When they message this...

Some days back, I had received a photo on What's app conveying a graphical message that God doesn't like it when people forward photos in name of him where they say," If you share this, you will get some good news within XYZ hours/days or "If you don't share this, some bad will happen."

I found it so appealing that I had saved that photo in my gallery with an intention to send that to someone who forwards such kinds of messages. 

How do you feel, when you get such kinds of messages in name of God? Definitely, you too don't like it,right? Hm, there is nothing to like that. And I am pretty sure that God himself doesn't like such kinds of posts. 

Sometime I just wonder what the God must be thinking while seeing his devotees sending such posts. 

But why do people forward such kinds of messages? I always have this question on my mind. After pondering over this, the Psychologist inside me gives me the answer (Most probable answer). And the answer is - People do all this out of fear. This particular activity is completely backed by 'fear induction principle of psychology'. 

Now, what do I mean by this? 

People who generally share such kinds of posts, they themselves are scared by thinking of (possible) consequences of not forwarding these posts which they have received from someone else. Such people are very innocent (I won't say, they are weak-minded) and hence they get trapped in this. But what about those people who design such kinds of messages? From where do they get such kinds of ideas (Should I call such acts as 'Ideas'? I doubt ! )? Either they had been trapped like this by someone else earlier or they themselves are weak-minded or having some kind of insecurities in mind. 

It's a fact (don't know fortunately or unfortunately) that human beings change their behavior when fear is induced in them. Have you seen yourself or some people around you doing some acts out of fear? E.g.  Most of students don't study until and unless fear of failure is induced in them. There are less number of students who study out of genuine love towards knowledge. Many people engage themselves in some types of religious acts just because they think that if they don't do this, they won't get desirable things or  bad will happen. Many people continue with their religious acts out of fear of God and not out of genuine love towards that particular act. Have you observed this? 

I wonder, what are the concepts of  God and devotion (Bhakti) of such people. Do they feel that the God is just there to punish them when they don't do something? Why can't they see the God as a constant flow of love, positivity, blessings, prosperity, remover of troubles and pain? Why can't they think that the God is the light and not the darkness. The God is knowledge and not the ignorance. The God is blessing and not the punishment. I think, most of us, we need to change the definition of the God. Isn't it? 

I think, we need to engage ourselves in some healthier acts of Spirituality. Continuing some religious acts out of fear of God won't take us near to him. Rather, it may create distance between us (The God and we). We should learn doing good acts just because they are good or our God loves it and not because our fear of God.  There is difference between respecting someone out of fear and genuine love. And I think, we should respect the the God out of love and not fear. 

So let's engage ourselves in healthier and more logical acts of devotion and spirituality. The God will love us doing healthier things and moving in a more logical way... Isn't it !

Take care. Stay positive and constructive. 

Yours faithful,

Dipti S. A. Shinde