There are many scriptures. Some scriptures are adopted by the religious groups of people. Some parts of scriptures or holy text promote integrity among the followers. Religion is for bringing orderliness and discipline in an otherwise anarchic and chaotic world. Animals don’t require religion as they are far better organised and disciplined when compared to the ‘intelligent’ human beings.
Most of the scriptures are not revised as they are considered holy and for maintaining their sanctity by the believers. The original language used in the scriptures is also outdated and not be easy for everyone to comprehend. The interpreters and translators should be scholars to transfer the essence and context of the scriptures to the common people. Sometimes misinterpretation of a few lines - some sayings not relevant to the contemporary situations and geographies -in religious scriptures might encourage a person to act and lose integrity.
Some of the practices and rituals in religion are targeted to go to heaven or hell and/or to have a chance of rebirth or attaining nirvana (no rebirth). The above chances are based on how much a person pleases a particular God and follows the religious scripture. Some of the common terms used to assess a person’s actions are - Sins, Punya, Piety, etc.
The death and afterlife explained in the scriptures create fear in people, which also brings in integrity.
Equanimity, ignoring, being non-reactive to what is happening around, doing meditation, getting immersed in reciting religious songs, is a way to stay aloof from society and gain inner peace and strength. The introverts living for their own bliss and not contributing to society in any way is not a life of integrity.
There could be belief systems which are local, which also promote integrity. In one of the remote villages in a drought-prone area, there was a farmers field next to the road. Sometimes someone passing by would steal some vegetables cultivated from his field. To stop this practice, once he constructed a small temple for the local Goddess Maisamma. This Goddess is revered by many people locally. He made a story, that one day a person came and stole a few vegetables, before he left the field he vomited blood and fell down. He spread the story to the whole village. Now almost no person trespasses into his field to steal anything. Especially the tribal communities have their own belief systems which bring in integrity, order and sustainability.
The constitutions of many countries are respected, but they are also misinterpreted and amended as per the convenience of the majority of the people living in a country. A lawyer and a judge spend considerable time arguing in the courts that is because the interpretation of the written constitution is not so simple.
Constitutions alone do not bring in the integrity, many people don’t remember what is written in the constitutions, but they remember more parts of the religious epics and scriptures. In the Indian courts, there is a practice, where the people pleading or those who are witnesses in the court hall are asked to take an oath on a copy of the religious text which they believe and asked to say that they will not lie and will tell only the truth. But no one ever took an oath on the copy of the constitution itself. A written constitution is a contemporary document and it creates a space for all the religious people to coexist in harmony and to progress.
