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Thread: Group seeks to restore Hinduism as secular Nepal's State religion - Ecumenical News I

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    Post Group seeks to restore Hinduism as secular Nepal's State religion - Ecumenical News I


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    Group seeks to restore Hinduism as secular Nepal&#39;s State religion
    Ecumenical News International
    Now, with a new constitution due in May, Hindu groups are pressuring the government to reinstate Hinduism as the State religion. Dahal&#39;s demand is backed by ...
    Nithyananda scandal: PIL to direct TV channelsExpress Buzz

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    Re: Group seeks to restore Hinduism as secular Nepal's State religion - Ecumenical Ne

    I really don't know what to think of all this. Why are so many Hindus pushing to make Hinduism the official state religion if Hinduism preaches that there are many paths to God? Don't most Hindus believe that people of other religions can attain salvation, or is it just a minority that believes that? What exactly would be the laws regarding religion under a Hindu state? I've put some thought into theocracy , but not much. I'm not entirely opposed to this idea but I'm not really for it either.

    Thoughts anyone?

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    Re: Group seeks to restore Hinduism as secular Nepal's State religion - Ecumenical Ne

    You are wrong. Hindus are not pushing for it. Nepal was the ONLY HINDU STATE in the world before the Maoists took over. Hindus only want to reclaim that status.

    Incidentally, but for the tantrum of Gandhi and Nehru, India would have remained as the LARGEST HINDU STATE in the world, as it was before the British took over. Hindus in India working to reclaim that status is also legitimate, national and in no way opposed to the Hindu Dharma. In fact, it is the Hindu Dharma as Francois Gautier would say.
    रत्नाकरधौतपदां हिमालयकिरीटिनीम् ।
    ब्रह्मराजर्षिररत्नाढ्यां वन्दे भारतमातरम् ॥

    To her whose feet are washed by the ocean, who wears the Himalayas as her crown, and is adorned with the gems of rishis and kings, to Mother India, do I bow down in respect.

    --viShNu purANam

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    Re: Group seeks to restore Hinduism as secular Nepal's State religion - Ecumenical Ne

    Quote Originally Posted by Ramakrishna View Post
    I really don't know what to think of all this. Why are so many Hindus pushing to make Hinduism the official state religion if Hinduism preaches that there are many paths to God? Don't most Hindus believe that people of other religions can attain salvation, or is it just a minority that believes that? What exactly would be the laws regarding religion under a Hindu state? I've put some thought into theocracy , but not much. I'm not entirely opposed to this idea but I'm not really for it either.

    Thoughts anyone?
    I think most Hindus, if not the vast majority, do believe that there are multiple paths to God. But this is different than the so-called radical universalism that is starting to become popular. To me, the "all paths lead to God" belief is merely a statement that all human beings will ultimately reach Brahman, even if it is through a seemingly endless cycle of births, as is the case with the asuras. I further believe that God judges people based on their deeds, not their theology. So I don't believe that any good person is at a disadvantage by being born in a non-Hindu religion. However, it's going quite far to say that all religions are equally valid. Religions teach contradictory doctrines, so they can't all be true. I see Hinduism as containing the most truth of any religion I know.

    Now as far as theocracy goes, I don't think that Hindu theocracy necessarily needs to be in any specific form. Of all the religions out there, only Judaism and Islam have codified rules for theocracy. Judaism has the Torah and Halacha, while Islam has the Quran and Hadith. As far as I know, Hindus don't have a corresponding legal code. I suppose the Scrolls of Manu would come close, but many Hindus don't even accept that as authoritative because of the discriminatory things it says about people of certain castes. I suppose a Hindu theocracy might be a government in which the state sponsors Hindu temples and religious functions, where Hinduism is recognized as the official religion to be honored in schools, the workplace, at public events, etc. I don't know how the theocracy of Nepal worked, but a Hindu theocracy needn't trample on the rights of other religions. A hallmark of India is that we have afforded protection to other religious faiths, including Zoroastrians, Buddhists, Jews, and Christians. I would hope that a theocracy in India would continue this tradition.

    A possible objection is that theocracy has worked very poorly in the West and the Middle East, and should thus not be established in India. However we must keep in mind that these theocracies were Christian and Islamic respectively. Christianity and Islam are by nature oppressive religions that tend to control and dominate others as soon as they gain power, and this isn't the best reason not to have a Hindu theocracy.

