Throughout history most religions have been primarily based on placing one's God above all others and demonstrating love and acceptance, however in today's society religion it seems to be the fuel for a fire of hatred. Religion as a whole has become the most controversial and violent cause behind some of the world's biggest news stories, from wars in the Middle East to death threats to doctors in my hometown. This violent mentality of religion is first demonstrated in the short story A Father by Bharati Mukherjee. In this tale the main character, Mr. Bhowmick, creates a miserable life for himself based on what his religion deems acceptable. His family, however, lived life and enjoyed the freedoms of living in America creating happiness and fulfillment in their lives. Mr. Bhowmick's jealousy for a more joyful existence is demonstrated when his religion drives him to an act of violence out of anger and hatred. The problem with putting your faith above all else is that it can cause you to do irrational things, without thinking. on the repercussions that could occur. In the story Mr. Bhowmick marries a woman, not for love, but in an agreed upon situation, a whole custom of his religion. (Mukherjee 365) “He recited prayers in Sanskrit to Kali, the patron goddess of his family, the goddess of wrath and vengeance” (Mukherjee 364). This sentence shows that his religion, although not the traditional one seen in our country, is still a daily ritual that he keeps sacred even though he has moved to America. These are the same practices that most popular religions adopt here, known as prayer. In this story man's religion does not give him peace, nor does it provide him with satisfaction in life, as was intended by the ideology...... middle of paper ......ord”. If this is what religion is about today, it's no wonder why people see hatred spread by something that was created to unite people, not divide worlds. Works Cited Shofar. “An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies” Fall 2010, Vol. 29 Number 1, p73-94, 22pMoses, Paul. “Religion is about war – or peace.” CNN. December 18, 2009. Web April 14, 2011. Mukherjee, Bharati. “A father”. Literature and the writing process. McMahan, Elizabeth., et al. Boston: Longman, 2010. 363-370. Print.Vendel, Christine. “Independent Mom Allegedly Stabs Sleeping Son, Blames God.” Wichita Eagle. Web April 13, 2011.http://www.mapsofwar.com/ind/history-of-religion.htmlhttp://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/history.htmlhttp://www.adherents.com/rel_USA .htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/01/us/01tiller.html