Don't Let Your God Or Leader Become A Fuehrer

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 2 September 2023 Indeed, intolerance is essential only to monotheism; an only God is by nature a jealous God who will not allow another to live. On the other hand, polytheistic gods are naturally tolerant, they live and let live. Arthur Schopenhauer This famous statement of the great German philosopher and the Father of Pessimism Arthur Schopenhauer is always quoted by the votaries while defending polytheism. While I reject both monotheism and polytheism as I've no faith, the social, political and psychological significance of this quote cannot be denied. Contextualise it in the current political milieu of the country. One megalomaniac at the helm (no prizes for guessing) labours under the misconception that he's the Alpha and Omega of Indian politics. Just like the morbidly megalomaniac god of all three monotheistic Semitic faiths, he (the political leader) believes that he's the monarch of all that he surveys, to paraphrase William Cowper. When all powers are telescoped into one person or a single agency, jealousy, one upmanship, megalomania, despotism and extreme cruelty are bound to crop up. This is what we call 'concentrated intensity' which is always less desirable than 'diluted intensity.' There's virtually no significant political parties and personalities in the country at the moment. So, one man has emerged as the undisputed and unopposed 'God'. This happened in Nazi Germany, when Hitler became the Fuehrer. Projecting a leader or a god as the one and only, can spell disaster. There must always be a democratic system of inclusiveness in social, political and religious systems. Since, inclusion (roughly 'Shirkat' in Arabic) is seen as shirk (sacrilege) in Islam, Christianity and Judaism, you can jolly well see how much mayhem and bloodshed these megalomaniac gods caused through their violent scriptural proclamations and exclusive teachings in Quran, Bible and Torah. That still goes on, albeit mainly through Islamic Allah. Don't let your god or leader become a Fuehrer. To be exclusive is to become an extremist. Avoid this for the sanity and peace of already battered mankind. Live and let live. ---- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/god-leader-fuehrer/d/130586 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism