important to do when a perceived error in deed or thought has taken place. In Jainism, different types of fasting are practiced. Some of them are listed below:

Complete fasting: This fasting demands to give up food and water entirely. Generally it leads to death and is undertaken by someone who has finished all of his/her duties and wishes to leave this world peacefully.
Partial fasting: this fasting demands eating less than one demands and to simply avoid hunger.
Great fast: Some Jaina monks fast for months at a time following Lord Mahavira who fasted for over six months.
Masaksaman: To give up food and water or only food continuously for a whole month.
Aththai: To give up food and water or only food continuously for eight days.
Tela: To give up food and water or only food continuously for three days.
Bela: To give up both food and water or only food continuously for two days.
Chauvihar Upvas: To give up food and water for the whole day.
Upvas: To give up only food for the whole day.
Digambar Upvas: One may drink water only once a day, before sunset.

In the Old Testament fasting is seen as something even more necessary for life—communion with and dependence on God. Fasting in Judaic tradition is sometimes enjoined, sometimes made voluntary, and sometimes ritualized. Abstaining from food was the part of the ancient Judaic culture. Fasting in the Bible can generally be viewed as a pattern of religious activity that would have been common in any number of cultures. Though the Torah does not enjoin fasting on the people of covenant but it is highly present in the instruction of Old Testament.
The first clear reference of fasting was found in the Exodus, as it is said “So he (Moses) was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread, and he did not drink water” (Exodus 34:28). In Judaism, fasting is seen as a sign of repentance and seeking forgiveness for sin. Such understanding of fasting is sometimes referred to as a means of humbling one. There are many verses in the Old Testament in favour of fasting. In Joel it is described as “Announce a holy fast; proclaim a sacred assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the temple of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord (Joel 1:14).” This verse explicitly refers that fasting is enjoined only for elders of the community.

In Jewish practices, there are two major and four minor fasts. The two major fasts are known as Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av (Ninth of Av). Yom Kippur fast is known also as the fast of the Day of Atonement. Both the major fasts last over twenty four years, begin before sundown and end after the next sundown when it is dark outside and three stars can be seen in the sky. This fast is absolute. The fast person may not eat food, drink, brush his teeth, comb his hair, or even take bath. The last chapter of Yoma deals some with the laws of fast promoting repentance by regulating fasting and labour on the Day. Eating, drinking, washing, anointing, wearing shoes and cohabitation were all prohibited.

Yom Kippur is one of the most important days of the Jewish fasting, along with prayer, and is practiced as a means of repentance. This fits well with the idea of performing penance for any sins committed during the year and restoring one’s soul to a state of wholeness. On the other hand, Tisha B’Av (Ninth of Av) fast is a practice in the remembrance of the second defeat by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. which was followed by the destruction of the Temple and the city.

The four minor fast days are: the fast of Gedaliah, the fast of the 10th of Tevel, the fast of the 17th of Tammuz, and the fast of the Esther. Strict adherents to Judaism strictly observe each and every fasting day. Other Jews may practice modified forms of fasting. This can be abstaining from food but not water, fasting but not observing bathing restrictions, or not observing some of the fasting days at all.

In Judaism,  the purpose of a fast is to lower the volume on the physical pursuits in order to focus more acutely on the spiritual selves in odrer to facilitate the process of return to God and the essential state of purity. It is also employed to remember the sacrifices and the tragedies of the Jewish people to mourn the loss.
Like all other religions, Christianity also laid emphasize on fasting. To give importance on fasting, Jesus Christ entered a time of fasting before his ministry. He also provided teachings his desciples how to fast and carried the Jewish tradition of fasting. Accordint to Matthew, Jesus addresses the traditional Jewish practices of alms giving, prayer, and fasting. He said, fasting must not be done to gain fame before a human audience. Our Lord said whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocraties, for they disfigure theirn faces as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their rewards. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your father who is in secret; and your father who sees in secret will reward you (Matthew 5: 16-18).

Some of the early Christian books following the New Testament encourage Christians to fast twice a week, on Wednesday and Friday. Early Christians carried on the tradition of fasting to the moments of decision. Before to receiving Baptism, the candidate fast one or two days. To narrate the nature of fasting in early Christians,  the language of Shepherd may be quoted: Commit no evil in your life, and serve the Lord with a clean heart; keep his commandments and walk in His ordinances, and do not permit any evil desire to enter your heart, and believe in God. And if you do these things and fear Him and restrain yourself from every evil deed, you will live to God; and if you do these things, you will complete a fast that is great and acceptable to God (Shepherd of Hermas, Section Parables, 5.1.5)

Later, during the Patristic era fasting rapidly came to be seen as part of the ideal, discipline Christian life. As a Christian calendar to commemorate sacred seasons, formal fast days were added. The earliest of which was a two-day fast prior to Easter. By the fourth century, this had expanded to a forty day lenten fast.

