Ramanisblog

Tag: Religion

  • Conversion Christianity World Vision Gandhi’s Views

    I have quite a few posts on Religious conversion of Hindus by Christians.

    Please read my posts under Christianity.

    I have also posted some on the function of these people under the guise of NGOs-detaiks of donations received are provided there.

    I came across some interesting expose by a Teheka Man,

    Read.

    Religious conversions by of Hindus by Christians.
    Conversion of Hindus By Muslims

    ”

    The author, S.K. Shashikumar, is a noted investigative journalist for Tehelka. This article was prepared by him for IBNLive.com(the online arm of CNN-IBN, owned and funded by affiliates of the Southern Baptist Church in the US) under the title “Preparing for the Harvest”, which IBNLive so far has not published as it exposes World Vision’sChristian missionary activities in India. Donors to World Vision India – Rs 256 crores collected in 2008 – believe it to be the premier NGO working in India for the upliftment of the poor and downtrodden. In fact it is the premier Christian missionary organisation working in India for the harvesting of souls for Jesus. Since the killing of Swami Lakshmanananda and the resultant communal violence in Orissa in August 2008, World Vision’s funding and missionary activities have come under the scanner of the Home Ministry in New Delhi. – Editor.

    World Vision’s focus is children and community development. It is involved in more than 162 projects in 25 states. It projects its community development programmes as “holistic development”. This is implemented through Area Development Programmes (ADP). Each ADP works in an area that is contiguous geographically, economically or ethnically. These programmes provide access to clean drinking water, healthcare, education and setting up of income generating projects. But infused with such development works is the spiritual component – Bible classes. World Vision, the world’s largest Christian church mission agency, has traditionally been closely linked with successive American governments. The former US Ambassador for International Religious Freedoms, Dr Robert Seiple, was World Vision chief for 11 years till 1998 when he was picked by former president, Bill Clinton, to head the office of International Religious Freedom. Around the period when Seiple was the president of World Vision, its vice-president from 1993 to 1998 was Andrew S. Natsios. He is now the administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). For more than 40 years, USAID has been the leading government agency providing economic and humanitarian assistance to developing countries.”

    Gandhi’s View on Christianity.

    “So far as one can understand the present Christian effort, it is to uproot Hinduism from its very foundation and replace it with another faith.” – M.K. Gandhi

    I call myself a Sanatani Hindu

    I call myself a Sanatani Hindu, because I believe in the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Puranas, and all that goes by the name of Hindu scripture, and therefore in avatars and rebirth; I believe in the varnashrama dharma in a sense, in my opinion strictly Vedic but not in its presently popular and distorted crude sense; I believe in the protection of cow. I do not disbelieve inmurti puja. (Young India: June 10, 1921)

    Why I am not a convert

    Hinduism as I know it entirely satisfies my soul, fills my whole being. When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face, and when I see not one ray of light on the horizon, I turn to the Bhagavad Gita, and find a verse to comfort me; and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow. My life has been full of tragedies and if they have not left any visible and indelible effect on me, I owe it to the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. (Young India: June 8, 1925)

    Conversion is an impediment to peace

    It is impossible for me to reconcile myself to the idea of conversion after the style that goes on in India and elsewhere today. It is an error which is perhaps the greatest impediment to the world’s progress toward peace. Why should a Christian want to convert a Hindu to Christianity? Why should he not be satisfied if the Hindu is a good or godly man? (Harijan: January 30, 1937)

    No such thing as conversion

    I believe that there is no such thing as conversion from one faith to another in the accepted sense of the word. It is a highly personal matter for the individual and his God. I may not have any design upon my neighbour as to his faith which I must honour even as I honour my own. Having reverently studied the scriptures of the world I could no more think of asking a Christian or a Musalman, or a Parsi or a Jew to change his faith than I would think of changing my own. (Harijan: September 9, 1935)

    Only true religion?

