World of Philosophy

Author(s): Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan

Page 327

imparting the socio-economic benefits and political gains have also been predominant with man all along. If we sincerely examine the hold of religious groups in various religions, the above-said mundane power struggle could be strikingly evidenced in them.
A statement like this does not necessarily negate the true evaluation of religion. This also is not to make a prejudical remark about the total impact of religion. This is just to pinpoint one aspect namely the factual tangle that has existed all through between man's essential religious ideal and his behavioral motivation. It is in this light, although not agreeing with the shocking Marxian view of religion as an opium of masses and a convenient tool for the benefit of an established order of 'haves', that proposes to proceed in our inquiry. To recapitulate the basic issue specifically viz., if religion is man's affair with the ultimate supreme being, then the point namely is whether man gets an appropriate nourishment from it today? As the numerical amount. is concerned, world religions have too wide a following. But then what? Don't we complain still man's increasing departure from true religious objective as due to constraints of the complex socio-political and economic situations today? If we look into the very issue raised in the present discussion then this fact of positive understanding of the world is to be inevitable with the increasing knowledge of the reality as such.
Thus the scientific and technological march along with the pragmatic outlook by man have been a unique success in all spheres of human life. To realize the mundane goals in full, man has ably exploited the physical and the natural resources considerably. The influence of this powerful utilitarianism is very much gripping the responsible spokesmen as also the followers of different religions as well. The gap between the ideal of religion and the fact of living is very wide indeed. If this is so, then the outward theoretically dry complacency for the supreme spiritual values of reality is just of no consequences. To be precise, those who clearly hold on to the religious cause must ask themselves: "Can we claim to follow the intrinsic spiritual life as laid down in our respective religions? How much are we intent upon it, even though professing the same with much fanfare"?
Else, how could it be that the religious hold is fast giving way ubiquitously? No doubt random cases of reviving of religious fundamentalism or orthodoxy in some countries have come to the fore sharply of late. But if the nature of this revivalism is critically examined, it turns out to be a platform of socio-political power for those entrenched in authority. It is nothing but a ruthless imposition in the name of religion. As against this, the state of religious concern in all liberal and developing countries is different. Therein the people hardly seriously attend to religious preachers and institutions. Even if it seems differently, it is increasingly becoming routined and hollow in nature. In nutshell, the problem is the same everywhere in as much as the whole religious concept and outlook is passing through a critical phase.
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