Just Visiting

Today I visited a Hindu Temple, then a Synagogue, then a Sikh Temple. All with a gaggle of boisterous year 8 kids in tow. We felt comfortable and at ease with the Hindus. We felt somewhat intimidated and a little baffled by the Jews, and we felt very welcome and happy with the Sikhs. Also, the Sikhs fed us, which was nice. Overall, my impressions of these faiths were reinforced - the middle-eastern religions seem to tend towards exclusivity, while the far-eastern ones seem more open and inviting. All three seem to have, at their core, a basis of 'right-action' and love. I don't follow any particular faith, but am developing a great respect and admiration towards those that do.

Originally posted by avalanchethecat
Today I visited a Hindu Temple, then a Synagogue, then a Sikh Temple. All with a gaggle of boisterous year 8 kids in tow. We felt comfortable and at ease with the Hindus. We felt somewhat intimidated and a little baffled by the Jews, and we felt very welcome and happy with the Sikhs. Also, the Sikhs fed us, which was nice. Overall, my impression ...[text shortened]... any particular faith, but am developing a great respect and admiration towards those that do.

I can relate. I just love to check out a temple, inside and out. Sometimes there is a more developped sense of energy there.
I think those that follow one faiith like must know that thats what their disposition is telling them. Cause mine is telling me "These people are cool, they fed me and i checked out their cool temple but it aint for me. I gots to be charlie. (whatever that means)"
I kinda like to be a bridge and try to talk in whatever terminology is local.
After all, I am an outsider to a lot of things on this planet, which is ...cool..and lonely... and the way it is.
Gosh knows what kinda changes I'm usherring in for future generations.

Originally posted by avalanchethecat
Today I visited a Hindu Temple, then a Synagogue, then a Sikh Temple. All with a gaggle of boisterous year 8 kids in tow. We felt comfortable and at ease with the Hindus. We felt somewhat intimidated and a little baffled by the Jews, and we felt very welcome and happy with the Sikhs. Also, the Sikhs fed us, which was nice. Overall, my impression any particular faith, but am developing a great respect and admiration towards those that do.

imagine being turned away with your children in India if you were, 'untouchable', would you really hold the same point of view? i doubt it.

edit: sorry i should not have spoiled the party, please forgive.

Originally posted by avalanchethecat
Today I visited a Hindu Temple, then a Synagogue, then a Sikh Temple. All with a gaggle of boisterous year 8 kids in tow. We felt comfortable and at ease with the Hindus. We felt somewhat intimidated and a little baffled by the Jews, and we felt very welcome and happy with the Sikhs. Also, the Sikhs fed us, which was nice. Overall, my impression ...[text shortened]... any particular faith, but am developing a great respect and admiration towards those that do.

I don't follow any particular faith, but am developing a great respect and admiration towards those that do.

Even Christianity?

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
imagine being turned away with your children in India if you were, 'untouchable', would you really hold the same point of view? i doubt it.

edit: sorry i should not have spoiled the party, please forgive.

There are bad apples in every bunch!

Originally posted by josephw
[b]I don't follow any particular faith, but am developing a great respect and admiration towards those that do.

Even Christianity?[/b]

To a degree, yes, although I have to say the aggressive way in which some of you guys on here defend your faith is not endearing - but I do understand that this is a consequence of repeated anti-christian attacks. I can't but admire the strength of faith though, being unable to duplicate it myself.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
imagine being turned away with your children in India if you were, 'untouchable', would you really hold the same point of view? i doubt it.

edit: sorry i should not have spoiled the party, please forgive.

As I said Robbie, I'm assured that the caste system is not a part of modern Hinduism. Maybe it's so socially ingrained in some places as to be indistinguishable, but it was not in evidence in Birmingham! (Anyway, isn't discrimination against the Dalits now against the law even in India?)

Originally posted by avalanchethecat
As I said Robbie, I'm assured that the caste system is not a part of modern Hinduism. Maybe it's so socially ingrained in some places as to be indistinguishable, but it was not in evidence in Birmingham! (Anyway, isn't discrimination against the Dalits now against the law even in India?)

yes its against the law, but its practised especially in rural areas.

Originally posted by avalanchethecat
To a degree, yes, although I have to say the aggressive way in which some of you guys on here defend your faith is not endearing - but I do understand that this is a consequence of repeated anti-christian attacks. I can't but admire the strength of faith though, being unable to duplicate it myself.

