California company removes objectionable skateboards with images of Hindu deities - D

[HDFNewsBot]

India Talkies
<img alt="" height="1" width="1" />
California company removes objectionable skateboards with images of Hindu deities
Daily News & Analysis
Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement on this issue on June 21, had said that Hindu deities were meant to be worshipped in ...
Hindu mantras opened Boulder City Council in NevadaCentral Chronicle

all 3 news articles &raquo;


More...

[SethDrebitko]

I personally don't see the big deal; I think the intent upon which an item is sold should be considered. The way to progressively promote The faith without prostelyzing is to encourage westerners to gobble up the images and practices where ever they are willing.

Responces like this just make the commnity look worse than even Christians.

[Ramakrishna]

I personally don't see the big deal; I think the intent upon which an item is sold should be considered. The way to progressively promote The faith without prostelyzing is to encourage westerners to gobble up the images and practices where ever they are willing.

Responces like this just make the commnity look worse than even Christians.

Namaste Seth,

I respectfully disagree with you on this. I think the big issue here is that people would be putting their feet and riding on top of those deities. I don't think a lot of Christians would want to see people putting their feet and riding upon Jesus, and a lot of Hindus don't want to see that done with their deities.

I agree with you that we need to promote the faith without proselytizing, but there are definitely better methods to do that than this. I suppose I'm okay with putting pictures of deities on t-shirts, but this is just too far with people putting their feet on the deities and showing no respect.

Jai Sri Krishna

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakam: Mixing religious imagery with commerce is a long standing idea. What about the Indian restaurants that serve meat and have names like "Dancing Ganesha's"? Where is the line drawn. I don't think Ganesha serves meat. I am sadly getting the picture that if is an Indian doing the commerce, it is okay, but if it is a westerner, it is religious insult. Not sure about this, but there is a grey area there somewhere where individuals have to decide what's insulting to themselves, not listen to "acclaimed Hindu statesmen".

Personally, I'm insulted by both of the above examples.

Aum Namasivaya

[SethDrebitko]

While I would not personally purchase something like that, I think what rubs me wrong is the Hindu community flexing its muscle to force people to conform to their personal beliefs.

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam Seth:

Flexing it's muscle? The Hindu community in America has little muscle. One guy points it out to an American who isn't aware, and you call it muscle flexing. Companies need to know what things could be culturally offensive to some Hindus. How else will they learn?

Its like at our temple. We need to inform people of the customs. At the festival twice I saw people taking pictures, once I saw a guy asked to have his hat removed. Its just about educating others of some of the finer points of Hindu culture. There are many things besides clothing, such as talking closely with members of the opposite genders, dressing modestly, not sitting with feet pointed towards the sacred shrines, removing shoes, bathing before coming, eating with the right hand, respecting those in orange robes with things such as touching the feet, not staring, not blocking the viewpoint for darshan, not walking in front of someone who is prostrating, and a hundred or so more subtle cultural nuances.

Back in the old days, people used the 'n' word sometimes out of ignorance, not as an insult. Someone had to go up and say, "I'm sorry, Sir, but the race you are referring to with that word considers it a negative term."

Aum Namasivaya

[SethDrebitko]

Flexing it's muscle? The Hindu community in America has little muscle. One guy points it out to an American who isn't aware, and you call it muscle flexing. Companies need to know what things could be culturally offensive to some Hindus. How else will they learn?

I apologize, after reading the article again I some how misunderstood the situation. I was under the impression for some reason that their was a demand made to zazzle. I can see from your perspective that pointing it out as being offensive is not wrong, but I would say we should not go about making demands.

Thank you for clarifying that for me, again sorry for the confusion.

[Eastern Mind]

I apologize, after reading the article again I some how misunderstood the situation. I was under the impression for some reason that their was a demand made to zazzle. I can see from your perspective that pointing it out as being offensive is not wrong, but I would say we should not go about making demands.

Thank you for clarifying that for me, again sorry for the confusion.

Vannakkam Seth:

Not a problem. The whole situation is a very fine line. In almost all instances, Hindus themselves are divided on the issue. Of course we can'r stop individuals from doing whatever they want. You can customise almost anything these days.

Aum Namasivaya