Give Up Religion And Get Peaceful?

I have a strange feeling that many times our religions produce the opposite effects than what we assume they should. For example, Buddhism stresses three things; discipline, compassion, and wisdom; and Christian communities stress renunciation of violence, forgiveness, and unconditional love. But do the Buddhist and Christian communities exhibit their professed values?

Buddhists, even Buddhist monks, are fighting for freedom in Tibet and Sri Lanka. Christians are fighting Islamic terrorists in Iraq and the middle east. Jews, it seems, are fighting almost everybody! And I am sure that somewhere, Buddhists, Jews, and Christians are fighting each other over something or other. It seems that if our passions are aroused enough, religious guidelines go out the window.

This poses a thorny question; if religions only work for those who follow them religiously, and even those followers stray as soon as passions overtake them, how can it be that religion is supposedly the magic balm that keeps humankind sane? It doesn’t seem to do that. As a matter of fact, some of the most vicious fighting that has ever taken place, has taken place between religious factions. It’s almost as if religion’s role is but a placator between passions, a huge guilt trip to make up for our inherent violence.

This is all speculation, of course, but if it is true that religion has never fundamentally changed humankind’s violent nature, could it be that our violent nature can never be tamed and only needs a passionate trigger?

On the other hand, is it possible for humankind to become triggerless, or buttonless, where no matter how hard our buttons are pushed, we don’t pull the trigger? I believe that this is possible. Not only possible, but the great potential that humankind offers the universe. I believe that we can all become Christ-like and Buddha-like. I believe that we have that potential.

If religion is only a convenient hideout and subterfuge from our real nature, which seems to be violence, what if we dropped religion completely so that we could see our true nature without rationalizing or denying it? Maybe we only pretend to be religious? I think what hooks us on religion is the psychological need to live after death in some fashion, i.e. mostly seniors are found in churches! It’s this ego continuation, I believe, that is the foundation of religion. In other words, the foundation of religion is saving our own behinds!

If I am right and this is why we pray, to save ourselves, I can see why we will never get over our violence. We are still caught up in what is good for us, what will become of us, and therefore we remain fearful because ourselves must be protected. There is only passing thoughts about others, in a lame attempt to accord with our religious tenants. What we are really interested in is ourselves, and we even use our religions to promote ourselves. How can this ever cure our violence? The very act of promotion involves violence, because promotion involves pushing ourselves in front of someone or something else.

If our religious freedom is ever threatened, for example as it is being threatened in Tibet, the fear is that we cannot practice our religion and therefore we will not go to heaven or Nirvana. But what does a collective practice of religion have to do with our individual salvation? As long as we are conscious, we can practice internally regardless of where we find ourselves. No, the fear is of someone telling us what we can and can’t do, and this arouses passion. This is strong desire.

Nobody told the Buddha or Christ that he couldn’t wander as a homeless, penniless vagrant. Who would have cared? It is only when we pose a threat to someone that violence erupts. So the question must be; do our religions pose a threat to others, and if so, why? Do we threaten others by our religion? Could we get along without our organized religions and find peace within our own hearts?

Christ and the Buddha, not relying on Judaism or Hinduism, seemed to have pulled this off; coming up with their own truths. Could we do the same? I think that if we knew how, we could. But how would that be? What did the Buddha and Christ do differently than we do now?

For one thing, they didn’t attend the synagogue or the temple; they struck out on their own. Also, they both spent a lot of time in solitude, either in the dessert or in the forest. And lastly, they lived their ideals, rather than only talking about them while pursuing other, hidden agendas.

If this technique worked for these two men, why not us? How many of us have spent a lot of time in solitude, either in the desert or in the forest, or at least in the solitude of our own minds? Instead, we surround ourselves with entertainments and friends, never a dull moment. Could this difference be the clue that we are looking for that ends our internal violence; simply being with ourselves long enough to understand the futility of violence, the futility of winning?

Eventually, adventurous people will try a new way, simply because the old ways are producing the same results that have plagued humankind forever. And whether that new way includes organized religion, has yet to be seen.

The Buddha said that the Buddhist religion is similar to a raft, only a method of eliminating the cycle of birth and death. He asked,

"And when you are across, will you continue to carry the raft on your head?"nn