    I am not interested in weaning you from Christianity and making you Hindu, and I do not relish your designs upon me, if you had any, to convert me to Christianity. I would also dispute your claim that Christianity is the only true religion. (Harijan: June 3, 1937)

    Conversion

    Conversion must not mean denationalization. Conversion should mean a definite giving up of the evil of the old, adoption of all the good of the new, and a scrupulous avoidance of everything evil in the new. Conversion, therefore, should mean a life of greater dedication to one’s country, greater surrender to God, greater self-purification. (Young India: August 20, 1925)

    Source:

    http://bharatabharati.wordpress.com/2010/02/02/world-vision-christian-ngo-engaged-in-culture-murder-not-social-service-v-k-shashikumar/

    http://bharatabharati.wordpress.com/2009/10/07/130/

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  • Hanuman To Lanka Place Distance Controversy

    Hanuman is reported to have crossed to Lanka from the Southern tip of India and returned from Lanka from Trikuta Parvatha in Lanka

    That Hanuman with great strength crossed the insurmountable ocean without becoming tired and viewed the city of Lanka located on the peak of Mount Trikuta. After that, Hanuma standing there shone like one made of flowers being showered by a rain of flowers released by trees.9Sarga 2, Sundara Kanda)

    India Lanka distance 24km Hanuman Crossing Ocean.
    Hanuman Crossing the Ocean, Image source. https://venetiaansell.wordpress.com/page/3/

    This Mountain is reported to have been in Sri Lanka.

    ‘Lanka /ˈlæŋkə/ (Sanskrit: लङ्का lankā meaning “respected island”, Sinhala: ලංකාපුර (Langkapura), Malay: Langkapuri, Tamil: Ilankai or Lankapuram, Javanese and Indonesian:Alengka or Ngalengka) is the name given in Hindu mythology to the island fortress capital of the legendary king Ravana in the great Hindu epics, the Ramayana and theMahabharata. The fortress was situated on a plateau between three mountain peaks known as the Trikuta Mountains. The ancient City of Lankapura is thought to have been burnt down by Lord Hanuman. After the King Ravana was killed by Lord Rama with the help of the former’s brother Vibhishana, Vibhishana was crowned King of Lankapura by LordRama after which he ruled the kingdom. The mythological Lankapuri is identified today as Sri Lanka.”..

    Now there is a reference to Trikuta Paravatha.

    This Mountain is in Kashmir!

    “Trikuta is located in Jammu, which is one of the three administrative divisions within Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state inIndia. Trikuta, the triple peak, is where the holy shrine of Vaishno Devi can be found”

    Trikuta Mountain
    Trikuta Parvatha Kashmir

    The above references are from Wiki.

    So the anomaly.Readers may contribute.

    I have a Theory in the light archeological findings of the Tamils remains.

    I shall post.

    2.The distance between Lanka and India, from its southern tip is about 24 km.

    The distance is from Kodiyakkarai, Point Calimere,where Ram surveyed the Ocean.

    But the Ramayana states that the distance is 100 Yojanas, one Yojana is about  8 Miles.

    That it is 800 Miles?

    “This verse and others clearly mention that Hanuma crossed an ocean of hundred yojanas. At the present time the shore to shore distance between southern tip of India and Northern tip of Sri Lanka is around sixty miles. Even with a measure of 2.5 miles per yojana, hundred yojanas translate to 250 miles. To explain this anomaly, we need to consider that around the time of Ramayana, the distance was lot more than the current sixty miles. This is in sync with the current theories by geologists that the ocean between India and the current Sri Lanka had been replaced by land mass over a period of time. Most of the land to the south of current Raghunatha Pura had been covered by landmass in antiquity. Also according to Ramayana, the mountains Trikuta, Lamba and Suvela were to the north of Lanka, but currently the mountains are found in the southern part of Lanka. This suggests that the northern parts of current Lanka were submerged in water during the Ramayana period.”

    ““Hearing those delightful words of Sampati, we with our Chief Angada started soon from there. The monkeys were very much delighted and satisfied. They were making up their energy to see you, rose up from Vindhya mountain and reached the northern shore of the ocean. All the monkeys with their Chief Angada, in their anxiety to see you, reached the ocean. They were frightened after seeing the ocean there and they were again worried.” 

    “Thereafter, seeing the ocean, I removed the serious fears of the army of monkeys who were worrying and crossed hundred Yojanas across the sea. Entering even Lanka, filled with demons in the night, I saw Ravana and you too who were immersed in grief. O the faultless princess! I told you all this as actually occurred. I am the messenger of Rama. Talk to me.”..

    Another version: 

    As mentioned in Valmiki Ramayana, the evidences for its location in Rameshwaram-Dhanushkodi are provided : atra purvam mahadevah prasaam asoorot prabhu. 

    While returning to Ayodhya, together with Sita Devi, after killing Ravana, there are episodes related from Pushpaka Vimaana. Sri Rama notes, pointing to the starting point of Setu (Dhanushkodi), that Sri Mahadeva granted anugraha to Sri Rama at this place. 

