Why Lisa Miller should look at Vivekananda!
S Gurumurthy
First Published : 23 Aug 2009 10:15:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 23 Aug 2009 10:26:23 AM IST
The Rig Veda, the most ancient Hindu scripture, says this: `Truth is One, but the sages speak of it by many names.' A Hindu believes there are many paths to God. Jesus is one way, the Qur'an is another, yoga practice is a third. None is better than any other; all are equal." This is no monk of the Ramakrishna Mission discoursing on the spiritual teachings of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa who had experienced the truth of all three faiths -Hinduism, Islam and Christianity -- as valid for their respective faithfuls. It is Lisa Miller, Society editor in Newsweek, in her column (August 15, 2009), "We Are All Hindus Now". By "We" she means Americans.
Lisa Miller is highly concerned that Americans, while remaining true to their Christian faith otherwise, have begun to think and act like Hindu faithfuls. Here is an account of the interesting rendezvous between modern America and ancient Hinduism and its potential for global religious harmony .
From melting pot to WASP The choice of "We" for Americans by Lisa Miller is intentional. It is calculated to reinstate an attempted debate in the US on "the challenges to America's national identity" that had failed to take off. Samuel P Huntington, who had prognosticated the clash of faiths and civilisations in the 1990s, later wrote a book in 2002 titled Who Are We? -- a question addressed to Americans. Huntington's answer to the question was that the core American identity -- `America's Creed' as he puts it -- was WASP, that is, White (in race) Anglo-Saxon (in ethnicity) and Protestant (in faith). All other identities, Huntington says, are subordinate. But, unlike his earlier work on clash of civilisations that had set off a furious debate within and outside the US, his theory on WASP as American identity did not.
Now, some history. For over two centuries, the American identity was based on the metaphor of `the melting pot' where all identities eventually, inevitably melt to become the unique American porridge. The theory of `the melting pot' is traced back to 1782 when a French settler in New York, J Hector de Crevecoeur, envisioned the US as not merely a land of opportunity but as a society where individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men whose labours and posterity will one day cause change in the world.
But, the metaphor of the `melting pot' received a jolt after Islamist terror struck at the US from within. The US identity was alternately seen as a `bowl of salads', where all identities remain, but in the same bowl, that is, the US. But "where is the dressing to cover it all?," asked the dissenters of the `Salad Bowl'. The result was Huntington's WASP as the core American identity; but that failed to click.
Now in her article, Lisa Miller seemingly answers Huntington's titular question "who are we" derisively, yet provocatively. She says `we are `Hindu' -- that means, not WASP! Her conclusion "let us all chant OM"; the emphasis on `us' can even incite.
The crisis of national identity in the US is evident in the article. Lisa Miller is no novice in matters of faith; she is a specialist. She writes a weekly column "Belief Watch" in Newsweek. Says her bio, `she reports, writes and edits stories on spirituality and belief; she wrote The Politics of Jesus, a cover story in Newsweek (March 10, 2006) on the impact of religion in the midterm elections in the US.' See why she fears that the US might get Hinduised.
Hinduised America?
After describing how Hindus accept all Gods and all forms of worship as valid, Lisa Miller says: "The most traditional, conservative Christians have not been taught to think like" the Hindus do.
"They learn in Sunday school that their religion is true, and others are false; Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me." Shortly, what Lisa Miller says about the two faiths is this: Christianity regards all non-Christian faiths as false, but Hinduism recognises all faiths as valid, as valid as the Hindu creed itself. But, she does not stop at this comparison. She laments that most Christians in the US are beginning to think and believe the way the Hindus do. She says: "recent poll data show that conceptually, at least, we are slowly becoming more like Hindus and less like traditional Christians in the ways we think about God, our selves, each other, and eternity."
Lisa Miller goes on to show how Americans are deviating from the fundamentals of Christianity.
"Americans", she says, "are no longer buying" the view that Christianity is the only true religion and all other religions are false. She cites a 2008 Pew Forum Survey and says that 65 per cent of "us" believe that "many religions can lead to eternal life". This includes 37 per cent evangelicals -- "the section", Lisa Miller points out, "most likely to believe that salvation is theirs alone". She adds. For the Hindus who believe in rebirth, the soul alone is sacred; for the Christians, who do not believe in rebirth, their body is as sacred as the soul; yet a third of the Americans, up from six per cent in 1975, cremate their dead like Hindus. Worse, a fourth of the Americans believe in rebirth, according to Harris 2008 poll, like Hindus. More. And some 30 per cent of the Americans, up from 20 in 2005, say "they are spiritual, not religious"; this marginalises the Church. She implies that these are just consequences of the American Christian distancing from the basic tenet of Christianity as the only true faith and all other faiths as false.
`Semitic' propensity for conflict But, what is wrong if American Christians refuse to regard the other faiths as false? Is it not the right approach to accommodate other faiths in a world of diverse faiths? Two-thirds of Christians in America believe in Christianity and, at the same time, they do not view other faiths as false. She knows that those Americans, who do not hate the other faiths as false, still believe in Christianity.
