Questions about Religion

Here is a quick response to the five questions posed by the Faith Club. 

1.  What is the purpose of religion as told by different religions?  Is it to connect man to God?    Or Is it inner peace? 

The purpose of religion is to bring inner peace to an individual and create a balance between him (her or it) and what surrounds him; life and matter. God is not an entity or a separate being, it is an energy that permeates in every thing in the universe, we are not separate from God, we are a part of it and by having the inner peace, by being together we are connected with that universal energy that we call God. However, we have the free will to find our own balance; through guidance offered by peace makers with different names like messengers, prophets or God incarnations or on our own.

2.  Today millions of people follow Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) or Eastern religions (Buddhism, Hinduism). Many of them try to follow the rituals properly. Are they really achieving these goals set in their religions?   How can they know for sure?

Rituals are the pathways to achieving everything in life. Even though one may not be fully in tune with the rituals, and may not admit following any rituals, they are a part of our existence. They do offer some solace of performing an assumed duty.  There is nothing in life we don’t do as rituals; from birth, eating food, getting up from bed, to showers, bathrooms, to going to work or going to gym is all about rituals… a systematic way to achieve goals immediate or long term. Even meditation is a ritual to bring solace to oneself.

3.  How can a person know if God is happy with him? 

God is happy with me because I am a contributor to the overall balance in the universal energy. As long as I am not affecting other’s space (spiritual, physical), sustenance (food, water) and nurturance (love and caring), I am at peace and that is all God wants – to have his creation live in harmony. Just as a mother wants her children, a Chef wants his customers to enjoy his food, or a Teacher to have her students do well in school, God wants us to be in that peaceful mode and get along with all.

4.  How does God communicate to ordinary people like us? 

I have to search for quotes from other traditions, at this moment I can quote Islam and Hinduism; God in the Quraan says that no tribe, community, or a nation is deprived of guidance; he has sent peace makers to every one. Krishna in Bhagvad Gita says, whenever and wherever there is a loss of equilibrium (social disorder aka Adharma) I will emerge from amongst you to restore that Dharma.

Further more, the laws of physics also are comparable to the laws of spirituality. Every piece of matters seeks its own balance, it is built into it, when it goes off the tract it loses its place. Humans have the free will to create that balance through a variety of source; through guidance from their religion (any) or just common sense. Religion is not necessary to have that balance. Morality and conscience are a product of living together with others with our own God given unique nesses; thumbprints, eyes, DNA…etc each one of us is different and each one of us is our own model, there is no exactly alike. Accepting that brings solutions.

5.  How can a person know for sure if he is close to God or if he is far away from Him? 

If one is at peace with himself or herself where the anger, hate, malice, ill will are not throwing him/her off, and he or she is together. He is closer to God. Quraan metaphorically says, God is closer to you than your jugular vein – meaning your thoughts and actions are fully in grasp of the larger energy out there that we are part of. God is not a being to me and he does not exist in any form, it is purely an energy and as such he is in everything out there including me and you.

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Mike Ghouse runs the Foundation for Pluralism championing the idea of co-existence through respecting and accepting the otherness of other and has dedicated his life to nurturing the pluralistic ideals embedded in Islam through the World Muslim Congress.

He is a regular commentator on the TV, Radio and Print media offering pluralistic solutions to the issues of the day.  He is available to speak at your home, school, work place, place of worship, seminars, interfaith and other gatherings.  Mike is a speaker, thinker, writer and a peace activist. 
Mike's work is reflected at three websites & twenty two Blogs listed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/