Religious Empire: God is emperor

Soldier hacked to death in London

There has been heated debates on religion aftermath of London soldier murder. Religion has become an agenda for the news agencies and radio broadcasters to showcase their ability to argue that religion is amazing enterprise but absolutely redundant in the 21st century. I have no comments on this since it is a topic always crawls on the table. I strongly condemn and disagree with the murderers who hacked the soldier to death in Woolwich in the name of religion. I think everyone would agree that no religion promotes violence against another person despite religions have been using this to defend one's own faith. Word 'defend' itself has so negative connotation and in fact it promotes violence or attack on others who do not belong to the defenders religion. This has happened in every religion. Now could anyone tell me which religion survives because of blood?

Religion is man-made by all means despite its claims of revelations and illuminations. Basically religion was formed to control and maintain the society and religion did it perfectly by myriad ways. Let me not put my fingers into these means, because it is a wide topic indeed. If religion controlled and maintained the society in the yesteryears, police and government does the same kind of job today in our society. Therefore, it is obvious that there is no need of a religion to tell people to live morally; is that so? Do we think that police and government is morally correct? Again its another topic altogether on which I have slightest interest. But it is true that there is religious intolerance since police and government has taken the role of controlling the morality of the people. 

There is also another dimension to the religious intolerance among the people. Every religion is a kind of empire with a king or a queen to propose moral rules. There ruler would be a god in every religion. Thus, god created by every religion became different than others because basically religion took the form of an empire. Does this sound absurd? Now this works same as the empire on earth. St. Augustine proposed two kingdoms; earthly and heavenly. Divine kingdom is something that is just and fair but this can be a fantasy of ideology of a utopia (Thomas More). Let me pen on earthly city where most powerful and efficient emperor won the battles to gain victory over other empires. This was done by any means, particularly by means of extreme violence and suppression of the weak. Hence, violence was inevitable and unavoidable in the process of overpowering other empires. 

I would like to apply the above explanation on earthly empires to the religions. Every religion has been using some kind of violence to augment the numbers of devotees. In the process millions of people gave their precious life. Some religions overpowered others whereas little religions died out in the battlefield. And god became a means to use as emperor. God became mere an object to be used to build one's own empire of religion. This is absurd indeed. God is not an object to be used to defend one's own faith. If one believed in ONE God, then why do we need an emperor god? If everyone believed that is there only ONE God, then why do we have to fight in the name of religion? 

Maria, A True Suffering Woman

Thou art Mother Oh most favored plentifully

Oh perfect woman blessed specially

A poor and suffering thou art mother

Provide insolence to human other

Thou renounced liberty to choose

To say a Yes with utmost muse

Betrothed in obedience, a virgin womb

Thou remained faithful until tomb 

Theotokos, a title most desirable

Bore in thy bosom a Son supreme adorable

God’s mother prevailed in history of Salvation

For thy Son human yet a divine revelation

Oh mother, retained pains in thy heart

Oh, how painful suffering thy life’s girt

Thy being shattered thy soul split in sword

Whilst the Son of Man uttered mysterious word

Thou art our mother opium of the poor

Utmost hope against suffering sure

Penetrate the suffering heart to cast hope

Hence thou lingered to the poor a dope

Oh Maria, at Golgotha thou suffered intensely

Derided yet watched thy Son die gently

Come Maria in haste and wipeout tears

Thence suffering women may have no more fears

Sorrow ensnared thou like winter’s darkness

Lost thy Son twice to feel like weirdness

Thou art a hope for women childless

Cast thy aiding hands on the heartless

Be a rock of refuge for thy humanity

Thence to witness a widespread serenity

Be a help to the suffering and them guard

One accord we shout, my heart magnifies the Lord.

Mother

I Love You...!

"My dear girl, the day you see I’m getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through. If when we talk, I repeat the same thing a thousand times, don’t interrupt to say: “You said the same thing a minute ago”... Just listen, please. Try to remember the times when you were little and I would read the same story night after night until you would fall asleep. When I don’t want to take a bath, don’t be mad and don’t embarrass me. Remember when I had to run after you making excuses and trying to get you to take a shower when you were just a girl? When you see how ignorant I am when it comes to new technology, give me the time to learn and don’t look at me that way... remember, honey, I patiently taught you how to do many things like eating appropriately, getting dressed, combing your hair and dealing with life’s issues every day... the day you see I’m getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through. If I occasionally lose track of what we’re talking about, give me the time to remember, and if I can’t, don’t be nervous, impatient or arrogant. Just know in your heart that the most important thing for me is to be with you. And when my old, tired legs don’t let me move as quickly as before, give me your hand the same way that I offered mine to you when you first walked. When those days come, don’t feel sad... just be with me, and understand me while I get to the end of my life with love. I’ll cherish and thank you for the gift of time and joy we shared. With a big smile and the huge love I’ve always had for you, I just want to say, I love you... my darling daughter.

What goes around comes around!

A true story- happened in 1892 at Stanford University: An 18-year-old student was struggling to pay his fees. He was an orphan, and not knowing where to turn for money, he came up with a bright idea. He and a friend decided to host a musical concert on campus to raise money for their education. They reached out to the great pianist Ignacy J. Paderewski. His manager demanded a guaranteed fee of $2000 for the piano recital. A deal was struck and the boys began to work to make the concert a success.

The big day arrived. But unfortunately, they had not managed to sell enough tickets. The total collection was only $1600. Disappointed, they went to Paderewski and explained their plight. They gave him the entire $1600, plus a cheque for the balance $400. They promised to honour the cheque at the soonest possible. “No,” said Paderewski. “This is not acceptable.” He tore up the cheque, returned the $1600 and told the two boys: “Here’s the $1600. Please deduct whatever expenses you have incurred. Keep the money you need for your fees. And just give me whatever is left”. The boys were surprised, and thanked him profusely. It was a small act of kindness. But it clearly marked out Paderewski as a great human being.

Paderewski later went on to become the Prime Minister of Poland. He was a great leader, but unfortunately when the World War began, Poland was ravaged. There were more than 1.5 million people starving in his country, and no money to feed them. Paderewski did not know where to turn for help. He reached out to the US Food and Relief Administration for help. The head there was a man called Herbert Hoover — who later went on to become the US President. Hoover agreed to help and quickly shipped tons of food grains to feed the starving Polish people.

A calamity was averted. Paderewski was relieved. He decided to go across to meet Hoover and personally thank him. When Paderewski began to thank Hoover for his noble gesture, Hoover quickly interjected and said, “You shouldn’t be thanking me Mr. Prime Minister. You may not remember this, but several years ago, you helped two young students go through college. I was one of them.” The world is a wonderful place. What goes around comes around!