But she does not seem to regard mere belief in Christianity Christian enough, unless the faith extends more to dismiss -- that is hate -- all other faiths as false. This view directly flows from belief that the sacred text of Christianity, which proclaims it as the only true faith and others false, is inerrant. This is what has come to be known as fundamentalism. Lisa Miller's view clearly seems fundamentalist. This leads to how this fundamental tenet has been the very source of intolerance.
The Encyclopaedia of Britannica, compiled mostly by Christian intellectuals, says that in the very view that Christianity is the only true faith and other faiths are false inheres intolerance. It says, "Christianity, from its beginning, tended toward an intolerance that was rooted in its religious self-consciousness. Christianity understands itself as revelation of the divine truth that became man in Jesus Christ himself....To be a Christian is to `follow the truth' (III John); ...He who does not acknowledge the truth is an enemy "of the cross of Christ" (Phil 3:18); he "exchanged the truth about God for a lie" (Rom 1:25) and made himself advocate and confederate of the "adversary, the devil" (I Pet 5:8). Thus one cannot make a deal with the devil and his party -- and in this lies the basis for the intolerance of Christianity (15Ed. Vol4. Pp.49192). That is, recognising other faiths as valid amounts to making "a deal with the devil". The fundamental command to regard other faiths as false, which is what, in Lisa Miller's view, makes one a true Christian, has the propensity and potential for conflicts; it has actually led to violent conflicts in history. This propensity and potential is shared by the three monotheistic faiths -- Judaism, Islam and Christianity. That is why the Fundamentalism Project of Chicago University found that the "traits of fundamentalism are more accurately attributed to" sacred text-based Abrahamic faiths -- read the monotheistic ones -- "than to their cousins" in the East, namely Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Confucianism (Fundamentalisms Observed, University of Chicago, p820). This brings the discourse closer to India.
Hinduised Christianity?
While Lisa Miller complains about Hinduisation of the (`Semitic') Christianity in the US, the secular intellectuals object to semitisation of Hinduism in India! The seculars who complain about semitisation dare not name any faith as `Semitic', even though, by `Semitic', they can mean only the Abrahamic. Scholars like Sitaram Goel and Konrad Elst say that the label `Semitic' is "hopelessly inaccurate" for the Abrahamic faiths besides sounding anti-`Semitic' to the Western ears. Yet the Indian seculars insist on the word `Semitic' for the Abrahamic faiths. Keeping aside the label issue, move on to the core of the debate and its history. Dr Karan Singh first characterised the rise of Hindutva in 1990s as semitisation of Hinduism; later, the secular intellectuals appropriated the label! The Ayodhya movement, which gave birth to the ideology of Hindutva, had challenged the views of Indian seculars who had, for decades, derided Hinduism as "illiberal" and "inequitable" and successfully de-legitimised Hinduism in the Indian public domain. But, the rise of Hindutva in 1990s made it tough for them to continue their anti-Hindu line; so they not only U-turned, but also fell in love with Hinduism and, more, certified it as "liberal"! They went on to distinguish the "liberal" Hinduism from the "illiberal" and "semitisised" Hindutva; they castigated Hindutva for importing `Semitic' features into the liberal, tolerant Hinduism. But, surprisingly, in the entire debate, the seculars would not name the "illiberal" and "intolerant" `Semitic' faiths -- read the Abrahamic faiths -- nor say what objectionable features of theirs Hindutva imports into Hinduism! Here the secular scholars in India have been less than open and honest, while Lisa Miller has been brutally explicit and honest. She says that Hinduism is polluting the American Christian beliefs.
Lisa Miller's logic seems to be: what is the Christianity left of Christianity if Christians do not believe it to be the only true faith and see other faiths as false. In Lisa Miller's view, while Hinduism accepts all faiths as valid as itself, a true Christian has to believe that only his faith is true and that even Hinduism, which accepts other faiths, is a false faith. But the secular scholars in India have no guts to say about the `Semitic' faiths what Lisa Miller says about the Hindu faith.
The need to de-semitisise The charge of semitisisation of Hinduism by the seculars is political, not theological. The real issue is the need for de-semitisising the `Semitic' -- that is Abrahamic -- faiths. Beginning with Swami Vivekananda's expositions on inter-religious harmony the discourse of the Hindu school has been a continuous plea for `de-semitisising' the `Semitic' faiths. Vivekananda even wanted India to be "junction of Vedanta brain and Islamic body"; that is India, with Hindus and Muslims, should have a body, organised and united like the Muslims, and a mind liberated by Vedanta -- namely a society organised on Vedanta as the core thought. That is, organised Hindus and de-semitisised Muslims! His was a call for the de-semitisisation of all `Semitic' faiths; mention of Islam was just the context. The `de-semitisisation', which Vivekananda had pleaded for, seems to have started in Christianity in US with American Christians beginning to accept, like Hindus do, the other faiths too as valid. Yet, despite that being a welcome development, Lisa Miller is clearly frightened of the de-semitisation process.
