Volume 61, 2018
Philosophy of Religion
Harsha Badkar
Pages 25-29
Mahatma Gandhi’s Philosophy of Religion
Religion has always been a very important aspect of human life. Different religions dictate peace and good will and make an attempt to direct human beings towards morality and spirituality. In spite of this so many battles have been fought under the name of religion. The major problem is, why is it that there is so much of violence, intolerance, hatred and cruelty exhibited by religious believers? Why do so many acts of terrorism take place under the name of religion? And the answer is the dogmatic or fanatic approach held by religious believers that represents unwillingness to recognize or respect differences in opinions and beliefs. It rejects the possibility of critical evaluation of religious beliefs. And it is here that the significance of philosophical approach to religion becomes significant. The purpose of this paper is to introduce Mahatma Gandhi’s way of philosophizing about religion which has the capacity to resolve the religious conflicts that are tearing apart the world today through its violent and terroristic tendencies. The path of Religious Tolerance paved by Gandhi has the potential to become the source of light in the darkness of violence that surrounds the whole world today.