RELIGION AND MORAL VALUES

Its usually said that no religion is bad and every religion teaches us the good things only. Religion is described as a set of principles to be followed by people to be happy and ideal so that they can lead to a healthy society.
But what if the same set of principles are written on a page and asked to follow? People will follow them or not?
Example- we now know that plant of Tulsi (holy basil) always excretes O2 and is good to be kept in house. If we tell people same thing, people will not follow it. But if we attach a religious aspect with it people will plant and keep it in their homes as seen in society. It becomes part of their faith.
The problem comes when along with religious aspect superstitions are also getting attached to it. As touching Tulsi plant while having menses is bad and on doing so the plant will die in weeks and the health, wealth and happiness of the house will be lost.
And we see such superstitions attached to many religious things which become a part of harassment, injustice and violence in the society.

Telling people the real reason behind such things will prevent such superstitions and its adverse effects on society. The problem here is the society should accept understand the real reasons behind such things and for that people should have adequate education and scientific temperament in them.
But still the adverse effects (harassment) of superstitions which come with religious things (Tulsi) are way dangerous and undesirable than not having the religious thing in place (not having Tulsi in homes).

Also people say society needs religion as moral values otherwise society will have lot of sins and bad things, crimes.
If this is so, India and many countries have more religious people and still have many problems like crimes, corruption in their society. Jails also shelter many religious people than non religious ones. If religion teaches us good things then this should not be the scenario.

There are two ways to keep classroom quite.
Having terror of teacher.
Students understanding the value of quite classroom for better study and so decide to be quite and study.
Which will be better?
Obviously, the second one will be better, because it’s due to students’ conscience and its their decision.
In this example you will think second situation is possible only when student have their conscience. But what for the students who don’t understand the importance of study? Well, for them the rules and laws are better.

But does it happen with adults? A thief who is going to steal something also knows that he is doing wrong thing and that’s why he do it secretly. His own conscience tells him so even before any religion or morals tell him that.
So there is no relation between being a good human being or the bad one and being religious or being non-religious.

Of course I am living a healthy and happy life without being religious. I dont do any crimes, bad things and still being non religious.
There are people who are humble, polite, a good human beings, sensitive, careful, honest and dont believe in God or dont follow any religion and live happy life.

The greed and the fear both are basically bad things.
All religions teach us that if you do good things you will be taken to the heaven after your death where there will be only happiness, lot of pleasurable things, beautiful girls to serve you and what not.
Also they tell you that if you do sins, you will be taken to the hell where you will have all kind of unimaginable, unbearable pains, sufferings, etc.
So what religion is teaching us?
To do good things in life by showing “the carrot” of heaven and the stick” of hell.
So is this the morality of religion? Based on greed and fear?

But then what morality actually is?
I will give an example-
To be systematic we have decided to drive the car on left side of the road (in India). If someone doesnt follow this then there is possibility of accident which may hurt our own car/us or to the others.
There is not any divine thing in driving the car on left side, is it?
Similarly to run the society (as man being a civilized animal) we have some set of principles as not to lie, not to rob, not to steal, fight etc. which we call morals. And for that we dont need any religion. Ones conscience always tells him/her what is good and what is not.


YOU DONT NEED RELIGION TO HAVE MORALS.
IF YOU CANT DETERMINE RIGHT FROM WRONG THEN YOU LACK EMPATHY, NOT RELIGION.