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Dear Yuyutsu,

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Judging from the way you now describe it, Yuyutsu, it appears to me to be more of a parody of religion than “religion itself” (even according to your own definition) – closer, I should say, to delirium than mysticism.

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Dear Banjo,

The most common parody on religion is how some churches and clergymen behave. Many of them no longer understand what religion is about.

Man's capacity for conscious effort can accelerate religion perhaps by a factor of billions.

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Dear Yuyutsu,

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You wrote :

« The most common parody on religion is how some churches and clergymen behave. Many of them no longer understand what religion is about »

That’s my impression too, Yuyutsu. But, then, we do not all have the same definition of “religion”. And, even those who profess some particular religion rarely practise it in accordance with the theoretical definition of that religion.

And you added :

« Man's capacity for conscious effort can accelerate religion perhaps by a factor of billions »

Again, it depends on one’s definition of religion. Probably, the most common factor of most religions is worship, and, it seems that, in terms of worship, man’s folly knows no bounds.

Personally, I find fawning obsequiousness and worship perfectly repulsive and nauseating. I can’t imagine anybody appreciating such behaviour. I can’t imagine any God, if there were one, wanting to be adored, worshiped and treated in a cringing, submissive and servile manner by his/her/its subjects, humbly bowing and scraping and slurping and crawling on their knees with an angelic look on their faces.

Nor can I imagine that such a God would be favourably impressed by fanatics whipping themselves on their bleeding backs, plunging themselves into an ecstatic trance of adoration, or blowing themselves up with joy in his/her/its name after having massacred as many infidels as possible.

I can’t even imagine why such a God would want everybody huddling around him/her/it and spending the rest of eternity, prostrated in his/her/its presence if, as you indicate in your definition of religion : « In the broadest sense, Religion is the process of coming closer to God, by whatever means, whatever works. In a stricter sense, religion only includes conscious efforts and practices that aim for and achieve that purpose ».

If that’s religion, I’m willing to bet that “God” is not in the least bit religious – and is even horrified at the thought that there are billions of people in the world whose sole objective in life is to “come closer to him/her/it, by whatever means …”.

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Dear Banjo,

«And, even those who profess some particular religion rarely practise it in accordance with the theoretical definition of that religion.»

I could not agree more!

«the most common factor of most religions is worship»

A common mistake is that in order to come closer to God, one needs to add things and credentials, but recall what Jesus said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven". The process of coming closer to God is rather of subtraction, not addition, of shedding away those things, those credentials and especially one's pride, which are in the way.

- And worship is a great way to shed pride and other obstacles such as worries, expectations and worldly thoughts.

Then of course there are the pitfalls: if one becomes proud of their worship or develops expectations for rewards, then their worship becomes counter-productive, which is where your comment fits that: "man’s folly knows no bounds".

«I can’t imagine any God, if there were one, wanting to be adored, worshiped and treated in a cringing, submissive and servile manner by his/her/its subjects»

Well God doesn't want anything and the small-g gods are products of imagination anyway, so why would they want anything?

Worship is there to help the devotee. Submissiveness is good for beating down one's ego (and some need it more than others, I wouldn't recommend submissiveness to everyone) and when one worships without expectations, how could cringing possibly arise?

As for massacring infidels, can you show me just one person who massacred [what they believed to be] infidels without becoming proud of it?!

«I can’t even imagine why such a God would want everybody huddling around him/her/it»

It makes no difference to God. From a divine perspective, we are already one with Him.

«I’m willing to bet that “God” is not in the least bit religious»

So we are in agreement: Indeed He isn't. Religion is for you and me, God doesn't need it.

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Dear Yuyutsu,

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Thanks, Yuyutsu, but I noticed a few incoherencies with your explanations.

For example, in reply to my comment “I can’t imagine any God, if there were one, wanting to be adored, worshiped, etc., …”, you wrote :
« Well God doesn't want anything … Worship is there to help the devotee ».

In other words, worship of “God” is, in fact, only an act of egotism and religious devotees are simply sycophants. Mind you, that does not come as much of a a surprise to me.

You ask :

« As for massacring infidels, can you show me just one person who massacred [what they believed to be] infidels without becoming proud of it?! ».

So far as I know, all those who massacred innocent people either blew themselves up or were shot and killed by the police during the massacres. They were never able to express their sentiments if, indeed, they had any to express.

In response to my comment: “I can’t even imagine why such a God would want everybody huddling around him/her/it”, you replied :

« It makes no difference to God. From a divine perspective, we are already one with Him ».

So if “we” are already one with “Him”, as you say, and religion is just “the process of coming closer to God” as you indicated in your definition of religion, no need for religion at all. We’re already home and dry. And, as worship is the essential feature of religion, no need to worship “God” either.

That being the case, all we need to do is get on with our lives – whether we believe in “God” or not – and whether there is a “God” or not.

That sounds easy. I can go along with that.

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Blessings, Banjo, on this holy day of Shivaratri.

Today I am not in an intellectual/theological mood, I am fasting and looking forward with joy and excitement for tonight, when I have the privilege of offering Bilva (Bael) leaves at Shiva's Lingam.

«That being the case, all we need to do is get on with our lives»

This IS my life, the best part of it!

What better can we ask for in life than the presence of God, as Psalm 23 concludes: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."