Fortunately, the name ‘God’ or its equivalents in different cultures is ‘public property’ in that it can be used by anyone. However, this does not stop it being used to earn fabulous wealth and treasures by every kind of church for the donations that have been raised in that name, the levy’s on followers, the subsidies by states and diverse organizations exceed all practical imagination. Many preachers accumulate huge personal fortunes by hook and by crook – by the addictive hook of ‘opium for the people’ and by the figurative shepherd’s crook to bring the weak and vulnerable into the fold of some rigid defensive structure of doctrine.
Patenting the name or names of God?: Though there is no exclusive ownership of name ‘God’ or synonyms, it is no doubt the most powerful brand name on the planet and has been so back into the darkest ages. If one were to be able to register a God-Cola, a God-beefburger or God-trainer without an uproar from those who disapprove (including those who did not think of it first), would it not attain market awareness of it on a global scale because it is so well-known already without even having to introduce the divine prefix to the market? This indicates some aspects of the power in a name…
The near-universality of the names of God arises from the historical importance of beliefs in the supernatural and its continued prevalence in the world population. Besides, the word God signifies both everything and nothing, according to how one interprets it. Ideas of God – and they are many, diverse and often in mutual contradiction, can cover all aspects of mind and being. There is no quality, no characteristic which cannot somehow be attributed to God, depending on the attitude of the religion in question. God is thought to be can be the cause all things. God takes the place of the father who has proved less than all-knowing, the saviour of all in need and anxiety when human kind had no antidote to them. God is the ultimate addiction and ‘opium’ of the hopeful, one which even makes many other addicts defeat powerful addictions.
India only gradually emerging from major religious delusions: Noting the numinous power and mind-hypnotising effect of the God concept, it has been argued that people need some God, even if it is a miasma. However, there are some promising signs that India’s rising generation is slowly throwing off the tremendously superstitious and false belief systems that have plagued its history and for many centuries have hindered the development of social and gender equality, human rights, justice for all, economic improvement and other signs of human progress towards peace. As one Indian who has explored his own religion and become independent of it writes:
“If the purpose of religion is to make its believers to forget the present and make them happy by allowing them to ponder over supernatural powers, then it should be no better than a bottle of whiskey.” “But the thing is, what is the purpose of knowing all? Validating religion and taking pride in our association with it? if a person is well civilized and if he carries out his duties well, there is no need of assistance from religion and concepts thereof.” Ganesh Poomal Girirajan
Robert C. Priddy 