First off, I am not asking you to convert to another religion or become an atheist. I am sure religion is useful and also useless at the same time.
Religion has been a very useful tool in my life all this while. For instance, I don’t drink because Islam prohibits one to do so. And I am happy I am not hooked to drinking. A bad habit is very hard to kick once it is installed in our mind. Ask a smoker and they will agree. If a smoker tells you he can quit anytime he wants, rest assured he is in denial.
I used to base my self-esteem on my religion. I used to feel good just because I am a Muslim. But after some soul searching, I find it artificial and shallow drawing my sense of self-worth from the religion that I practice. I realised that I should not feel good about myself just because I don’t drink and some other persons choose to drink.
It is a you versus me mindset. Most organized religions indirectly indoctrinate this way of thinking. I used to tell my friends that there is no reason for us to be religious because the world itself is not religious. You go to a mosque observing Friday prayers and after that you find your pair of shoes missing. You go to a mosque, park your motorcycle in the mosque compound and later your helmet is missing. The world is not that religious after all.
Most religions encourage herd thinking too. You have to do like the rest of the people and then you will be saved. Isn’t it ironic that people like Muhammad, Gautama and Jesus of Nazareth themselves were rebels. They unite the people during their time and yet they never ask those people to follow him. Never. People instead chose to follow them.
And these individuals too have done something which we overlook today. Becoming a better person starts by becoming a free and independent individuals. Questions and challenge the status quo if it is not conducive to our life. Avoid becoming a conformist that blindly follow the crowd. Muhammad, Gautama and Jesus – all of them walked their path and inspired people to follow them.
True, herd thinking, following crowd blindly is never good and not encouraged
Q 6:116 If you obey the majority of people on earth, they will divert you from the path of GOD. They follow only conjecture; they only guess.
Why not do your own research and choose what is best for you..
Nice one. Ultimately, everyone is responsible for their own life.
NIce one,
Herds tend to follow paradigms without questioning, if they question the customs, it’s against their faith.
Herd thinking lays it roots on faith.
Faith is usually blind, I flavor using the term confidence as opposed to faith.
Faith comes from non-understandism, thus blind and speculative in nature, whereas confidence comes from right understanding.
Sometimes it’s funny that some herds even label people who walks their own path to attain higher wisdom/enlightenment Luciferians (Lucifer symbolizes of light and wisdom), without questioning ‘Why Lucifer must be bad?’
P/S: I was labeled a Luciferian for meditating without even knowing who the heck Lucifer is, LOL.
helmet went missing eh…sound familiar to me.
I always say to fellow debaters after a ‘religious’ discussion :
“May God save you from his followers.”
Like you, a huge part of my person-hood had been built upon religious principle, but starting from high school, puberty and life eroded it away until I had to set the reset button and start over (not the easiest thing to do)
Religion is, to me, like a pair of support wheels that helps one born into it ride through life. Sadly, when we’re able to ride by ourselves, we forget to check the extra wheels (baggage) and remember to throw them out.
Good post.
Ashraff – Thanks for the additional input and opinion. I aooreciate it .
TS Lim – Thanks for dropping by again. I’m still reading Linchpin ;-D. I read halfway and then reverse back to really absorb what Godin says in the book.
Kakyn – I was called KCfer also at one time. Jesus was crucified, Muhammad was not liked by the Arabs when he first started, and Buddha left the palace for spiritual enlightenment.
KCfer then is nothing 😀
RoG – My friends are always a source of inspiration (and amusement) to me 😀
ShariefM – I like your analogy of religion as a support/training wheel for us. It’s great that we realise the benefits and also the shortcomings of being a religious bigots.
Thank you for coming and do come again !