Place of religion in a modern, secular society --SBI PO/IBPS PO/SSC ESSAY WRITING
Place of religion in a
modern, secular society
The
debate about the relevance of religion is an ongoing one in the modern secular
world. One view that is current today is that religion is not required.
However, if used with a sense of balance and proportion, religion could be
beneficial in many ways for everyone, including agnostics and atheists.
We
get knowledge from our teachers, various books, movies, journals and
newspapers.. We surf the internet, talk to our friends, or search our
bookshelves to reconnect with the book or the article to refresh our memory of
its lesson.
Religion
has ingenious ways and means to help seekers retain its knowledge and wisdom.
It offers and emphasises regular repetition that engenders retention,
comprehension and propagation of knowledge and wisdom acquired from religious
teachings.
Religion
per se is more than a dispenser of wisdom and knowledge; it brings people
together and inspires them to work together for peace and harmony – and for the
common good. In many cases, it provides solace to the suffering, hope to the
hopeless and stimulates the intellect of those who seek answers to profound
existential questions.
The
sense of togetherness is evident when we visit a place of worship and when we
feel at ease with complete strangers. It’s the ambience created by prayerful
individuals who come with faith in their hearts and a prayer on their lips.
There is no negativity to upset the feeling of oneness.
Technology
of the modern secular world can connect us, give us information, news, lots of
material goodies but it cannot by itself create a sense of belonging and
affiliation among its followers. We neither feel assured nor have a sense of
belonging when we meet a stranger who is on the same social media network.
Those who are members of a religious satsang,
for example, would perhaps experience a deeper sense of understanding and
empathy with their group members, as they try to practice the hallowed
teachings of their guru or faith.
An
open-minded approach towards religion and its best practices may help us
enhance our emotional well-being. This would contribute to a more stable and
positive approach to life.
(The writer, an officer of the
Indian Police Service, is a practitioner of positive psychology)
By Tajender Singh Luthra
(abridged
to make this suitable for essay writing in exams)
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