My current version of Hinduism

[TransmutingSoul]

@Tony Bristow-Stagg ”The fears and agitation which the revelation of this law provokes ...”

@Jim

"..Were men to discover the motivating purpose of God’s Revelation, they would assuredly cast away their fears, and, with hearts filled with gratitude, rejoice with exceeding gladness..."

Regards Tony

 

[Marcion]

What's worse... is we're getting "Baha'i" talk, not just "ordinary" talk. Because Baha'is can truly say they believe in all the religions and all the prophets/messengers, they can seem to agree with you. But then, because their religion doesn't believe in all the things taught in all the religions, they can disagree with you at the same time.

I think it is fair to say that Bahai are very inadequate at assessing the meaning and relative importance of great Masters like Shrii Shiva and Shrii Krishna, simply because Bahai teachings are relatively speaking much less developed compared to the teachings of Shiva and Krishna themselves.

But I would never deny them the right to have their own theories and say about paths and teachers that came before Bahai. Their founders simply did their best to understand them with the limited knowledge and outlook which they had at the time.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Denouncing the Gods and prophets of Christians and Muslims might be an inseparable part of the religious and anti-religious identities of people who are doing that, part of the ground that they think they’re standing on.

It is exactly the same with you too. You do not accept Jesus as the son of God, do not accept Mohammad with the last message from Allah, do not accept Krishna as Allah in the form of a human body (as if God could not do that) and you don't accept that Buddha considered the God question as irrelevant. Because truly accepting any of these things will take away the carpet from under your feet. Bahai love for all religions is just a sham. I will also not retreat from my position.

I can only sing in my heart my favorite song; 'One planet, one people, please !'

But only of the Bahai kind.

"..Were men to discover the motivating purpose of God’s Revelation, they would assuredly cast away their fears, and, with hearts filled with gratitude, rejoice with exceeding gladness..."

What is this God person? And who has fears? Why does he not reveal all the stuff at one go? How many revelations will this God send to the world? It is like a very amateur writer who has to edit his writing all the time.

 

[Jim]

It is exactly the same with you too.

This is hard for me to explain, but that actually feels friendly to me. It feels like what a friend would say to me.

You do not accept Jesus as the son of God ...

False.

... do not accept Mohammad ...

False.

... with the last message from Allah ...

It’s true that I don’t think His message was the last one from God.

... do not accept Krishna as Allah in the form of a human body ...

False. I was confused about that, but now I do see him that way.

... and you don't accept that Buddha considered the God question as irrelevant.

False. That’s exactly what I do think, that Buddha considered the God question as irrelevant. So do I.

Bahai love for all religions is just a sham. I will also not retreat from my position.

I believe you. As I said, I’ll be trying to learn to respond to your protests more sympathetically.

 

[Jim]

You do not accept Jesus as the son of God

I said “false” to that, but I retract that. I don’t see Jesus as the son of God in the way that most Christians do. I don’t see it as having anything to do with the way He was conceived.

 

[Jim]

A question came up here about the intentions of Baha’is towards Hindus and Hinduism. I posted in another thread about how people can do their own research on that question if they want to, but now I want to try to explain my own thoughts about it.

I think that some day, possibly in only a few more generations, dividing people up into categories defined by beliefs will lose its popularity. In fact all kinds of factional identities will lose their popularity and eventually disappear completely. People won’t call themselves or each other Baha’is, Christians, Muslims, Hindus or Buddhists because of what they believe. I don’t have any clear idea of how that will affect religious communities.

I also think that more and more people will learn to see the stories and scriptures of all the religions as coming from the same divine source. That doesn’t mean that they will all imagine that source in the same way, or interpret those scriptures in the same ways. The communities and other resources of the religions might continue mostly as they are, corresponding to people’s different interests and ways of thinking.

I think that multitudes of people of all religions, and no religion, all around the world, will learn to love, trust and follow Bahá’u’lláh, and become members of Baha’i communities. I think that’s the best thing that can happen to anyone, and what the world needs most of all, to relieve distress, end the cruelty and violence, right the wrongs and repair the damage, and improve the lives of all people everywhere, now and into the future.

As I said, I don’t have any clear idea of how this will affect religious communities. I think there will be people leaving other communities to join the Baha’i Faith, but I think there will be people leaving it as well as joining it. Even so, I think it will continue to grow in size.

 

[Jim]

I don’t think of anyone’s views as being wrong in themselves. What I see as wrong, and as defiling the names of the religions whose labels you wear, is associating them with your campaigns of denunciation against other people’s beliefs.

