Wanted – Religious Secularism and Enlightenment – for Islam & Hinduism

www.nytimes.com/2019/12/23/opinion/islam-religion.html

“That is why it reminds me of the beginnings of the Enlightenment, when Europeans, having seen the horrors of religious wars and persecution, developed the idea of political secularism, while also championing reason, freedom of thought, equality and tolerance.” Mustafa Akyol writing in New York Times.

Christianity embraced secularism in the West over time because people eschewed its failed political hegemony. The same is happening in Islam now with the failure of ISIS, Muslim Brotherhood and governments in Sudan and Iraq.

Hinduism is largely secularized already contrary to what many believe. Although India is perceived as 80% Hindu, it is, in my opinion, a minority ‘Hindu’ country in the sense of religious practices.

Most educated ‘Hindus’ are secular in the sense they don’t spread hate and respect all people equally. This is also the lingering influence of once prominent Buddhism and Jainism.

We need more secularization of all religions in order to get rid of hate and segregation from public life.

This is the author’s personal opinion.