But unless the `Semitic' faiths `de-semitisise', they will not be able to contain their inherent propensity for conflict. When a faith says that the other faiths are false, as in Lisa Miller's view Christianity does, it is an invitation for conflict with other religions. In contrast, if each religion accepts that other religions are as true, will that not put an end to clash between religions? This is conflict avoidance. This has been the very fundamental of Hindu approach to other faiths. A religion -- read Hinduism -- which believes that all religions are as valid as itself, has no potential for conflict with other religions. And a religion -- read a `Semitic' faith -- which believes that its faith and God alone, are true and all other religions as false, has all propensity for conflict with other religions.
Once a faith is declared to be false, does it not become an object of hate? How then can religious harmony be achieved if some religions declare other religions to be false?
This is where opinion-makers like Lisa Miller need to rethink. What she sees as the USP of Christianity -- namely Christians believing in their faith as the true faith and other faiths as false -has the propensity and potential to dynamite global religious harmony; more so because Christianity is the largest faith in the world. Her logic equally applies to what Islam also believes in, namely that Islam alone is true and all others including Christianity false. And that is what inspired the terrorists to attack the US on 9/11. If Christians are mandated by their Text to think that theirs is the only true faith and others as false, Islamists too are mandated by their Text to think likewise.
Where will the two conflicting and explosive mandates against all other faiths lead the world? Here is where the Hindu view that all religions are true is not only relevant, but seems to be the only way out of the dangers of religious fanaticism. The Hindu faith itself is different from the Hindu view of other faiths. By saying that each faith is sacred for its followers, a Hindu does not cease to be a Hindu. Likewise if a Muslims or Christians say that all faiths are as valid as theirs, they are no less Muslims or Christians. They remain Christians or Muslims and accept others faith as valid; they only become less sectarian.
It needs no seer to say that the features of `Semitic' faiths, which tend to promote conflict with other faiths, need to be given up -- that is, the `Semitic' faiths need to be de-semitisised. That is the only way out of the current drift towards religious and civilisational clashes. This is what Swami Vivekananda had warned the world, particularly the West, on September 11, 1893, exactly 108 years to the date of the religious terror strike at the US on September 11, 2001. The young Indian monk, who was just 30 then, pleaded before the august audience of religious elders of the world against "sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism" which, he pointed out, "have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations to despair." How far-sighted a warning?
Yet, Lisa Miller seems to lament, instead of celebrating, the decline of bigotry and sectarianism in her faith. And the Indian seculars are still impeding, instead of enabling, the emergence of the non-conflicting Hindu thought as the global mediator between different faiths. Will Lisa Miller look at Vivekananda? Will our seculars and leftists heed him?
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Topics:Gurumurthy, vivekananda, lisa miller, religion
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Guru is not dreaming here rather he is ponting out difference between Hinduism & other religions & how Hinduism stands unique.Indeed other religions cause conflicts due to what they preach but Hinduism is not on par with them.This is the entire essence of article.Guru is aptly right in differentiating.As far Lisa miller calling We are all Hindus now , she should realise that it take a greal deal to be called a HIndu. By Suchithra
9/9/2009 3:47:00 PM COMPLETING THE COMMENT POSTED ABOUT 30 MNTS BACK;:- What Gutumurthy desires may be an unattainable idealistic state but idealism and dreaming are desirable and even necessary. Otherwise our lives will stagnate. By K.Sundaram
9/4/2009 7:53:00 PM I am afraid Suchithra has failed to understand the purport and purpose of the article. It is not about whether the followers of semetic faiths will abandon their desire to convert. It is the about the fact that religious conflicts are a result of such desires. There can not be any reasoned contradiction to this view. If there is, the reasons should be spelt out and examined. Gurumurthy or any other Hindu does not want people of other faiths to become Hindus. Hinduism does not accept it. But anyone can adopt a particular tenet of a religion to which he may not belong. .We adopted monogamy following Christian ideal of marriage and gave it statutory authority. Hinduism did ot reject polygamy as, except Ram, almost all our gods are polygamists. In the light of the harm it is doing by leading to ceaseless conflicts, cannot the persons preaching semetic faiths abandon their desire to convert? This is Gurumurthy's stated wish. It may be an unattainable idealistic state of affairs but we can By :.Sundaram
