If I am one of the senators in a supposedly world govt. (let us assume) and there comes a bill I am awaiting for, "Sciencism Act" which will enforce a new religion all over the world. Let us say that there will be many Gods - the Nobel Gods (Physics, Chemistry, Peace, etc) and other Gods (Engineering). Just imagine we have Einstein as an idol in one of our 'mandirs' and Paul Krugman in the Eco. part of the temple and our grannies would make hymns for Him in the required jargon. Though it would be a better idea than setting up a museum for these great personalities as it would invite more popularity of science. Still, we can all understand the drastic change we have to deliberately bring in our lifestyles. Just imagine our granny saying 'Oh Albert' and we guys yelling out 'Betashit' and what not.
Something like this happened when Christianity was passed as a law in Rome during Augustus rule. The conversion was from Pagan. The point I am stressing here is not the change but the way change had been brought. What was the change for? It was to unite the whole Roman empire under one emperor. Consequently, religion was a play card used by kings to control the citizens or 'praja'.
Take the Ramayana example. Isn't it too ideal? Why? Well, it can also be regarded as an example. I cannot prove the time but Rama seems a very ideal king as one would want to show himself in the media. And Hanumana (another God) already knew that Rama had to incarnate and hence started reciting his name before his birth when he would meditate. Does not he seem as a marketing agent of Rama who knows when will be the product launched. Well, all these are tools to control us. And our daily practices have been so intricately tied with them that we believe it that it is true. We are not educated enough to answer our kids when they ask how was Sun made and what is universe. We tell him that it is the yawn of the Great One and why not fart. I really regret the fanatics who have devoted their lives to the religion because in the end they are just marketing agents of the product launched by some ancient king in the arcane periods. Religion is not belief, it is a tool.