    I'm not saying that I necessarily would support a theocracy in India. However, I do admit that it would solve a few problems. Right now India is plagued by evangelical missionaries from the West. A Hindu theocracy could easily put a stop to all missionary activity and other Christian outreach, and could enforce a ban on the building of evangelical churches (note that this wouldn't be a general law opposing Christianity, but only curtailing the dangerous evangelical variety). Really this is no more than what is already done in the West, where neighborhood organizations often protest the building of Hindu temples and where the government funds church-based charities. Having a Hindu theocracy would eliminate the problems that hardline secularism poses for us.

    Just my random thoughts on this...

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    Re: Group seeks to restore Hinduism as secular Nepal's State religion - Ecumenical Ne

    Vannakkam:

    I hope they make it Hindu, but that the fanatical Hindus don't go nuts killing or really going after the minorities. Just let things be, peacefully. That's always a problem. But yes, making conversion illegal is a good idea. It's a basic premise of history that when two cultures collide the most violent one wins. And in essence that is the problem, the Hindus aren't willing to stand up.

    Look at places like Malaysia and Indonesia where Islamisataion isn't doing a whole lot for minorities. The Hindus might just as well pack up and leave for the west, like 300 000 minority Tamils did from Sri Lanka.

    In most democratic nations, there is provision for minority rights in constitutions. This has gone overboard in India. Way overboard. Equal rights but not preferential rights.

    Aum Namasivaya

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    Re: Group seeks to restore Hinduism as secular Nepal's State religion - Ecumenical Ne

    Quote Originally Posted by saidevo View Post
    You are wrong. Hindus are not pushing for it. Nepal was the ONLY HINDU STATE in the world before the Maoists took over. Hindus only want to reclaim that status.
    I don't see why you say that I'm wrong. I never said that Nepal was not the only Hindu state in the world, I know that it was. Hindus are pushing for it to become a Hindu state, and that is exactly what you are saying when you say they "only want to reclaim that status." By "reclaiming that status", they are pushing for Nepal to become a Hindu state.

  7. #7

    Re: Group seeks to restore Hinduism as secular Nepal's State religion - Ecumenical Ne

    Quote Originally Posted by sanjaya View Post
    I think most Hindus, if not the vast majority, do believe that there are multiple paths to God. But this is different than the so-called radical universalism that is starting to become popular. To me, the "all paths lead to God" belief is merely a statement that all human beings will ultimately reach Brahman, even if it is through a seemingly endless cycle of births, as is the case with the asuras. I further believe that God judges people based on their deeds, not their theology. So I don't believe that any good person is at a disadvantage by being born in a non-Hindu religion. However, it's going quite far to say that all religions are equally valid. Religions teach contradictory doctrines, so they can't all be true. I see Hinduism as containing the most truth of any religion I know.

    Now as far as theocracy goes, I don't think that Hindu theocracy necessarily needs to be in any specific form. Of all the religions out there, only Judaism and Islam have codified rules for theocracy. Judaism has the Torah and Halacha, while Islam has the Quran and Hadith. As far as I know, Hindus don't have a corresponding legal code. I suppose the Scrolls of Manu would come close, but many Hindus don't even accept that as authoritative because of the discriminatory things it says about people of certain castes. I suppose a Hindu theocracy might be a government in which the state sponsors Hindu temples and religious functions, where Hinduism is recognized as the official religion to be honored in schools, the workplace, at public events, etc. I don't know how the theocracy of Nepal worked, but a Hindu theocracy needn't trample on the rights of other religions. A hallmark of India is that we have afforded protection to other religious faiths, including Zoroastrians, Buddhists, Jews, and Christians. I would hope that a theocracy in India would continue this tradition.

    A possible objection is that theocracy has worked very poorly in the West and the Middle East, and should thus not be established in India. However we must keep in mind that these theocracies were Christian and Islamic respectively. Christianity and Islam are by nature oppressive religions that tend to control and dominate others as soon as they gain power, and this isn't the best reason not to have a Hindu theocracy.

    I'm not saying that I necessarily would support a theocracy in India. However, I do admit that it would solve a few problems. Right now India is plagued by evangelical missionaries from the West. A Hindu theocracy could easily put a stop to all missionary activity and other Christian outreach, and could enforce a ban on the building of evangelical churches (note that this wouldn't be a general law opposing Christianity, but only curtailing the dangerous evangelical variety). Really this is no more than what is already done in the West, where neighborhood organizations often protest the building of Hindu temples and where the government funds church-based charities. Having a Hindu theocracy would eliminate the problems that hardline secularism poses for us.

    Just my random thoughts on this...
    Well I pretty much agree with everything you have said. I definitely think there are multiple paths to God, but I too am against the radical universalism and the concept that all religions are completely true. I'm also strongly opposed to the belief that many Christians have that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation and all others are damned to hell

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