Essence of true religion

THE EDITOR: Religion is a “man-made” institution, that is intimately related to and influences various aspects of the fabric of life. With the dawn of this new century, it has become clear that there is need for a true spirit in religious persuasions in Trinidad and Tobago. In essence, true religion is far remote from hatred, greed and the lust for power. True religion in no way deals with individual glorification, racial hatred and fanaticism. It deals with tolerance, human understanding, discipline, selflessness and sacrifice by all ethnic groups and classes of our multi-plural society.

The basic tenets of true religion have been exemplified to us by ancient prophets, sages, Jesus Christ and other great personalities such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Such men had never compromised their spiritual values with offensive things of this modern world. They withstood the tests of time and therefore proved themselves as spiritually worthy in the eyes of the Seemingly “God aspiring men” of the ages. According to the Holy Scriptures, Jesus Christ’s reply to someone who yearned for eternal life was; “You must love the Lord thy God with all your heart and mind and soul and love your neighbour as much as you love yourself.” Most Trinbagonians find these commandments difficult to obey. According to Shakespeare, love must be a “madness most discreet, a choking gall and a preserving sweet.” In Trinidad and Tobago, what we see is an ongoing separation of God and man, as men continue to act with disobedience and attempt to make themselves mortal gods.

What scores of our citizens term religion, has been a medium that has been used for the self-glorification of men. We can even add that religion is used as an opiate for the masses and as a blindfolding mechanism for exploiting the weak and the helpless. There has to be a genuine circumcision of the heart of our nation. Many persons feel that they alone are worthy of religious blessings and that they alone have passports to the pearly gates. It could very well be that they are chartering their destiny to the “Twilight Zone.” True religion must not be about lip service and self-aggrandisement. It must be about active service in relation to the countless needs of our society. Our spirits must influence our thoughts and our thoughts must be translated into honourable actions. Why call upon the name of the Lord and not do the things that he says?

LINDSEY RAMPERSAD
Five Rivers