Ram Puniyani The global scenario is full of violence in the name of religion. The acts of terrorism are attributed to religious teachings at times. The local violence, the attack on religious minorities is also presented as a religious phenomenon. The last three decades have seen this tragic phenomenon where the political agenda of super…
Ram Puniyani Last three decades have seen an unprecedented presence of religion in social and political space. Somewhere the acts of terror, somewhere communal violence and somewhere the political influence of religious right on society and political processes, all these phenomenon have overshadowed the deeper inequities in the society, the aspirations of people for dignity…
It is often asserted, even in the face of contrary evidence, by the believers of course, that the ‘truly religious’ people do not do any ham to others; that the terrorists are a misguided lot; that those who incite communal violence are in the grip of momentary passion; that the believers who commit human sacrifice…
Innaiah Narisetti The majority of people believe in an after-life. If there is something after death, what is it? After death, the body is buried by some, cremated by some others, donated to hospitals by a few. These practices are common. When a person dies, along with other parts of the body, the brain also dies. That…
Carvaka Mountain of flowers for the Lord (The Hindu, November 4, 2011) The annual ‘Pushpa Yagam’ festival was held on Thursday at the famous hill temple of Lord Venkateswara amid religious fervour. Over seven tonnes of a wide variety of bright and aromatic flowers were used in the festival. Earlier in the morning ‘Snapana Thirumanjanam’…
P L Rao (Part I and Part II of this Essay are here) Flourishing field of Religion Religious field is flourishing today due to the vast scope of earning fame and power. Scandals and Babas sail together. But the institutions survive due to political patronage enjoyed by the community as a whole. None bothers…
P L Rao (Part I of this Essay is here) History of growth of “Faith” in some important religions Faith as an entity is the backbone of any theology. We now examine how true this statement is by taking example of few religions. Hinduism was born in about 2000 BCE as a blend of emigrant…
The All-India Ulama & Mashaikh Board (AIUMB), a Sufi Islamic branch claiming to represent 80 per cent of Indian Sunni Muslims, has come out strongly against hardline Wahabism, holding the ideology responsible for radicalisation of young Indian Muslims. The AIUMB counts itself among the significant Sufi Khanquahs in India, among them Ajmer Shareef and Dargah…
P L Rao Recently in a temple, a famous speaker in his discourse on subject “Divinity, Ethics and You” was extolling virtues as man’s innate goodness and need of belief in God and compassionate treatment of others. Suddenly, there was interruption–an announcement: “Will the owner of car number xxx kindly move it aside as…