Religions, sans a small obligatory core of spirituality, are essentially a code of conduct and framework for governance for a society. This framework extends to all aspects of mundane life - gender rights, property rights, definition of and penalties for crimes, duties towards family and society etc. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that religions arrogate to themselves the authority that should belong to the government. I feel that initially, in homogeneous societies, governments must have necessarily been theocratic with a Rajguru or consultant priest in place. Problems would have started arising when explorers / traders / invaders started moving into alien territories and overpowering them or mixing with them. The differing frameworks and codes of conducts could perhaps only be reconciled by suppressing all but one or coming out with a new one to be followed by all the different groups. Most modern governments go for the second option. But there are compromises too. Governments like ours have common laws for other spheres of life but the civil laws governing property, marriage, and gender rights are offered only as one more option with each group free to choose between this and those prescribed by its religion. However this leads to conflicts and the best option remains to have a common code for all subjects.
In my opinion it may be a better option for the state to assert itself as an alternative to religion rather than feeling obliged to find a way to comply with conflicting demands from differing religions and appeasing the more militant ones.
Thus the State should actively promote conversion of people to its ways. Those who abjure all personal laws in favor of the common one promoted by the State should be given a privileged status. By the same token absolutely no concessions, or incentives, or encouragement should be provided for practicing any (other) religion.
However for this to happen it must be realized that regular religions provide not only a code of conduct and framework for governance but also provide formats for solemnization of important landmarks in one's life, for example, birth, start of education, marriage, death etc. Each of the regular religions also provide a core imagery and content that foster art forms like music, dance, painting, drama and others that add zest to life. The state must necessarily provide all of this to posit itself as a credible competition to religions. All registrars for various life events have to be cheerful masters of ceremony and not just drab and officious officials. There also has to be a vibrant wing for arts and culture inspired entirely by the values promoted by the governments. Their services should be offered free to all the citizens who have gained privileged status by abjuring their religions.
A truly secular state ought to try this out even if it all sounds impractical and difficult to achieve. You may argue that substituting a single religion for the numerous that exist today will take away all the variety from life. But then it has to be realized that it will also take away all the unnecessary strife.
In my opinion it may be a better option for the state to assert itself as an alternative to religion rather than feeling obliged to find a way to comply with conflicting demands from differing religions and appeasing the more militant ones.
Thus the State should actively promote conversion of people to its ways. Those who abjure all personal laws in favor of the common one promoted by the State should be given a privileged status. By the same token absolutely no concessions, or incentives, or encouragement should be provided for practicing any (other) religion.
However for this to happen it must be realized that regular religions provide not only a code of conduct and framework for governance but also provide formats for solemnization of important landmarks in one's life, for example, birth, start of education, marriage, death etc. Each of the regular religions also provide a core imagery and content that foster art forms like music, dance, painting, drama and others that add zest to life. The state must necessarily provide all of this to posit itself as a credible competition to religions. All registrars for various life events have to be cheerful masters of ceremony and not just drab and officious officials. There also has to be a vibrant wing for arts and culture inspired entirely by the values promoted by the governments. Their services should be offered free to all the citizens who have gained privileged status by abjuring their religions.
A truly secular state ought to try this out even if it all sounds impractical and difficult to achieve. You may argue that substituting a single religion for the numerous that exist today will take away all the variety from life. But then it has to be realized that it will also take away all the unnecessary strife.
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