Tearing my hair out

Rites, rituals...such crap! Why should these take precedence over emotions, rational thinking, human values...how much of these can or should one tolerate? The day my dad died, society swooped down on us like a pack of vultures. Shockingly, when alive he was ours, dead he was theirs. They took over everything. They tried to decide what was right for my daddy. To them he was just a dead body. Rituals like removing all clothes, pouring water over the body etc. can be sheer torture to the grieving family. In our society, what you are is not relevant, what you project is what matters. Loving your parents is not enough, blindly following all rituals the society deems necessary to demonstrate your concern for your dead parent is more important. If you don't walk in drenched clothes with a pot of water around your father's dead body then you are not a worthy offspring. Whereas if you neglect your parent when alive but do multitude poojas after the parent's death then you have fulfilled your responsibilities. Don't eat, don't go out, ask mom to remove her mangalsutra, how many dos and don'ts - all meaningless. Questioning them is blasphemy; mute adherence guarantees society's approval. I find it difficult to understand these blind beliefs.

Many live with the belief that a dip in a river on a particular day can wash away all sins. When religion can give you the outlet to get away with evil, why not believe in it?