Hinduism: What Really Happenned in India (PDF) - Oration

Hinduism: What Really Happened in India – M. M. Ninan
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“1.It is the easiest way to instill faith and devotion in man. As an
abstract concept God may be appealing to the intellectual minds,
but to the ordinary individual who is busy with his own household
responsibilities and not well versed in the scriptural knowledge,
scholarship or the path of knowledge may not be very appealing.
On the contrary, an image can appeal to him instantly and draw
him into religious life. The idol becomes to him all that God
represents to others; the all compassionate giver of boons and
blessings, who would pay attention to their woes and help them in
times of distress.
2. It is a way of acknowledging the omniscience and omnipresence
of God. If God is omnipresent, then every thing in the universe,
including the idol one worships, is filled with His energy and
presence. Every thing in the universe becomes equally sacred and
worth worshipping. When we look at the photograph of a person,
we almost feel as if we are looking at the person though we all
know that it is just an image. If the photograph belongs to a great
personality, some one like a national or religious leader, we treat it
with the great respect as if we are treating the real person. It would
hurt our sentiments greatly if some one shows disrespect to it
openly in the public or in front of us. In idol worship, the approach
of a devotee is much the same. He ascribes a particular form or
image to his personal God and gives Him as much love and respect
as he would give to God Himself.
3. In Hinduism, there is a religious sanction for such a practice …...
Besides, idol worship gives immense freedom to an individual to
worship God in his own way. This is in line with the true traditions
of Hinduism, which gives unlimited choice to its followers to
approach God in whatever they choose to worship Him.
4. The idols help the devotee to become deeply religious. A devout
Hindu goes to a temple and worships his favorite deity to charge
himself with religious currents and keep himself going for days
together amidst busy worldly activity. It reinforces his faith in God
and his confidence to face the difficulties in life. Once installed in