Now I'm angry. Really.
I hope I can articulate the reason for this state of mind.
I think I'm reasonably sane, balanced....neither an atheist nor particularly religious. Neither an intellectual nor an ignoramus.
Perhaps you could label me an agnostic or mildly spiritually inclined.
But I do not disseminate my ideas in a hurtful manner.
I leave a little room for maneuver, a little grace and dignity for people of faith.
Sometimes the things people believe test my patience.
But seriously that's so totally 'not my circus not my monkeys.'
I am a n individual. Not a cultist.
With aspirations to be first a human being, then a woman, and yes I have a few cultural- civilizational dog tags. I sprung from the Indic civilization and am a Hindu, and an Indian.
And I live with a desire to cling to those roots which I respect to a great extent. Mostly
Love them, at times revere them, but also desire to fix the inherent problems of my belief system.
Every system has its petty flaws its weaknesses.
And I wish to tailor it to my personal need to be a good human being first.
Hinduism is loosely structured and multicentric. It's easy enough to be part of it, without being swallowed by the whole of it.
Now I need to share a jarring experience.
This so called humanist calls it a Dirty Dangerous cult . And a whole lot of other abusive epithets.
And I have a question.
Is that really the outstanding hallmark of a humanist?
Because then I don't want to be one. This kind of humanism, will, I fear pit people against each other, and put people off humanism.
But I have some more serious issues.
Hinduism is not without its own evils/challenges.
Unlike Abrahamic religions we do not believe in one infallible Holy Book. We are not obligated to follow Manu Smriti, the Hindu codified laws like say the Sharia.
But yes... We have to anachronistic antiquated yet still in practice caste system, an evil unique to Hinduism.
Reform must occur. It is already happening an unstoppable force from within.
With education and government initiative, since Independence.
That is why we had and still have years of reservations and quotas since Independence to encourage and uplift our less fortunate ones.
With or without ulterior motives on the part of the government...But that's another story.
Responsible maneuvers are needed.
Not other religions jumping into the fray with notions of one upmanship. Calling every evil under the sun a result of casteism, and identifying Hinduism without any saving grace or distinction as a cult practicing caste based discrimination. Unequivocally identifying and then defining Hinduism as a caste system based cult and nothing else.
Wow. That's like saying that nothing else that's good and wise and positive in Hinduism matters except the eminently ridiculous Holy Cow and Varna or caste system.
Myopic deliberate evil propaganda shouldn't be dismissed, just because it's sly underhanded and an elegantly spun calumny.
Because if not refuted, It's insidious and spreads among the vulnerable, especially our children.
I have had christian apologists claiming Hinduism Must have spread by aggressive proselytizing simply because it's an ancient wide spread religion with anchors as far as Bali, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Hear me out. Those were days of mass migratory waves annexation, conquest and intermarriage with natural assimilation of ideas and life styles.
Not an iota of proof exists that the ancient prototypical Hindus bore aggressive witness with missionary zeal to convert the local populace of any land.
And you know the adage, "Innocent Till proven guilty?"
Well these people have conveniently turned it upon it's head.
Their "logic" goes somewhat like this.
This ancient nearly 10 thousand year old way of life spread far and wide. Therefore, it Must have been through proselytyzing.
Oh and the reasons they did not convert aggressively in historically documented times?
Must be because they were confused which caste to assign the neo convert to. :)
It's hearsay and guilt by assumption and presumption.
But what is frightening is the fanatical relentless fervour with which it is being preached.
Christian apologists are presenting fiction as facts and proceeding to back each other up not from credible and unaffiliated sources but from each others own cooked up fiction. Without a shred of proof.
An example? St Thomas and his alleged landing on Indian shores, The claim that the great Tamil hindu poet Thiruvallavur was actually a Christian poet.
Heck they've even co opted our own Hindu God/Gods...Lol.
Brahma or Prajapati is purportedly Jesus who also visited Indian shores.
Go figure.
I don't know if I care.
I don't care that Christmas was actually the date of the winter solstice. A pagan celebration of the birth of the sun.
Because Jesus was born more towards Spring. Remember the new born Lambs et cetera?
Or that Easter is Ostara.
It's fun to celebrate it either ways. And a source of spiritual solace and community.
But seriously guys, acknowledge.
Don't plagiarize and co-opt.
Assimilate. Don't try to erase historical roots and tamper with authenticity.
You sterilize too much, and lose all that culturally enriches you.
Differences give us depth and versatility.
So don't take it away, please
Don't try to rape a religion of its own vital sense of itself, deny all that is positive about it, and denude it of any claim to goodness.
Let's remember how witch burnings at the stake for not believing used to be a practice.
Quit trying to go to the other extreme. And burn those who hold onto beliefs identity and pride in their roots.
When you insist on atheism you end up giving humanism a bad name.
End of the day... it's just another ism, unless you forgo all propaganda and vested interests, instead of unilaterally practicing kindness and bonhomie.
A little more joie de vivre as your raison d'être.
And a little less manipulation and hatred please.
(c) Amrita Valan 2017
