Saturday, June 25, 2016
New religion "Real Gods" complete with puja room, holy books, holidays
How about a new religion, "Real Gods", wherein the gods are the foremost achievers in their respective fields in the recent times? Think back to the classic "puja" shelf at home- for the Hindu ones amongst you the memory should be quite clear- with framed photos of different gods. These photos are to be replaced by framed photos of Mohammad Ali, Steve Jobs, Sachin Tendulkar, Nikolas Tesla, Mahatma Gandhi, Mary Curie, Warren Buffet, Florence Nightingale and the likes. This "puja room" is a critical ingredient of this religion- mandatory in the houses of a believer of "Real Gods". Apart from a place of workship, what are the other key aspects of religion? Holy books. Holy books are the best biographies or autobiographies of such people. And the other key aspect is religious holidays. Holidays in Real Gods are on key days of Gods' lives- for example October 30th is celebrated is a "Aliday" (even sounds like holiday) as the day of the "Rumble in the jungle" bout. Birthdays are not celebrated as anyone can just be born, but what is celebrated is the key days in this persons life related to their godliness, as in the Aliday example.
And all through reading this article, please do remember that I am only half-joking. I really-truly think this religion can make the world a better place. By idolizing the practices of the best of us, we can only get better, as a race.
Real gods are fallible, though, and the god-list keeps getting updated. For example, Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods, Oscar Pistorious could have been gods but after their indiscretions were exposed, they get removed. Removal is performed by the "Council of Real gods" - an elected body. And Gods don't get removed for just resorting to Machiavellian tricks like the whole Winklevoss episode surrounding Zuckerberg (this is purely for argument' sake coz I don't think Zuck would anyway be a cinch for a God) - because remember Krishna? He was quite the Machiavellian. It's only downright violations like those of Armstrong, Woods, Pistorious that lead to removal from the Pantheon. It's a grey area, of course, but that's why the qualified Council is there. The god-list would also be refreshed to ensure that the current god-list stays relevant to the current times. Once a god, always a god, of course, but official celebrations (holidays, mainly) would cease once the god is removed from the official list from the Council.
This is inline with standard Hindu pantheon philosophy, btw, of multiple gods for different vocations. Such as Goddess Saraswati for education and Goddess Lakshmi for wealth. There could be a Steve Jobs - God of creativity in business, Tendulkar - god of performance despite humongous expectations, Tesla - god of invention (300 patents!), and so on. I like the concept of many gods of Hinduism, and that is replicated in Real Gods. For example, there is a God of Coaching, say Brian Clough (whose coaching achievements are gloriously depicted in the movie "Damned United"). These facets of godliness get highlighted, for gods, and other routine life details may be left out. For example, we really don't know about other about the wealth of Goddess Saraswathi or the literary pursuits of Goddess Lakshmi. Since its a pantheon, everyone can has their favorite gods, of course. to whom one can choose to be most devout towards.
What happens on religious holidays? Full multimedia experience to ensure you understand and imbibe some of the godliness that made this person a god. You read extracts from the biographies that morning, and indulge in an activity relevant to that god. For example, on "Jobs days", (Jan- 9, 2007, the day when the iPhone was launched) you read extracts such as the below:
"Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things. And they reason they were able to do that was that they've had more experiences or they have thought more abut their experiences than other people. "
Reading all this will give you a true sense of the godliness of this person (Jobs being Creativity in business). It would be a multimedia and interactive puja. You would listen to Jobs' Stanford commencement speech, watch the best of Jobs' speeches. You would go buy, and wear, the famous black Turtleneck sweatshirts. And you would do an activity, such as design your own new technology product, which would be submitted to the Council a week before. The winner would be announced on Jobs' day.
So what say, are you sold? Accepting donations starting today.
Note: It so happens that this also resonates with standard IIT-B lingo. Whenever someone does something truly spectacular, then they are venerated with the term "Tu god hain".
