No Dharma Taught Ego, Yet People Made Dharma Their Ego (What Are We Fighting For?)

When Did Faith Become a Tool for Superiority?
Dharma, at its core, teaches humility, surrender, and the dissolution of the self. Yet, in today’s world, religious identity has become a pedestal for arrogance. People proclaim their faith with pride—not the kind that fosters devotion but the kind that fuels ego, separatism, and conflict. Instead of using spirituality to transcend their limitations, many have weaponized it to judge, segregate, and dominate others. The contradiction is glaring: No scripture, no saint, no enlightened master ever taught their followers to use faith as a symbol of superiority. And yet, people today have turned dharma into an extension of their ego. When did the path of liberation become a tool of self-glorification?
If we look at the spiritual foundations of every major faith, they emphasize surrendering the ego, not strengthening it. Hinduism teaches Ahankara (ego) is the biggest barrier to self-realization. The Bhagavad Gita advises one to act without attachment to personal gain, reinforcing the idea that humility is the path to liberation. Islam, through the Quran, warns against arrogance, stating that pride distances one from divine mercy. Christianity repeatedly emphasizes humility, with Jesus saying, "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." Buddhism, through the concept of Anatta (non-self), teaches that the very idea of self-importance is an illusion. Sikhism, founded on the principles of seva (selfless service), condemns pride as one of the five evils.

Despite this, modern religious discourse is filled with people who use their faith as a status symbol. Rather than practicing inner transformation, they wear religious identity as a badge of honor, often looking down upon those who believe differently. If dharma’s purpose was to dissolve the ego, how did it become a source of pride?
Religious superiority is one of the greatest contradictions of modern faith. Many people proudly assert that their religion is the "best," the "most scientific," or the "only true path." This toxic attachment manifests in different ways:

But the real question remains: If faith is meant to humble us, why is it making people feel superior? The need to prove religious dominance contradicts the very essence of spirituality. When faith becomes about proving oneself right instead of seeking truth, it ceases to be faith—it becomes ego.
Many self-proclaimed religious individuals conveniently cherry-pick which teachings to follow, leading to deep-seated hypocrisy. Some of the most common contradictions include:

True spirituality is not about appearing righteous; it is about being righteous. A person who prays daily but spreads hate has understood nothing about dharma.
Perhaps the most dangerous misuse of religion today is its weaponization by politicians and religious leaders. Faith, which was meant to unite people, is now being exploited to create divisions. Politicians use religious sentiments to:

History has repeatedly shown that whenever religion is mixed with politics, it stops being about spirituality and becomes about control. Would any god, prophet, or enlightened master approve of using faith to divide people? Or have we allowed power-hungry individuals to hijack dharma for their own agendas?
Today’s religious climate is one of selective outrage. People get offended by jokes, films, or artworks that challenge their beliefs, but they remain indifferent to real acts of cruelty committed in the name of faith.

Why is there more concern over symbols than suffering? Faith was meant to cultivate compassion, not rage. When religious identity becomes more about external validation than internal growth, it loses its purpose.
Every religion teaches that God exists in all beings. Yet, many so-called devout individuals openly discriminate against people based on caste, gender, sexuality, or ethnicity. The very idea of untouchability, gender inequality, and religious discrimination contradicts the essence of spirituality.

If one cannot see divinity in another human, their religious practice is hollow. True spirituality is not found in grand temples or loud prayers but in how we treat others.
Religions were meant to guide humans toward love and compassion. But today, the loudest voices in religious discourse are those spreading hate. Religious extremists, moral policers, and social media warriors are more concerned with proving their faith is ‘superior’ rather than actually practicing it.

The true followers of faith—those who quietly serve, love, and uplift—are often unheard. Instead, the world listens to those who use religion as a tool to divide and attack. If we genuinely believe in dharma, shouldn’t we amplify voices of kindness instead of intolerance?
The purpose of religion is to transcend the self, to dissolve ego, and to cultivate love. Yet, in the name of faith, people have become more arrogant, more judgmental, and more divided. If one’s spirituality leads to superiority instead of humility, conflict instead of harmony, pride instead of surrender—then one is not practicing faith but simply feeding the ego.

Before claiming to be religious, we must ask ourselves: Are we living by dharma, or are we just defending our ego in its name? Because if dharma has become our ego, then we have already lost its essence.