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September 05, 2002
I'm thinking today about religion.
I'm thinking today about religion.
I can name things I don't like about nearly every world religion. Virtually all of them, except maybe Hinduism, place far too much emphasis on sexual chastity and "purity". Christianity is unpalatable to me because of the self-hatred and sexual repression it promotes. Judaism doesn't self-hate as much, but it lacks a forgiving, gentle tone, and is just as repressive sexually. Same for Islam. The whole notion of a personal God really doesn't appeal to me all that much. I don't want a God that clashes with scientific facts as I am aware of them.
Eastern religions place less emphasis on God. Buddhism? Moderation in all things; a good idea, but self-restraint, self-discipline....I don't buy it. And Confucianism.....really not much more than a collection of proverbs, with that snide respect-authority tone that got me into so much trouble before.
That leaves Hinduism, Sikhism, and Taoism. I've long been fascinated by the Upanishadic idea of the Atman and Brahman - the essence of the human mind joining with the outer awareness of the cosmos. On the other hand, the endless rituals and pantheon of gods of Hinduism bore me, and the caste system and untouchability have spawned centuries of cruelty. Sikhism began as a rebellion against this, but it substituted idiosyncrasies of its own; the insistence on the turban and kirpan only irritates other faiths. To say nothing of those mustaches, which stereotype Indians in a bad way.
Taoist thought. I did read the Tao Te Ching, twelve years ago, but remember little of it. I'll have to look more into its sacred writings. I also need to examine differing Hindu conceptions of God. Maybe that would be something, a formal return to the Hindu faith. After all, it is the ancestral religion of my people.
I do recall not entirely liking the essential core argument of the Bhagavad Gita; that a man must follow his duty and his destiny, even if it lead to shedding the blood of his compatriots. I should probably read the Gita again, and this time pen my thoughts on it. Add that to the long list of books-to-read. But I think the answer for me lies in rediscovering historical Indian thought.
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Posted by Tyrone at September 5, 2002 12:17 AM