Sri Sri says, one must find out every positive and negative aspect about a matter or idea, before criticizing it. This is something we all tend to not do. Maybe the trick is to be skeptical, but not cynical? It's better than being ignorant, definitely. In my case, I was anti-fasting, someone who wasn't quite convinced about how chanting incantations works, and someone who would, and still does prefer saying a prayer in my mind, in place of visiting the temple every week.
However, being open to hearing and knowing more [not the same as being brainwashed], I have come about to be not so anti these aforementioned practices.
Chanting, is a mindless activity is what I thought. For what use is chanting mantras and shlokas without ?knowing what they mean? People boast of knowing mantras by rote but seldom do they follow it up with what it implies or means. So it's great if you are regular with your prayers, but it's lame if you don't even know what your Gayatri mantra or Hanuman chaalisa mean. Also, I had this notion that even if one knows the thorough meaning of the mantra he/she chants, it is not really going to benefit him. However, a conversation with a friend actually enlightened me about how chanting has scientifically been proven to have benefits. The word 'Aum' too, for instance, has been researched upon endlessly. I decided to try the same myself, I however have been chanting the Lotus Sutra's 'Nam Myoho Renge Kyo' someone recently introduced it to me and sure enough, I can sense the something 'good' coming out of it. For instance, you don't always need tangible stuff around you to be able to prove that your life is good, or better. Similarly, I have felt the same within. For me, 'good' would be, my state of mind, clarity, calm and composure, and even answered prayers. Immediate noticeable benefits for all who chant would be, a more rythmic respiration, reduction of heart beat rate, and so on. And there are innumerable health benefits too, just that my concern is the spiritual aspect to chanting. And being the skeptic that I am, I know that this sure ain't a case of the placebo effect.
I am not anti visiting temples or idol worship, but I used to consider the same as almost blasphemy, for me, God is omnipresent, so staring at a blank wall or at the idol is one and the same. I still more or less think the same, the difference being, earlier I was anti-idol worship. And by 'idol' it could be a painting too, or any visible form that you believe to be God. For instance, the Nichiren Buddhists, chant twice a day in front of the Gohonzon. From the books I have read, the Gohonzon is the manifestation of the latent state of Buddhahood in all of us, or of the Mystic Law. And chanting with the Gohonzon right in front of you, everyday, activates this potent state in us. Similarly, for a devout follower of say, Goddess Durga, maybe, having her idol in front of him or her while he sends out fervent prayers to Her.
As for fasting, I am yet to research the link between fasting and benefits. No one can say that they fast entirely out of 'devotion to God' and no interest in self-benefit because if you are fasting to convey to God that he is of value in your life, you do want to convey it in the first place because according to you it would please God or whoever you believe in, to know that. For me, you can't be 'fasting' if you are gorging away on any food, all day- be it fruits, or something else. Secondly, someone like Buddha attained knowledge about the Mystic Law only once he stopped fasting- he was emaciated because of continuous fasting, and realised at that juncture, that if he wants meditating to yield results, he needs to stop fasting. Then again. fasting in itself has multiple definitions in the many religions all over the world. I know fasting works for people, it's just that finding the link is important, instead of blindly following rituals because you think, but don't know for sure how it will benefit you. A questioning mind is an enlightened mind, I say. Be selfish, but smartly so.
