Javed Akhtar: 'There are 10 major religions in the world, to say that they are all the same is nonsense'

Javed Akhtar has once again spoken about his views on religion and faith, questioning whether people actually make a conscious choice about the religion they follow. The veteran writer and lyricist also drew a distinction between finding emotional comfort in a belief and having evidence that the belief is true.Discussing the role religion can play during difficult phases of life, Javed said faith can provide people with a sense of reassurance. However, he questioned whether the comfort one derives from believing in a higher power can itself be considered proof that the belief is true. According to him, people may feel secure simply because they convince themselves that someone is watching over them, even when there is no evidence to support that idea.To explain his point, Javed used billionaire Elon Musk as an example and said in an interview with Express Hindi, “Believe it from your heart that next month he is going to send me two, four, six billion dollars, and then keep saying next month, next month, and remain happy. How reassuring would it be if you thought that Elon Musk is my brother? You would be happy, right?"He also questioned how much of a person's religious identity is actually the result of an individual decision.

Javed pointed out that most people inherit their religion from their families and continue following the same faith they were introduced to as children. He argued that people rarely pause later in life to critically examine those beliefs for themselves.The writer further drew a distinction between placing faith in an individual and accepting an idea based on logic and reasoning. He explained that while a person can change their views, an idea should be evaluated independently.“Our story is different. We don’t trust a person. We trust an idea. That person may say something else tomorrow, it doesn’t make any difference to us. We trust the idea, logic and reason," he went onto say.He then explained how this differs from the way religious faith is often inherited. “What happens with a person who is religious, or a person of faith, is that he trusts a person. Whatever his parents told him, he probably trusts his parents. Or he may find a saint. There are 10 major religions in the world. And to say that they are all the same is nonsense. They are all different."Javed has been open about his atheism for several years. During his 2005 India Today Conclave speech, he had explicitly stated, “I am an atheist, I have no religious beliefs."