There are two topics in the world that ignite the most fervent debates and, paradoxically, also the deepest divides—religion and politics. Both were meant to guide human civilisation toward a higher purpose and collective well-being. But over the centuries, they have become domains of dogma, division, and distortion. In both, fanaticism has crept in quietly but has now taken root noisily. What ought to have unified us now divides us. The disease afflicting them is self-righteousness, an obsession with being right rather than being kind or true.
Most religious institutions today operate on a deeply problematic motto—“Only we are right; all else is wrong.” This form of exclusive absolutism renders them blind to the underlying unity that pervades all authentic spiritual traditions. In the name of a universal, loving God, boundaries are drawn, wars are waged, and hate is institutionalised. Ironically, in trying to define God, many have only succeeded in diminishing Him.
Who Owns God?
If we ask sincerely, “Does God have a religion?” The answer is clear: He does not. God cannot be boxed into any single faith. He is not Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Jewish, Buddhist, or Jain. He is not a property to be claimed but a Truth to be realised.
Across traditions, the Divine has been addressed with reverence but with different names:
- Paramātma, Akṣharātīt, or Pārabrahman by the Vedic seers
- Allah by Muslims
- Jehovah/Yahweh by Jews
- The Father, or Christ Consciousness, by Christians
- The Void (Śūnyatā) or Tathāgata by Buddhists
Yet all point to the same essence—a special divine form, timeless, loving Supreme Reality.
“As the different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men take through different tendencies… all lead to Thee.”
– Swami Vivekananda
How Can the Most Loving Be Vengeful?
It is hard to understand how some religions could portray the most benevolent, merciful, compassionate Supreme Being as angry, jealous, or vengeful. The idea of God sending people to eternal damnation contradicts the very nature of divine love.
“I am the same to all beings; to Me there is none hateful nor dear. But those who worship Me with devotion are in Me, and I am also in them.”
– Bhagavad Gita 9.29
Such verses echo the idea that God’s justice is rooted in compassion, not punishment.
I Do Not Belong to One Religion — I Belong to All
Just as I believe God does not belong to any religion, I, too, choose not to be identified by a religious label. I see myself in all faiths. I am moved by the love of Christ, the compassion of the Buddha, the devotion of Meera, the surrender of Nanak, and the oneness of Sufis.
“The lamps are many, but the Light is One.”
– Sufi Wisdom
That is why I resonate most with Omnism—the recognition and reverence of all religions, not because they are all perfect, but because each holds a fragment of the eternal truth.
A Better Hindu than a Hindu… A Better Human Above All
I sometimes say, “I am a better Hindu than a Hindu, a better Muslim than a Muslim, a better Christian than a Christian.” This is not from pride but to emphasise that I strive to live the core values of each faith: truthfulness, humility, love, forgiveness, service, and surrender.
Saints and sages across cultures understood this:
- Adi Shankaracharya learnt the illusion of caste from a Chāṇḍāla.
- Jesus broke bread with tax collectors and the rejected.
- Guru Nanak declared, *”There is no Hindu, no Muslim—only one God.”
“Īśvāvasyaḥ idam sarvam yat kiñca jagatyāṁ jagat…” _”All this—whatsoever exists in this changing world—is pervaded by the Lord.”
– Iśvāsya Upaniṣad 1.1
True Belief Lies in Action, Not Creed
“What a man believes may be ascertained, not from his creed, but from the assumptions on which he habitually acts.”
– George Bernard Shaw
This echoes Gita 3.9: “Better than any ritual is the path of selfless action.” Belief that does not translate into loveful conduct is hollow.
Conclusion: The One Flame, Many Lamps
Religion is the raft; spirituality is the river. The former helps us cross, the latter is the journey. When the raft becomes an idol, we forget the river altogether.
So here I stand—not against religion, but beyond religion. Not renouncing it, but transcending its limits to dwell in the vastness of divine unity.
“May we all remember that the Infinite does not wear a name tag.”
