CSS Forums - Religious Contentions Are Satan’s Heaven

Religion is the man’s answer to the mysteries of the universe. Variously defined as ‘set of beliefs and opinions concerning the existence, nature and worship of a deity or deities and their divine involvement in the universe and human life’ ; ‘ the belief in and worship of a super human controlling power especially a personal God or gods’; ‘ the personal commitment to and serving of God or a god with worshipful devotion, conduct in accord with divine commands especially as found in accepted sacred writings or declared by authoritative teachers, a way of life recognized as incumbent on true believers, and typically the relating of oneself to an organized body of believers’; the word ‘Religion’ owes its existence to the 12th Century French where it was used to give the sense of ‘life under monastic vows’ and meant ‘obligation and reverence’.

The most sophisticated institution that man has ever invented on earth, religion is a refined system of those beliefs and practices by means of which we struggle with the ultimate problems of our life. It adequately provides answers to those intricate questions and intriguing riddles of our lives and universe that no other science or philosophy could even venture to tread on. It gives meaning to life and offers man a contentment of being superior to all other creatures on earth. It is a great force which not only enlightens our mind and broadens our outlook but also smoothens our way to the path of progress and prosperity. Religion has endowed humanity with a code of living, taught man what he should do and what he should avoid to attain salvation. All major civilizations of our world are indebted to the teachings of different religions which have educated man to lead a life of compassion and empathy hence making world a habitable and loveable place to live. The idea of an omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent divine force controlling this colossal universe as well as destiny of the whole humanity provides man much needed motivation for being good and disciplined.

God and Satan, good and evil, virtue and vice, righteousness and wickedness all these lexis of religion prove amply that this universe is a mixture of black and white forces. Good and evil on this earth are in a warring state of relentless struggle. Virtue has its own solemn methods to win the heart of man while vice has its own peculiar designs to distract man’s heart from the right path.

God sent His messengers to the earth to teach the man the straight and enlightened path of virtue but with the passage of time every religion, after death of its prophet, concocted some rituals and rites that had got nothing to do with the true teachings of that particular religion. Man’s desire to make everything on earth, including religion, according to his whims, is the central factor behind all the schisms in the matters of faith. Satan, as portrayed by all the three existing monotheistic religions of the world, is the arch-enemy of man. Satan’s only endeavor on earth is to befuddle man about his God and to corrupt the simple teachings of the prophets in a way that religion remain no more a matter of common man’s understanding. All the schisms in the major religions of the world that is Islam, Christianity and Judaism, are more a work of man’s personal fancy than the true teachings of these religions. Minor differences were (and still are) magnified to the extent that hundreds and thousands of followers of a particular religion or sect were brutally massacred in the name of religion. Unfortunately, man has never done any evil so completely and cheerfully as he has done it for so called religious conviction. Difference of opinion, which is indispensable for the progress of human civilization in other matters, proves fatal in affairs of faith where bigotry and hypocrisy are usually the rulers of this world. Satan’s machinations are very intricate and diverse. When he saw man following the words of God devoutly he called deceit and treachery to his help. He sowed seeds of skepticism into the mind of faithful and augmented his ego to the level where man became blind and no longer wise enough to discern right from wrong. Verily, inflated egoism is the base of all religious contentions. All the religious controversies revolve round this and all the blood that has been shed in the name of a right or wrong sect was, in fact, the handiwork of man’s arrogance.

Unity is the noble deed that God wants man to love most. United we stand against all the tricks and snares of Satan but when we are divided on the basis of minor differences, we fall into the trap of Satan and forget what was asked to us by the Almighty. To me the Satan assures that I am the only right person, to my brother he confides that he is the wisest of us all. Thus my pride demands that I should be deemed as right while my brother’s arrogance requires that his sagacity should not be challenged. Seeing the power of man’s love for God, Satan devised his plan to destroy this utmost fondness for divinity. He spread the seeds of discord into the land of spiritual love and harmony and in no time harvested the crops of hatred, animosity and bloodshed. This loathsome scene disgusted the secular man most and observing religious men in a mutual warfare he further distanced himself from religion and The Creator. Hence, Satan’s deceit proved two pronged. He was not only triumphant in dividing religious fraternity but also convinced secular man that religious teachings are no more a message of love and humanity.
In our present world, which is hysterically craving for worldly riches, heavenly matters are no more a matter of any concern to a common man. Hence, religion’s message of love, unity and harmony is fast fading from the face of earth. Materialism has routed spiritualism completely in most parts of the world resultantly paving the way for a world most dear to the devil’s heart and aspirations than to the God’s will. To the supreme pleasure of Satan most of the men among us have adopted the job of a fiend proficiently and those who are hell bent upon orchestrating schisms among a certain religious community are the proclaimed leaders of these evil-mongers.

Our world’s chaotic face amply shows that it needs the religion’s message of love and compassion more than ever. Marred by corruption, hatred, violence, war and terrorism; world needs a healing hand of true divine message of kindness and charity. The message that true meanings of religion is not just morality and love for God but morality touched by emotion and a consideration for fellow human beings is the essence of all religious teachings. We can not be God’s men when humanity around us is crying with pains of hunger and bloodshed. Religion’s message is to do right, to love, to serve, to think and to be humble. It is our lives that should depict these noble deeds and not just our words. If we can not suffer harm and pain done to others we are no better than beasts that have no feelings for miseries afflicted to their fellow creatures. So, for the wellbeing of humanity, we should shun minor differences and remind ourselves the forgotten teachings of our beloved religion Islam which is, in itself, an epitome of peace and love. Religious contentions, which are at times inevitable, shouldn’t be exaggerated. Amity, love, compassion, kindness: the worthy tenets of Islam should be spread throughout the world. By fighting among ourselves on petty differences, we should not offer Satan an opportunity to rejoice. He is a sworn enemy of humanity and should be dealt like that. Vanity and dogmatism; the two major factors behind all religious contentions, should not be given a chance to disturb religious harmony. Our discourse on divine matters should not lead us to brawl and hatred, instead we must always keep these golden words of Plutarch, that ancient philosopher of Greek, in mind:
When two discourse, if the one’s anger rise,
The man who lets the contest fall is wise.