The law or rules made to regulate society form religion. Thus 'The Ten commandments', Manu smriti, Upnishads give a lot of guidance to people. Gradually, these rules changed and now almost every country has a constitution and set of law. This replaces religion.

Religion is very much part of our social system. Even law pertaining to family and inheritance is based on religious customs.

We cannot remove religion. But we should attempt to evolve a scientific attitude and social and economic justice based on equity and fair play. We should fight only against unjust and discriminator religious and social customs and not religion as such. Raja ram Mohan Roy is glaring example of how to fight unjust custom while retaining religious beliefs.

Usha, you have started a very crucial topic here. Sometimes when I see the overdose of religion everywhere from various TV channels to front page headlines in the different dailies, at such times I feel that religion is overrated and out of context to today's scenario. But it cannot be removed completely, because even though the modern times cannot be considered barbaric, there are still those undesirable elements like drugs and substance abuses, nuclear families, dysfunctional families and so on and so forth!

Therefore, religion and faith are the only things that present a person with something to hold on to, a little flicker of hope that enables someone to hold on to his or her sanity. Yet, there should be something that would keep people from turning into religious fanatics and just have blind faith.

Usha, you have started a very crucial topic here. Sometimes when I see the overdose of religion everywhere from various TV channels to front page headlines in the different dailies, at such times I feel that religion is overrated and out of context to today's scenario. But it cannot be removed completely, because even though the modern times cannot be considered barbaric, there are still those undesirable elements like drugs and substance abuses, nuclear families, dysfunctional families and so on and so forth!

Therefore, religion and faith are the only things that present a person with something to hold on to, a little flicker of hope that enables someone to hold on to his or her sanity. Yet, there should be something that would keep people from turning into religious fanatics and just have blind faith.

Agreed ! God, faith and belief although inter-related with religion at some point are also extremely personal to people.According to me Religion on the other hand can be compared to the leading institutions run by the heads bent on making a commercial proposition out of it while faith and belief can be compared to the education itself , am not sure whether it is the right comparison but that's how I see it now...

Usha, you have started a very crucial topic here. Sometimes when I see the overdose of religion everywhere from various TV channels to front page headlines in the different dailies, at such times I feel that religion is overrated and out of context to today's scenario. But it cannot be removed completely, because even though the modern times cannot be considered barbaric, there are still those undesirable elements like drugs and substance abuses, nuclear families, dysfunctional families and so on and so forth!

Therefore, religion and faith are the only things that present a person with something to hold on to, a little flicker of hope that enables someone to hold on to his or her sanity. Yet, there should be something that would keep people from turning into religious fanatics and just have blind faith.

Agreed ! God, faith and belief although inter-related with religion at some point are also extremely personal to people.According to me Religion on the other hand can be compared to the leading institutions run by the heads bent on making a commercial proposition out of it while faith and belief can be compared to the education itself , am not sure whether it is the right comparison but that's how I see it now...

No no, I think that is the right comparison, because any institution that we see now, religious, educational or otherwise, all have but one goal, and that is commercial profit!

The dominance of religion ever since the dawn of civilization has been well-recorded in the pages of history. I personally observe all organized religions paradoxically and contrary to their avowed goals of justice and harmony have played havoc on us. As we are all susceptible to religious overtures, all selfish and downright corrupt people have seen how effective and powerful tool it could be in their hands to control lives.Religion is as it has been down the centuries. It has undergone several evolutionary stages and the common educated people are still struggling to link it to their lives. But any thought of banishment of it from our life would be pretty foolhardy!