03-14-2006, 12:10 AM
Some blog
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->As you can imagine, I've gained a great deal of knowledge about Hinduism from our visits to the pervasive temples in each city or town we visit. Likewise, here in the city of Trivandrum (in the state of Kerela), Amit is supplementing his knowledge of Christianity by visiting some churches with me. Inside St. Joseph's Cathedral today, I felt like I could have been in anywhere in the world. It looked like a church of my childhood; <b>there was something disturbing about seeing the white faces of Jesus, the Virigin Mary, and the saints.</b>
It turns out that there are benefits to being raised Catholic, even in India. <b>When we strolled onto the grounds of another Christian church - this one a missionary church - and the pastor came out to meet us, his hand outstretched. He nodded at me when I told him that I had been raised Catholic, but, when Amit confessed that he had been brought up Hindu, we were promptly escorted away from the church.</b>
Conversely, at the oldest temple in town, I wasn't allowed in. "Where are you from?" the gatekeeper asked Amit several times, dissatisfied with the answer, "From the United States." Once the gatekeeper learned that Amit's parents were from the state of Gujarat, he asked to hear some Gujarti, and, then - just like that - <b>Amit was whisked away from me into the interior of the temple. I was told that they were sorry, but foreigners were not allowed in.</b>
......
In fact, Amit and I have spent some time arguing about Hinduism (he, of course, was raised with a practical Hinduism, and I have been reading about it), so perhaps the atmosphere is getting to us too!
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->As you can imagine, I've gained a great deal of knowledge about Hinduism from our visits to the pervasive temples in each city or town we visit. Likewise, here in the city of Trivandrum (in the state of Kerela), Amit is supplementing his knowledge of Christianity by visiting some churches with me. Inside St. Joseph's Cathedral today, I felt like I could have been in anywhere in the world. It looked like a church of my childhood; <b>there was something disturbing about seeing the white faces of Jesus, the Virigin Mary, and the saints.</b>
It turns out that there are benefits to being raised Catholic, even in India. <b>When we strolled onto the grounds of another Christian church - this one a missionary church - and the pastor came out to meet us, his hand outstretched. He nodded at me when I told him that I had been raised Catholic, but, when Amit confessed that he had been brought up Hindu, we were promptly escorted away from the church.</b>
Conversely, at the oldest temple in town, I wasn't allowed in. "Where are you from?" the gatekeeper asked Amit several times, dissatisfied with the answer, "From the United States." Once the gatekeeper learned that Amit's parents were from the state of Gujarat, he asked to hear some Gujarti, and, then - just like that - <b>Amit was whisked away from me into the interior of the temple. I was told that they were sorry, but foreigners were not allowed in.</b>
......
In fact, Amit and I have spent some time arguing about Hinduism (he, of course, was raised with a practical Hinduism, and I have been reading about it), so perhaps the atmosphere is getting to us too!
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