Arrogant Priests, Hollow Religions! by Rajinder Puri

Arrogant Priests, Hollow Religions!

by Dr. Rajinder Puri

Yet once again the arrogance of a priest has exposed the hollow pretensions of organized religion. Pakistan Prime Minister Mr. Raja Parvez Ashraf on a private visit to India to pay his respects at the Sufi shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti at the Ajmer Dargah has been boycotted by the Head Priest because he did not make suitable amends for the beheading of two Indian soldiers by the Pakistan army at the Line of Control. Earlier it may be recalled that Sikh priests disallowed an Indian army officer from paying his respects at the Golden Temple because he had participated in Operation Blue Star.

Does any human appointed representative of a spiritual order have the right to decide whether or not an individual be allowed to communicate with God by paying his respects at the shrine built in His memory? One thought that God was almighty and the ultimate judge of what treatment any individual deserved, whether it be beneficient or punitive. It seems that priests consider themselves to be as omnipotent as God and have given themselves the power to veto the right of any individual wishing to communicate with God.

Thus, if a sinner would wish to atone for his sins by showing repentance to God the priest in such case would be saying:

“You have sinned and therefore are not worthy of paying respects to God! I will not in your case act as an intermediary of God and prescribe punishment in the light of His teachings but forbid you altogether to present your case to God! I am more than an intermediary – I am like God Himself!”

To this writer who has no faith in organized religion it matters little whether one is allowed to visit a shrine. But those committed to various religions have need to ponder. What precisely is the authority of a priest as an intermediary between the public and God? Who appoints the priest – the spiritual inspiration considered to be the messenger of God who in effect creates a religious sect, or a bunch of ordinary humans who presume to speak in his name? If this matter is satisfactorily settled there would be considerable reduction of strife and discord in society. Buddha, Mohammed, NanaK, Krishna and Jesus would have had no problems to sort out between them. But Buddhist, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu and Christian priests have all sorts of disputes between them that divide society. Indeed, it might even be said that they present the only real problem.

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10-Mar-2013

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Comments on this Article

Very well said!

Kamath
03/07/2014 09:17 AM

Throughout the History of mankind These Priests & organised religon have played a pernicious role.The Roman Catholic Church has the maximum record of Atrocities on Inspirational Scientists,Persecution in the name of Heresy, Inquisitions, Propogating the crusade wars, Direct interference in Govt. policies, Collecting huge funds, Aquiring Huge landed properties, Instigating wars,History of sexual & Child perversion/abuse etc.Jidu Krishnamurthy in his book " Tradition & Revolution has highlighted the ugly alliance between the Priest,Moneylender & Govt./ local warlords..Late Jomo Kenyatta rightly told some European Diplomats that " In Africa,Initially we Africans Had the land & You Europeans had the Bible, Then we began to CLOSE OUR EYES & PRAY.WHEN WE OPENED OUR EYES, WE HAD THE BIBLE & YOU HAD OUR LAND ".

Dr.R.K.Uppal
03/08/2013 21:46 PM

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