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ASSEMBLY POLL '98
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'Religion should be banned from public life'
How Readers reacted to Dilip D'Souza's recent columns
Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 16:05:19 -0500 It was a mixed reaction that I experienced when I read this article... Being so far off from homeland, I bet the feeling is more... It's quite sad as most of us don't realise that they are people like Rubina and others who love India as much as any other person does.At the same time I was happy that Rediff is bringing the truth out, that which most of tend to ignore.... Being a sojourner we try to behave as if we are here forever..Putting a step into the new century we should now realise that it is ridiculous to think that religion defines the character, the actions and ideas of a person, not his upbringing... I agree that religion does have a say in our upbringing but it should be limited to such an extent where it helps us to do good, think good and show us a way to the golden future... Do publish more of such articles.... Soumya Gopinath
Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 08:26:58 -0800 Dilip you are right, we do not need to hate Pakistanis, Muslims or they Indians or Hindus, we all were made enemies by our political masters whom we have voted for. It is time to see what Pakistan can offer India and what we can offer Pakistan and make peace. The bad elements in India and Pakistan should be punished, all people are neither holy nor crooks. A B Vajpayee should enjoy the fruits of breaking the ice between Pakistan and India, and so should Nawaz Sharief. A great article and keep up the good work and coverage.
Date: Fri, 19 Feb 1999 10:51:09 -0600 Beautifully written. I have asked the question myself, why am I a Muslim? The only reason I could come up with is because I was born one. The same is with the other guys. Syed
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 21:16:11 -0600 For quite a few years, I have been contemplative about religion and man's faith in one of the many made available to us by our ancestors. The conclusions drawn from my thoughts were very much on the same lines as the author's. As usual I was ridiculed for not taking sides when it came to religion! I am happy that there are a few who see the ultimate truth! If only we all could realise that religions were products of man's escapades with the unknown and unfathomable, we might do better in the future in trying to answer the same lingering eternal questions, a task at which all religions have failed. Dilip Natarajan
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 18:46:25 -0800 Thank you and congratulations for writing Why I am not a member. It is the simple truth which in today's world we hear only very rarely. Keep it up. Joydeep Mitra
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 17:50:18 -0500 "I do not care to belong to any club that would admit me as a member." I also like that line a lot. But there is a subtle difference in usage here. What Groucho Marx states as self-depreciating humor, sounds in your case like a faithful and honest confession. In fact I would say the following: I do not care to belong to any club that would admit YOU as a member. No humour intended.
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 16:26:45 -0500 The author first pointed out a man who says that Catholics are good and stuff. If a true Catholic follows the principle of the Bible he will be all that the guy in the article mentioned. And this would be true of most religions. The problem is that people identify a good person with one who goes to church regularly. He may do all that and still follow principles in his life which are unchristian. This is true of a lot of people. They are religious by fashion -- they are religious on the outside and totally opposite on the inside. The author quoted several examples of fanaticism in religion. That too is a fault with the people following the religion and not religion itself. It is very difficult to follow the rules in any religion. Who can be totally unselfish and completely caring about others? Most of the world's greatest humanitarians were driven by religion. Gandhi Lincoln, Teresa etc. If you do not study a set of principles which guide you in the direction you must live you cannot hope to be good by conscience alone. Simply because your conscience is driven by what you have read and understood. Religion tries to guide people on the right way to live. If we do not study those points and try to live by them it is very difficult to do good in this world. If you choose not to study any such principles, you are basically too lazy to do good. The author quoted the examples of people who are a failure in their religion. Look at the number of people doing good. By choosing not to follow religion by those examples is like judging a class of 100 students by 5 failures. There is something wrong with the singer, not the song. Similarly, there is something wrong with the people who try to practise good religion and not with religion itself. Nitin
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 11:49:21 -0800 If Dilip were to really read the Hadis or the New Testament I stress the word "read", he would be surprised how tolerant these religions are. I would recommend The Mission which is a must see for Dilip. The entire history of Latin America is seeped in despicable acts of murder, rape and plunder, all in the name of the religion. The same one that Dilip belongs to. And if we were to introspect our own history, plundering the Somnath temple on his 12th visit, Mahmud Gazni, by that single act, showed how tolerant his religion is. I can also cite numerous instances in Gomantak, modern day Goa, where forcible conversion was the order of the day in the Portuguese regime. Mr D'Souza, I can go on... all in the name of religion! Compare that with Mr Ashok Singhal's call to all the neo-converts to come back to the parent religion. You really think there is any comparison? Even if the VHP leaders have made any anti-conversion remarks, don't they pale in comparison to the hate-crimes that I mentioned above? All that the VHP is doing is to reconvert people back to their original faith. Is it wrong? Our experience in the North-East is a living example of how conversion of faith transitions into change in the national interest. America has long been interested in creating a "soft state" in that region that could be a potential headache for India, China and Burma. So what is so wrong if the VHP wants to reconvert? Why is that a problem for you? By equating these aggressive religions to the ones that exist in Hindu society, Dilip is misleading readers. No sire, there is no comparison, and never will be. Even if the members of the Sangh Parivar try hard, they can never stoop to the levels prescribed in your scriptures. Sameer Kuppahalli
