Love in another religion?

 Love, what is the true meaning of the word. In the purest form what I understand it is to care for someone and to give your 100% for the person, it is unconditional in every manner. That’s how pure love is!

They say we must love one and all, we are taught this right from the time we are born. Love each and every creation of God, right from humans to animals to plants to the mother earth. Sorry, guess I forgot to add a clause there, did I? When it comes to loving humans, did I not mention in bold, love within your people. Confused aren’t you? So am I!

Folks we were taught this by our very own parents and teachers and all relatives, love humans, and hold no grudge or feeling of hatred against any, but why is that I still feel my parents did not mention the hidden clause when they explained this to me, or why didn’t they tell me love can happen only within the same community or in the broader aspect within the same religion. We say we have moved away from the religion bias society and that we are adopting the western culture, but somewhere deep down there, shake yourself and ask, have we really done that? Don’t we still have our jaw drop when we hear a Hindu neighbor marrying a Muslim? Or a Parsi marrying a Catholic? Why was the question even then and even now!

I was taught in school that we are all Indians, yes we have different religions and cultures in our country just to add diversity and not division within people of the same country. I was told for there is just one god in the world, and all I must do is still respect other religions for we are children of the same mother and just our style and methods of worshiping the god are different. Was this all just a lie? Have I spent 25 years of my life in a lie and living with people of dual standards?

I am ashamed today, as we humans are so selfish and so pathetic in our deeds that we are slowly killing humanity with religion bias. I asked my mother today, Mom what if I love someone who is from another religion, and a flat answer I get is no. the justification was its important you marry people who are your own and within your community, I immediately question back, Mom but I was told to only love, I was never told that there is a hidden clause to loving. To which I get a mock and she walks off, because I pissed her off.

Why can we not accept the fact that we are hypocrites and that we are dual standard individuals who can never think above religion and community. Love holds no value in this urban society where people are divided in the name of god and religion.

My question still goes unanswered, is loving in another religion acceptable?