And all through reading this article, please do remember that I am only half-joking. I really-truly think this religion can make the world a better place. By idolizing the practices of the best of us, we can only get better, as a race.
Real gods are fallible, though, and the god-list keeps getting updated. For example, Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods, Oscar Pistorious could have been gods but after their indiscretions were exposed, they get removed. Removal is performed by the "Council of Real gods" - an elected body. And Gods don't get removed for just resorting to Machiavellian tricks like the whole Winklevoss episode surrounding Zuckerberg (this is purely for argument' sake coz I don't think Zuck would anyway be a cinch for a God) - because remember Krishna? He was quite the Machiavellian. It's only downright violations like those of Armstrong, Woods, Pistorious that lead to removal from the Pantheon. It's a grey area, of course, but that's why the qualified Council is there. The god-list would also be refreshed to ensure that the current god-list stays relevant to the current times. Once a god, always a god, of course, but official celebrations (holidays, mainly) would cease once the god is removed from the official list from the Council.
This is inline with standard Hindu pantheon philosophy, btw, of multiple gods for different vocations. Such as Goddess Saraswati for education and Goddess Lakshmi for wealth. There could be a Steve Jobs - God of creativity in business, Tendulkar - god of performance despite humongous expectations, Tesla - god of invention (300 patents!), and so on. I like the concept of many gods of Hinduism, and that is replicated in Real Gods. For example, there is a God of Coaching, say Brian Clough (whose coaching achievements are gloriously depicted in the movie "Damned United"). These facets of godliness get highlighted, for gods, and other routine life details may be left out. For example, we really don't know about other about the wealth of Goddess Saraswathi or the literary pursuits of Goddess Lakshmi. Since its a pantheon, everyone can has their favorite gods, of course. to whom one can choose to be most devout towards.
What happens on religious holidays? Full multimedia experience to ensure you understand and imbibe some of the godliness that made this person a god. You read extracts from the biographies that morning, and indulge in an activity relevant to that god. For example, on "Jobs days", (Jan- 9, 2007, the day when the iPhone was launched) you read extracts such as the below:
"Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things. And they reason they were able to do that was that they've had more experiences or they have thought more abut their experiences than other people. "
Reading all this will give you a true sense of the godliness of this person (Jobs being Creativity in business). It would be a multimedia and interactive puja. You would listen to Jobs' Stanford commencement speech, watch the best of Jobs' speeches. You would go buy, and wear, the famous black Turtleneck sweatshirts. And you would do an activity, such as design your own new technology product, which would be submitted to the Council a week before. The winner would be announced on Jobs' day.
So what say, are you sold? Accepting donations starting today.
Note: It so happens that this also resonates with standard IIT-B lingo. Whenever someone does something truly spectacular, then they are venerated with the term "Tu god hain".
Labels: Musings
Comments:
<< Home
Comments from other media:
Insti Ankit on whatsapp:
[6:31 PM, 6/25/2016] Ankit Aggarwal: In times when people are taking religions to extremes of killing masses this will bring some sanity
[6:32 PM, 6/25/2016] Ankit Aggarwal: Besides I think this is how lot of Gods as we know them originated
[6:32 PM, 6/25/2016] Ankit Aggarwal: Buddha, Mahavir, Ram
[6:32 PM, 6/25/2016] Ankit Aggarwal: They must have been real life heroes then
Insti Ankit on whatsapp:
[6:31 PM, 6/25/2016] Ankit Aggarwal: In times when people are taking religions to extremes of killing masses this will bring some sanity
[6:32 PM, 6/25/2016] Ankit Aggarwal: Besides I think this is how lot of Gods as we know them originated
[6:32 PM, 6/25/2016] Ankit Aggarwal: Buddha, Mahavir, Ram
[6:32 PM, 6/25/2016] Ankit Aggarwal: They must have been real life heroes then
Good one. You never know, 2000 years later these men might become real god's ! Just like Buddha made it to the list only 2000 years ago.
