RELIGION SHOULD PRODUCE
RIGHT THINKING
Religion should produce the right thinking in a person. Someone who has truly discovered the Supreme Reality should speak and act with self-restraint, for they know God hears and sees what they do.
Religion can be defined as a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of life and the universe, especially when considered to create a supernatural agency. Religion is the answer to the question, “Who am I?” Religion should provide man with the right philosophy of life. Religion should serve as a guidebook for life, bringing a man out of the darkness of ignorance and leading him into the light of reality. Religion should make a man a good citizen. Religion should give him a moral code that helps him to lead his life in society as a truth-loving human being. Religion should enable him to become a person who creates no problems for others. Religion should make a person a giver and not just a taker. Religion should produce the right thinking in a person. Religion should enable a person to ‘see’ things invisible to the physical eye.
Religion is man’s companion in times of difficulty. It saves him from becoming a victim of adversity. It is, in effect, the art of crisis management, from which man derives inspiration and guidance in times of dire need. Religion gives us conviction. Religion gives us a sense of purpose. Religion gives us our system of values. Religion is a guide for our actions.
However, being born into a devout family or being associated with some pious group does not make one a religious person. This is a mere external matter, not religion’s real essence. The actual purpose of religion should be the realization of oneself and the realization of God.
Someone blessed with true religiousness of this nature becomes a completely different person from what he was before. Filled with thoughts of the Supreme Reality, he forsakes all delusions of personal grandeur. When he speaks, it is with control and self-restraint, for he knows that God hears all he is saying. When he acts, he is principled and responsible, for he knows that God sees all he does. His thoughts always centre on pleasing God. His dealings with fellow mortals are conducted as if with God Himself, so scrupulous, and honest is his behaviour.
True religiousness makes a person conscious of his accountability to God. Such a person is aware that he should deal with kindness and compassion with all of God’s creatures, including all human beings, no matter their religion, community, or ethnicity.
