Temple troubles

KAREN Pillay’s column “Sniffing out prophets for profit” ( November 8 to 12) is a true indication of what is happening in the community and requires further comment.

The issues raised are the tip of the iceberg, and the other huge problem is priests in temples, who not only thrive on the fears of the people but manipulate situations to best serve their own pecuniary interests.

Devotees do extravagant prayers with lots of unwanted goods at a huge cost, and then priests demand money.

Should one be so bold as to complain or question the priest, one is threatened or cursed.

I believe that blame needs to be laid squarely at the feet of temple management. These supposed officials are more concerned with their own power struggles and their knock-down-refurbishments politics than with what matters most in the community. What will a picture-perfect temple mean to a mother who needs help because her child is taking drugs?

Temples need to evolve and change with the times. They should spend less time on mantras and more time on simple discourses on life challenges like drugs, moral degeneration, respect to elders, etc, and in that way add value and assistance to those in need.

Swami Vivekananda said very simply: “You cannot believe in God if you cannot believe in yourself. Believe in yourself, and the world will be at your feet.”

Herein lies what our religion is about.