9/4/2009 7:17:00 PM I am afraid Suchithra has failed to understand the purport and purpose of the article. It is not about whether the followers of semetic faiths will abandon their desire to convert. It is the about the fact that religious conflicts are a result of such desires. There can not be any reasoned contradiction to this view. If there is, the reasons should be spelt out and examined. Gurumurthy or any other Hindu does not want people of other faiths to become Hindus. Hinduism does not accept it. But anyone can adopt a particular tenet of a religion to which he may not belong. .We adopted monogamy following Christian ideal of marriage and gave it statutory authority. Hinduism did ot reject polygamy as, except Ram, almost all our gods are polygamists. In the light of the harm it is doing by leading to ceaseless conflicts, cannot the persons preaching semetic faiths abandon their desire to convert? This is Gurumurthy's stated wish. It may be an unattainable idealistic state of affairs but we can By :.Sundaram
9/4/2009 7:14:00 PM As rightly pointed by Guru - if each religion accepts that other religions are as true, will that not put an end to clash between religions.Since Christianity & Islam doesnt accept other religions, they are the cause for terrorism & conversions.Invasion after invasion we have been living peacefully why since our religion preaches that.We believe Live & Let live. By Suchithra
9/3/2009 2:56:00 PM Sundaram , Amercians may beleive & accept that Christianity has no monopoly of truth and other religions also deserve a place in the sun .But the christianity doesnt believe so.As mentioned by Lisa herself - Christianity regards all non-Christian faiths as false, but Hinduism recognises all faiths as valid, as valid as the Hindu creed itself.Lisa cannot genaralise that We are all Hindus now just because americans think differently unlike typical christians or what ever preached in christianity.Its takes better deal to call a person a Hindu. By Suchithra
9/3/2009 2:49:00 PM I am afraid Suchithra's comments posted today seem quite confused." We are all hindus" or such statements would make sense when they refer to a psrticlar trait unique to a class, in this case, hindus. in treating all faiths as desrving our respect and eschewng the desire to convert. Gurumurthy's article brings this out clearly as it traces the origin of Lisa's statement to her perception of current American view that Christianity has no monopoly of truth and other religions also desrve a place in the sun. Those who do not agree with Gurumurthy's view that religious conflicts will cease to afflict mankind if attempts to convert are abandoned, Chelliah for instance, should stop quibbling and spell out their disagreement with reasons therefor. There is a Tamil saying about heaven (Swargam) Those who have seen it do not describe it and those who describe it have not seen it. Religion is a case of unverifiable belief and it is folly to contend that one such belief is superior to another of By K.Sundaram
9/2/2009 3:53:00 PM Its a fantastic article by Guru.just one thinking cannot make others feel they are hindu.Lisa 's statement We are all Hindus now deosnt make any sense. By Suchithra
9/2/2009 2:22:00 PM Indian Muslims & Indian christians are only Indians but they are not Bharatiya.Hence they indulge in viloence,conversions,terrorsim etc..Even before Indian they belong to there particular religion.Indeed a person need not be a born Hindu, a person is hindu becasue of his Karma.As far Lisa calling We are all Hindus is a joke.Its takes a great deal to be called a Hindu which neither muslims nor christains potray.Muslims & christians can never qualify to become a Hindu. By Suchithra
9/2/2009 2:18:00 PM What Suchitra says about India can be said about USA also. Whatever name we give to the way of life practised by the majority in this countery, it cannot be denied that it follows the principle of "live and let live" Why should the semetic religions try to convert. If their religion imposes such a duty of the adherents to these faiths, it impinges on the targeted convertee's right to practise his own faith and is a violation of his constitutional right. The rights given to minorities under the Constitution cannot but inhere to the majoritY of the population whether one calls them Hindus or by any other name. All rights need not be spelt out. They accrue by neceassary implication also By K.Sundaram
9/1/2009 7:30:00 PM Its true Hinduism, is not a religion but a set of belief which was coined as Hinduism later during british rule.Since now it is coined as HInduism & we people represent the same, we are HIndus for the whole world.The word India is again coined recently.In Mahabaratha , Bharathvarsha is decsribed till Afghan & persia border.There was no Aryan invasion , it was rather created by brirtish to propogate that aryans brought sanskrit & hinduism & they didnt orginally belonged to us.There was only a set of belief being practiced & no other religious pratices of islam or chiristianity exitsed on this land or anywhere else in the world since they are all of recent origin & not as old as Hinduism.After several muslim & british invasions, one could find different religions being found here.Yet we remained in peace with them which lead to intolerance among others.Indeed we are tolerant , hence we have not declared this nation as a Hindu state. By Suchithra
9/1/2009 2:20:00 PM It is a sad fact that love which Chelliah preaches was not evident in the church in the period when Inquisition ruled Europe and more recently when slavery florished in USA with the approval of the church, the clergy postulating the theory that God had ordained that the negroes' salvation lay in serving their white masters. Would Chelliah have conceded that the earth moved around the sun if the church which submitted Galileo to inquisition had persisted in its belief that it was the centre of the universe? By K.Sundaram
