BELIEF IN HUMANITY vs. BELIEF IN RELIGION by Fr. Nelson Lobo

 

I BELIEVE IN HUMANITY. I DON’T NEED ANY OTHER RELIGION

(The fallacy of this argument from a Christian perspective)

                                                                                                                                                          

Whenever there is some scandal in religious circles or communal disturbances the common online mantra is ‘I believe in humanity not in any religion. Humanity is my religion’. Off late this declaration has become a fad of the masses especially of the netizens. Before getting into this debate of “Humanity vs. Religion” it is crucial to clarify both the terms. What is religion? What is humanity? The word “humanity” is little confusing in this context because it has two meanings. Humanity can mean: humankind (human beings collectively) or the quality of being humane i.e. showing kindness, mercy, sympathy, empathy, thoughtfulness, goodwill, etc. towards others. Religion is “human beings’ relation to that which they regard as holy, sacred, absolute, spiritual, divine, or worthy of especial reverence. It is also commonly regarded as consisting of the way people deal with ultimate concerns about their lives and their fate after death” according to Britannica. Cambridge dictionary defines it as: “the belief in and worship of a god or gods, or any such system of belief and worship”. Oxford dictionary defines it as: “The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods”.

No matter which is the right definition one underlying factor of the beliefs of the world religions is that religion is human’s response to the divine. It is the relationship between the finite human and the infinite divine.  How strong that relationship is and how it influences the life of the believer depends on the scriptures of the particular religion and how they are being interpreted and understood by the believer. In most of the religions the divine is seen as controlling not only human life but the whole cosmos.  The divine is seen as super power, invisible power. That’s the reason the finite human believes that this infinite divine should be appeased and satisfied in order to be blessed. This belief is carried out in many varied rites and rituals. When the original meaning and context of the ritual is forgotten then religions turn out to be useless ritualistic exercises. When there are no proper well studied interpretations of the sacred texts the improper understanding of the scriptures can make humans fanatics and thereby dangerous threatening the peace and harmony of this world.

Christianity differs from other religions.  The argument that humanity (meaning people with kind and compassionate hearts) is better than religion does not hold water for Christians simply because the source of our compassion and kindness is Jesus Christ.  Our God though infinite and other worldly is not just an invisible reality like the other religions.  Our God has a face and that face is Jesus Christ.  Our God is visible and tangible and can be experienced through signs and symbols especially through the sacraments. Yes! In the past there have been misguided interpretations of the scriptures and the sacred tradition that led to fanaticism and the destruction of certain indigeneous cultures. Yes! There are also some fanatic groups in Christianity.  Yes! There are sometimes unpleasant things happening in Christian religion.  But to deny the significance of Christianity and choose only humanity for Christians it is a huge fallacy.  For a Christian there is no humanity without divinity; there are no human values without their base on divine values.  In fact compassion and forgiveness are the words that define Christianity. If you are a Christian you are called to be compassionate. If you cut off the source of compassion which is Jesus Christ where is humanity? Because of certain unpleasant events in the church to relegate Christianity to the back benches is committing spiritual suicide.  Every religion begins as a movement and then settles down as an institution.  Every major religion has gone through this process.  Every institution has its own limitations and drawbacks. When you see religion as an institution one tends to be critical.  Therefore it’s extremely imperative to interpret and rightly understand the sacred scriptures well. Religion is intrinsically related to humanity.  Man is born religious.

If man is born religious and if religion is an integral part of human existence then why do some people hate religion?  Religious scandals and religious fanaticism have caused this hatred. Therefore some if not many have tried to do away with religion. Just because man has failed to understand God it is not right to judge God for the doings of man. It is not logical and sensible to reject religion for the failures of man. A finite being will never have a perfect understanding of the infinite being. This will result in some misinterpretation of God. Therefore religion continues the search for the right understanding of God and our relationship with Him. In the Christian perspective this is an unending onward journey that will culminate in our resurrection. Meanwhile some scandals and some fanatic ways of doing things will also continue. Such behavior will continue because the Church made up of living members is not perfect. Christianity is a road of perfection to be perfect like the heavenly father.  We will fall. We will fail. We will make mistakes.  But our all mighty God will write straight on the crooked lines of the Church.

Humanity is awakened in us when we listen to our conscience which is the voice of God.  A God conscious soul can never be inhuman or a fanatic. A God conscious soul is always conscious of sin within himself. S/he is always compassionate. When we lose consciousness of sin we cease to be human.  We fail to respect not only other human beings but also other creatures. When we cease to be human we do all immoral inhumane things that cause immense suffering to humankind. God conscious soul recognizes that everyone no matter which religion one follows is in search of the infinite divine. In this common search for God lies our universal brotherhood. Jesus Christ the face of the infinite compassionate God teaches us to be truly human. He did that so beautifully on Calvary.  Only God could be so compassionate in such a horrible situation. Humanity alone cannot do that.  Humanity alone cannot provide that courage and motivation. Jesus can.  Therefore we need Jesus to be our inspiration and strength to be truly human.