04-18-2007, 03:34 AM
Folks,
I have a few questions....
a) Who is (not) a secular Hindu? Isn't Hinduism inherently secular?
(For example, there are those who call themselves secular Jews and that confuses me a heck of a lot more than the notion of a secular Hindu).
b) A little while back, something about cutting line for darshan...the answer to which was that some good said person did in some past allowed that to happen. Isn't this a glib, dangerous argument, to confront proselytization with?
Isn't this an insult to other fellow Hindus?
(For what its worth, my family got the side-door to darshan plenty, and I obstinately refused, each time, since age 5 or so. It has caused a lot of headache in the family and still does...Getting older, I do realize how hard my parents worked for that access and that they see no wrong in it per se, though they do appreciate my arguments and I appreciate their industriousness. Now, I sure get enticed by getting my son the "best view" but I cant get over the thought that I'll be damned if I cut line. The poojaris are no help, put X-money there, use line A++! Ugh, this issue is such a mind-boggling morass for me. Am I just dumb to not recognize that God offered me all these easy opportunities to hangout together, or have I earned his eternal blessing for standing up to what is right?)
c) I am not sure I understand the value of the counter-punch in the you farted game. Could someone please explain it again? When someone throws an obviously baseless accusation and leaves us to defend, should the obvious response not be; Crusader religion person of insulting type (the north koreans do this well), why are you insulting my holy way of life (or other surrogates). i.e. the in your face cease and desist, until they explain how their argument is not baseless, no? Or is it much simpler than that: you debase my religion I debase yours. You insult me, I insult yours....But then the problem with that is the neutral observer is left with unanswered questions (neutral being a relative term, of course!). What is the right way to hold fort while deleting the offense?
d) Who's got their narrative down and wants to go first?
I have a few questions....
a) Who is (not) a secular Hindu? Isn't Hinduism inherently secular?
(For example, there are those who call themselves secular Jews and that confuses me a heck of a lot more than the notion of a secular Hindu).
b) A little while back, something about cutting line for darshan...the answer to which was that some good said person did in some past allowed that to happen. Isn't this a glib, dangerous argument, to confront proselytization with?
Isn't this an insult to other fellow Hindus?
(For what its worth, my family got the side-door to darshan plenty, and I obstinately refused, each time, since age 5 or so. It has caused a lot of headache in the family and still does...Getting older, I do realize how hard my parents worked for that access and that they see no wrong in it per se, though they do appreciate my arguments and I appreciate their industriousness. Now, I sure get enticed by getting my son the "best view" but I cant get over the thought that I'll be damned if I cut line. The poojaris are no help, put X-money there, use line A++! Ugh, this issue is such a mind-boggling morass for me. Am I just dumb to not recognize that God offered me all these easy opportunities to hangout together, or have I earned his eternal blessing for standing up to what is right?)
c) I am not sure I understand the value of the counter-punch in the you farted game. Could someone please explain it again? When someone throws an obviously baseless accusation and leaves us to defend, should the obvious response not be; Crusader religion person of insulting type (the north koreans do this well), why are you insulting my holy way of life (or other surrogates). i.e. the in your face cease and desist, until they explain how their argument is not baseless, no? Or is it much simpler than that: you debase my religion I debase yours. You insult me, I insult yours....But then the problem with that is the neutral observer is left with unanswered questions (neutral being a relative term, of course!). What is the right way to hold fort while deleting the offense?
d) Who's got their narrative down and wants to go first?