Doublespeak

While chatting with a friend recently, I mentioned that the whole concept of religion was one steaming pile of BS. Not only did I not get to explain my stand, I also got roundly chastised for having such irreverant views along with a solemn promise to beat me up the next time she saw me. I’m sure she was exaggerating her shock at my deviation from the path of being a nice Indian boy, but the shock was genuine. I have always wondered why religion arouses such strong emotions in people even though it is not possible to have any logical reason for such an attachment. Maybe it is like romance where you are (strangely enough) prepared to die (or kill) for a person who just happens to have the right pheromones wafting about him/her. The blind loyalty towards religion is even more mystifying since there isn’t anyone to produce those mind-altering pheromones (unless you are strongly turned on by one of those hairy preachers sweating it out in the sun as they deliver their god-or-hell speeches.. no, I didn’t think so).