7 Billion World Religions

There are now 7 billion people in the world, and thus there are also 7 billion world religions, since each person on Earth has their own way of life, their own perspective, their own ideology, their own ethics, their own understanding.

We may claim that we are part of a particular religion, but the truth is that we see and experience that religion in a completely unique way to every other person. It is simply the ego which wants to keep things together, and just like human beings, even a religion has an ego that needs to be satisfied by asserting its distinct identity.

Yes - we may have some commonalities of understanding and we may think we believe in the same thing, and we may do some daily rituals or prayers which are the same, but that is not what defines a religion. A religion, a country, a nation is defined not by a mere title, but instead by our own perspective of that religion. HOW WE SEE THAT RELIGION THROUGH OUR OWN EYES!

For example, some may think Sikhism is a religion, but some take it to be a spiritual way of life which is compatible with other religions. Perspective changes everything. Therefore, what ultimately binds us together is not our religion, but our humanity.

I repeat: what binds us together is not our religion, but our HUMANITY. The very fact that we are from the same species, developing ourselves as human beings, is enough commonality for us to collect together as one Earth, one world, hand-in-hand, each a brother and a sister to one another. As one world we are stronger, as 'apparently' separate religions we are weaker.

There is nothing wrong with groups of people with common beliefs coming together as a religion - in fact we should encourage it as any togetherness is good - but ultimately as individuals we can never truly be defined by our religion as we are each totally unique individuals with totally different ways of life, different perspectives, ideologies, ethics and understanding to everybody else. It is this very variety and uniqueness in us which gives rise to the entire beauty of life.

It is in the variety of being human, and also in the commonality of being human, that we can learn to flourish as a society, as a world, as a humanity.

So let us see beyond our titles of religion and country, and unite together in our humanity - the rest of the Universe's nations are waiting for us to do so.

Sat Naam.