Am I religious?

2026-09-21

Being a man of science, i.e., requiring strong evidence for claims, I am unconvinced about the existence of a supernatural being, a.k.a. God, and therefore I am not religious.

The above statement has been accepted as a valid dichotomy in the Western world, where, for centuries, dogmatic religious institutions sought to subdue scientists who challenged traditional metaphysical explanations about our world. However, in the context of Hindu philosophy, we have been told repeatedly that both religion and science can coexist without any apparent contradiction. I've always wondered, "How?" It seems very impractical. In any religiously conservative family, you will be made a pariah for refusing to enter temples.

While I don't believe in the existence of God, I do see the need for religion in today's society, purely from a utilitarian perspective. Religion gives a sense of purpose to many by acting as an effective distraction from the question, "What does it mean to live?" It also helps people gain a moral compass, teaches discipline by forcing people to perform rituals, helps them deal with grief, and acts as a social glue that brings people together on occasions. There is growing economic literature that measures these effects of religion. So, is there a version of Hinduism that allows one to be religious and gain the utilitarian benefits while, at the same time, discrediting the notion of God?

In other words, are you religious if you are not devoted to the concept of God? I believe so. But such a form of worship has been long lost. For more than a millennium, Hindus have practiced their religion primarily through devotion, or Bhakti, as it is called in Hindu theology. Starting from around the 6th century AD, Hindu revivalists worked hard to awaken a sense of belief among the masses. They described an alternative path to enlightenment as one where it is sufficient to express devotion to God. It was a movement equivalent to the English Reformation. It disenfranchised the traditional conduits to converse with God - the priestly Brahmins - and empowered ordinary citizens to engage with God directly.

The Bhakti movement evolved over time. Along with devotion to a personal idolized deity (saguna bhakti), some schools of thought also recognized devotion towards a formless entity (nirguna bhakti). Sikhism is built on this premise. Similarly, the Advaita tradition recognizes devotion towards "knowledge of the self as an all encompassing entity", as a path to enlightenment.

Going back, what if you're not devoted to God? What if you're devoted to something else? Say, knowledge, as most scientists are. Then are you religious? In a broad interpretation of the Bhakti movement, you are.¹ So you are both a scientist and a religious person.

In practice, however, it is easier said than done. People still find you weird for not being devoted to an idol, or for not praying to / believing in an imaginary entity. In today's Hindu society, it is essential to be performative to be considered religious.

So, am I religious? Insofar as I am devoted to learning things. But do I care if society thinks I'm religious or not? Probably not.

¹ Amish Tripathi argues for the same - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZsEDwQldis

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