Is religion the root cause of all evil in the world?

Before I state my opinion, I would like to clarify that the objective of this post is not to point fingers or state in any way whatsoever that there is something right or wrong with a particular religion. The blog aims at assessing the why of what is happening. I will be as objective as I can in most of my posts. If there is a post that I have a strong stance about, I will state it explicitly.

There are two sides to this discussion. One side says that religion is the root cause of all evil. When we talk about this, our mind gets diverted to terrorism and how a radical brand of Islam is being portrayed as a carrier of terror. The other side says that it's not religion but the way it is being used is what is creating all the problems in the world. I am neither an expert in the Bhagvad Gita, Quran or the Bible. However, from my perspective, I look at religion as a tool that tells you to do good in life. All religions in the world talk about tales of victory of good over evil. Religion is intended to be a carrier or a messenger that tells people in testing times to take the right path. It acts as a conscience to some who need a guiding light in times of dichotomy.

So then is religion the cause of evil in the world? I don't agree. This might sound weird but think about religion as the internet. I look at religion as a medium towards leading a good life. The internet can be used to connect with loved ones on another side of the planet, find out information about every possible thing in the world and also act as an excellent aid in research, information gathering and networking. At the same time, the internet can be used for fraud, illegal money laundering or even pornography and pedophilia. Do we blame the internet for everything that happens and decide to ban it?

We are the creators of the internet and we are responsible for using it in the right way. If it falls into the wrong hands, it will definitely be misused. In the same way, religion is the medium to reaching god or any spirit that we worship that tells us to do right. Unfortunately, politics is too selfish and less sacrosanct to tackle the problem of terrorism at its root. The root is definitely not religion. Poverty is one of the roots of this huge tree. If one is poor, one doesn't get the right kind of education, there is every chance of a young mind to lose sight of what's right in life. These minds are susceptible and can easily be taught to do things at an early age in the name of religion. For all those who hate any religion of the world, I just have one message.

Just the way man created technology to create nuclear bombs, man also has created religion. It depends on how it is interpreted to different people. But to merely blame religion for the root cause of all evil would be a travesty of justice to those who follow, preach and practice religion in the way it was supposed to be. If you ask me, I think human beings are the root cause of all problems as they have also damaged god's reputation by misinterpreting religious scriptures. So what's the solution then? Like in most cases, the solution lies within. We are the problem, we need a solution. Until and unless we realize that, what will continue is the mere political bashing and the usual mud slinging that we normally hear in the media. Oh did I say 'media' again? Think about it.

Have a great weekend!