Religion and belief

The fact that belief weilds mysterious power on a man's life is abused like nowhere else in religion. Euphemisms of fideism and faith beat upon this blackbox in human perception, like nothing else. I have always regarded such advocacy with skepticism, not just because I felt it was a lot of hogwash, but because I felt they were more directed to tame cognitive awareness than anything else. It takes a lot of courage to accept that there is a lot we cannot know and to be ok with it without feeling disconnected with reality. To accept the divide between what we know, what we think we know, what we 'believe' we can know and what we cannot know - and the knowing cognizance of this all, is a tough spot of constant negotiation. Also, it is a map of tranference, rather, that is frequently negotiated and re-negotiated with increasing knowledge of the self and the world around us. Most faith-based philosophies strive to widen this divide and exaggerate it. Because it is a convenient thing to do. Moreso, for religions to gain social and sociological dominance. The fact that most people find exploration of 'what exactly' comprises belief very disconcerting, is utilised to create many a trashy paradigms of God, Godliness, morality, codes, innuendos, must-dos, constructed notions of sin and redemption and finally -a jumbled mix of what is called 'religion'. It is heartening to see that human cognition is fast biting into metaphysical perceptions of belief, very very slowly though. A historical sweep down history on how philosophy itself has evolved, sheds some stray light on this. From 'all is fire' to evidentialism, our knowledge of life processes, sytems, reality, our role in collective reality has increased with refined methods of reason. I would be brave and call it progress. Or what I call the evolutionary ascent of reason. What irks me most of religious nuggets is that they almost demand your cerebral cortex be put to sleep. The 'do or be excluded' or 'follow or be damned' mechanisms seem cult-like and barbaric. Also, I find it demeaning to succumb to a social construct of God - another godforsaken central authority in a largely stifling patriarchal world!

Who knows, and I wish, several million years later belief might be a myth. The thing part of extinct philosophy. Like the world is flat. Cognizance, the order of the day. The best fallout of this will be the demise of religion. Maybe that is what they call the apocalypse! Theology will be redundant then. Preachings of morality will seem ludicrous. No longer will God be abused nor will he be the 'punisher' and no longer will life philosophies be defined along - 'living by his word' or 'to redeem our sin'. And no promises of virgin romps in heaven. No fear psychosis drama. No sacred texts and demented interpretations on them. No Godly men and their pesky followers. That, would be the day of true individual empowerment. Where religion is born, negotiated, practised and consecrated within intimate spaces of a perceptive mind. Where all is perception and consciousness. 'Aham Brahmasmi', 'Tat tvam asi', 'Pragnam brahma' to 'ayam atma brahma'. Where our worlds are created and realised at the level of our fluid consciousness.