From: anand@binah.cc.brandeis.edu (SHALINI ANAND)
Subject: Re: RELIGION:  The Opiate of False Believers
Reply-To: anand@binah.cc.brandeis.edu
Organization: Brandeis University
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 22:54:15 GMT

In article <Bz3sEs.8CJ@cs.dal.ca>, kumar@ug.cs.dal.ca (kumar yelubandi) writes:

>I can only
>hope that others, too, will open their minds.  Religion, foax, is the
>opiate of false believers.  But it is more toxic than any drug because
>whole societies are prey to its "high", not just addicted individuals.
>	
>	To truly believe in GOD is to shun religion in favor of the order 
>and beauty of the nature around us, ie. the birds, the flowers, the sun,
>the moon, the water, etc.  It is these things that provide evidence of 
>the existence of GOD and GOD within us, ie. goodness, virtue, love, 
>compassion, etc.

> 	As I see it, religion is an artificial spirituality created by man 
>to gain control over man.  It is constructed in such a fashion as to 
>appeal to the goodness within us.  I don't have problems with this, 
>necessarily.  But where it fails, and has failed I think - and I am 
>alluding to all religions here (Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, 
>Judaism, etc.) - is that religion has always ended up substituting for 
>the goodness within us, substituting for GOD within us.  And this most 
>definitely invites trouble. 
>

A highly advanced Vaisnava acarya (teacher), Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Thakur,
has said,
"PHILOSOPHY WITHOUT RELIGION IS MENTAL SPECULATION AND RELIGION WITHOUT 
PHILOSOPHY IS BUT SENTIMENTALISM, which (may)leads to fanaticsm"

It is not 
a 'crime' to be religious. But not in name only. Not with  blind faith.. But,  
with reasonable faith, follow the teachings given by the Supreme Lord Himself-
these teachings are not limited to a particular class, segment, or time period,
they have come to us since the creation of mankind. Since we are parts and 
parcels of the Supreme, He loves us all equally, gives us the same instructions;
it is only by our limited, narrow minded sight that we so wickedly divide Him.
And call Him my God,  their God. Pick up the scripture from any religion of
the world, and you will find love of God and love of all living entities being 
stressed upon again and again. 

In this age of Kali, the Kaliyuga, such infightings and quarrels had been 
predicted thousands of years ago in the Srimad Bhagvatam. Yet the means of 
deliverance is also espoused; not by being sentimental or speculative;
but with a reasinable amount of faith to take to chanting of the Holy Names of 
the Lord (In Kaliyuga, the Lord is said to have appeared in th eform of His 
name); it will cleanse the mirror of the heart of all the dust accumulated 
for millions of lifetimes (ceto darpanam marjanam) and get us out of this fire
of material existence (bhava maha davagni nirvapanam).
That name can be Rama, Allah, Jehovah, Cristos, or KRISHNA.

For every  name of God has the  potency to clear the heart of all the dirt 
and hellish propensites, allowing us to see the 
residence of the Supersoul, paramatma, the Lord Himself, in each and every 
living entity. Armed with this knowledge, how can one cause to harm another.

"harer nam harer nam, harer nam eva kevalam,
kalau nastey, eva nastey, eva nastey, gatir anyatha"
In this age of Kaali there is no other way, no other way, no other way, of 
deliverance, other than chanting the Holy Names of the Lord
                                       from the Kalisantara Upanishad

My humble thoughts, possible only by the mercy of my grand spiritual master,
AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada founder acarya of ISKCON.

shalini

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Chant  HARE KRSNA HARE KRSNA, KRSNA KRSNA HARE HARE, 
       HARE RAMA HARE RAMA,  RAMA RAMA HARE HARE
And be Happy 

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All flames welcome!!!!