8/31/2009 6:55:00 PM CHELLIAHS OF THIS WORLD ARE LIVING FOSSILS WITH FOSSILISED MINDS. THEY BAR ENTRY TO ANY IDEAS WHICH ARE CONTRARY TO THEIR OWN PERPETUALLY EMBEDDED ONES. CHELLIAH CANNOT SAY YES TO GURUMURTHY'S ADVOCACY OF TREATING ALL RELIGIONS AS EQULLY VALID AND HE DOES NOT DARE TO SAY NO. SO HE QUIBBLES AND QUOTES WHAT HAS BEEN DRILLED INTO WNAT PASSES FOR HIS BRAINS. THIS WORTHY AND THOSE OF HIS ILK THINK THEY KNOW EVERYTHING. SUCH CLOSED MINDS SPELL A DEATH-KNELL TO ANY CONCEPT OF 'AUDACITY OF HOPE' By K.Sundaram
8/30/2009 7:21:00 PM They said love your god , love your neighbours, but when neighobours came from Mexico they threw them as illegal.When poor people came to their non profit hospital they sent credit agencies to snatch their money. So contradiction to science, practicing against what they preach, the abuse of children is the reason. The western companies moved to east, so the people who ripped the westen world also want to expand religious buissness into the new market. So when you meet them trying to convert in india ask them to make you their neighbour and ask them why they forgot their homeless brother back home. The truth is also the some good willed westerners also worried about the decline of ancient spirtuality in india, unlike indians who are busy imitating forgetting self By michael
8/28/2009 9:26:00 AM OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART THE MOUTH SPEAKS.. A GOOD MAN OUT OF THE GOOD TREASURE OF HIS HEART BRINGS FORTH GOOD WORDS AND GOOD DEEDS. LET US STORE THE GOOD TREASURE OF LOVE IN OUR HEART BEFORE WE WRITE.! GOD BLESS. By GERSHOM CHELLIAH
8/27/2009 6:49:00 PM EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE IF ISLAM IS BOOTED OUT OF THE PLANET'S SYSTEM. MUSPOX OR ISLAMPOX IS THE MOST TERRIBLE VIRUS THE PLANET HAS EVER KNOWN. WORSE THAN SMALLPOX..... IRRADICATION ONLY WAY ..... SLOWLY SLOWLY By TOPVIEW
8/27/2009 1:04:00 PM EVERYTHING IS FINE IF ISLAM IS BOOTED OUT OF THE PLANET'S SYSTEM. MUSPOX OR ISLAMPOX IS THE MOST TERRIBLE VIRUS THE PLANET HAS EVER KNOWN. WORSE THAN SMALLPOX..... IRRADICATION ONLY WAY ..... SLOWLY SLOWLY By TOPVIEW
8/27/2009 1:01:00 PM And you should have added- Don't shout Chelliah- It betrays your own insecurity. Most of these cultists breed deep insecurity- insecurity that they maybe following something blindly often wondering the falsehoods they are forced to repeat mindlessly to stick to the flock which is kept on a tight leash by the cassocked goons threatening excommunication. One fails to understand how anyone who has studied (even) only upto LKG level only would still be in a cult whose cult leader claimed non-stop communication with the creator yet talked of the earth as flat and 64 miles square! If at all anyone has to be pitied it is these fools. Same logic applies to the other terrorist cult leader who talked of Sunset as sun hiding in a swamp! By Narasimha Rao
8/27/2009 7:44:00 AM Gershom Chelliah's comment has no relaion to Gurumurthy's article. It is an exercise in inanity and betrays a congealed mindset unable to get out of the groove it has fitted itself in. Assertion is not evidence and self praise is not recommendation By K.Sundaram
8/27/2009 5:42:00 AM Prasanan you open your mouth and exhibit your ignorance. Do we blv you who says Hilda Raja is not Catholic or Hilda herself who says she is a practising Catholic (read her blog fully)? And yet you sermonize others to read. It is beyond people of your ilk to understand nuances and reading between the lines. How many of Lisa Miller other articles have any of you read to make a judgement. Gurumurthy has done it and he understands her inclinations better than you. Lisa's tone was certainly patronizing of Hinduism, lamenting helplessness and was certainly implying that Christians remain Christians (i.e dogmatic and fundamentalist) and that they should avoid imbibing Hindu practices. No doubt the christian missonaries enjoy a good time here in India with dimwits proclaiming themselves as intelectuals By Narasimha Rao
8/26/2009 9:04:00 AM Lisa Miller's article was very complimentary of Hinduism. Nowhere does she say anything offensive. This article by Gurumurthy is an overreaction. When the message is good, regardless of where it comes from - we should be receptive to it. By Krishna
8/26/2009 2:35:00 AM It is a shame that an intelletcual like Obama has written hollw words like justice,tolerance,compassion, progress&human dignity about a religious cult, islam which shouts 24 hours a day Death&Destrcution for others or infidel kafirs like hindus,sikhs,buddhists,jews, christians etc&Demolition of all places of worship of kafirs as passport to heaven to enjoy 72 virgins&wine,etc.Where is this heaven&if bodies are buried under the soil after death, how these jehadis or christians will reach heaven? No answers!What a Shame. All educated indian muslims and christians MUST introspect and see how hate filled, intolerant and casteist are their racist religions and it is time for them to dump their hate-filled casteist and racist religions and COME BACK TO THE ALL-LOVING AND ALL-EMBRACING mother religio, Hinduism.No wonder millions of Americans have REALISED THE GREATNESS AND REAL secularism of Hinduism& are Becoming Hindus Every day now. By K.Vasishtt
