PDA

View Full Version : American Outdoor Cremation



Eastern Mind
06 February 2011, 07:54 AM
Vannakkam: I really didn't believe this when I read it. It just doesn't seem like the 'American' way.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/31/AR2011013100570.html?nav=hcmodule

Maybe others will be able to take up same. For the traditionalists among us, it would be truly amazing. Personally, I'm okay in the chamber, but i remember reading how there was a court battle in Britain.

Aum Namasivaya

Ramakrishna
08 February 2011, 09:24 PM
Namaste Eastern Mindji,

Great news. I suppose I would be okay in the chamber as well, although it would be great to be cremated like they did way back in the day. I also believe the scriptures call for an open-air cremation, but I am not entirely sure. I remember reading about the court battle in Britain as well. The gentleman originally lost the case, then he appealed and I never heard about it again. It certainly would make a good First Amendment freedom of religion case in the United States if other places don't allow it.

Jai Sri Ram

Rationalist
12 February 2011, 03:35 PM
Namaste Eastern Mindji,

Great news. I suppose I would be okay in the chamber as well, although it would be great to be cremated like they did way back in the day. I also believe the scriptures call for an open-air cremation, but I am not entirely sure. I remember reading about the court battle in Britain as well. The gentleman originally lost the case, then he appealed and I never heard about it again. It certainly would make a good First Amendment freedom of religion case in the United States if other places don't allow it.

Jai Sri Ram

This is surprising. Americans are supposed to be the best of the best, the most intelligent, civilized, and creative little shits on the planet! What are they doing following a "pagan" practice?

Filthy hypocrites.

Eastern Mind
12 February 2011, 04:33 PM
Vannakkam Rationalist: Actually one of the things I admire about my friends to the south is the lack of central government control. Much more power is allotted to states and local government. A small village can decide pretty much on its own to allow outdoor cremations. I think that's pretty cool, but I'm still waiting for the state or federal govt. to have a look. Hopefully they'll stay away.

Sometimes its a detriment to the spread of Hinduism though as local governments use things like zoning and neighbour complaints about potential high traffic to block Hindu temples. In reality, its usually veiled racism even more that anti-Hindu stuff.

Aum Namasivaya

Rationalist
12 February 2011, 08:48 PM
Vannakkam Rationalist: Actually one of the things I admire about my friends to the south is the lack of central government control. Much more power is allotted to states and local government. A small village can decide pretty much on its own to allow outdoor cremations. I think that's pretty cool, but I'm still waiting for the state or federal govt. to have a look. Hopefully they'll stay away.

Sometimes its a detriment to the spread of Hinduism though as local governments use things like zoning and neighbour complaints about potential high traffic to block Hindu temples. In reality, its usually veiled racism even more that anti-Hindu stuff.

Aum Namasivaya

I live in a state as South as you can get in the U.S; Texas.

Eastern Mind
12 February 2011, 09:03 PM
I live in a state as South as you can get in the U.S; Texas.

Vannakam: Oh lucky you!:) One of these days there are a few temples I want to see there. San Antonio, Pearland to mention two of them.

Aum Namasivaya

Rationalist
12 February 2011, 10:03 PM
Vannakam: Oh lucky you!:) One of these days there are a few temples I want to see there. San Antonio, Pearland to mention two of them.

Aum Namasivaya

Sorry, double post!

Rationalist
12 February 2011, 10:13 PM
Vannakam: Oh lucky you!:) One of these days there are a few temples I want to see there. San Antonio, Pearland to mention two of them.

Aum Namasivaya

You went to Pearland?! My family goes to the Meenakshi Temple on a monthly basis!

I have seen quiet a few white devotees there throughout the years. Perhaps one of them was you? :dunno:

As for San Antonio, there was one temple there we went to after our escape from Houston following the news of Hurricane Rita. It was situated on top of a sunny hilltop, facing the setting sun. Beautiful place. It is unfortunate that my family and time had never found the opportunity to visit it since.

