Religious skepticism among a large portion of the youth
The “conventional” God is what the youth today does not believe in. That is what has led them to Atheism , Agnosticism et cetera. The youth no longer wants to do what they are told to do without question. They want to stand up and question beliefs. They want to think for their own. Religion is not a methodical approach to life which one must follow in order to reach his or her desired goal.
Religion is more than that. Religion is a way of life. Religion has to relate o a person on an individual level, because religion is all about belief. Every person has different beliefs. This is why different religions formed in the first place. Belief creates perception. And perception creates experience. Hence religion is directly based on belief. Hence someone else’s belief cannot be adopted by a person as their own belief. This is the very reason the youth has questioned the act of following others’ beliefs and following a rigid set of rules.
It has also been seen that many people who realize that there’s something missing, a link that Just isn’t there. These very people, who at a period in their lives were completely involved in “worldly matters”, go in search of that link. These could be youth, or even people in As an example, youths have become a part of religious organizations in search of that missing link. Many such organizations exist all over the world. What led these youths to make the drastic change in their life was the very fact that they were not ready to accept someone else’s beliefs.
I will elaborate my view about the youth and the believers and beliefs that they find that anyone might find absurd. These very “rituals” and “superstitions” are thought of y the youth as the cause of the lack of belief in religion. In a majority of Hindu society, at many festivals, a coconut is offered to the deity by smashing the coconut in front of an idol. Now, I myself have known of this ritual, and have even taken part in practicing it many times. Whereas the very reason of this offering or the very significance of it, it was not known by many people I asked. The practice in itself is very symbolic.
Before cracking it open, the whole outer layer of the coconut is shaven off, signifying getting rid of all desires except the desire to realize Ruth, which the small bit signifies. Now the outer shell is cracked open, revealing the pure white milk inside, signifying the purity inside, exposing it. Then the last bit of the outer covering is shaven off, signifying renunciation of the last desire, exposing the three holes in the coconut, symbolizing the three eyes, the third eye being the eye of wisdom. If we take another example, religious practices like “Sati”4 are widely boycotted in modern society.
These might be thought of as having a religious origin, and because people are against them now, they are thought to be unreasonable. Even when people try to find the reason behind these practices, they seldom succeed. The answer in such cases is known by very few people. It is observed that people in one religion many a times do as someone with religious authority asks them to blindly, or they fool themselves by making themselves believe that whatever they are being told makes sense. Due to this, the youth thinks that all religious means is praying and following a set of rules, not freedom.
But religion could be far from that. Thus what they despise is not religion, but thoughtless action, doing things blindly. That might be religion for some, but it cannot be assumed that that is religion for all. This is why some people break off from organized religion, and start their inner journey, their inner search for something. Some of these people find on their path people like them, people who do not believe in thoughtless 3 4 as defined by The Oxford Dictionary the former Hindu practice of a widow throwing herself on to her husband’s funeral pyre. Of 7 action, and connect with them. These people also have a religion. Their belief, their religion may be called by the same name as some other people’s, but it is not the name thing as theirs. It also so happens that the religions or religious sects that are usually broken off from have rules that are to be adhered to. Whereas places that satisfied and happy people end up in are relatively relaxed. This happens because every person’s religious Journey is his very own, not someone else’s. It can play out encouraged to do what the youth is doing, encouraged to question everything.
They will only find their way if they get out of their comfort zone and try to. Conformity and fear of failing or doing something wrong prevents people from seeking the truth. These practices have always been a part of their lives, but they have not been able to find out why. This is what leads the youth to think that these religious practices, and hence religion, is mindless. But a number of people cannot represent religion as a whole, as and religious beliefs and practices are very diverse, and are different for everyone.
For some, every ritual and practice holds significance and meaning, whereas for some it doesn’t. Often, we know only of the latter, causing us to form opinions of that religion based on the people we see. There are also sciences like Nasty” and “Fen Shut” that are believed by some to be precise, but regarded by others as unnecessary or fake and deceptive, as pseudo sciences. What happens is, sciences like these originally were literally sciences. They worked on the basis of reason.
If, according to Vast, the windows should be placed in a certain part of the house, or the flow of water should be in a certain direction, it is to provide cross ventilation and to increase efficiency and the flow of positive energy throughout an indoor space. Another idea that doesn’t appeal to many people is the idea of renunciation and raying, surrendering yourself ” as in Hinduism or Buddhism for example. But this is an idea; not a compulsion. This is an idea that has worked for some, not a compulsory decision or a command.
This doesn’t mean that religion is only for people who will completely leave everything; because not everyone will – not everyone can. When it happens that someone really gives up Worldly duties’, or when someone renounces things, they do not control themselves from being a part of the ‘illusion’ or ‘Mama’s but they simply understand that it is temporary, thus there is no point in eating attached to temporary dualities. For the renounces, it is not a struggle to stay away from the illusion; it is the only way forward ” something they would want to do, and be happy doing. Maya is defined as the illusion or appearance of the world perceptible by the senses or through immediate experience 5 of 7 Everyone has their own interpretation of everything, thus making it impossible for many people to follow exactly a set of rules; the meaning of words, especially when it comes to matters of religion or spirituality, cannot be interpreted in the exact same way ” for no two people think alike. This gives rise to personalization to suit every individual, only people do not realize that they are allowed to personalizes.
The very reason people decide not to be religious is because they think that religion dictates. It dictates their life and their choices. My experience of studying World Religions has made it possible for me to think more broadly. I have read and talked to different people about how many religions like they could be when put into practice by different people due to their own different interpretations. This course has vastly influenced, and helped form my view of religion as it is today. It has also encouraged me to take interest in spirituality and religion.
