Our God — Page 162
162 not make an effort to save a drowning person, takes pleasure in seeing him in trouble and contemplates to harm him even more, he would be regarded as a fallen man with a dead conscience. It is unnatural for a person to deride and undermine the fol- lowers of other religions if he truly believes that his own faith is the means of salvation. Such actions are against the essence of faith. We observe that only those who do not comprehend the true reality and lack the spirit of religion act in this improper manner. Those who comprehend the reality of religion empathise with those on the wrong path and do their best to save them from total destruction. It is not possible for men of true faith to even feel an iota of hatred and animosity for others. Moreover, religious blessings and bounties are not like mate- rial goods, and those who share these are not afraid of losing them. On the contrary, these blessings and bounties are enhanced by sharing; hence, a religious person always seeks to share the bless- ings of his religion with others by inviting them to accept it. Thus, it is out of question to despise followers of other religions for the fear that they may lessen one’s bounties. To summarise, however we look at it, belief in God and affil- iation to a religion can never lead to intolerance and conflict. If a ‘religious’ person, claiming to believe in God, creates nar- row-mindedness and strife, lacks sentiments of sympathy and love for mankind, and instead entertains rancour and enmity towards them, and is mean-spirited and niggardly, he can never be labelled ‘religious’ in the real sense of the word. He is devoid of the holy spirit of religion, like a ruined house abandoned by its inhabitants. His claim to belief in God is a meaningless assertion. Unfortunately, such worthless persons abound in every faith these