Faith and Beyond

We often see a large gap, a disparity between “people of science” and “people of religion”. Both these buckets of people tend to have some views, and more often than not these views are either contradictory or derogatory towards the opposing bucket. As our understanding of the world we live in advances, we see a shift from blind following of masses to more thought-induced, evidence-based beliefs about the world. In such a scenario, one might question the relevance of faith in its traditional sense (think religion, the unopposed rules, ways or rituals that one is exposed to from birth). One might wonder if the entire construct of religion as we know it is helpful or necessary in today’s times. Some even go to the extent of deeming it harmful. While I understand the source of such claims (the ever spreading communal violence, superstitions harming the environment etc), there are nuances that one should consider before doing away with religion once and for all. Despite all its faults, I strongly hold that religion is an important part of livelihood. This is a (non-exhaustive) attempt to put forth that religion does not come at an expense of science, neither are the evils that come with it a necessary part of it.

Starting of, when I say I take a stand, that does not mean for a particular religion or caste/sect therein, but for the idea of religion - of there being a set of fundamental beliefs based on some legends/mythologies, some practices, world views, texts, sacred places and prophecies. Even though there are some differences between the modern religions, the rationale behind which I argue remains same and applies to all such set of beliefs.

As imperfect beings, cradled by a constant stream of never ending emotions and thoughts, that are forced to keep making timely decisions one after another, we humans are loaded congnitively. Our brains are continually bombarded with questions, and it constantly has to work to inculcate as much reason as it can in the activities we undertake or solutions we propose. This, coupled with our (blessed) habit of forgetting things, means that the cognitive load we are pressed under effectively does not reduce with experience. In such a scenario, people do not have the time or the intellectual bandwidth to reason out each minute detail. This is where religion, with its predetermined set of rules, comes in. It helps take off a bit of that load from our brains, so that it can devote that time and energy for bigger or more influential tasks.

As an example, consider a situation where you are in a natural conversation with someone, and you are asked a question about yourself. Now, out of the many answers possible to it (one of which is the truth), your brain needs to decide which one to say. This might appear trivial, indeed we may not even think before replying in the majority of such situations, but it is because we are taught that the truth is the optimal alternative unless there are specific incentives against it that we are so confident while replying, and so quick. This, here, is precisely what religion lays down (in the abstract).

Even athiests and those that rally against religion will agree that the role of religion in promoting essential human values like love and compassion is great. Every religion promotes treating others with kindness, compassion, and respect (it is ironic that those today that campaign for their religions are precisely the ones that seem to not realize this). So far so good, but what about the myths, you may ask. Are they needed ? The answer is YES, they are. Humans need stories to captivate their imagination. They need heroes to rally behind. They need martyrdom to arouse their emotions. They need structures and places to direct their energy towards. The mythologies serve not only as a means to spread the guidlines a religion proposes in a fun and interesting way, but it also makes it so that we remember the learning and are able to apply it correctly to situations arising in our own lives. We need to have someone that we can fear in case our actions go downhill, so that we do not deter from the right path. We need the sacred places to reinstate our beliefs by socializing with like-thinking people, and the rituals to make all of this inculcation even more concrete. All of this is not necessary, but it makes lives a lot easier since after all, it is the stories and their outcomes that we remember better, and therefore it is these only that get propogated down generations and in conversations.

Another benefit the construct of religion provides, and which is greatly underrated in modern times, is hope. Religion helps us feel good about the morally correct actions we take, and lets us detach ourselves from excessive guilt of some wrong ones. It makes us believe in some eternal entity/entities (far away) that we can speak about our problems to, that listen(s). It makes us believe that someone under control is watching, and that we are not alone in our struggles. It helps us work without placing disproportionate worry on the outcome. It helps us do good even when we dont see clear or immediate incentive for it, because we have the concept of Karma so instlilled in us. Dont most of us great new people with as much politeness as we can muster, regardless of what they do or if they’re likely to meet again ? I can hardly overstate how chaotic the world would be if this eminent courtesy was not the default. We are hardwired to feel good after a selfless action of kindness because we are taught that doing good for others returns to you in one way or another, which is a by product of the religious propoganda that has been so propogated for generations before us.

All this is not to say that religion does not have faults of its own. It is the root cause of all the communal violence a good portion of the world today is involved in. The non-uniformity in the practices and beliefs coupled with the inherent tendency of humans to assert dominance and superiority makes it difficult for us to realize that religion is but a veil over reality, it is just a means by which the saddened is catered hope, the depressed is given energy and the backward is shown a ramp. It is not a destination, but a mere means to an end - it just makes the journey more bearable. If only people realized that to take religion in its stride is to accept it as a method to calm oneself in moments of pain, as a way to socialize, share problems and gain solutions (even if part of it is psychological), as a technique to bring people together rather than dividing them, we would have made great progress. If only we realized that religions just offered different solutions to a problem that has no right answer, I think we would all be much better off.

An argument also exists against the religious practices that harm the environment. While the claims are agreeable, we need to understand the every rose comes with its thorns. The harmful practices, however, extend beyond religion. Weren’t the greatest empires built on piles of blood and wars in the name of expansion ? From the vehicles we drive to the clothes we wear, everything comes at a cost of some aspect of the environment. Granted that these things are arguably more necessary (atleast on a daily basis) than the practices based on faith, these too play a sizeable role in the environmental degradation we see around today. This is not to say, of course, that it is right, but it does take part of the burden of ecoside away from religion (I understand that shifting responsibility like this is counter-productive, but the purpose of this passage is not to justify these practices, but to make apparent that these practices are a result of our ecological dominance, and therefore more fundamental to our nature). Just like we need clothes to feel comfortable physically, so is faith required to bring about mental peace.

Having said all of this, however, I get it that there are people that do not understand this point of view. They think that religion is old-fashioned or notional, nothing more than a placebo, and that facts should only be rallied behind if they are supported on strong pillars of evidence and reasoning. And all of this, too, is correct. Just like people have different values (things they consider are, in some way, important or indicative, that guide their actions) when it comes to careers - some choose a lower paying job because of higher flexibility in working hours, or a better location, or they believe doing that will lead them to grow in some areas they feel are indicative of their potential, or familial matters, they can have different values here as well, and that is okay ! Everyone does not need to think in exactly the same way (the world would be a very boring place otherwise). If you think accepting religion or even a part of it does good to you, use it, if you don’t, so be it. There is nothing fundamental about it, it is just what you make of whatever you are told. It does not have to be universal, it just has to be good enough for you.