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Thread: Ending Gov't. Temple Management Meeting

  1. #1

    Ending Gov't. Temple Management Meeting

    Namaste,

    An interesting report here. I am curious as to what my fellow
    HDF members think about this- what role, if any, should the government
    play in the affairs of temples?

    JAI MATA DI
    || जय माता की ||

  2. #2
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    Re: Ending Gov't. Temple Management Meeting

    Quote Originally Posted by JaiMaaDurga View Post
    Namaste,

    An interesting report here. I am curious as to what my fellow
    HDF members think about this- what role, if any, should the government
    play in the affairs of temples?

    JAI MATA DI
    Vannakkam: I'm not totally familiar with Indian government, and I think in some cases state governments do the temple controlling, and I don't know who has jurisdiction according to the Indian constitution.

    I know here (Canada), if the federal Supreme court makes a decision, it can override the provinces.

    I'm all for leaving all temples in control of the local temple authority, whomever that may be. Government has no right to be collecting additional tax from only one religion.

    Aum Namasivaya

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    Re: Ending Gov't. Temple Management Meeting

    Pranam,

    I definitely think that the govt should not interfere in temple administration. The consequence is clearly seen especially in Tamil Nadu where temples are monitored by atheists.

    They have complete control over the fundings in the temple, which people fondly donate for the purpose of maintainence of that temple. If some devotees, pained by the poor facilities in the temple, wish to do some monetary service they still have to await approval from the govt(HRNC board). People, too, hesitate to do any contribution as they are not sure as to where the money will end up going. The govt ofcourse has its eyes on the funds. One also wonders on how much visibility and control the govt has on church and mosque fundings.

    They also keep questioning and interfering in traditions. For e.g there's a tradition that has been in practise for centuries, where Mutt pontiffs are carried on shoulders much like the deities. If I remember right, this practice was suddenly questioned in SriRangam and put to to a halt, as it looked to them like demeaning. No one is forced to do it and everyone does it out of his own volition.

    When we contribute to a temple, we do it for temple purpose alone and not to fill random people's pockets.

  4. #4

    Re: Ending Gov't. Temple Management Meeting

    The government should have no role in temple administration. That it does so today in spite of the democracy that supports it is one of the great wonders of the world. Why should atheists, Christians, and Muslims have any say as to how Hindu temples are managed? Why should Christians and Muslims have access to temple donations so as to fund the propaganda to spread their false religions? It's ridiculous. It's corrupt. It's a violation of human rights.
    Philosoraptor

    "Wise men speak because they have something to say. Fools speak because they have to say something." - Plato

  5. #5

    Re: Ending Gov't. Temple Management Meeting

    delete
    Last edited by Sudas Paijavana; 17 January 2014 at 06:05 PM.

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    Re: Ending Gov't. Temple Management Meeting

    Namaste

    The political allegiance and affiliations of government can change over time, Royalists can be in State one day and communists in control the next day. Though I am a Hindu, my conservative American mistrust of central, large government runs in my blood, and I simply cannot understand how some who mistrust big corporations are often the same who put their faith in big (obese) government - ultimately both can suffer from the same frailty of human corruption and selfish power hungry squalor that can be the nature of humans. Really, it comes down to humans who are given large reign of power, be it a large corporation which may have a monopoly or an obese government with massive power often in the hands of unelected bureaucrats, in either case why do you trust one set of humans but not the other?

    Both can be ripe with human frailty, selfish and frankly stupid people who are prone to flattery and greed and corruption and why should you assume that by giving them power over your lives they will remain honest and civil? Often, the opposite is the result, and once you give such power over your life it can be difficult to take your freedom back from their maya.

    So my instincts always tend to strongly mistrust central, large bureaucracy and prefer less government, smaller government, less central and more local. I prefer many, diverse local governments and states, with the opportunity to leave one jurisdiction and move to another if I do not like what I see.

    In India, I know for a fact that government subsidises “Haj” pilgrimages. Outrageous! The government of India is suppose to be secular, yet takes money from citizens and subsidises Haj and while at the same controls some major and famous Hindu temples but leaves Mosques alone which often hide anti-government and anti-Indian extremists.

    A temple can be built as a private temple as a residence of the Devas and Devi. Government should have no say to private temples. And those temples built by the community of devotees as a residence of the Devas and Devi are the love expressed by the community and government should no more control it than they should control your own children.

    If the government wants to control a temple, let that government then build and support that temple but by the funds garnished from the wages of those same government bureaucrats and not the citizens. Humans in government are as much tempted as anyone else to loot the treasures of temples, why should we assume they are pure as the fallen snow? Events in India show us otherwise.

    Om Namah Sivaya

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