religion is poison?

"Religion is poison", Chairman Mao said to Dalai Lama in Peking 1955. In that sense the Chairman breathed that statement in the notion of political competition between the communist ideology versus the spiritual enlighment that Dalai Lama brought with his presence, which is in some extent is a Threat for the great Chairman.

However I'm not going to act wise and knowlegeable about the history of religion or communism, what I'm going to discuss here, is how religion is being used by some institution, organisation, people or even government gain control, or even to bring leverage in the balance of power.

Being a 'not so religious' person myself, I did not really care about this mater before, however the constant publications, news and facts that I see and experience myself, leads to hunger to express my concern eventhough it is not going to change anything, since it is only written in this lonely viewersless blog of mine. However as one of my Emotional Outlets, I might as well give it a go.

Some months ago Media is busy with the news of church banning in some area of Indonesia, some so-called Islamic organisation is protesting an existance of a church in their neighbourhood, with some reason that the church does not have a permit.

WTF?! Since when we need a permit to pray? And I even more disgust about the fact that government is actually behind the 'permit to pray' issue. Not to mention they said nothing at all regarding the latest incidence!

I have many Moeslem friends, which have more tolerant mind even from some of my fellow Christians friends, and from these friends I know that the act of this some radicals brats is not expressing the real Islam, which like in other big religion, practising and teaching peace and tolerance.

So, why these brats? Being the biggest Moeslem country in the world, the balance of power off course is controlled by controlling the majority, and that is what happening here, the radical brats is just a part of the power game.

The problem is, some people start to affected by the game, and take sides the event like these, one become more synical and suspicious to the others an forgetting the real esence of their religion.

The evil power using the religion using radicals leaders to heat the steam, and bring more pressure both to the government and to the opposing sides, no matter what religion they are, in order to get one thing, control.

And to gain that sometimes they willing to sacrifice anything, the unity, the harmony, the religion even the people. But then, politic is dirty, right?

So comeback to the Chairman statement, which one is the posion? Religion or Politics? You decide..

As for Chairman Mao, thank you for the mind triggering statement!