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 18:02:09 -0000 Religious demagogues thrive on creating a fear psychosis and then projecting themselves as the saviours of the flock. This is true of every religion, and especially so in India, where people are largely uneducated and generally stupid. So, what should be done? Religion should be banned from public life. There should be no outward kow-towing to religion, something which none of our politicians are willing to do -- they all want to be seen as more religious than the rest. The funny thing is they believe that this is also an article of their secular faith -- poor dumb idiots! So, unless religion is kept strictly private -- inside the home, and not on the street, it will continue to be exploited by religious leaders. There is another point you make in your article, about all faiths essentially teaching the same thing. Well, that is not entirely correct. Islam does mandate the killing of kafirs, indeed it enjoins it as a Muslim's highest duty. Christianity also exhorts believers to murder infidels, to seek revenge and to destroy other places of worship (check out the Old Testament). Hinduism, not being a book-based religion, does not really have a scripture to go by, and so has the scope to evolve. Moreover, it is certainly more tolerant than either Islam or Christianity. Of course, it has its black spots, like the Manu Smriti, but that text is not the basis for the religion, as is the Koran or the Bible. Sure, Hindu society could get a lot better, but the problem here is not due to the religion per se, but the norms that have become a part of Hindu society. To say that Hinduism mandates the caste system is silly, it is only something which has been entrenched by societal practice (and the British legacy of divide and rule). That said, Hindus need to find ways to grow, not by bashing other faiths, but by making themselves better human beings. Ruchira Raghav
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 13:09:32 EST My kudos to Dilip D'Souza. Nobody could have done a better analysis except Acharya Rajneesh.
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 09:57:22 PST It is pleasing that D'Souza highlights the fact that Pakistanis are totally ignorant about what tolerance really is. The fact that all the Pakis just sat there and clapped after one of their clowns spoke of "hateful idol worship" shows that they are all inherent bigots. But then he spoils his article by describing the VHP as a "sly garbage organisation." Ashok Singhal was totally correct when he said that Muslims and Christians are incapable of non-violence. Just read the history of what these people have done for the last thousand years, and you will realise how much carnage they have brought to innocent people in the world. Singhal is also right when he speaks of Muslims and Christians having "extra-territorial loyalty". The perfect example would be the fact that Indian Christians have protested against Pakistan when Pakistani Christians are attacked, but they have never protested when Kashmiri Pandits (their fellow Indian citizens) are killed. Surely if Indian Christians were so committed to India, they would protest against Pakistan when the Pandits are killed? But their support for Pakistani Christians shows that Indian Christians are more committed to Christianity than to India. Ashwin Gandhi
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 12:53:07 -0500 Dilip D'Souza wrote: ...That in itself makes my case: that to flourish, every religion must feel itself superior to every other. A simple credo, but it explains a lot. In the real world, it translates best into rubbishing every other faith. ... Ok. Please do address why some religions are willing to reach out and accommodate others' faiths and ideas, whereas others are only willing to live if there are no idolators around ? Does the reaching out part incorporate the rubbishing of the accommodated faith ? Does that always happen. This is not a balanced scale Mr D'Souza. Don't try and make it one. Ashish
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 09:47:55 -0800 (PST) Thanks Dilip, it feels good to know that there are other people around who feel the way I do. I think that if religions did any good to humankind, it was a long time back. Their departure from our everyday life is long overdue. All we get from them now is hatred. Thanks for putting it down so well, though I don't see you winning any new converts; because after all no rational arguments ever seem to break through the walls of blind faith. Though I'm digressing, I must say this at the end; I don't agree with all that you have to say ... It had to come sometime, the letter was too icky-sweet to be true !! This is with regard to "Can We Please Not Give A Damn About Cricket? " ... I do agree that things are not very rosy for the other games in India but I don't see a change coming by bad-mouthing cricket. Cricket is one area in the international arena where Indians are contenders for the top spot and that too with a high degree of consistency. It gives us so much pleasure and keeps us hopeful. It is a pleasant distraction from our daily drudge. I don't think one ought to dampen this hope. Vinay Das
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 12:35:24 -0500 Many readers including myself and some Rediff columnists have accused Mr D'Souza of being anti-Hindu just because he pointed out some of the ills in our society and because his name suggests that he is not a Hindu! In this column, he has clearly shown his objectivity by pointing out various contradictions in different religions. He is a bit pessimistic when he says "I know: a day will come when my name alone will be a sentence against me, my family". No Dilip, you don't truly know that, there are a lot of people who are objective, what we need is better communication between people and then you will ask "what is in a name? Keep writing your viewpoint -- India is still a democracy! Ven Hari
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