I personally don’t like religion fanatic people – the ones who follow religion blindly. I hate them as much as I hate those gals who run after NRIs and like them more than the well-grown intellectual Indians!
This particular post is more targeted towards the generation who think that next generation, (commonly called as Generation X) is headed towards nowhere. A post which I have been made to write after coming across considerable happenings on the religion basis, within my friend circle.
There is as much difference between religiously grown and religion fanatic as much is between the one who follows religious teachings and the one who blindly tries to justify and weigh anything & everything on the grounds of religion.
Being in India means u r bound to encounter religion and its blind followers in really BIG way. Five incidents around me in recent times have jolted me down to write about the way religion is looked upon in India. First one goes back to about couple of months when two of my dear friends, who were in love for long time, were refused by their parents to accept their relation just because their religions were different – although both belonged to high castes and were well settled. Being well educated citizens, and obedient children, they respected the decision of their parents, sacrificed their love and parted away.
In second case, a boy proposed a gal whom he knew that she also loves him as much as he does to her, but she hesitated from accepting it publicly. But gal backed off saying that her parents are looking for a groom of same cast for her and she can’t dare to go against their wish.
In third incident, there was an issue because of the rituals being performed in other religion which weren’t followed in their own religion.
Fourth time, a religious organization in my home state, Punjab, didn’t withstand other religious organization belonging to same religion just because of difference in following of rites.
In fifth happening, a child sacrificed his much dreamed job because his parents wanted to be converted to other religion.
Those who question about mentality of Generation X, here are few counter-questions for them in above examples asking if the next gen is trying to correct their mistakes. Here is a gen which respect their elders but in return, they are only being taught the bitter lessons. What those elders expect? Wont their next gen repeat the same mistakes committed by them? Or will they even ever realize that they did any mistake?
So now u know, if u r going to talk about religion with me, I am not the right guy to answer u in the same polite way.
For me, RELIGIONS are meant for the PEACE. DOT.
I am lucky enough to have parents possessing same thoughts as do I and they never ever expected me to do anything specific to religion.
After all, they are the best parents in this universe :).