Kerala has a long tradition of welcoming diverse faiths. Christianity arrived in AD 52, Islam in the 7th century, and Judaism around 970 CE. Local rulers allowed these religions to coexist peacefully without domination.
Over time, efforts at conversion and proselytism replaced this harmony. Organised religion became a business driven by power and wealth, leading to moral policing and loss of original ideals. The author hopes society will eventually return to wisdom and tolerance.
Every culture worth its name has traditions that have stood the test of time. India, a land with a history millennia old, has traditions—some of which remain to this day, while many others have disappeared.
In my home state of Keralam (formerly Kerala), we rolled out the welcome mat for all cultures and religions. St. Thomas brought Christianity as far back as AD 52. Islam reached our shores in the 7th century CE (around 629 CE). Jews arrived around 970 CE. The people and their rulers welcomed all these flavours of religion and gave them the chance to co-exist.
The idea was to let all ideas and thoughts survive without trying to dominate or overwhelm one another. This was a noble concept. Allowing others to live and follow their own visions of faith required greatness of heart.
Needless to say, those noble sentiments did not last long. Attempts at religious conversion and proselytism became the norm. A race to gather the most followers—spurred by monetary, political and military might—caused the original noble ideas to be lost.
Personally, I feel that none of those who force religion on others even understand the basic concepts of their own faith. If the ultimate goal is supposed to be peace, tolerance and salvation, the road to it would definitely not run through blood and violence. The so-called intermediaries who stand between man and God are the ones who decide the rules.
Organised religion today is big business. The priestly class lives in the lap of luxury, living off the wealth of the ignorant masses. Moral policing is the norm. The moral brigade decides what you are allowed to wear, what you are allowed to say, and how you are supposed to behave.
In short, mankind lost its wisdom and let anarchy and ignorance rule. Maybe this is a cycle. Just as night follows the bright sunny day, perhaps we will pass through this phase and emerge into the light someday—a day when wisdom will rule and decide how we live.