Religion plays a very important role in every facet of human life. This is regardless of a national culture, its creed, caste and doctrine. Religion is the most important element in the basic human character building because it consists of beliefs, sermons, rituals, sacred objectives, symbols which impact our emotional makeup. Belief is a sensation about God in our brain; it is about good and bad beliefs; good and bad luck; our friends and social circle. Each religion has its abstract definition of God; and God is considered supreme and ultimate reality.
Places of worship have always shaped human life in different ways and influenced human behaviours. People are divided on the basis of religion. Though, religion unites people with the same beliefs, customs, and moral codes; it creates a tight-knit among its followers. Religions have dominated the world into innumerable societies as one of the important factors. It is not an ordinary necessity, but a very significant part of human life. Majority population of the world would find it very tough to live without religion and spirituality.
It is interesting to note that people misunderstand spirituality and religion to be the same; therefore, they bring their beliefs and prejudices about religion to discussions about spirituality. Though all religions stress spiritualism as being part of faith, one can be spiritual without being religious by not being a member of an organised religion. There are peoples who prefer not to follow any religion because they don’t like to follow religious rules and practices.
When we look at some most ancient beautiful heritage structures, we find that they represent a range of religions, cultures and traditions of the world. Approximately 35 per cent of the properties belonging to World Heritage List have religious or spiritual significance. They include ancient tombs, temples, churches, cathedrals, synagogues, Jain derasars, masjids etc.
Religion has become cause of the wars. Examples include the War of the Three Henrys and the Succession of Henry IV of France during the French Wars of Religion, the Hessian War and the War of the Jülich Succession during the Reformation in Germany, the Jacobite risings (including the Williamite–Jacobite wars) during the Reformation in Great Britain. Religion has been a major feature in historical conflicts and the main cause foe recent wave of modern urban terrorism. Religion has gathered extra significance today because globalisation. It is challenging and changing global governance. Religious identity not only helps survive but can take on heightened significance when national and political alliances break apart, as happened in the former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, when Serbs, Croats and Bosniacs were divided along Orthodox, Catholic and Muslim fault lines. There are people who thoughtlessly are willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of religion. There are people who are sacrificing their jobs, kids, professions, education, money everything for the war of religion. There are so many who have even renounced the world, their families and everything just to follow some religious beliefs or paths which they think might take them nearer to God.
Religious conflict is caused by intolerance against another’s religious beliefs or practices. Religious extremists contribute to conflict growth. They see deep-seated measures as necessary to fulfilling God’s wishes. Fundamentalists of any religion tend to take a doctrine view of the world. If the world is a struggle between good and evil, it is hard to justify compromising with the mentality of devil.
Movies are made to portray religious divide and wars. For example, the recent ‘Kashmir Files’ is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language drama film, written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri. Produced by Zee Studios, the film is based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits during the Kashmir Insurgency, which it portrays as genocide. In 1989–90 in Kashmir, Islamic militants stormed and banished Kasmiri Hindu Pandits from the Kashmir valley.
However, in several other areas of day-to-day life including interpersonal interactions, health issues, fitness, food, educational qualifications, marriage, social and environmental consciousness religion plays an important role.
We are facing the conflicts of obstinate inter-religious wars between Muslims and Jews in Palestine, Hindus and Muslims in south Asia and in many other places. Attempts to bring out peace have failed again and again. Politicians are using the religion card to motivate hate crimes and spread vandalism.
People don’t understand the true essence of their religion (faith). The foundation of religion is education. It has a great effect and influence on the education system of a nation. The purpose of religion is to enable the acceptance of ideas and innovations, spread of humanism, the development of new techniques and arts such as literature, architecture, painting, sculpture, music, the sciences and the elaboration of new codes of affability. An ideal religion is one that practices progress of civilization. Religion must promote love, peaceful coexistence of the people, and endorse modest and ethical rules for the society.
