{"id":4595,"date":"2007-09-16T12:52:38","date_gmt":"2007-09-16T12:52:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/drishtikone\/2007\/09\/morality-selfish-religious-blasphemy\/"},"modified":"2007-09-16T12:52:38","modified_gmt":"2007-09-16T12:52:38","slug":"morality-selfish-religious-blasphemy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/drishtikone\/2007\/09\/morality-selfish-religious-blasphemy\/","title":{"rendered":"Morality is a Selfish Religious Blasphemy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

You must do<\/em><\/strong> \"good\" \u2013 every pastor, priest, mullah, god-head, Prophet and Saint advises us. Is \"good\" a qualification of an action? Or is it a judgment on the result?<\/p>\n

Let me ask it in another way \u2013 When does an Action become a \"Good\" action? When one is convinced that it leads to a good result! In itself, action is of no use and significance.<\/p>\n

So, when we say we are going to do good \u2013 with the finality of a morality \u2013 aren\u2019t we appropriating the role of God to ourselves? If indeed we could ensure the result of every action \u2013 then why have that \"old man with a white beard\" sitting up there? What the heck is he wasting his time at? Isn\u2019t morality then, being brutally honest, the greatest religious blasphemy of ALL time?<\/p>\n

Now, let us come to the religious foundation of Morality. Why be good (for a moment let us humor a little more on believing that there indeed is a \"Good action\" within your power)? Indeed why? Day of Judgment<\/em> .. keep away from sinning.<\/em>\u2026 it will lead to heaven<\/em>\u2026 It may not be a cashiers check, but can you see a \"consideration\" in the genesis of Morality? If I should do \"good\" because I will get such and such.. then will I ever do good if that consideration was not there?<\/p>\n

If you see a neighbor dying and you have to take a decision to whether save him or not \u2013 and the pastor told you that doing so will lead to the darkest Hell\u2026 would you do it? Would you do it if he told you .. that this action will help you save \"yourself\" (whatever he may mean by \"yourself\" in absence of a body while pointedly rejecting \"after life\"!!). Yes, you would! You do that everyday!<\/p>\n

Altruism is defined<\/a> as: Altruism<\/strong> is selfless concern for the welfare of others.<\/em><\/p>\n

So, the focal word is \"Selfless\"! Is a system that promises you something in return for an action (even it had the authority of 100 Bibles) \u2013 selfless<\/strong><\/em>?<\/p>\n

Isn\u2019t Morality as the world knows it \u2013 a selfish pursuit?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s come to the third absurdity of Morality. Central to morality is the concept of \"Good\" or \"Evil\". Essentially, an act of judgment. To judge something \u2013 you need a benchmark. A baseline. Compared to which, you can say if something fares \"above\" or \"below\" the threshold and so it can take on a value judgment. Without a baseline \u2013 there can be no judgment!<\/p>\n

So, what is the baseline of Moralistic Good? What are we comparing an action against? Is there an \"absolute\" baseline out there?<\/p>\n

Religions are built on a network of arbitrary judgment-facilitating<\/em> \"baselines\"! In fact religion is nothing but a deliberate act on part of its \"executive management\" (including its Guru, Master, Prophet) to create an intricate labyrinth of such Moralistic \"baselines\"!<\/p>\n

People do not fight in religions \u2013 these \"baselines\" do! For these baselines become the means to consideration.. to a wealth promised for all that one has been gearing to do!! If one was doing things \u2013 without any pursuit or hope of a consideration.. and so without any resort to \"morality\", one would have no arguments on baselines! If someone came along with his baseline, you would be .. like \"whatever, I don\u2019t care!\". But what if you had a baseline and another brought another set along. And your baseline was your only measure of your Karmic bonus at the end of a certain arbitrary period? Your stock just fell! Isn\u2019t it? Suddenly all that you had invested in, became of no use!<\/p>\n

Morality, therefore, is born out of a fear. Fear cannot exist with love \u2013 true love. Love exists when there is no fear \u2013 of authority or loss. If one \"loves\" induced by fear, then is that love? You need to give food to hungry .. because?? Why? Mother Teresa saved the dying \u2026 because .. Jesus would save her and come to her rescue (He probably never did, in her mind though)?!<\/p>\n

Was Mother Teresa\u2019s acts then really Altruistic? However good her actions were \u2013 were they without any hope of return? Doesn\u2019t that make them conditional actions? Can a conditional action be ever born out of Love??<\/p>\n

The truth is Morality is foundation of a selfish and self-centered society. True love and good is not possible in a society which obsesses with arbitrary measures and benchmarks to judge and decide what is good or bad with self-defined and obsessed \"baselines\".<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You must do<\/em><\/strong> "good" – every pastor, priest, mullah, god-head, Prophet and Saint advises us. Is "good" a qualification of an action? Or is it a judgment on the result?<\/p>\n

Let me ask it in another way – When does an Action become a "Good" action? When one is convinced that it leads to a good result! In itself, action is of no use and significance.<\/p>\n

So, when we say we are going to do good – with the finality of a morality – aren’t we appropriating the role of God to ourselves? If indeed we could ensure the result of every action – then why have that "old man with a white beard" sitting up there? What the heck is he wasting his time at? Isn’t morality then, being brutally honest, the greatest religious blasphemy of ALL time?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1517,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63,69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-religion","category-spirituality"],"yoast_head":"\nMorality is a Selfish Religious Blasphemy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You must do "good" - every pastor, priest, mullah, god-head, Prophet and Saint advises us. Is "good" a qualification of an action? Or is it a judgment on the result? 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