Hinduism and Christianity

[Vinayaka]

By brain drain, I presume you mean talented people relocating overseas? That is really an inevitability of globalisation. Skilled people move to where they can earn more and have a better quality of life. I could improve my income by nearly 50% by moving to Australia.

I have never been to India but lived nearly 3 months in a predominantly Indian town in Fiji.

India is chalk full of contradictions. No place quite like it.

 

[Vinayaka]

I don't tend to google any scandals tbh. Being a gamer I'm usually all scandaled out.

It's mandatory for me, when I look into things. Thank goodness for the internet. Dirty little secrets come out a lot quicker. But yes, lack of any scandal is also very telling.

 

[Dawnofhope]

India is chalk full of contradictions. No place quite like it.

For me, religion has to work. It needs to be an identifiable belief system that makes a tangible difference in the lives and communities of those who follow it. In that sense, if Hinduism was a religion that distinguished itself from others, it would certainly be apparent in the lives, communities, conduct and capacity of the Indian people. As you say, India along with its long established religion Hinduism is full of contradictions.

 

[SomeRandom]

It's mandatory for me, when I look into things. Thank goodness for the internet. Dirty little secrets come out a lot quicker. But yes, lack of any scandal is also very telling.

My guilty pleasure is watching YouTube drama. Especially among the skeptic, anti SJW (and sometimes the actual SJW) gamer groups. It's just so petty and dumb and I love it all. It's like my version of soap operas or reality TV. Like a fiery car crash, just can't look away. So yes thank the Lord almighty for the Internet. But it does fill my daily quota for scandals, alas.

 

[SomeRandom]

For me, religion has to work. It needs to be an identifiable belief system that makes a tangible difference in the lives and communities of those who follow it. In that sense, if Hinduism was a religion that distinguished itself from others, it would certainly be apparent in the lives, communities, conduct and capacity of the Indian people. As you say, India along with its long established religion Hinduism is full of contradictions.

To be fair all religions are full of contradictions. That's why there's differing sects to begin with.

 

[Dawnofhope]

To be fair all religions are full of contradictions. That's why there's differing sects to begin with.

That is true, including my own, but it’s a matter of degrees. Ask an adherent of an Abrahamic Faith how many Gods there are and we all know the answer. Ask the same question of a Hindu and the answers are endless.

 

[Vinayaka]

For me, religion has to work. It needs to be an identifiable belief system that makes a tangible difference in the lives and communities of those who follow it. In that sense, if Hinduism was a religion that distinguished itself from others, it would certainly be apparent in the lives, communities, conduct and capacity of the Indian people. As you say, India along with its long established religion Hinduism is full of contradictions.

Oh, Hinduism is quite alive, most especially in pilgrim towns, but also on every street corner. It permeates the country and it's people.
The upcoming Kumbh Mela over a couple of months is expected to draw 18 million people. It's a daily, some might say hourly, faith.

Divya and Bhavya Kumbh

 

[SomeRandom]

That is true, including my own, but it’s a matter of degrees. Ask an adherent of an Abrahamic Faith how many Gods there are and we all know the answer. Ask the same question of a Hindu and the answers are endless.

Ask an Abrahamic who is the true adherent and you'll end up with a million answers.
Ask a Hindu who is a true adherent and you'll end up with a puzzled look and a "whoever is true to themselves."
Hmm.

 

[Vinayaka]

Ask an Abrahamic who is the true adherent and you'll end up with a million answers.
Ask a Hindu who is a true adherent and you'll end up with a puzzled look and a "whoever is true to themselves."
Hmm.

Very different paradigms.

 

[SomeRandom]

Very different paradigms.

I suppose.

 

[Dawnofhope]

Ask an Abrahamic who is the true adherent and you'll end up with a million answers.
Ask a Hindu who is a true adherent and you'll end up with a puzzled look and a "whoever is true to themselves."
Hmm.

Being true to oneself is a universal human attribute, not unique to Hinduism or in fact any religion. Being true to oneself in the West may lead to the whole diversity of religious experience or no religion at all. So we have much the same outcome in the West as in India. In India there is social pressures not to join some religions depending on our background, just like everywhere else.

 

[Dawnofhope]

Oh, Hinduism is quite alive, most especially in pilgrim towns, but also on every street corner. It permeates the country and it's people.
The upcoming Kumbh Mela over a couple of months is expected to draw 18 million people. It's a daily, some might say hourly, faith.

Divya and Bhavya Kumbh

That’s the reality of any devotee of any faith where it pervades every aspect of life. I agree we don’t have long festivals in the West but how necessary are they?

 

[SomeRandom]

Being true to oneself is a universal human attribute, not unique to Hinduism or in fact any religion. Being true to oneself in the West may lead to the whole diversity of religious experience or no religion at all. So we have much the same outcome in the West as in India. In India there is social pressures not to join some religions depending on our background, just like everywhere else.

