Beyond Belief: Confronting Religion's Legacy of Discord and Destruction
Four centuries on, the Thirty Years War remains an enigma to many. Yet the three-decade struggle, which began in 1618 and ended in 1648, drew in all of Europe’s major powers, laid waste to vast regions and killed eight million people. In fact, not until the First World War would Europe know such destruction or political upheaval. (Image source: WikiMedia Commons)
What is a Religion?
As per -
merriam-webster definition:
"a personal set or institutionalised system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices"
cambridge definition:
oxford definition:
"the belief in the existence of a god or gods, and the activities that are connected with the worship of them"
Common Factors:
It's a belief system.
It's institutionalised & has a religious middleman.
It's about Worshipping Super Human Controlling Power (God)
It's about living by the Holy Book, which says -
The only God is Allah & its only messenger is Muhammad, the rest of humanity is Kafir hence must be eliminated and persecuted via Holy War (Jihad)
The only God is Christ, Jesus & there is no other & it is the white man's burden to Christianise entire humanity to make the second coming of Christ a possibility
There are only 3 Religions in the world. Abraham is traditionally considered to be the first Jew and to have made a covenant with God. Because Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all recognise Abraham as their first prophet, they are also called the Abrahamic religions.
English words "Religion" & "God" have no translation in Hindi/Sanskrit. These are English Reprehensibles.
Why Religion is English Reprehensible?
Reprehensible is that which deserves censure and condemnation.
Let's look at some examples from human history below. These are just a few; the actual list will require a few volumes of books and thousands of pages.
Christian-Christianity Wars - Institution, Books, Middleman at fault
Christian-Christianity Abuse - Institution, Middleman are Perpetrators
From Australian country towns to schools in Ireland and cities across the US, the Catholic Church has faced an avalanche of child sexual abuse accusations in the last few decades.
High-profile cases and harrowing testimony given to public inquiries have continued to keep the issue in the headlines. In the most recent development, a damning inquiry found that some 216,000 children in France had been sexually abused by members of the clergy since 1950. This is just in one country. Worldwide the number of children & people abused and psychologically fractured for life are unbelievable.
Islam-Islamic Wars - Institution, Books, Middleman at fault
Ethnic/Religious Cleansing - Institution, Books, Middleman at fault
Islam-Islamic Abuse - Institution, Middleman are Perpetrators
Child Prostitution and Pedophilia have been happening since the inception of this Religion in Mosques & homes worldwide.
DHARMA IS NOT RELIGION
Dharma is a "set of values" or "universal principles" that sustains all life in this Universe. These values are not imposed on Conscious Beings or humans by some higher power or authority but are woven into the fabric of microcosmic and macrocosmic existence. Dharma encompasses the fundamental order and harmony, guiding all life towards its inherent purpose and fulfilment.
Dharma is the ethical foundation upon which individuals, societies, and the entire cosmos operate.
Dharma (Set of Values, 8 Universal Principles for sustaining all life)
Compassion (Hindi/Sanskrit - Karuṇā)
Non-Violence, Non-Cruelty (Hindi/Sanskrit - Ahiṃsā)
Truthfulness (Hindi/Sanskrit - Satya)
Non-Stealing, Non-Exploitation (Hindi/Sanskrit - Asteya)
Moderation, Contentment, No Greed for resources & power (Hindi/Sanskrit - Aparigraha)
Consciously Dutiful towards Oneself, Others, Society, & Nature (Hindi/Sanskrit - Kartavya)
One's duties towards oneself - are to adhere to Dharma, pursue a spiritual journey (Kriya, Jnana, Bhakti, Karma), and realise the Eternal nature of the "Being/Atma/Atman" that you are and the Eternal aspect of Nature and the Creator. The eternal aspect of Prakriti (Nature), Atma (Being), and Paramatma (Supreme Being) is called Sanatana, and when one lives as per these Realisations, it is termed Sanatana Dharma. Spiritual realisations of Moksha/Mukti/Enlightenment, Karma & Rebirth are Sanatana Dharma.
Duties towards others & society—As a parent, child, spouse, kids, relative, colleague, businessperson, government official, soldier, politician, or citizen, one must consciously fulfil one's duties towards others & society, and country by adhering to the Dharma. To achieve this in a systematic way, the Varna System (Brāhmaṇa, Kṣatriya, Vaiśya, Śūdra) & Ashram System (Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha, Sanyasa) were devised based upon the consciousness & natural learning inclinations of people. Know that the caste System was the sick & twisted propaganda devised by Thomas Babington Macaulay & forcefully imposed on Indians during British Terrorisation/Colonisation.
Duties towards Nature - No pollution, cleanliness, respect and care for earth, mountains, forests, rivers, air & all beings. 7. Conscious Charity (Hindi/Sanskrit - Dāna) 8. Protection of Dharma & Dharmics (Hindi/Sanskrit - Raksha:)
Soft Protection (Intellectual Kṣatriya - Śāāstra/शास्त्र) - Through Education & Awareness (सनातन शास्त्र विद्या), Dharmic Laws, Enforcement & Justice System, Recognition & Support System, Native/Indigenous/Civilisational Wisdom & Culture Preservation & Continuity, Raising Consciousness and many other ways of Soft Protection, & by deeply understanding the Adharma around (Śatrubodha) and knowing the Adharmics around.
