Frightening Tales, Flourishing Gods

Men say that Gods have two faces. One that depicts love, bliss, benevolence, blessing and reward, and the other, fright, anger, cruelty, curse and punishment. But, why do men say that Gods have two faces? Men, it seems, believe that Gods need carrots and sticks to control humans. But, carrots perish while sticks persist, just as joys perish while pains persist. Thus, a prudent God, who intends to control humans, should cherish offering sticks, not carrots. And, nowadays, men reveal that Gods are indeed prudent.

One must simply listen to His Tales that are either revealed to men, or imagined by men, to find out that Gods are prudent. Here, I will share His Tale that I am familiar with. My intention in sharing His Tale is not to hurt or divert anyone. I only wish that someone would pause for a while and think a little, because men play with our sentiments and exploit our fears. We need to be aware of men regardless of the God we believe in.

I am an Indian. Neither did my ancestors, nor did I, change religion. Lord S is a popular God among those who follow my religion. He is worshipped at all events, especially after marriages and during inaugural ceremonies. Interestingly, there is hardly any old temple in His Name; His Name rarely appears in ancient literature. And yet, Lord S is among the most popular of Gods in modern times. In my home, as in many others', an annual event is conducted to celebrate Lord S. Interestingly, Lord S is flexible with time. One can conduct His event on any day of the year, except on those that are ranked ‘bad’. So, finding an excuse for not conducting the event, for at least once in a year, is rather difficult. It is necessary to invite friends and family members to attend the event. It is mandatory for everyone attending the event to listen to His Tales narrated towards the end of the rituals. It is only on completion of the narration that the sacrament is distributed among the attendees. Men say that missing the sacrament would invoke the wrath of Lord S. This ensures that everyone listens to His Tales. As a young boy and a young man, I didn’t see through His mandatory-to-listen Tales. But, now, I can see through them, and so can anyone else. His Tales reveal that He cherishes sticks more than carrots. There is no doubt that Lord S is prudent.

It is very difficult for men to manage humans without rules. Therefore, perhaps, men seem to think that it is the same with Gods. That Gods too would find it impossible to manage humans without rules. Oh! So human of Gods! Isn’t it? So, men reveal that He has set rules for humans, like, “chant My Name at all times”, “sing paeans in My Name”, “you will pay those who make you chant and sing My Name”, etc. Well, men also reveal that He set rules for Himself, like, “I will burn you forever in your afterlife if you do not follow My rules”, “I will present you with wonderful gifts during your life, or afterwards, if you follow My rules”, and so on.

It is the same with the Tales of our prudent Lord S. The Tales brilliantly touch humans coming from diverse socio-economic strata. Wood cutter, businessman, or the King, Lord S is relevant to all. The Tales reveal that He will jail you, or drown your spouse, or make you a pauper, if you don’t follow His rules. Why will God do such things? Why does He differentiate between those who follow His rules and those who don’t? If He indeed created us and this enormous universe, then why does He want to punish us? Why does He, who is beyond space and time, crave for appreciation from lowly, fallible, frail, humans? Does He, or the men who market Him, benefit from our prayers? Are His Tales a part of the business strategy adopted by men? Well, when I was a kid, we were not allowed to eat non-vegetarian on the day of the event. After a few years, men said that we couldn’t eat non-vegetarian for up to a week after the event. Nowadays, men have extended the number of post event vegetarian days to 48! They say that the blessings of Lord S wouldn’t fructify if non-vegetarian is consumed during the restricted days. Once again it is sticks over carrots. Once again it is men trying to control us in His Name. Frightening Tales may lead to Flourishing Gods!