My problem is with the definition of god!
I believe god is not outside of us. We all have the power within us. Read the grand design by Stephen hawking,the cosmos by carl sagan and the secret by Rhonda Byrne.
My problem is with the definition of god!
I believe god is not outside of us. We all have the power within us. Read the grand design by Stephen hawking,the cosmos by carl sagan and the secret by Rhonda Byrne.
Interesting concept. Here's how it would fall through though.
1) Inception: Replacement of the old Gods by the new Real Gods would incite clashes between supporters of two types. How dare you elevate mere mortals to that status? If current religions have trouble accepting different Gods, how will they condone humans masquerading as Gods?
2) Two Gods from same field in same era: What if two tennis fanatics worship Nadal and Federer? If you elevate both of them to God status they'd most likely kill each other than accept the other as the GOAT.
3) Two Gods from same field in different era: Similar problem with Virat Kohli vs Sachin Tendulkar.
4) Religious Holidays would be a logistical nightmare. I can have 365 Gods in 365 fields and can legitimately take 365 days off.
5) Who selects the Council of Real Gods? Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
This logic would function brilliantly in a rational world where religion is a very personal thing. But trying to move each other towards a unified belief, either by coaxing or force, is hardwired into us humans.
1) Inception: Replacement of the old Gods by the new Real Gods would incite clashes between supporters of two types. How dare you elevate mere mortals to that status? If current religions have trouble accepting different Gods, how will they condone humans masquerading as Gods?
2) Two Gods from same field in same era: What if two tennis fanatics worship Nadal and Federer? If you elevate both of them to God status they'd most likely kill each other than accept the other as the GOAT.
3) Two Gods from same field in different era: Similar problem with Virat Kohli vs Sachin Tendulkar.
4) Religious Holidays would be a logistical nightmare. I can have 365 Gods in 365 fields and can legitimately take 365 days off.
5) Who selects the Council of Real Gods? Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
This logic would function brilliantly in a rational world where religion is a very personal thing. But trying to move each other towards a unified belief, either by coaxing or force, is hardwired into us humans.
Btw fair point by Ankit, I'm pretty sure the current Gods were humans whose life stories have snowballed into legends and capabilities ridiculously exaggerated. The only premise of the Immortals of Meluha series that I liked.
I subscribe to existential pantheism. I came up with theory to fall into a sweet spot. I'll mail you concept if you're interested.
I subscribe to existential pantheism. I came up with theory to fall into a sweet spot. I'll mail you concept if you're interested.
@Shreya Shivani-
Glad you liked :)
God should be relevant to us in this day and age.
Wait , I think god can be outside us- there is so much to learn from "God" if god is defined correctly.
Cosmos I read but i ditched one-fourth way through because I felt it was too factual about just the cosmos. But it talked about all this towards the end, is it? Missed it. Secret i know the funda. Grand design is good? Do reply here.
Reg. not finishing Cosmos, a comment by Jack Ma who i am currently reading about comes to my mind- "Today is brutal, tomorrow is more brutal, but the day after is beautiful. However, the majority of people will die tomorrow night- they won't be able to see the sunshine"
Glad you liked :)
God should be relevant to us in this day and age.
Wait , I think god can be outside us- there is so much to learn from "God" if god is defined correctly.
Cosmos I read but i ditched one-fourth way through because I felt it was too factual about just the cosmos. But it talked about all this towards the end, is it? Missed it. Secret i know the funda. Grand design is good? Do reply here.
Reg. not finishing Cosmos, a comment by Jack Ma who i am currently reading about comes to my mind- "Today is brutal, tomorrow is more brutal, but the day after is beautiful. However, the majority of people will die tomorrow night- they won't be able to see the sunshine"
@shadeslayer.
Appreciate the points:
Some of the points you raised are probably why there are so many gods in Hinduism. Because every 100,000 people would have an issue with an existing god, and therefore created a different version of the existing god, gave that new god a different name and history.
