What Fools We Mortals Be

There is a story in the Times of India about a Muslim gentleman in Mumbai, who has put his goat up for sale for a whopping Rs 5.5 crores ($1,375,000). Why does he think the goat is worth this exorbitant price? Apparently, the goat has markings on its body that resemble the names (in Arabic) of the Prophet and Allah. The owner has found no buyers yet, but I am sure someone will be prepared to pay at least a couple of crores for the animal.

How gullible can some people get? First of all, it takes quite a leap of faith and imagination to decipher the random black markings as holy names - and even if one were to be so convinced – it would be outside the realm of possibility that the marks were the result of some divine calligraphy. Just as it is believed that if a million monkeys were placed in front of a million typewriters, they would eventually type out the Bible; so too, the ‘holy’ markings are a result of millions of genetic permutations. There is nothing remotely divine about them. Even if, by some stretch of wild imagination, one were to believe this fantasy; I doubt that Allah would be pleased at His name being used to generate an obscene profit.

It would be comforting to dismiss the goat owner as an aberration. Unfortunately, it is not. Millions of people around the globe seem desperate to discern some divine ‘sign’ from the Almighty. Hence, a water stain in a Manhattan road tunnel is interpreted by thousands as a self portrait of Jesus Christ: and hundreds of weeping Madonna statues have been spotted down the ages.

The need for divine intervention is particularly acute in India. Very recently, an Indian millionaire donated a Rs 11 crore ($275,000) solid gold throne for Sai Baba, because the saint had apparently appeared to him in a dream and instructed him to do so. It is ridiculous to believe that a saint, who has no use for material possessions, would make such a request. It is even more absurd to think that such a profligate display of wealth would please a holy man.

A little further back in time, thousands of the faithful flocked to the seashore in Mumbai; and made themselves violently sick by drinking sea water. Why? Because some freak chemical reaction had temporarily rendered it sweet. To the multitudes, however, the ‘miracle’ could be nothing else but a sign from heaven. And who can forget the hysterical public reaction caused, when scores of Ganpati idols started oozing milk.

Why are we humans so desperate for some manifestation of the divine, to prove that we are not alone. Is it that we seek reassurances that, if we screw up our lives, it is not really our fault – it is written in the stars? That would, perhaps, explain the evangelical Christian belief that – while sins and transgressions are definitely to be frowned upon – as long as the wrong doers repent and accept Jesus as their Savior, somehow everything will be forgiven when they reach the Pearly Gates. This reasoning should defy logic. Nevertheless, it must be comforting to believe that there is a Son of God, who will obligingly take all your sins on his shoulders; and let you off the hook. The buck stops with Jesus, as it were.

Then, there is the need for some demonstration of the power of the Almighty. God performs thousands of minor miracles every day, which go unnoticed. It is not enough for most of us. We need some show of strength. We will dutifully listen to our pastor preach his Sunday sermon, but it is primarily out of a sense of tolerance and respect. On the other hand, a tele-evangelist, in front of a screaming TV audience, who places his hand on a supplicant and watches him theatrically collapse to the floor in a heap, will develop a cult following of millions.

Some rationalists believe that God is nothing more than a state of mind; that He is not a separate entity. Even the millions, who believe in God, cannot quite comprehend His true, formless magnificence. Throughout history, man has felt compelled to personify the Supreme Being. Hence, the ancient Egyptians worshipped alabaster and onyx statues of Isis and Osiris; and ancient Greeks and Romans erected monumental bronze and gold statues of Zeus and Jupiter in their temples. This trend was continued in Christianity. It is doubtful whether Jesus intended a cup of ‘holy’ wine to signify His blood; or a communion wafer His body. But the early Catholic church soon recognized that it needed tangible symbols of divinity to retain a hold on believers. Magnificent cathedrals were erected, and elaborate paintings and statues depicting Christ and Mary were commissioned. The purpose was more to overawe the congregation, than any manifestation of devotion to the Almighty. In any event, there is no evidence to suggest that God or Jesus appreciated or rewarded this ostentatious display of materialism.

And so it will go on. We humans will continue to cling to ‘miracles’ even where none actually exist. Meanwhile, the gods are probably looking down on us and chuckling: what fools these mortals be.