8/25/2009 10:25:00 PM Can one explain why there was NO woman Pope for past 2000 years? The right to vote was given in christian nations only some decades back when hindusim had so many women intellectuals, saints&Godesses from time immemorial&when even now hindus consider that Lord Shiva’s real strenth lies in the power of the godess within him.NO religion EXCEPT hinduism shouts whole world is ONE family&ALL persons on earth are members of ONE family. In short islam and christianity is the most hate-filled,intolerant, terror-minded, castiest and racis religions known to man and for peace to prevail in this world their terror-promoting books Quran and Bible&their religions MUST be BANNED.Sadly there are millions of MORONS&brain-washed robots around who shout hindus are fanatics,casteists&terrorists,etc! What a shame,Stupid and Illogical &Ungrateful Indian Muslims&Christians. By K.Vasishtt
8/25/2009 10:25:00 PM Islam&christianity ARE the most intolerant, hate-filled casteist religions on earth& indian&world history are full of FACTS of Genicide of lakhs&lakhs of infidels& kafir sikhs,hindus,jews,etc BY these hate-filled terrorist religions, promising Heaven WITH 72 virgins &wine for killing or converting kafirs,etc.In 2000 year history of christainity NOT even ONE Indian or black man has become& will NEVER become Pope or even ONE of his assistants.In Islam not even ONE indian muslim can become the Chief imam or Assistant to Imam of the 2 Holy Mosques in Saudi Arabia for the PAST 1400 years.Compare THIS with hinduism ,their greatest epics Ramayan&Mahabharat have been written by great sages and intellectuals of low caste origin, Sage Valmiki and Sage Vyas. Can one talk with hands on chest about woman’s freedom, if any islam?If some one talks candidly about the terror and intolerance and gors injustices and terror in islam or christianitu , his or her head will roll on the streets the next day. By K.Vasishtt
8/25/2009 10:22:00 PM Mr Narasimha Rao, those are two separate articles. What exactly did you find offensive in the Lisa Miller article. Please cite the point at which she insulted Hindus. The only thing insulting here is your tone and inability to understand what you read. Also, Hildaraja is not a Catholic. You are once again mistaken. By Prasan
8/25/2009 9:46:00 PM Suman, Prasan and other idiots of your ilk -the ones who can never read between the lines and fall flat for the likes of Prannoy, Ram and other idiots of your class. If Gurumurthy has got it wrong , did Hilda Raja a Catholic also got it wrong? Read her blog: /hildaraja.wordpress.c om/2009/08/18/rejoinder-to-lisa-millers-we-are-all-hindus-now/. You are born idiots and nothing can cure your congenital mental make-up. By Narasimha Rao
8/25/2009 7:59:00 AM Gurumurthy you have come across as the most idiotic person in this article. As my fellow commenters have already noticed Lisa Miller is not disparaging hinduism in her article, she is celebrating it. How the hell you got this so wrong is not just confusing but infuriating. By making the ridiculous pseudo argument that you just made you marginalize us and repel anyone like Lisa Miller who celebrates hinduism and for its openness and inherant wisdom. You are attacking someone that has an open mind to hinduism. Your whole article is ridiculous. By Suman
8/25/2009 2:39:00 AM It appears the author hasn't even read the article he is choosing to discuss. Lisa Miller never criticized the Hindu-ization of America, in fact, she celebrated it. And as her previous record shows, she is anything but a fundamentalist. I think a reasonable question may be raised about the intentions of Mr Gurumathy, but it is clear that Ms. Miller stands on the side of tolerance and love. There is not one point in the Lisa Miller article where the increasing tolerance of Americans is criticized or lamented. By Prasan
8/24/2009 10:39:00 PM RSS,BJP, VHP&all hindus must oragnize a nation-wide Black Day movement on 26th November every year as HINDU GENOCIDE DAY &conduct group prayers in all villages and in all hindu,sikh and buddhist places of worship for the peace of millions of poor souls of hindus,sikhs&buddhists who have been butchered since centuries by fanatic and intolerant beasts of hate filled terror religions, islam&christianity.The terror books Quran& Bible of these religions preach that those converting/ killing infidels like hindus,sikhs& buddhists will get heaven& can enjoy 72 virgins&wine after death and that is why these barbarians are doing such brutal killings and elimination of the infidels or kafirs like hindus,sikhs &buddhists.For eternal peace, terror preaching Quran&Bible must be banned&only religions like hindusim that preaches respect of all faiths including those of tribals& adivasis must be allowed in our secular country By K.Vasishtt
8/24/2009 8:39:00 PM All those people who give free sermons to hindus &hindu partiesMUST ask following questions to their conscience, if they have ANY & FIND Honest Answers.1)Why in a secular country, there ARE special privileges for religious minorities?2) Why NO Uniform civil code making all indians equal if india is really a nation for ALL indians?3)No muslim majority country allows kafir minorities like hindus,sikhs&buddhists to LIVE in peace&TRY their best to Eliminate and KILL kafirs.WHY in hindu majority country there ARE special privileges to minorities?4) Is IT communal to speak for interests of majority hindus &SECULAR to speak all the time about minority interests?5) Who ARE fanatics?The people speaking FOR equality for all indians or those speaking ONLY for minorities &their special privileges? Hope indian intellectuals& media men& journalitsts wake up from bribed sleep&acting&analyze all ills of our country with a clear honest mind By K.Vasishtt
