Self-Deception Through Religion How Worshipers Justify Sinful Behavior
During a visit to Pakistan, a woman asked a global religious scholar why, despite living in an Islamic society where people follow religious practices like prayer and fasting, terrible sins like homosexuality and interest-based dealings are still common. The scholar was confused and said that such sins shouldn't exist in an Islamic society. He even demanded an apology from the woman, which caused some controversy.
The woman was simply pointing out what she had observed in society, while the scholar gave a theoretical answer, claiming that a society with such sins couldn't be truly Islamic. What the scholar didn't understand was that some people, despite following religious practices, deceive themselves into believing they are still good people even when committing major sins like homosexuality.
This question has been raised before. For example, it’s said that after the Hajj, the second-largest religious gathering in the world takes place in Lahore, Pakistan, where 2 million Muslims gather to promote goodness. However, someone questioned why, after such a massive gathering of righteous people, no positive impact is seen in society. Even a smaller group of 20,000 genuinely righteous people could bring about significant change, but Pakistani society continues to deteriorate.
In Pakistan, many preachers are active, but integrity in business dealings is hard to find. Some start as poor preachers but become millionaires. If just worship could make a society religious, then even the Khawarij, who rebelled against Hazrat Ali (RA), were known for their intense worship. But if a worshipper doesn’t monitor their own soul, they can become arrogant and believe they are better than others.
Pakistan has also fought, and continues to fight, a war against terrorism, similar to how the Khawarij, in their religious zeal, interpreted the Quran in a strict way and killed those who didn’t follow it. In their own eyes, they were the most righteous.
A similar mentality can be seen in Israel, where it appears to be one of the most religious countries. Their appearance shows how devout they are, and they are very knowledgeable about both their own religious texts and others. They are highly educated, leading industries like Hollywood, social media, advertising, and more. Despite being a small community, they have significant influence, even affecting U.S. elections.
However, despite their religious knowledge and worldly success, when they attack Gaza, they commit war crimes so severe that it shocks humanity. They even cut off oxygen to newborn babies in hospitals. After committing such atrocities, they go to the Wailing Wall, cry, and believe all is forgiven. Despite their education, they refuse to sit down with Palestinians and resolve the conflict. These religious, bloodthirsty Jews are fully convinced that they are doing the right thing.
In the Quran, Satan makes people's bad deeds appear good to them, deceiving them. And it's not just Gaza. In this world, even family members who have lived together for years can inflict terrible pain on each other. Look at what happened to Abid Farooq, a leader of Pakistan's political party PTI.
In marriages, sometimes the husband and wife create unimaginable suffering for each other. A friend once told me that his wife said she'd rather endure poverty than take her inheritance, just to get revenge on him. She got her revenge on him, but also on herself and their children.
The scholar should have responded to the woman by saying that people who engage in homosexuality or interest-based dealings are not truly righteous. They are deceiving themselves. If they disobey what’s written in their religious texts, how can they claim to be righteous? Non-religious people at least feel guilty when they sin, but those who claim to be righteous often justify their wrongdoings with elaborate excuses.
