Morality, Religion and Belief

My views on Morality Religion and Life.- letter to a friend

It was very laudable to read your treatise composed with so much research and taking up so much of your time. I am not going to guess what your motives are but just presenting you with my own perspective on why we indulge in this type of activity and take you through my attitude which has gradually changed.

 

1.    We are curious by nature and will always ask questions.

2.    Being exposed to the scientific method, we will always ask for evidence.

3.    We ponder about “laws” in the Universe, possible “truths” or whether there is only one truth.

4.    We rely on our mind, brain and cognitive processes to try and reach a solution.

5.    We are hugely conditioned by our genes, our upbringing as children with parental influence and the total social environment we grew up. Many times, these influences are subconscious and when we think we made a “Free choice”, it in reality may not have been free.

6.    We wonder about life spans and whether birth is followed by inevitable death and whether there is something beyond death.

7.    We wonder how such a complex and massive Universe arose and whether the inevitable conclusion is that it was designed.

8.    We wonder why Morality and Ethics exist in society. Is it because of religion as the main or sole cause or can Humans be moral without the need to be driven or influenced by forces that we cannot comprehend or have great difficulty in comprehending.

9.    If belief is taken away from a person through reasoned argument/debate, will it make the person better or worse?

10.  If a person is less happy after rejecting religion, is it because religion was necessary to be happy or is it because expectations based on religion have been taken away? For example, if a man believes as he journeys through a dessert (life) in a car, that there is a helicopter (God) in the sky that will always swoop down and save him if he is in difficulty, and then discovers that there is no helicopter (no God), would he be unhappy because he is now deprived of the comfort of help (real or unreal does not matter) or because he has abandoned belief in helicopters which is an essential feature for happiness BECAUSE it is true. In other words, belief in God is essential if you seek redemption (even doing good things is not enough, belief is central).

11.  Can religions do only good and can do no harm?

12.  Is only one religion TRUE, or all are true or are all False? If a person believes that there is only ONE truth (bringing tautology as the belief that there is only one truth is also a belief which may or may not be true), then all other religions are false and ony one is TRUE

13.  As Human beings within a community, is it our duty to spread the TRUTH because we care for humanity and ignoring a person (especially if he/she is close to you)  is a selfish act. This as I see it, is the basis of evangelism. I know two sisters who drifted apart and sadly no longer communicate as the elder (strong believer) felt it was her absolute duty to convert her sister (Agnostic) as she just couldn’t let her drown in the sea of ignorance and kept pressuring her (with good intentions) to accept God.

 

Coming to my own development. 

I no longer think that those who believe in God are ignorant or lacking in logical thinking.

I find belief In God not acceptable to me as a rational thinker but I am willing to admit that I may be wrong.

I strongly believe in Humanism and what it stands for - love and respect for our fellow beings. Humanists believe that human experience and rational thinking provide the only source of both knowledge and a moral code to live by. They reject the idea of knowledge 'revealed' to human beings by gods, or in special books. 

I don’t need belief in an after-life or in supernatural forces dictating what is good and what is bad. I believe that morality is a strong driver in selection pressure of evolution. “Selfish gene” is a misnomer as Species survive through unselfish behaviour just as much as looking after its own interests. Cooperation, adaptive group behaviour, empathy, generosity and many other characteristics drive us towards survival. The day selfishness dominates would signify the end of our species! 

Almost all religions favour moral practices and I would postulate  that if you trace back history and view the world dispassionately, you would find that religion has promoted slavery, discrimination against women, ethnic cleansing and more recently, against birth control and euthanasia. But millions of devotees have selectively chosen the good things in their religious texts and discarded the bad things. (This has produced a problem - fundamentalists who believe in the literal interpretation of holy texts against what I call the Enlightened ones). One could say that humanity has progressed in spite of religion but this is also not true as we can document thousands of good things for which religion has been a strong driving force. 

I do not worry about seeking proof as I know that there will never be a consensus. I like to know why so many intelligent, wise and good people differ so much. I am happy to have the opportunity to be inquisitive and reflective and it does not matter what individuals believe so long as it gives them happiness and a satisfactory explanation ( for them, although it may not be acceptable to others), for big questions such as “why am I here? How should I live? What is good and what is bad” etc. BUT with the vital and overriding caveat that it must not harm others or interfere with the laws and freedoms agreed by Society at that particular point in history. These laws can change with change in circumstances, e.g., abortion was illegal but in most countries, it has changed. We cannot tolerate a new set of laws based on religion such as Sharia Law in Islamic societies which just would not be tolerated in secular states. The worrying thing is that those who practice some abominable things such as stoning your wife to death, do so not because it is right in a moral sense but because their religious law states so. (I bet that most husbands struggle with awful emotions when it happens and they see the suffering on the face of the wife but they keep saying to themselves that Allah would approve). 

We cannot have a Catholic state which bans abortion under any circumstance (even when a woman who is raped becomes pregnant with the child of the bastard who made her pregnant). We cannot have religion deciding whether euthanasia is permitted or not. We cannot have religion deciding whether to have slaves or not and to tier humans into primitive (less rights) or advanced (the rulers). 

In all these instances, the group I belong to, i.e., the Humanists, will deal with these with love and empathy. 

I am not a Buddhist (although born as one and undoubtedly influenced by it), but I love the Buddhist principles of Meththa (loving-kindness), Karuna (compassion), Muditha (altruistic joy) and Upekkha (Equanimity). I love it because of what you and society would be if you practise them, not because of what you might reap in a mythical afterlife. 

I love the Christian principle of “Do unto others as you would like done to yourself”, “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour” and many more. 

I don't approve of the "Ten Commandments" and much prefer the Buddhist way of taking precepts - something you take unto yourself and not something commanded.

I had a very close friend who is sadly no more, one of the best human beings I have come across, an absolutely convinced and devout Christian, who told me, “Mahendra, I know you are a Buddhist and does accept Jesus as your Saviour but the God I believe in will always love you whether you believe in Him or not because of the person you are”. I was so touched. This is such a constructive view. I almost felt, “if Christianity can make a person like her, give me Christianity! 

Compare with another who said “I am sorry Mahendra, you are good person but if you want to go to Heaven, you will have to accept Jesus, and knowing you well, I just KNOW that you will do so before you depart from this World- one day, it will happen, I know it” 

I think that the vast majority of people belong to a religion because they were born to it. I also feel that a very large proportion haven’t thought deeply about it but accept it as helpful and supportive, especially in times of need. There is a proportion who is frightened of death and what awaits them. Among Buddhists and Hindus (not all I must add), many are driven by fears of how they may be reborn. Another group find it social attractive, giving them communal happiness and a “purpose”. Christian, Buddhist and Islamic communities provide so much of support for their fellows. 

A claim to know the truth can only be a viewpoint. It would be unwise to regard oneself as someone who has realised the truth. But I accept that some may genuinely believe so. But in such cases, you are entitled to hold the belief that you do know the truth, but you have no right to expect your fellow humans also to accept it and to regard those who disagree with you as misled (again I make the distinction that you may not be able to stop thinking so but if so please keep it to yourself!). 

We are all born and we all die. What happened before and what might happen after, are mere speculation. If the TRUTH was obvious, there won’t be any discussion.

 

Mahendra Gonsalkorale

19^th July2021