Evolution, Faith, Politics, and the Ram Temple. Whither Goest India?
Emanations of the Philosophy of Life Instinct
(To get the most out of this perspective, detach yourself. Imagine you're some intelligent entity looking down on Earth from fifty thousand km up in space and observing all its life forms, including humans.)
This story is about a recent event in India that I watched with dismay, leaving me with a lasting sense of disquiet. It was the inauguration of the Ram Mandir, i.e., the Temple for Ram or Rama, one of the main Gods of Hinduism, in the city of Ayodhya, supposedly his birthplace, on the 22nd of January. The idol of Rama was consecrated in the sanctum, which was complete by then.
The mass euphoria it generated in the preceding days and the religious ecstasy on the day itself stunned me. It opened my eyes to a reality I had suspected. Still, I hadn't seen it so graphically— the continuing hold of religion on hundreds of millions in India and how it is encouraged and exploited.
It's made me write this article on its various aspects to unburden myself by sharing my turmoil with those who feel like me and those open to thought, learning, and change.
Let's begin with the big picture of the human species and the evolutionary position of religion in it.