    Rama Setu is 100 yojanas long, 10 yojanas wide, according to Valmiki Ramayana. This ratio of 10:1 is evidenced by the dimensions of Rama Setu at Rameshwaram-Dhanushkodi. 

    The pre-colonial Indian linear measure reckoning table was as follows: 

    24 angula = 1 muzham 

    4 muzham = 1 dhanu 

    2 dhanu = 1 danda 

    50 danda = 1 kooppidu 

    4 kooppidu = 1 yojana 

    This is the basis for determining the 100 yojana length. Any other way of linear measurement will be like the blind figuring out an elephant. 

    One yojana is the longest distance traveled by sound – of a call from a tall place; the sound distance (300 metres or 1050 feet). 

    10 yojanas wide = 300 m X 10 = 3000 metres = 10,500 ft. 

    100 yojanas long = 300 m X 100 = 3,00,000 metres = 10,50,000 ft. 

    Thes actual dimensions of Rama Setu can be seen by everyone. 

    Even if we follow the argument of Jesuit scientists that it is only 10,00,000 years since human beings evolved, Hindu people believe that Ramayana events occurred in the latter part of Treta yuga and hence, assuming that Ramayana occurred in the 1,00,000th year of Treta yuga + Dwapara yuga 8,32,000 years, uptodate Kali 5107 total 9,37,107 years. We can explain that Ramayana occurred 62,893 years after the evolution of modern man. Thus, instead of researching objectively, if the objective is just to ridicule Hindu belief systems, any efforts to argue ‘scientifically’ will not be effective. 

    Rama Setu in Sangam literature, evidence from 2300 years before present 

    If we accept as factual evidence the kings, events mentioned in Sangam literature, 2300 years before present evidences for Rama Setu, Purattirattil Ramayana, Sri Rama, Vaanara species are provided in: Akanaanooru, Puranaanooru, Kalittogai, Paripaadal.’

    3.This raises another question.

    The above text refers that Hanuman crossed from the North of Vindhya Mountains.

    This is further North of Kodiyakkarai!

    As far as I know Maruti crossed from Mahendra Parvatha, the Eastern Ghats in the South.

    I am trying to resolve this.

    Any inputs?

    Source:

    http://www.valmikiramayan.net/sundara/sarga2/sundara_2_prose.htm

    http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101003210651AANKM62

     

     

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  • Lalitha Sahasranama Introduction

    Lalitha Sahasranama Introduction

    The worship of Shiva and Shakti is unique to Hinduism.

    One prays the Male and the Female Principles.

    Kanchi Periyavar performing Pooja to Kanchi Kamakshi wit Bala

    Kanchi Periyavar, Kamakshi and Bala.image

    Kanchi Periyavar, Kamakshi and Bala

    Though Hinduism advocates The Realization of the Self, which is a Principle and beyond Attributes,Hinduism recommends worship of gods in the form of Idols.

    In this sense in Hinduism,God exists in Form and at the same time does not.

    For details read my post ‘God Exists, Yes And No’

    Worship of Gods in Human forms that in a form which one likes is special feature of Hinduism.

    In theory therefore there are, in this perspective, as many Gods as there are tendencies ,

    Details of Worship of Gods is also provided.

    Of the innumerable Gods and Goddesses, Adi Shankaracharya chose Six and regulated the worship , The Shanmathas.

    Please read my blog on this.

    There are various ways one can worship these Gods and Goddesses.

    Goddess Lalitha is worshiped in Four different ways

    The worship of Goddess Lalitha is called Sri Vidya.

    The Sri Vidya is to be practiced by any of the following Four ways,traditions

    1.Samayacharam. Worshiping in The Mind

    Worship is done mentally, internally and no object is used in this tradition

    2.Dakshinacharam,Worshiping through an Object, Sri Chakra or an Idol.

    3.Vamacharam is worshiping through the terrible aspects of The Divine, Laya Pradhana

    Kaulacharam is worshiping through the Human Body/parts.

    ‘Sri Lalitha Sahasranama Classes begin on Monday, 25th April,as it is an auspicious day and thereafter the classes shall be on every Sunday between 7 and 8 PM IST.
    Duration. One hour.
    Word by word meaning, Explanation with Sri Bhaskararaya’s commentary and Sri Vidya Upasna.
    Fees Rs. 800/ month. WhatsApp +919480591538’

    This includes Rituals some which are erotic in nature.

