1248 Words essay on Is God Dead (free to read)

The raising of the question “IS GOD DEAD” underlines the growing sense of skepticism among mankind about the fair and just conduct of human affairs in the world of today. Marginalisation of the forces of good and domination of the forces of evil are progressively destroying man’s belief in the ultimate triumph of truth.

Burning to death of a Christian missionary, Graham Staines, along with his two sons in Orissa by the very people for whom he had dedicated his entire life has sent a shiver down the spine of all God loving people. Has God really become indifferent to his very own men? Has God closed his eyes to the affairs of men? Or is God dead?

For centuries, men all over the globe have nurtured the faith in the ultimate vic¬tory of good since a benign God is believed to oversee the acts of man. Such faith has sustained the God fearing people in constant pursuit of goodness in their daily lives helping the poor, caring for the sick and protecting the weak are the traits of human character which have won universal approbation of mankind.

The practice of daan (grant) among the Hindus, of alms among the Muslims and of charity among the Christian has been providing a social mechanism for supporting the weaker and the marginalised section of society. Growing self-centreredness of the adherents of all the major religions has eroded their concern for the wretched plight of their fellow be¬ings.

The wretched of the earth have now either to look after themselves or to depend on the impersonal machinery of the state for their survival. Cultivation of charitable disposition or philanthropic attitude no longer concerns the families and communi¬ties. It appears as if they have consciously abandoned the practices of Godliness. Indians have traditionally reserved the highest reverence and honours for the rishis and sanyasis who practice austerity and dedicate their lives to the meditation of God, the education of the young and the selfless service of the community.

Such people were courted by the kings and princes to teach their children and also to help them with the day to day administration of their kingdoms. The examples of Guru Vishwamitra of Ramayana and of Chanakya, the Prime Minister of Chandragupta Maurya, immediately come to our mind. King Dasaratha of Ayodhya sent the tender aged Rama and Lakshmana to Vishwamitra’s Ashrama to learn the use of arms from him and to destroy the Rakshasas which desecreted the Ashrama. Rama and Lakshmana destroyed Tadaka and restored the purity of Vishwamitra’s Ashrama. Chanakya lived the life of a mendicant in a mud hut while performing the functions of the Prime Minister of the vast Mauryan Empire.

Perhaps, God’s supremacy and immanence af¬fected men’s attitudes during the good old days and people valued the self abnegation and dedication of the government functionaries. Present day India has made almost a total break from its spiritual past.

The corrupt Government functionar¬ies are leading a life of luxury and opulence in their air-conditioned offices and cozy apartments at the cost of tax paying public with impunity. All these marauders and cheaters are held in great awe and respect by the gullible masses while the honest and the upright are totally marginalised and are counting their days holding charge of insignificant posts in the government departments.

What could be a greater proof of the death of God than the spectacle of the corrupt prospering and the honest suffering in the society? Man cannot serve both God and the Mammon simultaneously. God stands for self-sacrifice and love for fellow human beings, while the mammon stands for self aggrandizement and exclusive pursuit of wealth and possessions. Man has abandoned God and has devoted himself wholeheartedly to the propitiation of the Mammon.

Gross Domestic Product has finally overthrown God. Exclusive pursuit of G.D.P. commands the total deployment of physical and mental resources of the population of nations. It matters little if a higher gross domestic product is achieved by manufacture of lethal armaments, tanks and bombers which can be used only for inflicting pain, torture and death on human beings.

Even the poorer countries are spending billions of rupees on making and exploding nuclear devices by diverting public funds from the task of providing drinking water, education and basic health care to millions of sick, starving and illiterate people. The fate of God’s men does not deter the leaders of governments from squandering the scarce resources on unproductive projects.

Morning prayers and worship of God in temple on specific occasions were integral part of most people in India only 50 years ago. Morning prayers have given place to compulsive newspaper reading which gives unedifying accounts of political manoeuvering, mass murders, rapes, kidnapping and robberies. Whereas morning prayers purify and uplift the mind, newspapers develop a preference for sensationalism and gratification of baser instincts.

Daily remembrance of God has been finally displaced by morning news on the print or electronic media. An ulterior motive has been added to the entertainment value of daily news. It is generally believed that newspapers, radio and television enhance one’s general awareness and equip the young for competitions. It is completely overlooked that majority of newspaper readers or T.V. watchers read only murder stories, sports column and watch “Chitrahaar” or commercials. The world is out of joints. All is not right with the world. Mafias and the merce¬naries have not only infiltrated the legislatures and corridors of power, they have actually taken over the government in many parts of the world.

While drug lords actually run governments in some Latin American countries, there are many govern¬ments who are fully aware of the identity of drug peddlers but can do precious little to curb them. Evil is no longer punished or good rewarded. If anything, evil is gaining ground and good is retreating. Decline of morality exhibited in the conduct of public affairs creates doubt in the minds of many about the existence of a watchful God. He must be sleeping even if he exists; this is how most people feel at this juncture. ‘God is dead’ implies that destinies of men which were earlier governed with fairness and justice have now become subject to arbitrary whims of the cruel fate signifying the absence of a watchful and benign creator.

Sincere and well meaning people no longer get their desserts in Ramayana Ram ultimately triumphs over Ravana signifying the victory of Good over evil. But in today’s world, evil goes unpunished. The murderers of Australian missionary Graham Staines are still at large.

The proclamation ‘God is Dead’ is little more than a knee-jerk reaction of sensitive men whose grief is inconsolable when they see the innocent being killed. They feel aghast and helpless. They seem to have nurtured a naive belief that some super¬human agency would protect the innocent from harassment at the hands of evil men.

They go too far to seek godliness outside human beings. Godliness resides in every human soul and can be nurtured and developed through the practice of compassion for one’s fellow beings may be at the present moment, the forces of good and godliness appearing to be vastly outstripped by the forces of evil. We seem to be in need of a man of God like a Buddha or a Christ who can cure man of his evil propensities and urge him on to follow the path of goodness and compassion. Good deeds of compassionate men will affirm the presence of God among us.