An article appeared in ‘Psychology Today magazine sometime back, whose caption was- ‘Understanding the negative relationship between IQ and religiosity.’ It was further annexed with the statement- ‘Check if you are more religious or scientific!’
Some more opinions resonating with the strong criticism for religion by the intelligentsia as is inherent in the above perspective-
- One of the great tragedies of mankind is that morality has been hijacked by religion.- Arthur C. Clarke
- Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet. –Napolean Bonaparte
- Religions are all alike- founded upon fables and mythologies. –Thomas Jefferson
- Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without religion, we’d have good people doing good things, and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion. –Steven Weinberg
Categorised under “Faith based fraud.” Wherein money-looting and cheating is carried out under the cover of religion, one can find many evidences.
A Pope named Leo X framed an extremely abrupt to stuff the coffers. He made a “price list” for the confession of sins as follows-
Murder: 100 florins
Incest: 90 florins
Covetousness: 85 florins
Theft: 75 florins
Lying: 50 florins
Bribery: 35 florins
In his book‘Under the Banner of Heaven,’ Jon Krakauer writes-
“Utah has been called the “fraud capital of the world” by the Wall Street Journal… Michael Hines, director of enforcement for the Utah Securities Division, told the Deseret News that in Utah County it is common for scammers to ensnare their victims by sking them to evaluate the proposed investment through prayer. (p.275)”
Instances pertaining to the crashing of morality and fulfilling one’s own sensual cravings in the name of religion also exist in plenty. …
In the light of such incidents, before you question ‘religion’, we wish to first question the adherents of such philosophies-
- Did you check even once about the yardsticks of a true spiritual leader, unto whom you should surrender and follow his commandments?
- Did you verify from any authentic text of wisdom…
- Dis you make even the least of the efforts to find out from the authentic sources as to what is the true remedy to wash away one’s sins?
- Did you find which method has been prescribed by the wise ones to instil in ourselves the spiritual energy?
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Religion is not the field of mass-hypnotism, mass-ignorance, and mass-befooling-provided it is perceived and conceived in the ‘right sense’ from the ‘right source’. To know the right sense and the right source in toto, read the complete article in August’18 edition of English Akhand Gyan Monthly Magazine.