Blue and Red, or The Sad Case of God Behind Bars

Depending on what religion you believe in, or have been brought up to believe in, the concept of God may be, variously-

a. An object of great and superhuman power to be feared, revered and make sacrifices to
b. A benevolent messiah sent to earth to deliver the people from all sin and misery through his own life of utter hardship
c. An omnipresent, all powerful entity who promises eternal heaven, and all the pleasures thereof, in the afterlife to those who follow his tenets faithfully and selflessly
d. Any other definition, as many possibilities of which exist as there are religions in the world

If you've grown up, like I have, to shun organised religion and believe that God is a personal concept to which you may be unable to ascribe a physical form; a concept you may also be reluctant to discuss openly with others of a different opinion then the definition set increases itself to include at least as many more variations as people who have their own personal concept of a God.

But no matter which God you believe in and what powers you ascribe to him/ her/ it, the concept of a God only makes sense to me if it helps people live more amicably with each other regardless of their own individual religious/ spiritual preferences. Most people, however seem to take the opposite view. To them their own God, suitably sanctified by the relevant religious body, stands head and shoulders above all other Gods by virtue of the reason that he is real and the others are not. That he exists while the others are figments of the imagination of misguided people. It is sad to see so many wars fought, and so many people killed, in the name of religion.

We have created, for ourselves, Gods and then put them behind bars; Gods that bind our minds rather than set them free.

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Nikon F75, 28-105mm
Fuji 400ISO
2005, The little shrine just outside Sunday Market, EllisBridge, Ahmedabad.