God and Religion

God is your parent. You don't need middlemen when it comes to talking to your parents, do you? Speak to Him directly, and He'll answer, the directness of His answer being proportional to the strength of your faith. If you can't pray at home, go to churches, temples, mosques or any place of worship.

If you are worried about God taking offense at your methods of worship, don't be. There is no wrong way or right way. If your child draws a horrible looking picture of you, but has done it lovingly, will you take offense? Point to ponder.

I was born a Hindu but went to a convent's school for my primary education. That made me a confused child. At home, they told me Shiva and Vishnu were gods. At school, they told me Jesus was the Son of God. I spent many hours trying to reconcile the two concepts. But my interest made me study the Bible and Hindu mythology.

As I grew older, I was interested in Greek, Roman and Norse mythologies. So many gods, whom do I believe in? I became quite an atheist. Was that for many years till I discovered that there was a God above all religions. God made man in His own image, but religious man painted God in his own image.

I believe in simplicity and I chose the most simple option: a God who is my parent, who is everywhere, who knows everything and is all things. That belief is very comforting.

I don't need to know more.

When I realised that God had taken good care of me even when I was an atheist, I was filled with gratitude. That thought led me to state that gratitude is the best prayer. I still say so. Gratitude is bigger than rituals, houses of worship or falling at one's knees. This powerful truth finds form in this very simple prayer, which I read in a child's Moral Science book, which tells me that I don't need to look any further:

Thank you for the world so sweet,

Thank you for the food we eat,

Thank you for the birds that sing,

Thank you, God, for everything.