Humans are also intrinsically faulty. They use religion (and arguably even science) to try to make sense of this inescapable fact.

The approaches are different is all. Dharmics want to live their religion in its purest form. That is to literally experience existence in and of itself. The Abrahamics wish to appease the creator of their existence. To sing of their praises and to obey and worship who they see as their unchallengeable Master (or Lord if you prefer.)
Neither is better and both offer strengths and weaknesses.

That’s the reality of any devotee of any faith where it pervades every aspect of life. I agree we don’t have long festivals in the West but how necessary are they?

How necessary are Churches and worship rites/rituals to begin with?
How necessary is religion? How necessary is art?
How necessary is this very discussion?
One's Life or death is not predicated on the outcome, after all.

 

[ajay0]

With increasingly reliance on communications and connectivity the decision to focus on technologies that enable satellite placement appears a smart move and a good example of the innovation and entrepreneurialism India needs to develop its economy. Obviously the programme has its critics.

We are adept in many other technologies as well. India is doing quite well in IT as well, at the moment.

In the medical sector, India attracts patients all around the world due to cost-effectiveness.

I'm not too sure what you mean by India continuing to exist as an ancient civilisation. I imagine there is much of value in your heritage but a lot needs to change as I outlined in my previous post.

There will be traditional baggage in an ancient civilization, which is being held on to for nostalgic purposes though obsolete, and this is being ironed out gradually.

 

[Firemorphic]

Ask an Abrahamic who is the true adherent and you'll end up with a million answers.
Ask a Hindu who is a true adherent and you'll end up with a puzzled look and a "whoever is true to themselves."
Hmm.

A true adherent of both will know the shortsightedness of being expected to give your knowledge and understand as if it's a pill to take but instead advise you to search within, without, outside, beyond and come to your own conclusions based on experience.
A false adherent of both will try and steal your money or emotions and make you feel satisfied for a second and regretful afterwards.

 

[SomeRandom]

A true adherent of both will know the shortsightedness of being expected to give your knowledge and understand as if it's a pill to take but instead advise you to search within, without, outside, beyond and come to your own conclusions based on experience.
A false adherent of both will try and steal your money or emotions and make you feel satisfied for a second and regretful afterwards.

And one can find both in every religion known to mankind.
I just don't know why it has to always end in debate and petty squabbles. It's like children arguing over who is the favoured progeny.

Also Happy Birthday!

 

[ajay0]

By brain drain, I presume you mean talented people relocating overseas? That is really an inevitability of globalisation. Skilled people move to where they can earn more and have a better quality of life. I could improve my income by nearly 50% by moving to Australia.

I have never been to India but lived nearly 3 months in a predominantly Indian town in Fiji.

India has an international diaspora of around 25 million of Indian origin.

I have never been to India but lived nearly 3 months in a predominantly Indian town in Fiji.

They are the descendants of Indians taken abroad as indentured laborers by the British to provide manpower for sugar plantations. Indentured labor is now banned by the Universal Declaration of human rights.

 

[ajay0]

Marxism has generally been a disaster wherever its been established. China hasn't really been following Marxism since its capitalist like economic reforms during the 1970s.

Would Karl Marx recognise China’s new communism?

There are some capitalist reforms, but not democratic reforms. The dictatorship of the proletariat continues, with the vision of exporting communism to other nations.

The 1989 Tiananmen Square protests by Chinese students in favor of democracy, freedom of press and speech was crushed with military force.

1989 Tiananmen Square protests - Wikipedia

Liu Xiaobo, the Nobel Prize winner for peace in 2010, for his campaigns to usher in democracy and end one-party communist rule in China, died as a political prisoner.

Liu Xiaobo - Wikipedia

Communism in China was a reaction to the colonial exploitation that took place in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. When the Chinese authorities banned the import of opium drugs due to social reasons of addiction, the britishers waged war against China , called the Opium Wars, to repeal the law and continue its lucrative opium trade and exports.

Opium Wars - Wikipedia

 

[ajay0]

India and Turkey are the only nations where the Jews were never subjected to discrimination.

Many Jews immigrated to India after the roman destruction of their temples and persecution, and we have a significant Jewish minority even now.

The Persian Zoroastrians immigrated to Indian upon Arab conquest of Persia, and they continue to exist as a religion and culture with their fire temples in India.

Similarly with the Bahais who too immigrated to India due to persecution and torture in Islamic nations.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

I'm an independent investigator ... actually. Only thing better than google would be being a fly on the wall.

At least the fly on the wall would have heard both sides of the story in each situation and would not have to base opinion only on the disgruntled side.

Regards Tony