Purpose of Religion

Mike Ghouse founded the Foundation for pluralism with a belief that if we can learn to accept the otherness of other, and respect the God given uniqueness of each one of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.


He believes that the un-stated purpose of religion is to bring a balance to an individual and equilibrium with what surrounds him/her; life and matter. To be religious is to mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill in creating a cohesive society where every member of the society feels at home, free from anxiety, tension and fear of the other.


Religions are inherently pluralistic as their goal is invariably to create harmonious co-existence. It is one world, one society and a part of singular universal energy. Indeed, we are not mutually exclusive but inclusive and fit in the scheme of things to make one coherent whole.

Ramadan Mubarak - Happy Ramadan

Muslims around the world will begin fasting from Wednesday, August 11, 2010 and for a whole month thereafter.

Thanks to Washington post, they will publish three articles on Ramadan; The Politics of Ramadan, The Rituals of Ramadan and the Spirit of Ramadan towards the third of Ramadan.

True fasting is self-purification; and from this, a rich inner life brings about values such as justice, generosity, patience, kindness, forgiveness, mercy and empathy - values that are indispensable for the success of the community.Consciousness of behavior and vigilance over action are the most profound dimensions of fasting: the fasting of the heart focuses on the attachment to the divine.That is when Ramadan really becomes a source of peace and solace, just as Christmas goes beyond the rituals to bring forth kindness, charity and caring.For fasting to be truly universal, its benefits must extend beyond the fraternal ties of Muslims and must extend to forging a common humanity with others.

Fasting is meant to impart a sense of what it means to be truly human, and its universality is reflected by its observance in Bahai, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Sikh, Wiccan, Zoroastrian, other faiths and importantly the native traditions.

Mike Ghouse is a Speaker, Thinker and a Writer on Islam and Pluralism and is a frequent guest at Media offering pluralistic solutions to the issues of the day. His work is listed on 22 of his blogs and two websites listed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/