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The
16 desires that make people religious
Washington:
There are actually 16 basic human psychological
needs that motivate people to seek a meaning for life
and turn to religion. A new research conducted by
the Ohio State University has revealed this. According
to Steven Reiss, the author of the new theory, "Because
this theory can be tested scientifically, we can learn
its strengths and weaknesses, and gradually improve
it. Eventually, we may understand better the psychological
basis of religion." Reiss described his new theory
in the June issue of Zygon, a journal devoted to issues
of science and religion. The theory is based on his
overall theory of human motivation called sensitivity
theory. The Sensitivity theory is explained in his
2000 book Who Am I? The 16 Basic Desires that Motivate
Our Action and Define Our Personalities. Each of the
16 basic desires outlined in the book influence the
psychological appeal of religious behavior. The desires
include power, independence, curiosity, acceptance,
order, saving, honor, idealism, social contact, family,
status, vengeance, romance, eating, physical exercise,
and tranquility. "They embrace those aspects of religious
imagery that express their strongest psychological
needs and deepest personal values," Reiss said.
One example is the desire for curiosity, Reiss said.
Religious intellectuals, who are high in curiosity,
value a God who is knowable through reason, while
doers, who have weak curiosity, may value a God that
is knowable only through revelation. "People who have
a strong need for order should enjoy ritualized religious
experiences, whereas those with a weak need for order
may prefer more spontaneous expression of faith,"
he said. "The prophecy that the weak will inherit
the earth should appeal especially to people with
a weak need for status, whereas the teaching that
everybody is equal before God should appeal especially
to people with a strong need for idealism," he added.
According to Reiss, if religion and personality are
linked, religion must provide a range of images and
symbols sufficiently diverse to appeal to all the
different kinds of personalities in the human population.
"How we value and balance the 16 psychological needs
is what makes us an individual, and for every individual
there are appealing religious images," he said. "The
values that guide a personality with a strong need
for vindication are expressed by a God of wrath, or
a war God, while the values that guide a personality
with a weak need for vindication are expressed by
a God of forgiveness," he added.
May 2004
Traluka:
Devotees sacrifice goats to appease deity
Chorichora
(UP): Hindus in UP sacrifice goats in large numbers
to appease a local deity, which they claim can fulfil
their wishes. The Goddess 'Traluka', widely worshipped
in Chorichora village in Uttar Pradesh, is believed
to have miracle powers and scores of people from terminally-ill
patients to childless couples visit her tiny ramshackle
temple praying for her blessings. Legend has it that
a man, guilty of killing a tyrant landlord was ordered
to be hanged on a tree in the temple premise but the
rope broke seven times indicating that the Goddess
was protecting him. Thankful for being saved, the
man returned the favour by sacrificing a goat to the
goddess and the practice has since then continued.
The temple priests however say offering sacrifices
was not a compulsion and purely a choice of the devotee.
"One can sacrifice anything, be it a goat, or even
a coconut, anything that the devotee want to offer
to the Goddess. She fulfils everyone's desires, and
then they come here to thank her," Chandrashekhar
Pathak, the head priest, said. In India, where superstition
and myth often get the better of reason, even amongst
the educated, the sacrifices are continuing unabated.
"My wife was very unwell, and no doctor was able to
treat her. I came here and my wish has been fulfilled.
Now, I have to thank the Goddess by offering sacrifice,"
Deen Bandhu, a devotee, said. Animal sacrifices are
banned under federal laws but enforcement is poor
and often ineffective in the face of fierce religious
sentiments.
May 18, 2004
Animal
sacrifice: Hindus protest plan for ban
Madurai
(Tamil Nadu): Hindus are up in arms over a proposed
ban on animal sacrifice. Though animal sacrifice has
been banned in India, the practice is still alive
in some areas, albeit in a secretive way. The devotees
say the state government has no right to reinforce
an existing law, which was revoked just before the
national polls. Devotees said they would not give
up the ritual as it was an integral part of their
tradition. "Animal sacrifice is an integral part of
our society which has evolved with time. How can we
give up that? We want it to stay all time," S. Ramar,
a devotee said. Recently in another temple festival
in the same district more than 3000 goats were sacrificed.
The devotees said they were ready to face any consequence
for defying the ban. "This festival is famous for
animal sacrifice. It is this ritual which brings thousands
of people to the temple and fills up the temple coffers.
So the sacrifice in no way harms anybody. We don't
care for the laws. Even if it is banned we will continue
it because it is our custom and we cannot give it
up, come what may," Ganeshan, another devotee said.
The devotees have also challenged the ban in the courts,
saying it violated the freedom of religion enshrined
in the constitution. The court had ordered the state
government to maintain status quo pending final orders.
May 18, 2004
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