    It is Tantra Shastra.

    Ref:

    http://shaktisadhana.50megs.com/Newhomepage/Resource/essays/4traditionsofsrividya.html

    * This post and the others to follow are meant to give basic information.

    Some of the points which need elaboration ,I will do a little later.

    ‘Sri Lalitha Sahasranama Classes begin on Monday, 25th April,as it is an auspicious day and thereafter the classes shall be on every Sunday between 7 and 8 PM IST.
    Duration. One hour.
    Word by word meaning, Explanation with Sri Bhaskararaya’s commentary and Sri Vidya Upasna.
    Fees Rs. 800/ month. WhatsApp +919480591538

    Links are provided for clarification

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  • The Hindus Alternative History Krishna Fondling Breasts

    There is hue and cry by the self-appointed Intelligentsia , Free Media and Secularists on the decision of Penguin Books deciding to withdraw a book The Hindus An Alternative History by Wendy Doniger an American Author,

    The author is reported to be a great researcher and her books have been acclaimed by some Indian Scholars.

    The Hindus An Alternative History,
    The Hindus An Alternative History, Krishna Fondling Breast.

    My points.

    1.The Lady in question seems to have Catherine Mayo Mentality.

    The difference is that she has been clever enough to have her accepted as an author of some credibility by writing an Anthology of Rig Veda.

    This, some have declared as very good, as if we have no other Books on Rig Veda.

    There is nothing earth-shaking about this Book.

    But to gain international Fame, most Indian authors do it, to sell their present or future Books abroad,though their grasp of the Subject is questionable.

    This applies to the encomiums on this author.

    Some foreign joker went to the extent of Psychoanalyzing the Hindus’ reaction by saying,

    “a kind of lightning rod for the censure that these scholars receive from freelance critics and ‘watch-dog’ organizations that claim to represent the sentiments of Hindus.[13]”

    2.Look at some  among her Portfolio.

    Asceticism and Eroticism in the Mythology of Siva;

    The Origins of Evil in Hindu Mytholog

    Vātsyāyana Kāmasūtra

    The effort seems to portray Hinduism as a sort of Cheap erotic fiction.

    As Karunanidhi did Tholkappiyam into an Erotic Book!

    Penguin Books Board Minutes
    Penguin Books Board Minutes on The Hindus an alternative History

    3.Insulting is know the insensitive interview in TIME  with this author.

    Excerpt.

    ”

    According to her book, when Ramrajya [an idyllic vision of state propounded by Mahatma Gandhi] comes to India, then Christians and Muslims will be driven out of India. We all know that Gandhiji’s vision was about unity; he dreamed of a state where there would be no discrimination based on religion or wealth. Her book will incite hatred among communities. Furthermore, Doniger says [in the book] that when Sanskrit scriptures were written, Indian society favored open sexuality. The jacket of her book shows Lord Krishna sitting on the buttocks of nude women. She equates the shivlingam, worshipped all over India by millions, with sex and calls it an erect penis. She calls Gandhiji strange and says he used to sleep with young girls.

    So, it is primarily the juxtaposition of sex and Hinduism in the book that bothers you?

    The entire book is objectionable, but yes, that is one of our main objections. She is insulting our gods and goddesses and religious leaders and texts and even our freedom fighters. I don’t have any objection to sex and neither does our religion, as long as it’s within the parameters of religion.

    Why does it matter so much to you about what someone writes about Hinduism?

    If someone makes a cartoon of the prophet Mohammad,  Muslims are outraged around the world. So why should anyone write anything against Hinduism and get away with it? It matters because this book is hurting the sentiments of Hindus all over the world. I am a Hindu. When I read the book, I felt hurt. It hurt my sentiments.’

    Who is to be concerned if Hinduism is denigrated?

    4.Excerpts from the Book, as available now.

    “The jacket of her book shows Lord Krishna sitting on the buttocks of nude women. She equates the shivlingam, worshipped all over India by millions, with sex and calls it an erect penis. She calls Gandhiji strange and says he used to sleep with young girls…

    He finds it objectionable that Doniger writes in the book that independence hero Mahatma Gandhi had a “habit of sleeping beside girls young enough to be called jailbait in the United States”; and that 19th Century Hindu monk Swami Vivekananda “set himself against all forms of caste distinction and advised people to eat beef”.’