Mediaval Roman Christianty multiplied the fast days. Obligatory fast days were called Ember days, which were four separate sets of days (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday ) within the same week and which were roughly equidistant across the year. These were the week between the third and fourth fundays of Advent, the week between the first and second Sundays of lent, the week between pentacost and trinity Sunday, and the week beginning on the Sunday after the holy Cross day (September 14).

In present day Christianity, there are some common fasting practices. Firstly, Ash Wednesday (March 9), this practice begins the traditional period of Lent. Lent is a time of self examination and repentance in advance of Easter and Ressurrection Sunday. As Lent begins many believers will refrain from eating favorite food item and pleasant activity as a reminder that how the Lord Jesus gave up his life. Secondly, fourty days prayer of Lent. During this time general Christians are asked to focus on special prayer emphasize.

Fasting in Islam is one of the fundamental principles. Ramadan, the ninth month of Islamic calender, is fixed for fasting. It is an event of God fearing, The Holy Quran declares “O those who believe, the fasts have been enjoined upon you as were enjoined upon those before so that you be God-fearing (Quran 2:183).” It is obligatory for all capable Muslims. Islam also offer a window of exemption for those who are sick or travelling but this must be made up by paying a fidyah which is essentially the iftar, dinner and sadaqah for a fasting person who requires such financial help. The Holy Quran says that “(Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (Should be made up) from days later. For those who can do it (With hardship), is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent. But he that will give more, of his own free will,- it is better for him. And it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew (Quran 2:184).”

Besides this obligatory fast, Muslims observe some voluntary fasting in order to get the grace of God. The voluntary fast days are 13th, 14th, 15th day of each Islamic calendar, six days in the month of Shawal, 9th of Dhul-Hajj, and 10th of Muharram. In Islamic instructions there are some days when fasting is prohibited. Those days are: 3 days of Eid-ul-Adha, Day of Eid-ul-Fitr, and only fast every Friday. Amr-al-Ashari naratted that Muhammad (pbuh) has said: Verily, Friday is an eid (holiday) for you, so do not fast on it unless you fast the day before or after it."

During fasting Muslims will abstain from certain provisions, namely, eating, drinking, and sexual relations from dawn to dusk. Fasting in Islam is not only for being refraining from food but a great opportunity to increase the spiritual power also. It is merely not a physical component. It has some spiritual aspects include refraining from gossiping, lying, slandering and all traits of bad characters.
It helps one to be more pure on mind and helpful to others. Muslims practice fasting to develop their love for God and seeking His grace and pleasure. It increase charity and strong the sense of brotherhood. It also develops self discipline, sound consciousness, and selflessness. It increase the power of patience and moderate in a healthy life style. It is also guidance for Muslims. As the Holy Quran says “the month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, (let him fast the same) number of other days. Allah desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you; and (He desireth) that ye should complete the period, and that ye should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that peradventure ye may be thankful (Quran 2:185).”

Finally, fasting have two sides, spirituality and world affairs. Spiritually, fasting aims to maintain a deep relationship with Supreme Being by improving moral quality, equality among mankind, self consciousness, selflessness so forth. It also helps one to shaken off his/her all devil attitudes. In worldly affairs, fasting promote fraternity and brotherhood. It develops the human level of patience and understanding. As a result of spiritual and worldly development through proper practice of fasting we will find a peaceful society.

Understanding Christianity

Religion is an English word derived from Greek word Re-Ligare which means ‘to bind together’. Though the etymological meaning of religion and any of its definitions do not fulfill the application of ideas, i.e., Christianity, Islam and similar others, but it has been used to define those ideas. Revealed religions of the world - Judaism, Christianity and Islam - and the Holy scriptures of those testify that all the revealed religions are linked in tradition and continuity. This article provides a general understanding of the revealed religion of Christianity. The purpose of this article is not to provide a definitive interpretation of Christianity because of the vastness of the subject. Basic point we strive to make is that there are varied interpretations of different aspects of the religion and there is greater need for introspection and openness.

