Hindus welcome Unitarian Universalist interest in Hinduism - Webnewswire.com

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California Catholic Daily
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Hindus welcome Unitarian Universalist interest in Hinduism
Webnewswire.com
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that everybody was welcome to indulge in rich philosophical thought Hinduism offered ...
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[Storm]

Ha, I'm not alone!

[Onkara]

Hi Storm
How do you imagine the influence of Sananta Dharma might be on UU? I ask knowing almost nothing of UU, so perhaps my question could be worded; how could UU cater best for Hinduism's uniqueness or could Hindus fit in or would UU services need to change for them?

[BryonMorrigan]

We are the Unitarian Universalists. Lower your shields, and surrender your message board. We will add your religious and philosophical distinctiveness to our own. Your religion will adapt to service ours. Resistance is futile.

[satay]

We are the Borg. You will be assimilated!

[BryonMorrigan]

We are the Borg. You will be assimilated!

Yep. You got it!

UUs seem like nice enough people....but I just can't help but think of the Borg whenever they start talking!

[NayaSurya]

Hey! My husband and I are Borg!

Whenever our children try to go back and forth between us to get a better answer we always play the Borg card on them!:P

Our children know that resistance is futile, for sure!

For some reason this whole conversation reminds me of how *some of the* pagan groups have borrowed from every single ancient path and then mixed it up into a confused mishmash of anti religion.

[Storm]

Hi Storm
How do you imagine the influence of Sananta Dharma might be on UU?

Well, I don't feel I know enough about Hinduism to say how it would influence us, yet.

Buddhism is a pretty heavy influence, though. Readings from the Dalai Lama and Thich Naht Hanh are very common, as are classes on the tradition. Many UUs also consider themselves Buddhist, and I think a Hindu could find a welcoming community in most UU congregations. (We're as much an interfaith alliance as an independent religion. I've known UU Chrisitans, neopagans, atheists, and even Muslims.)

More generally, we seek wisdom from all faith traditions. I'm a little more extreme in this than most, as religion is my great passion, but it's not uncommon. We tend to adopt holidays, philosophy, and meditation techniques. Also, I think we share with most Hindus the idea that all Gods are ultimately one.

From what little I know, I think greater knowledge of your tradition would greatly enrich ours. That's a tricky balance, though, doing it respectfully. In our celebration of diversity, we strive to honor all the various tradtitions. I think we usually succeed, but not always. As a former neopagan, I had an irksome moment at the (overall lovely) Winter Solstice celebration that I attended last December. They said "the circle is cast" when it wasn't. It was a little thing, but it bugged.

I ask knowing almost nothing of UU,

If you're interested, I'd be delighted to answer any questions you have.

Sauce for the goose, and all that....

so perhaps my question could be worded; how could UU cater best for Hinduism's uniqueness

That, we're pretty good at. The occasional faux pas aside, one of the few things UUs agree on wholeheartedly is that diversity rocks. We love and honor all paths, and revel in their differences. Should a Hindu wish to introduce their own path to a typical congregation's services and celebrations, they would be eagerly welcomed.

or could Hindus fit in or would UU services need to change for them?

Well, that would depend on the Hindu, I think. So long as they honor other people's diversity in turn, they would be welcome. If they tried to force us into the Hindu mold, not so much.

That said, services vary wildly between congregations, and I'd be rather surprised if a Hindu couldn't find some pattern that suited their preferences.

We are the Unitarian Universalists. Lower your shields, and surrender your message board. We will add your religious and philosophical distinctiveness to our own. Your religion will adapt to service ours. Resistance is futile.

LOL!

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam Storm:

I have a couple of questions about your faith and beliefs.

Is it heaven/hell or is it reincarnation? Seems to me that would be one of the hardest to reconcile and pretty hard to find an in-between place although it seems like you are trying on another thread.

Are UU's vegetarian, or is there any doctrine on diet? I am presuming you have the freedom to choose.

What about the virtue of abstaining from premarital sex?

What is the goal of life according to UU? Is it like getting to heaven, or attaining moksha?

These are just a couple of questions I have before I go and explore the websites, if I choose to.

BTW, Rajan Zed does not speak for all Hindus, although he likes to think he does, so when you get a headline like the one today, it may be misleading. Of course, we have no central authority. Individual sampradaya leaders, yes. Many of them. Oh there's another question. Is UU organised with some sort of hierarchial structure?

Aum Namasivaya

[Storm]

Vannakkam Storm:

I have a couple of questions about your faith and beliefs.

Is it heaven/hell or is it reincarnation? Seems to me that would be one of the hardest to reconcile and pretty hard to find an in-between place although it seems like you are trying on another thread.

Are UU's vegetarian, or is there any doctrine on diet? I am presuming you have the freedom to choose.

What about the virtue of abstaining from premarital sex?

All of these questions are left up to the individual.

That may seem strange, but ours is a covenantal faith, not doctrinal. In other words, we agree to prinicples of behavior, not theology.

The covenant of Unitarian Universailsm is expressed in the 7 Principles:
We affirm and promote

• The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
• Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
• Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
• A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
• The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
• The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
• Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

The questions above would fall under the Fourth Principle, the free and responsible search for truth and meaning.

What is the goal of life according to UU? Is it like getting to heaven, or attaining moksha?

Neither. The goal of UU is to build the Beloved Community, in which all people live in accordance with the ideals of justice, compassion, and equality.

These are just a couple of questions I have before I go and explore the websites, if I choose to.

If you so choose, I would suggest starting here.

BTW, Rajan Zed does not speak for all Hindus, although he likes to think he does, so when you get a headline like the one today, it may be misleading. Of course, we have no central authority. Individual sampradaya leaders, yes. Many of them.

Duly noted.

Oh there's another question. Is UU organised with some sort of hierarchial structure?

Sort of, a loose one. We have the UUA, but I wouldn't call it an authority. We do have ministers, though that varies by congregation. Some are lay-led. But there's no one telling us what to believe.