    “

    Maps in front pages: Maps titled Indias Geographical Features and India from 600 CE to 1600 CE 
    COMMENT: In the first map, the Waziristan Hills area is marked erroneously as Kirthar Range. The Kirthar Range is at least 200 miles further south. In the third map, Janakpur, Nagarkot, Mandu and Haldighati are marked several hundred miles from their correct geographical location.

    Pg. 67 – It is claimed that the entire Harappan culture had a population of 40,000! 
    COMMENT: This is estimated as the population of Mohenjo-Daro alone. The population of the entire culture is estimated around 500,000.

    Pg 130 – The author claims that there are no Gods in the Vedas who are Shudras. 
    COMMENT: It is anachronistic to assign castes to Rigvedic deities, but nevertheless, Pushan, Vesmapati and others have been considered Shudra deities in later times.

    Pg 450- It is claimed that Emperor Ala-ud-Din Khalji did not sack temples in Devagiri. 
    COMMENT: His contemporary Amir Khusro clearly mentions that the Emperor sacked numerous temples and raised mosques instead.

    Pg 552 – The book claims that the Ramcharitmanas was written at Varanasi. 
    COMMENT: Both modern scholarship as well as tradition accept that the work (or at least most of it) was written in Ayodhya.

    Pg 128 – The book likens the Vedic devotee worshipping different Vedic deities to a lying and a philandering boyfriend cheating on his girlfriend(s). 
    COMMENT: This is offensive and ignores that fact that in the Rigveda, the gods are said to be all united, born of one another, and from the same source.(India Today)

    5.Why is it that writing on Islam, even  a hint of Prophet’s Image.would hurt Religious sentiments ?

    Satanic Verses  by Rushdie was banned for much less and a booty was announced to kill the author.

    6.The Da Vinci Code was initially banned for portraying History as found in Christianity.

    7.Are these secularists prepared to publish a Book on Muhammad marrying a Widow with a child,

    Or marrying a nine-year old,

    or The practice of Thighing in Islam where children are raped as a practice?

    Or Mary of Magdalene was the wife , to put it politely,of Jesus?

    8.I have a good collection of Posts on the History of Islam, Christianity, American wiping out the Indians,Debauchery of the British Monarchy.

    Any body there to publish them in the interest of Truth and History?

    Source:

    http://world.time.com/2014/02/12/sex-lies-and-hinduism-why-a-hindu-activist-targeted-wendy-donigers-book/

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-26148875

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendy_Doniger

    http://ramanisblog.in/2013/03/29/islam-and-women-thighing-and-some-sayings-of-khomeini/

    https://ramanisblog.in/2013/03/31/the-prophet-and-his-wifenine-year-old/

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  • Nude Worship Church Allows

    Christians make fun of Nude worship in Hinduism, which is practiced rarely in Tantric System.

    It is a special spiritual discipline, calling forth enormous discipline and has very strong reasoning behind it.

    But the Church is allowing now Nude worship because of the simple reason that Jesus was born Naked?

    As if every one else is born fully clothed.

    Read and enjoy.

    Christianity allows Nude worship?
    Nude worship Chrch

    A church in the US state of Virginia has taken the bizarre decision to allow its congregation to attend services in the nude.

    Pastor Allen Parker, the leader of White Tail Chapel in the town of Southampton, said he came to the decision to allow naked worship after concluding the clothing requirements of other churches were overly ‘pretentious’, and decided his own flock should be free to forgo such materialism if they desire.

    He believes he is in good company too, claiming many of the most important moments in the Bible happened while the protagonists were nude, including Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.

     

    Mr Parker is believed to have drawn at least some of his opinions on nudity from the book of Genesis, in which Adam and Eve were originally described as ‘both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed’.

    Church Nude worship.
    Marriage: The White Tail Chapel even hosts naked weddings. One couple to opt for the nude service were Robert and Katie Church Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2556548/And-naked-not-ashamed-Church-allows-nude-worship.html#ixzz2tAWNBAxH Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

    It was only after sinfully eating forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge that Adam and Even are said to have seen their nudity as shameful, at which point they sowed fig leaves into loincloths.

    Although the church allows worshipers to attend services fully naked, many have decided they would rather continue to attend fully clothed, particuarly when in mid-winter, while others opt to just reveal their breasts or genitals.

    The idea is that nudity is ‘the great equaliser’, reminding all those gathered in the church that they are simple human beings and that, beneath any personal wealth or glamorous outward appearance, they are all more of less the same beneath the clothing.

    Source:


    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2556548/And-naked-not-ashamed-Church-allows-nude-worship.html

     

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