Source/Credit: The Malta Independent Online: 14.08.2011/Photo: Google images
By John Guillaumier
On 21 July, the BBC broadcast part of an interview that the Archbishop of Dublin gave on Irish radio in the aftermath of the Cloyne report on the cover-up of the sex abuse of children. The Archbishop asked himself a rhetorical question: “Am I proud of the Church of which I’m the head?”
The Archbishop obviously had his doubts. Sometimes I ask myself why anyone would feel the need to belong to such a scandal-ridden Church.
The notion that religion or belief in God makes people happy is one of the myths promulgated by Pope Benedict. The reverse is actually the case. Those who believe in God are always pining for their ever-elusive God, and the populace is always hankering for more saints and more miracles − and subito too! Instead of giving Catholics peace of mind, their religion makes them obsessed with sin, guilt-ridden, and fearful of hell. God knows how many Catholics feel unhappy and depressed despite their belief in God, and how many priests suffer nervous breakdowns in secret!
Categories: Religion
A genuine belief in Personal God, with proper understanding of His attributes, should however be uplifting for human mind, spirit and soul. I would suggest one of my articles on this subject, ‘Al Salam God: the source of personal peace’:
http://knol.google.com/k/al-salam-god-the-source-of-personal-peace?collectionId=1qhnnhcumbuyp.364#
If you like the above article, to read a collection of articles about Islam and Psychology, please go to:
http://knol.google.com/k/zia-shah/islam-and-psychology/1qhnnhcumbuyp/364#
I was quite shocked by one comment in some paper where a Christian (American talk show host, if I remember correctly) mentioned that ‘I have not seen a smiling / happy Muslim yet’.
I hope he is wrong. I recall for instance the Lunch during the opening ceremony of the Zurich Mosque, presided over by Sir Mohammed Zafarullah Khan. I was sitting with the architect. After some time the architect mentioned to me that before coming to the lunch he thought it might be boring with all these religious people around. He was however happily surprised that Choudhry Sahib (Sir Mohammed Zafarullah Khan) was telling one joke after the other. The only problem was that the translator could not keep up …