Eastern Mind
13 February 2011, 07:10 AM
You went to Pearland?! My family goes to the Meenakshi Temple on a monthly basis!

I have seen quiet a few white devotees there throughout the years. Perhaps one of them was you? :dunno:

As for San Antonio, there was one temple there we went to after our escape from Houston following the news of Hurricane Rita. It was situated on top of a sunny hilltop, facing the setting sun. Beautiful place. It is unfortunate that my family and time had never found the opportunity to visit it since.

Vannakkam Rationalist: I said I want to go. I didn't say I'd been. It's on the 'to do' list.
Aum Namasivaya

Rationalist
13 February 2011, 11:03 AM
Vannakkam Rationalist: I said I want to go. I didn't say I'd been. It's on the 'to do' list.
Aum Namasivaya

My apologies. :D

Arjuni
14 February 2011, 12:06 AM
Namasté, all.

You'd be surprised how far America's willing to go in the name of religious freedom. Open-air cremation doesn't seem like "the American way," no -

But neither does animal sacrifice, and in 1993, a Santería organisation defended their right to such - and won - in a Supreme Court case, The Church of Lukumí Babalu Aye v. the City of Hialeah (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Lukumi_Babalu_Aye_v._City_of_Hialeah). While people may attempt to make rules against religious rites simply out of prejudice against the religion, such restrictions are illegal and can be thrown out in court if one is able to persist in the pursuit of justice. It has to be proven that the practices are a risk to public health or safety (or cruel, in the case of the Lukumí church).

Rationalist, I'm originally from Louisiana. Is this the part in the post where we start comparing the oppressive, miserable heat of our respective states? :p

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

Sahasranama
14 February 2011, 04:43 AM
I don't know what the laws on religious freedom are here in the Netherlands. When I was sixteen I was doing agnihotra in the backyard and my neighboor called the police on me and they told us not to burn fire in the backyard. I still do it sometimes though.

Ramakrishna
15 February 2011, 12:54 AM
You'd be surprised how far America's willing to go in the name of religious freedom. Open-air cremation doesn't seem like "the American way," no -

But neither does animal sacrifice, and in 1993, a Santería organisation defended their right to such - and won - in a Supreme Court case, The Church of Lukumí Babalu Aye v. the City of Hialeah (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Lukumi_Babalu_Aye_v._City_of_Hialeah). While people may attempt to make rules against religious rites simply out of prejudice against the religion, such restrictions are illegal and can be thrown out in court if one is able to persist in the pursuit of justice. It has to be proven that the practices are a risk to public health or safety (or cruel, in the case of the Lukumí church).

Namaste Indraneela,

Interesting, I've heard of that case before, or at least one like it. Some issues people would make against open-air cremation are the smell and pollution, just like they brought up in the original case. I don't think that would stand up in court though, unless the judge is a biased fundamentalist Christian.


Rationalist, I'm originally from Louisiana. Is this the part in the post where we start comparing the oppressive, miserable heat of our respective states? :p


Can I play too? I'm in Tennessee, a little up north from you guys but it's still the south and I'm in the buckle of the Bible Belt! :)

Jai Sri Ram

Rationalist
15 February 2011, 05:50 PM
Namasté, all.

You'd be surprised how far America's willing to go in the name of religious freedom. Open-air cremation doesn't seem like "the American way," no -

But neither does animal sacrifice, and in 1993, a Santería organisation defended their right to such - and won - in a Supreme Court case, The Church of Lukumí Babalu Aye v. the City of Hialeah (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Lukumi_Babalu_Aye_v._City_of_Hialeah). While people may attempt to make rules against religious rites simply out of prejudice against the religion, such restrictions are illegal and can be thrown out in court if one is able to persist in the pursuit of justice. It has to be proven that the practices are a risk to public health or safety (or cruel, in the case of the Lukumí church).

Rationalist, I'm originally from Louisiana. Is this the part in the post where we start comparing the oppressive, miserable heat of our respective states? :p

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

I was born in Louisiana! However, Texas is WAY hotter. :D