Religion (Present Tense, Future Perfect)

[Wiki]

One of the common themes in all the religions, without exception, is that of paradise-banishment-redemption (or perdition)

The scenarios may differ depending on the specific religion but the broad narration is same.

1) A paradise is located, in the distant past, in this location no miseries exist and everyone is happy. Here misery and happiness is expounded in terms of context of contemprary culture.

2) Then at some point in time some action causes event of banishment. This event expels the group from paradise and bring forth the misery. Action which brought banishment violated some cardinal rule (in some form established by divine sanction) and in most cases the human is made to act in such a fashion by an agent which is symbol of ideals which are anti thesis of ideals behind aforementioned rules.

3) Redemption or return to paradise is guarateed by the strict observance of the rules laid down by the religion, the rules are sanctioned by divine authority and interpreted by intermediaries. Failure to observe these rules will however open the wide road to perdition.

Now this scenario need not be explained for Christianity or Islam (because it is abstracted from them) In Judaism also the scenario is almost similiar though the concept of "end of days" is understood in different ways.

While Hinduism is different from Abrahamic religions in doctrine related to universe, there too this scenario is played out.

While creation and destruction of cosmos occur in cycle, the existence is divided in four parts,
the precursor to destruction and subsequent regeneration is Kaliyuga. The pecularity of ages is that they are measured in million of years.

It is not known (to me that is ) by what contortions these figures were calculated, however one result is that according to this doctrine since dawn of civilization humans are living in KaliYug, this ofcourse means that all the customs prescribed in scriptures to propitiate the cosmic imbalance.

The aim of these is simple and obvious, to enforce compliance on believers.
I do not believe in either of them (except in the metaphorical sense, which is the essence of cycles in Hinduism).

However of these two, promise of redemption is relatively harmless, it is the inducement of guilt through premise of banishment which is objectional (to me). Ofcourse the guilt is neccessary to make the follower contrite. Contrition is the enemy of questions.

By inducing guilt human being is made docile, but with this he also loses the life-force. Depending on the extent his will is undermined, he can not grow and with him civilization.

The premise of fall is like lobotomy of civilization. It is this which must be fought.