Religious terrorism is a major part of the mechanism of terror in the world today. Boston is just recovering from the two-week-old scare. The perpetrators of this ghastly act are young men; the innocent-looking face of the younger of the brothers is disturbing at the least. This 19-year-old boy could be any of our children and the way they have been radicalized by the propaganda of religious machinery does not augur well for this world.
Religious philosophies that have world-conquering ambitions have the propensity for causing a grievous blow to all life upon the planet. In the last two millennia, there has been much uninstigated violence unleashed upon various people of the world by the religious groups across the planet. This landscape of violence that they have left while continuously talking about peace, love and compassion is abhorrent and has scary scenarios hidden in them.
It is time to address some fundamental causes that propel these types of violent actions in the name of religion. Public discourse needs to move from the politically correct stance to striving for solutions for the ills of our times. In the very sacred texts that are purported to be the words of God, there is very strong stimulus for violence against all who do not share the belief that some have chosen or been taught to believe.
Whatever the reason these words of instigation got into sacred books, it is time that what is not suitable is expunged – god willing. We can ask, if god says nothing it wouldn’t be a crime to take it as an affirmative. Ensuring that no one needs to be a god’s soldier is the absolute need of the day. For all the other causes of violence, we can find solutions at some point but for those who fight for their gods, there is no solution. You cannot wean them off that because it is an eternal cause and damnation for the world. Only if all religious groups are willing to start looking at the prospect of expunging stimulus for violence from their sacred books will there be a possibility of a solution. It is not just one group, all should strive. It is not going to be an easy exercise, but it has to start at some point of time.
