WRT: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/message/25802

I must agree that it was really a thought provoking article. I am
eagerly waiting for the next part. However, I must say something
about the things that you have talked about.

I believe that all religions are men-made. There was no super-
natural being was helping in the creation of the religions. However,
the creation of religion was unaviodable. They came into being
because of the evolution through interaction of humans with the
nature and society. For instance, the evolution that you have
described to show how using religions, women's thirst for sex (or in
your words, freedom for sex) was restricted. I find evolution a
perfect design. Each next step in the evolution is designed by the
previous step. It's an amazing work of the nature. Therefore, I
believe, the rise of someone like Hitler was inevitable. If it was
not Hitler himself, someone like Hitler would have taken the
position. In a similar way, we can say the same about Raam, Krishna,
Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed etc. Therefore, religions are basically a
gift from the evolution or nature, which as a Hindu, I personally
address God.

In a similar way, the purpose of religions have changed over time.
For some Islamic fundamentalists, the purpose of following Islam is
to establish a global Islamic state but for other Muslims and Hindus
it is to reach a moral confidence level. Therefore, people's first
priority is not anymore reaching heaven or whatever. People have
started to realize and question the existence of hell even without
knowing. That day, I was talking to an Islamic fundamentalist, he
was saying, "I believe hell does not exist." Without giving him any
chance, I suddenly asked, "So, you are saying Quran lied to the
humanity?" Then, he changed his views (or in his words, "clarified")
to show that hell exists. Therefore, he personally doesn't believe
in hell but because Quran said it, he believed it. Therefore, my
point is that the purpose of religions have changed. Hinduism, at
the beginning was not even a religion. It was a philosophy of some
great minds of Bharat. The word, "Vedas" mean science. However, as
time passed, the science of ancient Bharat was used as form of
racism by the Brahmins against lower castes. Just like the English
people used, Social Darwinism to prove that they are the highest
form of evolution and the non-whites still have to reach the
position of the whites. In the modern time, we actually need
religions more than anything else. Religions, because it has become
an important identity for people, it can be used to help people. For
instance, if you go to Bangladesh and ask a poor woman, "Do you know
your rights prescribed by the UN and Universal Declaration of Human
Rights?" She will be confused and even after you describe her the
Declaration, she won't be so sure, if her rights are guaranteed. The
reason is because from her birth, she has seen her rights being
violated by males. Therefore, women rights that are prescribed by
males is just an eye-wash for her. However, if you tell her, "Do you
believe that God has prescribed equal rights for you? And do you
believe that you should fight for the rights that the God has given
you?" You will see, she will understand you and agree to fight for
her rights. Therefore, we need religions.

We also need religions to encourage morality in our life. Again,
getting back to one of your points that religion have hijacked women
thirst (or freedom) for sex, I will like to read you some quotes
from Gita.

"When irreligion is prominent in the family, O Krsna, the women of
the family become polluted, and from the degradation of womanhood, O
descendant of Vrsni, comes unwanted progeny" 1:40

"An increase of unwanted population certainly causes hellish life
both for the family and for those who destroy the family tradition.
The ancestors of such corrupt families fall down, because the
performances for offering them food and water are entirely stopped."
1:41

"By the evil deeds of those children who destroy family tradition
and thus give rise to unwanted children, ALL KINDS OF COMMUNITY
PROJECT AND FAMILY WELFARE ACTIVITIES ARE DEVASTATED." 1:42

Therefore, Gita tells you how important it is for women not to take
part in adultery. The reason is because the women are the most
important part of the family and if they take part in adultery and
give rise to unwanted kids, "ALL KINDS OF COMMUNITY PROJECT AND
FAMILY WELFARE ACTIVITIES [WILL BE] DEVASTATED." Therefore, the
ancient Hinduism encouraged the elder members of the family to teach
the people, especially women so that they didn't take part in
adultery. From your message, it also clarified that women were more
prone to adultery naturally than males because as you said, "the
women didn't care whose child came into her womb as the kids ALWAYS
got recognized as her kids." However, that does not mean women
became the slaves of men. These importance on women were shown in
Gita to show that women are the most important part of the family.
They are the pillars or the "super-glue" to hold the family
together. May be the family version was started by males but just
because the concept of family is men-made, that doesn't mean it is
bad. At the beginning, the males were disoriented and didn't take
part in family. However, gradually the concept of family became
important. According to Darwin, family is the higest form of
evolution.

Therefore, not all contributions of males is sex-orineted or in the
purpose of curbing women rights.

Arnab Tagore