I was going to cut this off but the ignorance being displayed by your posts is too great to let slide. As Goddess of knowledge and learning, Saraswati weeps at such abject ignorance.
I can understand your hostility....apparently I have trodden on your sensitive toes....
My toes are not sensitive. But you are insulting my intelligence and the intelligence of 1 billion Hindus, and offending them by constantly disparaging the religion with your passive-aggressive comments. You're not trying to understand or learn, you're trying to score "Aha! Gotcha!" points. I've watched your posts for a very long time.
But since I am used to that myself, its usually water off a duck's back, so taking offense accomplishes very little, IMO. It just makes one look as if they are afraid of criticism. I can't be the first to question a western Christian's defection to ancient Asian Hinduism.... and its blatant idolatry? It is the antithesis of Christianity. But perhaps that is what you like most about it?
There's your passive-aggressive judgement and denigration again. Blatant idolatry? How many times has someone explained to you and the forum at large that Hindus don't worship idols?
Do you choose to ignore that? (that's a rhetorical question, I know the answer).
Afraid of criticism? No, because no one is owed an explanation, or rather, justification. It is however, our duty to dispel ignorance. And your comments and insincere questions are a humdinger of an example.
For you, maybe. For me it's a big no. I'm looking to see if you said anywhere what he does for me or can or will do. I can't find it.
I thought they were reasonable questions and that you may have had some defense for them.....?
Reasonable in your mind but with the distinct stench of mockery and denigration. Moreover, they don't need "defense".
Surely you have had to deal with people questioning your devotion to gods like Ganesha......a chubby man with the head of an elephant.....or the ones with faces of other creatures.....that might have worked a few centuries ago, but in the 21st century....? How do you explain it without looking silly?
Why do your gods have the faces of animals? And why are these gods often depicted with feminine features?
A picture is worth a thousand words. The images are not random willy-nilly someone's imagination. There is standard iconography that is followed in painting the pictures or sculpting the murtis. Btw, the word is
murti, meaning 'form', not idol. They tell stories of the powers and attributes of the gods. Speaking of murti, trimurti specifically, Hinduism does not have a Trinity, as you asked yesterday. That is a western construct to make it more "See? All religions are the same" with Christianity. Brahmā, Vishnu and Shiva are not on an equal footing as far as powers or their functions. Vishnu and Shiva are, to many Hindus, flip sides of the same God, complementary and supplementary. Krishna is not an incarnation of "the second person of the trinity". More "See? Jesus and Krishna are the same" bull****.
The Meaning Behind Symbols of Lord Ganesha
Why most drawings of Hindu gods look feminine unlike Norse Aesir and some other pantheons? - Quora
Why are Hindu gods portrayed blue in colour? - Quora
You didn't know that did you? If you did you wouldn't have made such comments. Silly explanation, huh?
That is one of my favorite images.. the divine form of Lord Krishna shown to Arjuna... All of creation, all beings, all concepts, all thoughts, everything that exists embodied in Lord Krishna.
"But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of My divine power I pervade and support this entire universe". BG 10.42
What makes you think he gives people anything detrimental? All of those things you mentioned are a product of human activity, not God. He is not preventing these things because humans claimed that they didn't need him in their lives.....he is showing them what it means to live without him. Its got nothing to do with them being "sinful" (a word you clearly have problems with) he is allowing bad things to happen even to his own faithful ones like Job....but for a reason and with a large reward for not brought to their knees by adversity. Endurance is a very necessary quality to get through the end times, which I believe are well and truly here. (Matthew 24:13; 21-22)
You've never heard "It's God's will"? Allowing bad things to happen to Job... testing his faithful... sounds sadistic to me, and not very omniscient. What about his faithful people that don't pass his tests? What's the backstroke... I mean reason for that?
Face it, you just don't like it that someone, whether Hindu, Catholic, Muslim, Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, does not believe what you believe. That's called indoctrination. Yes, I have a problem with the word sin and the concept of sin. There's that "Do as I say or I'll punish you". And, describe sin for me if you will.
You said there was "no punishment".....make up your mind. There is either a punishment in hell, or there isn't.
The punishment looks terrifying...even if it is temporary......so how temporary are we talking....?
Didn't read again, huh? Thought you scored an "aha gotcha"? No. I said not everyone believes the same stories. And that's no contradiction because no one can know all the truth there is. We can only see parts of it. And like all people everywhere, in every age, they tell stories to explain things as best they can. How temporary? Next time I'm there, after this or a subsequent life I'll ask Lord Yama how long I'll be there. Stupid questions merit sarcastic answers.
Better yet, I hope and pray daily that at the time of my demise I remember God, keep him in mind and can chant his names, which will allow me to break free of samsara. Christians need to "accept" Christ as their Lord, God and Savior or else.. nope, sorry, no Heaven for you. We have no such conditions.
Those who relinquish the body while remembering Me at the moment of death will come to Me. There is certainly no doubt about this. BG 8.5
Even if one commits the most abominable action, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated in his determination. BG 9.30
So, keep 'em coming. But leave the passive-aggressive disparaging attitude at the front desk in the basket with your car keys.