8/24/2009 8:35:00 PM Those who have brains and faculty to analyze the meanings, just understand how vicius posionous and wicked are christian missioanaries and chruch agents. What Demsnd Tutu said is happening unfortunately all over India, particularly, North east, orissa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra and so many other places in India where there is poverty illiteracy and where there are innocent and poor tribal populations. Hindus, . Think, think, and react to protect your lands and property and culture, dear fellow hindus and tribals before it is too late. Time for an independence movement to liberate hindus and hindustan from the powerful enemies and slaves has come now.The hate-filled semitic religions,islam&christianity Believe they are superior and that they WILL get heaven with virgins and wine after death in heaven if THEY KILL or forcibly convert infidels or kafirs like hindus,sikhs,buddhists,etc.Both islam and christianity and their terror books Quran and Bible MUST be banned in a secular republ By K.Vasishtt
8/24/2009 8:30:00 PM The whole orissa riots were started by the brutal killing and mutilation of body of reverred Swami Lakshmananda who was doing wonderful community service among tribals. But the chrstian church disguised as naxals and with help from Sonia Maino and her christian agents eliminated the Swamiji in the most brutal fashion and minroity appeasing Naven Patnaik and Sonia coevred up the whole conspiracu hatched between the arch bishop of orissa and arch bishop of Delhi and the Vatican agent Sonia herself. This can happen only in a banana country of hindu morons. All Indians must know and analyze what Desmond Tutu, the Arch Bishop of Johannesberg, South Africa said in BBC interview few months back, "when the white missionaries came, we had the lands, they had the Bible, now after some years, they have the lands, we have the Bible" These are burning words coming from a converted christian arch bishop. By K.Vasishtt
8/24/2009 8:28:00 PM Obama and USA&World must also know that 9/11 attack &Mumbai massacre of Hundreds of infidel kafir hindus,sikhs&westerners was done by taliban & jehadis in pakistan&india, with active support from ISI agents and it will be foolish of Obama and USA to trust pakistanis with fighting jehadi terror since pakistan is the epicentre of jehadi terror.Obama must know too that al-queda and muslims as a whole consider americans and europeans as infidel kafirs and they believe that killing these kafirs will give them heaven with 72 virgins and wine after death.Islam is a terrorist intolerant cult.USA and all nations must come together and eliminate this terror cult from world by nuking pakistan,afghanistan,iran and saudi arabia, if possible and ban Quran to save world and to bring peace and prosperity to world By K.Vasishtt
8/24/2009 8:27:00 PM USA&All Indians and Citizens of World must know that after formation of muslim majority pakistan after 1947, muslim majority there wiped out using terror &intense hatred&violence more than 20 lakh hindus, sikhs& budhists &Demolished ALL temples&gurdwaras there, classifying minorities as infidel kafirs&believing that by KILLING the kafirs like hindus they will get 72 virgins&wine after death.Whole world has NOT bothered to notice this terrible genocide of hindus&sikhs there and this includes hindu majority here.Further muslim majority in india too HAS brutally eliminated using terror& violence more than 50000 hindus in cold blood without being condemned or noticed&even .Shame, BJP or RSS or hindu parties have NOT filed genocide charges in indian or international court, against muslim chief ministers of kashmir and colluding congress ministers for the horrible terror crime and genocide hindus,sikh&kafirs and for crime against humanity By K.Vasishtt
8/24/2009 8:26:00 PM Britain as well as european naions and nations like USA,Canada,Australia,New Zealand will have to be extra careful since a recent European commission report says most european nations will become muslim majority nation in about 50 years if they do not control muslim immgration and the alarming birth rate and population explosion of muslims in all these counries.When the population of muslims in these countries reach even 51 percent these countries will become intolerant hate-filled islamic republic s like saudi arabia,iran or pakistan or malaysia and then the jehadi majority could eliminate all minoirty christians, hindus,sikhs, etc accusing them of being kafirs and for getting heaven after death with 72 virgins and wine as indicated in hate maual Quran. So if Europe.America,Asutralia and New Zealand and India are not careful they could face complete islamization and end less terror as in pakistan,iran or saudi arabia. So Better be Careful about islamic population bombs and terror bomb By K.Vasishtt
8/24/2009 8:20:00 PM It is a shame that an intelletcual like Obama has written hollw words like justice,tolerance,compassion, progress&human dignity about a religious cult, islam which shouts 24 hours a day Death&Destrcution for others or infidel kafirs like hindus,sikhs,buddhists,jews, christians etc&Demolition of all places of worship of kafirs as passport to heaven to enjoy 72 virgins&wine,etc.Where is this heaven&if bodies are buried under the soil after death, how these jehadis or christians will reach heaven? No answers!What a Shame. All educated indian muslims and christians MUST introspect and see how hate filled, intolerant and casteist are their racist religions and it is time for them to dump their hate-filled casteist and racist religions and COME BACK TO THE ALL-LOVING AND ALL-EMBRACING mother religio, Hinduism.No wonder millions of Americans have REALISED THE GREATNESS AND REAL secularism of Hinduism& are Becoming Hindus Every day now. By K.Vasishtt