 

[Vinayaka]

I don’t think of anyone’s views as being wrong in themselves. What I see as wrong, and as defiling the names of the religions whose labels you wear, is associating them with your campaigns of denunciation against other people’s beliefs.

In my view, often it's just stating that you don't believe in someone else's belief, and not 'denunciation' at all. Of course everyone has the right to view it as denunciation.

 

[Jim]

I’ll put it differently. What I see you doing is defiling the religions you claim as yours, using them to excuse and camouflage and sanctify your hateful attitudes and behavior towards some other people. When I’m angry, it’s because of that, and not because of your disagreements with anyone’s beliefs.

 

[Vinayaka]

I’ll put it differently. What I see you doing is defiling the religions you claim as yours, using them to excuse and camouflage and sanctify your hateful attitudes and behavior towards some other people. When I’m angry, it’s because of that, and not because of your disagreements with anyone’s beliefs.

Civil disagreement to hate. That's quite the jump but I've heard it all before, so it's not in the least surprising.

 

[Jim]

Civil disagreement to hate. That's quite the jump but I've heard it all before, so it's not in the least surprising.

That’s what I hate most of all. The lying pretense that you don’t know what I’m talking about. You know very that what I’m objecting to is not civil disagreement. What I’m objecting to is defiling the name of the religion you claim as yours, by associating it with your persistently hateful attitudes and behavior towards some people.

 

[Jim]

You can not possibly truly believe that what I’m angry about is your disagreement with people’s beliefs.

 

[ajay0]

People might think that I take forum discussions too seriously. I think that I often take what people are saying too seriously, and sometimes I respond to it recklessly and theatrically.

Yes, I felt this intuitively. Please don't put too much pressure on yourself.

This is all just a cosmic joke as Buddha stated, which we all as potential future buddhas will eventually understand as well.

 

[Marcion]

That’s what I hate most of all. The lying pretense that you don’t know what I’m talking about. You know very that what I’m objecting to is not civil disagreement. What I’m objecting to is defiling the name of the religion you claim as yours, by associating it with your persistently hateful attitudes and behavior towards some people.

Perhaps it is more like expressing dislike (maybe through a slightly insecure feeling about one's own path). The question is, should one hide such dislikes or be open about them?

 

[Vinayaka]

That’s what I hate most of all. The lying pretense that you don’t know what I’m talking about. You know very that what I’m objecting to is not civil disagreement. What I’m objecting to is defiling the name of the religion you claim as yours, by associating it with your persistently hateful attitudes and behavior towards some people.

You have the choice to put me on ignore. That might be a wise choice at this point.

I once left the forum for a year because of this type of accusing. I'm sorry that my views anger you, but they're just my views.

 

[Vinayaka]

You can not possibly truly believe that what I’m angry about is your disagreement with people’s beliefs.

Honestly, Jim, I have no idea what you're angry about. One post you're all conciliatory and then the next, you're angry. I never know which Jim is going to pop on the screen next.

 

[Jim]

I never know which Jim is going to pop on the screen next.

Neither do I. Sorry.

 

[ajay0]

Neither do I. Sorry.

Rather than getting into the service part of spreading Bahai religion prematurely, you can work on your mind with practice of mindfulness, study of virtues in the Bahai framework and worship of God.

This can enable you to maintain mental equanimity, which will reduce unnecessary reactivity and emotivity.

Mental equanimity is a great virtue also in one's professional and personal life, and has been greatly emphasised by Krishna and Buddha.

 

[Aupmanyav]

I also think that more and more people will learn to see the stories and scriptures of all the religions as coming from the same divine source.

The number of people believing in divine is steadily decreasing.

I’ll put it differently. What I see you doing is defiling the religions you claim as yours, using them to excuse and camouflage and sanctify your hateful attitudes and behavior towards some other people.

Now you are down to abusing. Why do you think we should take the .... who are defiling our religions (not just mine alone) in anyway other than that? We will give it to you in greater measure.

 

[Jim]

Now you are down to abusing. Why do you think we should take the .... who are defiling our religions (not just mine alone) in anyway other than that? We will give it to you in greater measure.

I’m saying honestly what I think. From the Merriam-Webster online dictionary:
Definition of defile
e : SULLY, DISHONOR

I see see your character in the forum RP continually vaunting himself over others, and encouraging dishonest and malicious behavior in others, and associating all that with the name of Hinduism. I think that sullies and dishonors the name of Hinduism. Maybe I’m taking that too seriously. Maybe it doesn’t make anyone think any less of Hinduism than they already do, or maybe it doesn’t matter to you if it does. It does matter to me.