If one says he’s hindu then s/he should try to be as good a hindu as possible. Doesn’t matter if people think s/he is crazy. But I can bet that hardly any hindu whether believer or not knows much about Hinduism. Most likely they are just culturally religious. I can also bet that they might not have studied any book in enough detail to understand about how to look at life, salvation and its meaning from religious angle. I can bet the same about Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists. Because it’s not about particular religion, but about religion as an institution that is stale.

It is because, when any new religion is born and the followers who join the prophet or God, it is a movement. It’s lively. It breaks pattern. But second generation followers are not as lively. They haven’t experienced something that the first generation people who saw their prophets or God alive, listened to them. 2nd, 3rd generation followers are dead followers. They didn’t have to move a limb to get that religion. They were born into it. That makes the entire religion stale be it Hinduism, Christianity, Islam or whatever. Institution is dead. And probably most of the believers are just using it as hedge. What if that almighty exists? So you say believe, you have nothing to lose anyway? Well you have entire critical faculties and free thinking to lose. But it’s a different matter. You may not even care.

There’s another reason. That is we as humans use religion as tool that has some usefulness. I have been borderline atheist since teen-age till 30. Non-believer that stopped going to temple in the village in teen-age but then later resumed out of respect instead of belief. And I have moved in and out and observed that there’s almost no difference between me and the believers. They also had no clue why they were doing whatever they did. For most of them god is someone sitting higher up listening to their prayers and do some magical things to fulfill their wishes. This matter of convenience in religion is basically using religion as just another tool to get things done. Flexibility with god and rigidity in customs and culture is quite mind boggling. As wealth increases and as life becomes more comfortable usefulness of this tool will be more like fire hydrant. Just lying there for 99.99% of time. But if it’s not there, that is also a problem. It creates uneasiness, uncertainty, brings fear of death. It has never saved anyone from dying is different matter. Ironical that I am writing this on easter night 🙂 One myth of christianity that still endures.

Another reason I see is human nature and upbringing. My observation is person’s religiosity depends on multiple factors. First is family environment. If family environment is liberal and/or lenient child is less likely to be religious. Doesn’t mean inquiring or atheist. S/he may just not care. Second is society. If society is such that being religious is considered good and child is not rebel s/he is likely to do what is expected of him/her by the society in general and family in particular. As a child we wanted confirmation that we are OK. So we would do what our parents and elders would say just out of fear of rejection. It haunts some people for life. They can’t accept job rejection, rejection by girl friend/boy friend, some even fear rejection by their children :). Anyways, child wants to look good in the eyes of their parents, teachers etc because that gets you rewards and approvals. But if child learns critical thinking and ability to question whatever is told by their parents or elders s/he won’t be tamed. And I can say with lot of surety that Indians don’t teach their children to be free thinkers. Because if we were free thinking society, we wouldn’t be so touchy about language, place, religion, country, eating habits almost everything. And we wouldn’t post on facebook things like My mummy/daddy is the best. Because free thinking means no-one and nothing is beyond critical analysis.

But anyways, if you are a religious type you should go all in. Believe totally. Read your books, consult experts, find ways to live according to what your book says. If book is philosophical like Geeta try to live it. Not just read it. If it’s like Quran read it completely understand every aspect of it. Follow every bit possible. This little bit here and little bit there is completely useless. At least have courage to say, “I don’t know if there’s God”. “I don’t know what my religion says in most cases”. “I follow some rituals that suits me but other than that it’s not my cup of tea”.” I don’t know how to live according to my religion”. At least identify the duality with which you are living. This living in modern age with stale ideas and embracing them may look stupid but what is more stupid is to try to look modern and rational while deep down being attached with these ideas.

Religion is stale because it doesn’t help you to reach a stage where something revolutionary that is happens inside you but it’s because of religion politics, ego and clashes that are happening outside. But that is for some other time.