Hard Protection (Physical Kṣatriya - Śāstra/शस्त्र) - Through Soldiers, Armed Forces (सनातन शस्त्र विद्या) founded upon the principles of Dharma & by profoundly understanding the Adharma around (Śatrubodha) and knowing the Adharmics around.
Countries, Governments, Societies, Organisations, Families, and People may identify with various religions and faiths around the world or atheists and non-believers. Yet, if they want to survive with peace and harmony, they must live the life of Dharma.
Those living by Dharma (a set of values sustaining all life) are called "Dharmic" countries, governments, societies, organisations, families, and persons.
Not living the Dharmic way gives rise to terrorism, colonisation, slavery, Exploitation of natural resources, wars, poverty, hunger, illiteracy, inequality, natural disasters and ill-functioning societies, organisations and mentally ill people, in the long term, are not self-sustaining for the country or group of people and are termed as "Adharmic (opposite of Dharmic/Dharma).
Hence, Adharma (violation of Dharma) is as follows:
Selfishness, Self-Centeredness (I, Me, Mine)
Violence, Cruelty
Lies (Half-Truths, White Lies)
Exploitation of resources, people, societies, countries, civilisations
Greed (for resources & power of any kind)
Undutiful (Absence of responsibility & accountability, Entitlement)
No Charity
No Protection of Dharma & Dharmics
Religion is Adharma, human history has proven. Religion is English Reprehensible.
DHARMA BASED FAITHS/SEEKING
Know that Dharma, this set of values or universal principles, was first conceptualised and adhered to by the people from the world's oldest living highly conscious civilisation, the "Indus/Sindhu/Hindu Valley Civilisation," hence it is also termed "Hindu Dharma." Westerners, Modern so-called Academics, Media folk, and Propaganda lovers have sinisterly crafted the term Hinduism to create a Religion out of Dharma-based Faith. They are referring to the world's oldest, most ancient Dharma & Dharmic identity only, Sanatana (Eternal). In that sense, Hinduism is an abstraction or a piece (Faith) of a whole identity, devoid of Civilisational & Cultural Identities.
Other than the Abrahamic Religion Followers, what the rest of humanity follows can be loosely termed "Faith." Although the English definition of Faith is also like Religion, there is no other word to describe the "Seeker-Based & Not Belief System-Based and Dharma Inclusive" spiritual pursuits of life. Hence, for the lack of the term, let's use the term "Faith" to describe the rest of humanity.
Other than Abrahamic religions, the rest of humanity has "Faiths" that are "inclusive" of the above 8 principles of Dharma, such as Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Shivaism, Vaishnavism, and other faiths of indigenous populations and older civilisations, often termed Pagan by Westerners and so-called Adharmic Modern Minds.
Faiths have Dharma inherent in them, and hence, Faiths have not caused Wars, Conversions and History of terror & barbarism.
THE 8th PRINCIPLE OF DHARMA
The protection of Dharma and Dharmics (those who uphold Dharma) can be accomplished through various means. Soft protection, often referred to as intellectual Kshatriya, involves:
Education and awareness.
Implementation of Dharmic laws.
Enforcement through a justice system.
Recognition and support systems.
Preservation of native indigenous cultural wisdom.
Fostering a continuous cultural heritage.
This soft protection also involves raising consciousness and understanding the presence of Adharma in the surroundings, known as Śatrubodha.
On the other hand, hard protection, akin to physical Kshatriyas, is implemented through armed forces founded upon the principles of Dharma. This includes a deep understanding of Adharma in the surroundings and identifying those who propagate Adharma.
Human History has proved that Dharmic Faiths who left their Arms & Ammunitions (Physical Kṣatriya - Śāstra/शस्त्र) to pursue Spiritual Life entirely and kept the Dharmic Protection aside have been persecuted horribly worldwide. Many natives, indigenous cultures & civilisations in the Western world are proof of that. The Faith, like Buddhism, has gone through Persecution by Islamics and Christians in more than 15 countries, and the Deaths & torture due to persecution are unbelievable. Recent persecutions are happening in Tibet by Chinese, and before that, a major one was in Mongolia, Afghanistan and 15 other countries.
Report: Persecution of Buddhists
Likewise Hindus have been persecuted since long worldwide and the history of torture & death tolls are horrifying.
Report: Persecution of Hindus
Report: Timeline of Hindu Genocide
LESSONS
The dark legacy of religion's role in fostering discord and destruction serves as a burning reminder of the need for Dharma. Below are the lessons one must learn from
The Crusade Against Humanity: Religion's Unending Siege
Leave Religion, come out of that trap; you can be an atheist, non-believer, a Seeker
Learn Dharma & live by Dharma
Protect Dharma & Dharmic by all means necessary; do not put down arms just yet
Raise awareness about Dharma
Raise your own Consciousness
Together, let's envision and strive for a world brimming with peace and harmony, a world that can be realised through the embrace of Dharma.
Blessings to all,
~ Prakriti