8/24/2009 8:19:00 PM . Can one talk with hands on chest about woman’s freedom, if any islam?If some one talks candidly about the terror and intolerance and gors injustices and terror in islam or christianitu , his or her head will roll on the streets the next day. Can one explain why there was NO woman Pope for past 2000 years? The right to vote was given in christian nations only some decades back when hindusim had so many women intellectuals, saints&Godesses from time immemorial&when even now hindus consider that Lord Shiva’s real strenth lies in the power of the godess within him.NO religion EXCEPT hinduism shouts whole world is ONE family&ALL persons on earth are members of ONE family. Sadly there are millions of MORONS&brain-washed robots around who shout hindus are fanatics,casteists&terrorists,etc! What a shame,Stupid and Illogical &Ungrateful Indian Muslims&Christians. By K.Vasishtt
8/24/2009 8:17:00 PM If Gurumurthy's article can elicit a debate among followers of semitic religions, chistianity and islam that is something woth the effort.Islam&christianity ARE the most intolerant, hate-filled casteist religions on earth& indian&world history are full of FACTS of Genicide of lakhs&lakhs of infidels& kafir sikhs,hindus,jews,etc BY these hate-filled terrorist religions, promising Heaven WITH 72 virgins &wine for killing or converting kafirs,etc.In 2000 year history of christainity NOT even ONE Indian or black man has become& will NEVER become Pope or even ONE of his assistants.In Islam not even ONE indian muslim can become the Chief imam or Assistant to Imam of the 2 Holy Mosques in Saudi Arabia for the PAST 1400 years.Compare THIS with hinduism ,their greatest epics Ramayan&Mahabharat have been written by great sages and intellectuals of low caste origin, Sage Valmiki and Sage Vyas. Can one talk with hands on chest about woman’s freedom, if any islam? By K.Vasishtt
8/24/2009 8:16:00 PM THE ONE AND ONLY WAY TO GOD IS LOVE- BECAUSE GOD IS LOVE! UNLIKE OTHERS JESUS CHRIST REVEALED THIS LOVE OF GOD UNTIL HIS DEATH.SHALL WE KNOW THIS TRUTH FROM HIS GOSPEL? "YOU HAVE HEARD THAT IT WAS SAID,'LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AND HATE YOUR ENEMY.' BUT I TELL YOU: LOVE YOUR ENEMIES AND PRAY FOR THOSE WHO PERSECUTE YOU THAT YOU MAY BE SONS OF YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN. HE CAUSES HIS SUN TO RISE ON THE EVIL AND THE GOOD, AND SENDS RAIN ON THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE UNRIGHTEOUS.....BE PERFECT,THEREFORE, AS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS PERFECT." THIS IS THE ONLY RIGHT WAY TO GOD. LET US LOVE THIS WAY OF LOVE TO LEAD A LIFE TO GOD ,WHO IS LOVE. By GERSHOM CHELLIAH
8/24/2009 1:07:00 PM It is decent article - favourble about Hinduism. I agree with Kali you need to de-semitise By Siva
8/24/2009 12:13:00 PM Gurumurthy You missed the point altogether. Maybe you need to de-semitise yourself - whatever that means! Lisa Miller was speaking in a gently ironical way about American Christians and in a favorable and appreciative way about Hinduism. By Kali
8/24/2009 8:16:00 AM A masterpiece Gurumurthy ji, as usual! rashtravandane.blogspot.com By Deshabhakta
8/23/2009 11:41:00 PM Lisa Miller, Society editor in Newsweek,saying "We Are All Hindus Now" nails the truth.If she has said this seriously, the semetic religious heads have the obligation to ponder over this. If she was rhetoric, she is then afraid of the truth of the Hindu tolerance. By Ezhumalyan
8/23/2009 7:04:00 PM Religion is only the first step in search for spiritual liberation. Even without being religious, spirituality can be practised. And all religions have different shades, from moderate to fanaticism. Christianity itself categorizes persons as 'practising Christians' and non- practising persons. Pope is not religious Head for a large number of Christians. So, to take just a stray comment from one Author as representing whole of Americans may be too much. Apart from that , intolerance is there in some forms even among Hindus. I wonder how many Hindus know what Hinduism means . First of all, there is no religion called Hinduism is not at all accepted by many , who are bent upon branding majority in India as Hindus. But, compared to other religions, followers of Hinduism are more tolerant. By ASHWIN
8/23/2009 6:58:00 PM A hindu is a hindu only because he or she unequivocally and with full intellectual commitment rejects the notion of “only my God” of Semitic monotheists. Hence the hindu is exhibiting uncompromising religious intolerance in not accepting such exclusive belief systems. Let us take a look at the hindu’s utter insensitivity. Look at the way the hindu indulges in outrageously mega celebrations of image worship – be it Mahamastakabhisheka, Amarnath Yatra or Puri Jagannath Rath. The hindus do it day in and day out. Hindus worship the Sun, many hills and rivers, tress and even animals. Does the hindu realize how hurtful this spectacle of grand image worship would be to those believers who are for centuries, obligated to wipe out the “gross pollution of idolatry” - as they call it. Let us examine how communal the hindu can get. The hindu asserts that the Hindu civilizational tradition is unique and has a special role to play in the world. And that it is distinct from Semitic systems or By Govinda
8/23/2009 6:34:00 PM Great article Gurumurthy. In effect, Lisa Miller may be guilty of starting the Talibanization of Christianity. If Christians really accept all faiths as equal, maybe in India they might stop conversions! By Ganeshan
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