Blog Post #6 Anand Gandhi

For my interview I interviewed Angad Gandhi who is studying philosphy/religion in the University of Chicago.

2.They are a reliable source for this reason.

3. I interviewed him on email and asked him a few questions a few days ago.

4. Some questions I asked were:

            1. What was the role of religion in history?

•      The role of religion is vast. It has been essential in forming society and forming a sense of identity. Before there were nations, there was religion. It was a way for individuals in the most primitive societies to come together.
•         Religion has provided people with a purpose, a code of conduct and an understanding of the world. This is very brief and a lot can be said about the role of religion but if I had to be brief, I'd say that identity, unity, understanding of the world and purpose in life -- this is some of what religion has given.
    

            2. What aspects of religion make it so attractive to human beings?

•  I think people like religion because it allows them to come to terms with the vastness of this world. If someone told you that you had no purpose in your life, what would there be to live for?
•  By giving us a higher aim in life, religion makes life worth living. People live because they want to reach God, attain salvation, or whatever each religion prescribes as its final goal.
• More importantly, religion makes us feel like we belong. When the priest tells me I am God's son, it makes me feel significant.

            3  What are some ways religion relates to the world today?

• Religion touches our day to day life in nearly every way. It affects the way we vote, the way we dress, the way we make financial decisions, the values we live for, the way we talk, etc. This obviously varies from religion to religion and person to person, specifically in how religious one is and also how strictly one follows the dictates of one's religion.

Keep in mind that I will probably be doing another interview with him.