SHIW, "It is easy to point to our social issues and blame it on religion". Well then you missed the point. Tell me 1 society with no religion, anywhere in the world. "It is easy to say that we are poor because of our religion". We're not blaming any religion, nobody is better than the other. It's when one rules under its name. "It is hard to acknowledge that we are one of the poorest nations with richest culture" Come on now, everbody has their culture from Asia to Africa in many different ways. But what are our culture worth in the real world to even make common sense? I don't think we have many. It's all based on myth & legends. That might be OK with us, but for the rest of the world and people with common sense, it's just a feel good story, good guy Vs bad guy with not a single proof of existence of god, Mahadev, Shiva(like you), Bramha, Garud, Ganesh, Krishna, Kali etc etc.