Religious Holidays would be a logistical nightmare: I can have 365 Gods in 365 fields and can legitimately take 365 days off. I should rename it. I mean morel like, ceremonial "days". When you come back home early, say. And since it's a religion for the rational, the rational being would be free to choose the 5-6 gods really relevant to him.
Further, either executive decision of the Council or through election, the 5-6 official holidays can be decided. These would be universal "gods".
It's a very liberal religion, also. So would expect minimal war mongering.
Appreciate the points:
Some of the points you raised are probably why there are so many gods in Hinduism. Because every 100,000 people would have an issue with an existing god, and therefore created a different version of the existing god, gave that new god a different name and history.
Religious Holidays would be a logistical nightmare: I can have 365 Gods in 365 fields and can legitimately take 365 days off. I should rename it. I mean morel like, ceremonial "days". When you come back home early, say. And since it's a religion for the rational, the rational being would be free to choose the 5-6 gods really relevant to him.
Further, either executive decision of the Council or through election, the 5-6 official holidays can be decided. These would be universal "gods".
It's a very liberal religion, also. So would expect minimal war mongering.
God should be a relevant concept i agree. But if you read through what our god's Said you ll realise they asked to look within.
Cosmos talks about power of cosmos(god) and how each one of us has a cosmos(god) within us. (my interpretation)
Will read about jack ma, sounds interesting. I agree most people don't see the sunshine, because you need to find the sunshine in today's brutality. You can't wait for day after , very nice :)
I liked grand design a lot (first half of the book) . Its physics + philosophy.
Cosmos talks about power of cosmos(god) and how each one of us has a cosmos(god) within us. (my interpretation)
Will read about jack ma, sounds interesting. I agree most people don't see the sunshine, because you need to find the sunshine in today's brutality. You can't wait for day after , very nice :)
I liked grand design a lot (first half of the book) . Its physics + philosophy.
Aditya Sikka on FB:
I'm all for studying these achievers - much too be learned and inspired by them. But I would replace the word "God" with something else- perhaps "Giants"*? God is too personal - too volatile a concept I feel to be even defined - and unfortunately too easily twisted. But good write-up! Enjoyed it
I'm all for studying these achievers - much too be learned and inspired by them. But I would replace the word "God" with something else- perhaps "Giants"*? God is too personal - too volatile a concept I feel to be even defined - and unfortunately too easily twisted. But good write-up! Enjoyed it
Avtansh: I have a problem with the concept God. Not who God is. This doesn't address that. Also, definition of "foremost achievers" is narrow, dynamic and, hence, not foolproof.
(To be honest, that's where you lost me just as I started)
(To be honest, that's where you lost me just as I started)
Pretty interesting and a more tangible concept. Like the extensions and flexibilities you described and also the idea of refreshing the 'list'.
Considering the objective as having a large part of the populace explore and draw inspiration from the lives of those who have achieved greatness recently: it's actually quite a cool idea, and not unfeasible either.
The fact remains that the fan pages of these "gods" have millions of followers anyway - and smarter admins do focus on distilling the powerful messages from their "god's" lives on anniversaries of special events (as in the Aliday example). However, many and more of those we would seek to venerate would react vehemently to being called "gods"...and having your own diety oppose your devotion is a trial I wouldn't recommend :p
But the council would have great practical merit in terms of the management of these fanpages and generally the "brand" of the "ungods" (sounds as cool, and likely to be less unpleasant to everyone involved). The council could/should oversee the moderators/admins of fanpages/twitter handles, etc. to ensure more content and push towards learning from the ungods than simply trying to generate likes/retweets or solely embellishing the ungod in question (both activities might be necessary, but the inspiring/learning angle would help greatly as it seems largely under addressed)... And the fanpages need only be the start or one of the channels for the council - which could expand into far more in terms of a donation based model to run fairs/fests to spread "ungodly wisdom/teachings", giving out said books and inspirational calendars/posters, etc. Why even be non profit if unable to register as the tax exempt religion - a for-a-cause organization leveraging the existing material to spread the ungodly word would be a sustainable start and could possibly grow in the direction of creating and owning aforementioned biographies and such.
