It’s just that nothing (including religion) cannot be business as usual anymore. 500 years ago we canons, longbows, muskets etc. SO what we could do to ourselves, to one another, to the environment had its limits. Everyone is forgetting that Putin has nuclear bombs in his arsenal. Not Cossacks and foot soldiers
So I’m not really “revising” or “correcting” religion. It’s just that there has never been a single way of understanding the message of any religion. So a rational and (according to me) more beneficial approach to scriptures is also possible.
On your Atheist argument: “Religion is a fairy tales to alleviate the fear of death whose main function is to sedate ordinary people” (the Marxist approach: “Religion is the Opium of the People”). I agree with it.
I would never have subscribed to this forum if I didn’t see it this way. That’s a practical / empirical truth.
Still: This approach is not the only possible approach. And it’s not the only possible approach in Islam either. In fact my “school” if you like dislikes political divisions based on faith and condemns the usage of religion for political goals and for other worldly goals.
And my position is not some subtle / philosophical position. I am decisive in my belief and I will confront people who have a more “political” approach to religion.
To me it’s very clear: Religion and/or the study of spiritual realities is a personal path / a personal choice. No one can force you in or out of it. And the progress in that path is very personal. No one can teach you anything because it’s just you and your perceived reality of God. There can be spiritual friends / mentors etc. but the path is 99% a solitary individual path.
The fact that you live in a theocratic country or that you are a part of a group with some fundamentalist interpretation of religion is seen (in my “school”) as a hindrance to spiritual progress. Because it’s like learning philosophy. In that kind of environment you cannot do your studies, have your discussions, make your personal mistakes, unlearn, re-learn, debate, have inner conversations etc.
And that’s a 20th century pedagogical approach: As I said. We are changing as a species and religion has to evolve as well.
One thing I hate for instance is the guilt thoughts or thoughts of “original sin”. See old-style parents were very authoritarian toward their kids. (like in the song “When the Man comes around” by Johny Cash). People had to know who was in charge and guilt and fear were constantly used to keep everyone in check.
We don’t do that anymore. We don’t spoil our kids but we talk to them “as friends” and we try to act in a democratic manner so that they don’t hate us when they turn 15 or so. When we have a problem with teachers we don’t lower our head and say “yes mistress” while looking at the floor because she might hit us with her stick etc.