Invention of Religion - Essay Example

Only a pure soul can aspire to get redemption and be bestowed with eternal bliss. The concept of life after death would exist in this religion, as without it, the meaning of life in this world becomes vague and futile. All the followers of this religion would have to strive to attain the highest form of purity to attain peace and salvation. Therefore, it would be more of an independent and solitary act than a group effort. There would be no political or religious hierarchy in this religion; that is, no concept of a Father or Pope or any clergy acting on behalf of the followers; rather, there would be a direct connection between the follower and God, and each man would be directly responsible for his acts. If someone has wronged another human being, he can only be pardoned if he seeks forgiveness from the victim; no one else can absolve him, and there would be no confessionals like in Christianity. However, the act of self-purity would not extend to the limits of not hurting other creatures and even insects, the way it is practised in the extreme form of Buddhism. This concept would be essentially spiritual.

For this purpose, the stress would be on meditation as a daily ritual. This would be mandatory for all followers, as without regular meditation, the followers would be at risk of being consumed by the attractions and waywardness of this world. A constant practice of meditation would free their minds of all the bonds of this world, and would remind them of their true purpose; that of attaining purity and salvation. However, the exact form of meditation would be left up to the discretion of the followers, as it is believed that the world and society are rapidly changing, and to demand a particular form of meditation from all the followers who may hail from various cultures and geographical areas would make the religion harder to follow, and would be impractical. Moreover, it would make the followers focus more on the physical acts of meditation than its spirit, which would be against the teachings of the religion.

Religion would preach the same basic moral code that is fundamental to human nature; that is, the basic differences between good and evil, and shunning the evil in favour of the good. However, it would not focus on political teachings and governance. It is more of a personal effort towards salvation, with a focus on abstaining from getting involved in the problems and complexities of this world. The degree to which a person chooses to follow the religion is left to the will and personal calling of that individual; there is no compulsion in and no tiers of this religion. This goes in defiance of most of the major religions of the world, which demand at least some form of obligatory practice and involvement by their followers.