The week beginning April 2 to April 9 was a very interesting week for the world’s major religions. Not only was it Holy week for Christians commemorating and celebrating the events leading to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but during the week Jews celebrated Passover, and Muslims continued worshipping in the holy commemoration of Ramadan.
The three religions encompass millions of people across the world seeking to give homage the same God. Christians flock to church on Easter Sunday to celebrate the resurrection from the dead of God’s son Jesus, Jews celebrate God’s deliverance from bondage in Egypt, and Muslims celebrate the Quran and its revelation to the Prophet Muhammed.
In the US, as in other countries where Christianity is the dominant religion, millions of worshipers who usually ignore attending churches, crowd churches nationwide at Easter. The message of the resurrection of a Messiah who was killed to redeem sinners seems to resonate strongly throughout the Christian faith.
With so many people turning to passionately worship God and commemorate special events on their religious calendars, one would assume this passion to serve and follow God – a god of peace, compassion, and righteousness – that Earth would be mostly a peaceful, compassionate, and righteous place.
But, to the contrary, the world is consumed with abundant evil, the likes of which have not been seen before.
Jews in Israel continue to aggressively resist their Palestinian neighbors’ demands for more territory to settle, resulting in an evil-filled relationship that has cost many lives.
The Middle East, home to the majority of the world’s Muslim population, and other Muslim-based countries like Afghanistan, is consistently embroiled in evil internal and external violence and stubbornly marginalizes women of all ages to varieties of such evil.
Among Christians in America, violent crime has stepped up several notches in levels of evil. And, in addition to violent crime, the country daily displays unusual incidents of evil brought about by political division, the dichotomy between poverty and wealth, the treatment meted out to immigrants trying to enter the country, and the persistent escalation of blatant racial discrimination.
Ironically, even during the holy solemnization of Good Friday, the holiest day of the Christian calendar, the evil of racism was stark as black legislators in the state of Tennessee were robbed of their election to public office, because they protested the evil killing of children in their state, while a white legislator who also participated in the same protest was retained in her position.
Last week, Christians who harbor some form of evil within their hearts flocked to churches during Easter to celebrate and worship the risen Jesus Christ; Jews flock to synagogues to thank God for their historical deliverance; and Muslims flock to Mosque to celebrate a prophet and a book of peace.
Such raw, blatant hypocrisy.
What is the role and purpose of these religions, if what they really do is contribute to the camouflage of evil with grandiose attempts of worship and traditional rites? Why is evil escalating despite the presence of so many churches, mosques, and synagogues, and the efforts of the men and women who lead and guide members of these churches, mosques, and synagogues?
Has evil become a dominant religion? Has evil become more dominant, and more appealing than the teachings of the various religious prophets, the Bible, the Quran, and the Torah? Is mankind more occupied with praying to God for material possessions, than for peace, love, justice, and righteousness?
There are few if any, easy answers to these questions. This creates a serious conundrum as each day evil seems to surpass attempts at righteousness. But there must be an answer! For evil to be suppressed the world must have a massive spiritual awakening.
Does the solution lie in existing religions? Is it possible for there to be a real collaboration of religions to eradicate evil globally? Why not attempt such a collaboration to fight evil? For the world religions to continue in their present, seeming anemic role; for worshippers to make a meaningless show of worship is sheer hypocrisy, evil must be destroyed. The question is, what, if anything, can religion do against this powerful force of evil?