I went off on a tangent perhaps, but I'd sign up for a subscription to the Ungodly Council for sure...
(maybe the name needs a little more work though now that I think about it...)
- Vidur Kumar
The fact remains that the fan pages of these "gods" have millions of followers anyway - and smarter admins do focus on distilling the powerful messages from their "god's" lives on anniversaries of special events (as in the Aliday example). However, many and more of those we would seek to venerate would react vehemently to being called "gods"...and having your own diety oppose your devotion is a trial I wouldn't recommend :p
But the council would have great practical merit in terms of the management of these fanpages and generally the "brand" of the "ungods" (sounds as cool, and likely to be less unpleasant to everyone involved). The council could/should oversee the moderators/admins of fanpages/twitter handles, etc. to ensure more content and push towards learning from the ungods than simply trying to generate likes/retweets or solely embellishing the ungod in question (both activities might be necessary, but the inspiring/learning angle would help greatly as it seems largely under addressed)... And the fanpages need only be the start or one of the channels for the council - which could expand into far more in terms of a donation based model to run fairs/fests to spread "ungodly wisdom/teachings", giving out said books and inspirational calendars/posters, etc. Why even be non profit if unable to register as the tax exempt religion - a for-a-cause organization leveraging the existing material to spread the ungodly word would be a sustainable start and could possibly grow in the direction of creating and owning aforementioned biographies and such.
I went off on a tangent perhaps, but I'd sign up for a subscription to the Ungodly Council for sure...
(maybe the name needs a little more work though now that I think about it...)
- Vidur Kumar
@Vidur- while the idea is finding takers, the name "god" is provoking opposition. "Giants" is one proposal, and now "Ungods". Shallow though it might- sound social media presence is probably a must.
Refreshing and beautiful concept! However, it makes me wonder if the people who have been given God status would misuse it. With a multitude of people worshiping them, would they get drunk on power and abuse the power vested in them? They could indeed be removed, but enough damage could be inflicted in the interim.
Also, given that we are mostly talking about immensely successful people, could we miss out on Gods displaying certain traits such as kindness, compassion, purity, empathy etc? How about hyper-local Gods? There is definitely a lot to learn from the kind old lady in your neighborhood who feeds street urchins everyday :)
Also, given that we are mostly talking about immensely successful people, could we miss out on Gods displaying certain traits such as kindness, compassion, purity, empathy etc? How about hyper-local Gods? There is definitely a lot to learn from the kind old lady in your neighborhood who feeds street urchins everyday :)
I have been thinking on these lines lately. Christianity took around 200 years after Jesus died (or returned) to become mainstream, about 200 years from now Scientology could become big (given the celebrity endorsement and science fiction origins). At least in Hinduism, the lack of written records (and media in general) led to adoption of various folklore into the beliefs about the pantheon (read works by Romila Thapar, Wendy Doniger- the science and art of archaeological, linguistic deduction is mind boggling. For example- they deduce Mahabharata was revised multiple times before it became what it is today based on the items/concepts mentioned in the that was introduced to civilization at a much later time ). But in today's world you have facts documented in media about all these personalities with their human shortcomings (Jobs with his mercurial nature, Sachin with his poor 2nd innings performance). Unless there is an extended information black out (something I have been thinking about recently -say- just by wiping out internet) god/cult formation among large groups of people seems improbable. (As Nietzsche says God is indeed dead..). Most tensions in religion (Hindu right wing, Shia-Sunni, Palestine-Israel) all trace its roots to an age where information was scanty and you resort to contradictory beliefs. On another note.. we discussed this concept : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17229762-jesus-was-a-time-traveler
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