You need not duplicate other peoples strength of faith. (but I suspect you know that😉 ) you need only follow your dharma. no more no less -sorry to be preaching-sounding🙂
But the agression which some christians display at defending/promoting their faith is downright off-putting. I bet the hindus you met didn't give off that vibe.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
yes its against the law, but its practised especially in rural areas.

Sure, but then, christians used to torture people and burn them at the stake didn't they? That was never part of their scripture either. The Hindus and Sikhs I met seemed genuinely good-hearted and sincere and entirely free from prejudice, and when asked about the caste system they rejected it firmly. I'm not naive enough to believe that's the same for all of their faith, but there are wrong-headed people under every banner, aren't there? They at least seem to be moving in the right direction. Your particular brand of christianity (among others), on the other hand, actively preaches certain forms of prejudice doesn't it?

Originally posted by karoly aczel
You need not duplicate other peoples strength of faith. (but I suspect you know that😉 ) you need only follow your dharma. no more no less -sorry to be preaching-sounding🙂
But the agression which some christians display at defending/promoting their faith is downright off-putting. I bet the hindus you met didn't give off that vibe.

Alas I appear to be almost entirely devoid of the capacity for faith! Can't help but admire those for whom it works though - well, largely. Some folks seem to get a bit nutty about it. And no, the only folks I met who seemed at all defensive were the Jews. They were a just a little bit scary, to tell the truth, while at the same time rather impressive. Hard to say with those guys where the border was between social custom and religion.

Originally posted by avalanchethecat
Sure, but then, christians used to torture people and burn them at the stake didn't they? That was never part of their scripture either. The Hindus and Sikhs I met seemed genuinely good-hearted and sincere and entirely free from prejudice, and when asked about the caste system they rejected it firmly. I'm not naive enough to believe that's the sam (among others), on the other hand, actively preaches certain forms of prejudice doesn't it?

they are not therefore not christians, quite simply because they do not practice the teachings of Christ, that is after all what a Christian is, is it not? this is not the case with Hinduism, ask yourself the question, why are the Dalit shunned, on what basis? they are leather workers? the cow is sacred to Hinduism, is it not? thus they are considered impure on the basis of a belief.

I am proud of 'my brand of Christianity', we have killed no one. In all wars we have refused to take up arms against our fellow human beings, choosing, note that word carefully, choosing in the case of WWII to be incarcerated and in many instances killed in Nazi concentration camps because to us, life is sacred, can the same be said of Sikhs (many of whom fought for the Nazis) and of Hindus (you should check out how many persons were killed in the partition of India in 1947, between Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims) shall we go on to talk about Catholicism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Russian and Greek orthodox??? how many persons they have killed? shall we?

Your talk of prejudice is really cheap and i would ask you to consider your words more carefully in future. We are not in the habit of dragging people in off the street, the requirements for being a witness are high, i would be pleased if you shall remember that.

you may be taken in with the temples in some leafy suburb of Birmingham, the reality elsewhere is somewhat rather different.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
they are not therefore not christians, quite simply because they do not practice the teachings of Christ, that is after all what a Christian is, is it not? this is not the case with Hinduism, ask yourself the question, why are the Dalit shunned, on what basis? they are leather workers? the cow is sacred to Hinduism, is it not? thus they are consi ...[text shortened]... emples in some leafy suburb of Birmingham, the reality elsewhere is somewhat rather different.

they are not therefore not christians, quite simply because they do not practice the teachings of Christ, that is after all what a Christian is, is it not?
They certainly believed themselves to be christians, did they not?

I am aware that Hinduism has become aligned with the caste system, however, whether you accept it or not, modern Hindus are clearly attempting to distance themselves from this admittedly unsavoury social convention.

It is to the credit of your faith that your fellow members refuse to take up arms. That said, you yourself have demonstrated again and again within these fora a distinct dearth of love and understanding towards your fellow man, resorting to insult on many occasions - is that christian? I have not noticed such character to be typical in my previous encounters with Jehovah's Witnesses however.

Your talk of prejudice is really cheap and i would ask you to consider your words more carefully in future.
With respect, you have repeatedly demonstrated prejudice towards homosexuals, have you not?

you may be taken in with the temples in some leafy suburb of Birmingham, the reality elsewhere is somewhat rather different.
What do you mean, 'taken in'? If you mean "do I find the Hindus and Sikhs that I met to conduct themselves, in general, in a manner closer to that which Jesus Christ supposedly instructed his followers to adopt than the Jehovah's Witnesses with whom I have spoken on RHP", then I am afraid my answer is emphatically yes.