Religion and Rationalism

Dr. Maqsood Jafri
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The religions based on emotionalism, blind faith , mythological cults, and inhuman rituals are very dangerous and abhorrent . It is only Islam that claims to be a natural, rational and moderate religion out of all religions but is also the victim of monarchy, Mullahism, and sectarianism. My book titled “ Rational Study of Islam” throws ample light on several subjects and analyses issues on rational basis. The Illiterate people are prone to emotionalism, hence religious extremism, sectarianism, retrogressive mindset, dogmatic cults, terrorism are the offshoots of religious bigotry and emotionalism. When Karl Marx said that religion was an opium, he actually inferred this conclusion when he read the hazards of religious rites, rituals and extremism. In my opinion any creed or article of faith, that is based on inhuman and irrational outlook must be discarded. Four articles / fundamentals must be adopted and they are: humanism, rationalism, universalism and naturalism. Any religion whose message collides with theses four principles must be abandoned. Love for all humans must be the core and crux of all philosophies and religions. In the quest and greed of heaven, the clerics have made life on earth worse than hell. All humans are one comity and one community. All racial discriminations and religious differences must be shunned with one stance: “ Humans Unite”. We are humans and must love human values and human rights. My life long experience is very bitter. I have found religious extremists and sectarian addicts and adherents very narrow minded, prejudiced and spiteful. The liberal, secular and rational people are better in conduct than the hardliners. They are better humans than the sectarian hardliners and maniacs.
( The writer is an eminent author, poet, scholar and political activist based in Islamabad)