Irresponsible people are insulting religions. This is morally and religiously wrong.
It may seem that respect for another’s religion is diminishing and disrespect for anything holy is spreading like wildfire.
As we progress, we forget our human qualities.
People who are stung by the venom of hatred are bringing ruin not only to themselves but also to the world.
Among the differences between man and beast is that man has the privilege of unrestricted imagination, of cleverness in manipulation and, of course, loads of desires. But does man use all of this for his own good or the good of others?
Man has a conscience and the ability to reason for him to weigh the pros and cons of every thought, word and action.
When reason dictates that it is wrong, man overrules the judgment, preferring the evil of sin.
How do we stop this disrespect for religions?
Would punishment under the law suffice?
All the legislation in the world will not abolish hate.
A law will produce a determinative outcome as it is designed to resolve the dispute rather than to discover the cause of the insults.
Will punishment end the problem? Perhaps a deterrent sentence would prevent these insults, but only temporarily.
It is suggested that an avenue be made available for dialogue and to impart knowledge to those who insult religions.
It will produce a therapeutic result by successful communication between the parties and preserve the relations between the different faiths.
In the alternative, when an accused is sentenced, the Prisons Department has to play its role.
The department has vast experience and expertise in conducting programmes to rehabilitate prisoners.
Comparative religious talks should not be used to resolve conflicts. There seems to be something inherently defective in the concept of comparative religious talks.
Lastly, the government should consider building a museum of world religions to boost understanding and tolerance.
Ariff Shah R.K.
George Town, Penang