The New Testament says that “For I suppose that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. You heard how it was said to our ancestors, you shall not kill; and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you; anyone who is angry with a brother will answer for it before the court. Anyone who calls a brother fool will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and anyone who calls his traitor will answer for it in the hell fine” (Matthew 5:20-23) This word of Jesus Christ definitely means that he did not came in this world to preach an independent religion, he came to fulfill the former revealed law preached by prophets up to Moses. Jesus Christ was not intended to establish a new religious order. He was sent by God to fulfill the Moses’ law. Jesus Christ said that “Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not abolish them but to complete them. In truth I tell you, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, is to disappear from the law until all its purpose is achieved”. (Matthew 5: 17-18).

This word of Jesus Christ is directly order for all of his followers to follow the law for whom Jesus was sent but they do not, why? Because, St Paul said that “But now we are released from the law, having died to what was binding us, so we are in a new service, that of the spirit, and not is the old service of a writer code”  (Romans 7:6). How dare Paul said that! He taught against Jesus Christ to live with his follower’s skins. Here any one may put a question that according to Christianity the purpose of law or Jesus Christ was to free them from original sin and he freed his followers form that sin through his death. But we know from the old law, to complete what Jesus was sent, that the purpose of law was to establish and fulfill the covenant what was held between Moses and God. And that was the law. The Covenant is: “I am Yahweh you God who brought you out of Egypt, where you lived as slaves. You shall have no other gods to rival me. You shall not make yourself a carved image or nay likeness of anything. Is however above or on earth beneath or is the water under the earth. You shall not bow them or serve them. You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your God, Honor your father and mother so that you may live long is the land that Yahweh your God is giving you. You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal; you shall not give false evidence against your neighbor. You shall not set your heart on your neighbor’s house. You shall not set your heart on your neighbor’s spouse, or servant, man or woman, or ox, or donkey, or any of your neighbor’s possessors. (Exodus 20:2-17)

Christianity is a continuation and an extension of Judaism. Moses’ duty, which was to fulfill his  covenant with God was incomplete. He could not complete his mission.  And therefore, Jesus Christ was sent to only Jews people to fulfill Moses’ covenant with God. On The other hand, St Paul interprets Christianity as an universal religion for all of the community living in this world. But New Testament testifies that Jesus’ religion is only for Jewish. “He summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to drive them out and to cure all kinds of disease and all kinds of illness. These twelve disciples Jesus sent out, instructing them as followers: “Do not make your way to gentile territory, and do not enter any Samaritan town: go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”. (Matthew 10: 1-6).

In Christianity Jesus Christ is regarded as the son of God. Because of his virgin birth they regarded that God is his spiritual father. In regard this we find in many places of Bible that Jesus Christ recall the God by the word “Father: for example, “Everything has been entrusted to my father; and no one knows the son except the father, Just as no one knows the father except the son and those to whom the son chosen to reveal him” (Matthew 11:27) But we know that Jews people called their God as father in their local language during the reign of Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ uses the word father to be closer with Jews. So, in a bid to  interpret these vital relations between Jesus and God, one need to take the local tradition and make nuanced interpretation. In another New Testament, it is  said that “be careful not to parade your uprightness in public to attract attention; otherwise you lose all reward from your father in heaven”. (Matthew 6:1) Here Jesus Christ use the word father to refer God.

This statement of Jesus clearly indicates that here father does not mean a biological or spiritual father, it is  a shadow word. It refers only God as his name. In another of New Testament we see that “As Jesus went on his way two blind men followed him shouting. Take piety on us, son of David.” (Matthew 9:27).

The God of Christianity is a same as the God of Judaism but it  differs in name. The name of God in Christianity is “Elijah: New Testament testifies that “And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, Eli, eli, lama, sabachthani? (That is my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?) When some of those who stood there heard this, they said “The man is calling on Elijah”  (Matthew 27:46-47). This verse also states that Jesus is only human born. Like this Old Testament said that “God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am Yahweh, To Abraham, Isaac and Jacob I appeared as EI Shaddai, but I did not make my name Yahweh known to them (Exodus 6: 2-3).
These verses prove that Christianity is not any new religion but an extension of Judaism. Another proof of this point is that the Holy Bible consists of both Old Testament and New Testament, Jewish and Christian scriptures. However, religion is a matter of faith and belief and the purpose of this statement is not to  contest the faith. This is just one among many interpretations. And everyone is absolutely entitled to one’s faith. From interfaith perspective, other should not say the faith is wrong or there are loopholes in one religion. This point should be put in proper perspectives.

