First, let me answer the question asked in the heading, "can we discuss religion freely?"
I would say, no, we can not discuss most religions freely. Following are some of the reasons behind my answer, which does not apply to some religions, such as Buddhism:
1) Most religions are a matter of faith, not logic. Thus, they can not be debated with common sense.
2) Serious believers of most religions are blind to their faiths; it is pointless to turn the light on for the blind to see. A blind person needs something like an eye surgery first.
3) Religious books were written long time back by people who did not know a lot of things about the world. Thus, they can have wrong theories. There is no point in trashing them by applying today's knowledge just for the purpose of proving them wrong.
4) There are too many fanatics among serious believers of most religions. There is no point in putting oneself in danger by criticizing their beliefs just for the sake of criticism.
Now, let me make a few comments on Soumitra Bose's comments.
I agree with Mr. Bose, we should not peer beneath anyone's pants. For example, it is none of our business if someone prays facing the East or the West. However, for example, if some people believe that their religion asked them to create a kingdom of their God by killing off people of other faiths and no faith, or by forcing and intimidating other people to accept their religion, or by forcing and intimating other people to leave the land, or by treating other people with less dignity than the faithful, that would not be only an innocent ugly or sexy organ under someone's pants. If that belief is actually followed through to actions, that would harm a lot of innocent people; the civilized world can not just ignore that. There has to be a re-education or a fight.
Personally, I have never opened up any religious book for debating any topic in then in the public forums. Because I think religions should be treated as old reference materials; learn whatever good that can be learned from them, ignore anything that is wrong in them; there is no need to trash or burn them. However, people like Mr. Bose need to realize that religion-based hatred has caused enormous suffering in our subcontinent; and the suffering still goes on. Many of us are living in the safety and comfort of the developed countries. The least we could do for our birthplace is to talk about removing hatred and injustice from that land.
More later, possibly.
Sukhamaya Bain
====================================
From: Soumitra Bose <soumitrabose@yahoo.com>
To: "mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com" <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, June 22, 2012 1:32 AM
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Can we discuss religion freely?
To: "mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com" <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, June 22, 2012 1:32 AM
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Can we discuss religion freely?
A country, her culture, the civilization can never become mature and can never gain respects from the world till it comes out the filthy and slimy cocoon of religious debates. It is very unfortunate when debate about religion is dumped throughout the world Bangladeshi intellectuals [ a tiny and yet vocal minority though] still cracks their head on it. It is disparaging! Act your age! please, please grow up and look at the problems of the people, their livelihood, their quotidian struggle against injustice, economic inequalities, imperialism and hegemonism. Please walk with the people who produce, who toil, who create wealth and stop peering beneath their pants.
.
