Many times have I indulged in debates and discussions on whether or not God shall have a different judgement for non-Christians when that day (Judgement Day) comes. Of greater concern to me is how man has misinterpreted the core of religion. Sometimes what seems complicated has the simplest answer.
I am Christian by faith and the living words of God did not teach me to condemn other religions. When man cannot even love his own kind, heaven is a far distant subject. If my propagation spreads enmity among people, let me not propagate for man living in peace is better than uninformed doctrines. Religions are sensitive stuff and when misinterpreted, it can lead to staunch fanaticism and radicalisation of beliefs.
How can one claim his religion as the most righteous of all? Before the existence of religion, man’s inner self lent credence to the idea that there must be a body somewhere in the vastness that created all things. So, in our attempt to seek an answer, religion came into being. Both the man from the far north and from the far south who had no knowledge of each other sought the same truth and came out with two different beliefs.
The concept of religion is older than the hills and it is unwise to condemn other religions unless they advocate terror, destruction, killing of innocents, and religious conflict. It’s a small world today but wasn’t yesterday. We have communication satellites and technology, but the concept of religion is older than the genius of technology.
If we critically analyse with rationality the messages of religious scripture, we will learn that it is humanity that is the greatest religion for God appears in Man. Didn’t the Bible say how God created man in his own image? It would be a disastrous interpretation if we harm another fellow being in the name of religion. Every religion instituted by man has an identical message but we tend to complicate things and breed chaos. Man is free to propagate his religion. But that doesn’t mean he should incite hatred and intolerance in the name of religion. Communalism and religion are two different things.
Misinterpretation Of Religion – The Menace Of Terrorism
There are certain forces that act as agents of destruction. We see them everywhere. We see them in Paris, in the USA, India, the UK, we see them everywhere. One never knows when the wall will collapse, one never knows when public stations and carriers will blow up. This is what terrorism has brought to this world. No man is now safe, even in his sleep, even in places of worship, and even in the womb of a mother only because the hands of terror are such that there is no place they can’t breach. There was Bin Laden and Al Qaeda, and now the Islamic State (ISIS). All took pride in picking up arms and spreading global terrorism. The cycle of mass destruction never set its feet to rest. It took only a dozen to bring down World Trade Centre.
The Act Of Terrorism
9/11, the day that changed America. The worst chapter in the ‘war against humanity’ that cannot be erased, not merely from the pages of history but from the hearts and the minds of the American citizens. It shook the empire of the world largest economy so strongly that it not only forced the Americans to go to war but also left a great impact on the world economy.
The world in 2014 grieved over the killings of school children in Peshawar when the spawns of Lucifer opened fire at the children at point blank range in an attempt to restrain Western education in their province. I say, “The smaller the coffin, the heavier it is to carry,” every time killings of innocents hits the headlines. Its impact was so diabolical that every time when it’s brought up it brings tears to many.
But it is glory for the fanatics. How ignorant and evil is man in justifying the killings of thousands of innocent people? What can justify killing another man who has done no wrong to you and with whom you have never met? There is no glory in killing. It is a diabolical force that teaches fallacy and has blinded the reason of man. These jihadist fundamentalists pose a serious threat to world peace and the freedom to live.
If God appears in Man, why would a gunman go on a shooting spree that claimed 49 innocent lives and wounded several others? What has ISIS fed the man that he took pride in killing innocent people? And when will America pass a stricter act for regulating firearms? Selling of guns over the counter and easy access to firearms has cost America an inconsolable loss in recent years.
Jihad – the holy war – is a strong word misinterpreted by man. Jihad, as understood by the radicals is far beyond the understanding of regular people. Both Muslims and Christians waged wars. Christians call it Crusade and Muslims call it jihad – holy war for both. But today’s jihad is a new breed. The killing of innocent people by suicide bombers appears to be the new philosophy that contributes to mass killings of innocent people in the name of Allah. I don’t think Allah will have any interest in this ‘jihadist’ feud.
If disputes regarding trade and commerce are the main reasons for bitterness, then why do we have to bring Allah in this ‘commercial’ war? Quran is a holy book, not a compilation of war propaganda and business texts.
What is the point of spending all your life rediscovering religious teachings to be an opportunist? There’s at least one television preacher I know of who is very proud of underrating other religions by interpreting every verse from the Bible, the Quran and the Gita. Man should stop being an opportunist and manipulating ‘simple minded’ citizens.
There is a story of a man whose son was slain for being liberal. There is a story of a brother whose sister was slain for seeking education. There is a story of a mother whose son was taken away by jihadists. There is a story of a Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai. These are stories of radical fanaticism. These are stories of religious misinterpretation.
Every religion discourages killings, war, greed, savagery, but most people miss that most pivotal message it tries to convey – humanity. Humanity is the greatest religion for God resides in Man. People should have more common sense and stop being misled.
Featured image credit: Albin Lohr-Jones/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images.