Another common practice of Christianity is their using of cross as their religions symbol. They honor it with special reverence. Some days ago I was watching a movie named Agora. In one scene I saw that a Roman Jewish leader threw a cross on the floor and a Christian follower took it hurry with special veneration. It seemed to me that without cross to be a Christian is incomplete. But a Christian scholar named Brinsley Le Poer Treuch wrote in his book Men among Mankind’ that “It is interesting to note that the cross was not adopted as symbol of Christianity until long after the death of Jesus”. But again this is one opinion and one claim of fact only. There are counter-facts and that does not negate the deep veneration in which Christians put the cross because the crucifixion of Jesus is part of fundamental beliefs of Christianity.

As a prophet of God Jesus Christ had got some revealed instructions from God and he ordered his followers about the great commandment: “do not share anyone as god with God and love your neighbors.” All of his message and teachings were revealed but in today bible what appears to us is not a revealed text. Most of the part of New Testament is Paul’s letter what was not revealed.

Christian scholar Dr. W Graham Scorggie had written in his book Is the Bible word of God?  that “those books have passed through the minds of men, are written by the language of men, were penned by the hands of men, and hear in their style the characteristics of men”. Again it should be argued that of great importance is what the concerned faith community says about this. Their beliefs and values are what should matter because it is they who derive spiritual satisfaction out of the belief. We often fail to understand this nuanced truth and think that if we have got an opinion, interpretation or perceived fact that go counter to beliefs of a faith community, we have gained a point. That is not what an interfaith angle of looking at a religion is.

Today, Christianity is divided in many parts i.e. Catholicism, Protestantism and so on and their religious texts, Bible, took different forms in compilation. Their faith on God is same but the belief about Jesus is different. Catholic Christian believes Jesus Christ as the spiritual son of God. On the other hand,  protestant Christian believe him as a human born. All the sects of Christianity recall Jesus Christ by the word Lord, our Lord. But according to New Testament Jesus Christ said that “It is not anyone who says to me”  Lord, Lord. Who will enter the kingdom of heaven but the Person who does the will of my father in heaven? When the day comes many will say to me, “Lord, Lord did we not prophecy in your name? Drive out demons in your name? Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me all evil doers. (Matthew 7: 21-23)

These verses make it clear to  us that Jesus was not lord he was only a human being. In another places of New Testament we find that “But to prove you that the son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins. Then he (Jesus) said to the paralytic get up, pick up your bed and go off home. And the man got up and went home. A feeling of awe come over the crowed whey they saw this, and they praised God for having given such authority to human being (Matthew 9: 6-8) These verses also clarify that he was nothing more than any general man biologically but spiritually his special privilege was that he was a messenger of God. Bible made a sketch of Jesus as the cause of dissension. As the New Testament says that “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth: it is not peace I have come to bring, but a sword. For I have come to set son against father, daughter against mother, daughter in law against mother in law, a person’s enemy with the members of his own household.” (Matthew 10:34-36) After observing these verses we may say that how much corruption they do within religion. They also conduct Jesus Christ as an ungrateful son. New Testament testifies that “He was still speaking to the crowds when suddenly his mother and his brothers were standing outside and were anxious to have a word with him. But to the man who told him this Jesus replied, who is my mother? Who are my brothers? And stretching out his hand towards his disciples he said, here are my mother and my brothers. Any one does the will of my father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12: 46-50)

Today’s Christians believe that Jesus Christ was killed in cross. Last few weeks I made extensive study about Bible but it is true that it is hard to find conclusive evidence or definitive statement about Jesus’ death in cross. Bible clears that Jesus was hanged on cross but he was talking than. There have no single word that Jesus had died in crucifixion. Here is a contradiction in Bible that narrated “His body shall not remain all night upon the tree but thou shallt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is an accused of God) that thy land be not defiled, which the lord they God giveth thee for an inheritance”. (Duetrenomy 21:23) This verse testify that hanging on cross is a curse of God. So, how Jesus as a prophet of god (or son of god according to Christianity) hanged on cross, famous Christian scholar John Rebem wrote on his book Inquest on Jesus Christ that “not a single passage of the scriptures says that Jesus had to die, or had to died……….  Today it is possible to prove that Jesus new life began not with resurrection but with ascension” He also wrote in the same book that “the clear, definite and certain conclusion is Jesus did not die on the cross.”

Kenneth Cragg, a famous Christian scholar  of Jerusalem, wrote in his book The Call of Minaret, p.277, argued that “New Testament is … condensation and editing; There is choice, reproduction and witness. The Gospels have come through the minds of the church behind the authors. They represent experience and history.” So this kind of debate will continue.  What is important is the dispensation of different faith communities. Faith communities should rise above narrow or biased interpretation of religious events or religious texts. Most often interpretations do not take on board all historical facts and also fail to comprehend the underlying message.