Posts
Source: www.hinduwisdom.info
Revival of Paganism in Europe Pagan revivalists draw inspiration from Hinduism in their quest to reclaim their own ancestral heritage
God Wars:
The Battle for Humanity's Soul
The trend of the global religious competition for market share and influence is clearly towards the dominance of the two “Jealous-God” religions: Christianity and Islam. Both have replaced many traditional belief systems and continue to use any means necessary to suppress the animist religions of Africa, much of Asia and the Pacific Islands, and the surviving remnants of native beliefs in the New World and Australia. If there is any threat of a “one world religion” it comes from Christianity, which shows little sign of slowing its assault on “false religions” using bribes, social pressure, political control of governments, local and national persecution, and a propaganda campaign that is second to none. Although Christianity has had little success against Islam except by direct conquest, how long can its supremacy in fundraising and firepower be held at bay by any other faith?
Today, there is an unfair bias in the contest of conversions because the two largest, best-financed and most widespread faiths—the 'Jealous-God' religions of Christianity and Islam—got that way by conquest and persecution. The monopoly that Christianity has on the Americas, Australia, and much of sub-Saharan Africa and Europe is a strength for that faith—they can keep these areas free of competition with little effort while pouring their propaganda and 'charity' into targeted regions where other religions struggle to emerge and recover from the impact of European colonialism and forced conversions.
This dominance of our world by a limited set of beliefs is not a good thing for humanity. The spread of 'world' religions such as Christianity and Islam has destroyed most of the world's traditional religions. Many beliefs once sacred have now been regulated to museums and anthropology texts. The loss of so many 'living' religions is a profound blow to human culture. (The loss of languages and other cultural traditions due to increased secular homogenization is a similar issue). Beliefs such as a spiritual connection to dead ancestors, or a nature that is filled with spirits, or even much-maligned polytheism, have provided humanity with a rich and beautiful diversity of worldviews.
Religious diversity expands the mind; when a single belief system dominates a society, it limits the mind.
Voltaire thought Hinduism as an example of a natural deistic religion with a pedigree much older than that of Judeo-Christianity.
Thomas Jefferson pondered whether the Christian deity was a god or a devil.
***
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) pondered whether the Christian deity was a god or a devil. In 1785 he wrote:
'Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one half of the world fools, and the other half hypocrites. To support error and roguery all over the earth.'
Why this war on Hinduism?
'When I think of all the harm the Bible has done, I despair of ever writing anything to equal it.
Missionaries are going to reform the world whether it wants to or not.'
- Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), Irish author
***
These two (Christianity and Islam) hostile ideologies, flawed because they are not based on human experience but on spurious and fantastic literature, are based on a priori illusion that human beings are genetically flawed and can be redeemed only by symbolic conversion and the acceptance of their bookish deity. For instance, if the Christian and Islamic clergy do not propagate and force their sterile ideologies down the throats of unsuspecting or helpless people through dubious means, or do not force them to stay on with censure and punishment, their religions would be wiped out in decades. Europe is a primary example.
Eleazer Wheelock and King George III
The charter gave to Dartmouth College the following purpose: the civilizing and Christianizing of children of pagans
***
The charter gave to Dartmouth College the following purpose: the civilizing and Christianizing of children of pagans. As late as 1945 the then president, Ernest Hopkins, declared, 'Dartmouth is a Christian college founded for the Christianization of its students.'
Dartmouth’s official seal still portrays this historical mission, depicting a group of Indians approaching Dartmouth Hall with a bible in hand. http://www.hinduwisdom.info/Glimpses_XIII10.htm
The Battle for Humanity's Soul
The trend of the global religious competition for market share and influence is clearly towards the dominance of the two “Jealous-God” religions: Christianity and Islam. Both have replaced many traditional belief systems and continue to use any means necessary to suppress the animist religions of Africa, much of Asia and the Pacific Islands, and the surviving remnants of native beliefs in the New World and Australia. If there is any threat of a “one world religion” it comes from Christianity, which shows little sign of slowing its assault on “false religions” using bribes, social pressure, political control of governments, local and national persecution, and a propaganda campaign that is second to none. Although Christianity has had little success against Islam except by direct conquest, how long can its supremacy in fundraising and firepower be held at bay by any other faith?
Today, there is an unfair bias in the contest of conversions because the two largest, best-financed and most widespread faiths—the 'Jealous-God' religions of Christianity and Islam—got that way by conquest and persecution. The monopoly that Christianity has on the Americas, Australia, and much of sub-Saharan Africa and Europe is a strength for that faith—they can keep these areas free of competition with little effort while pouring their propaganda and 'charity' into targeted regions where other religions struggle to emerge and recover from the impact of European colonialism and forced conversions.
This dominance of our world by a limited set of beliefs is not a good thing for humanity. The spread of 'world' religions such as Christianity and Islam has destroyed most of the world's traditional religions. Many beliefs once sacred have now been regulated to museums and anthropology texts. The loss of so many 'living' religions is a profound blow to human culture. (The loss of languages and other cultural traditions due to increased secular homogenization is a similar issue). Beliefs such as a spiritual connection to dead ancestors, or a nature that is filled with spirits, or even much-maligned polytheism, have provided humanity with a rich and beautiful diversity of worldviews.
Religious diversity expands the mind; when a single belief system dominates a society, it limits the mind.
Voltaire thought Hinduism as an example of a natural deistic religion with a pedigree much older than that of Judeo-Christianity.
Thomas Jefferson pondered whether the Christian deity was a god or a devil.
***
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) pondered whether the Christian deity was a god or a devil. In 1785 he wrote:
'Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one half of the world fools, and the other half hypocrites. To support error and roguery all over the earth.'
Why this war on Hinduism?
'When I think of all the harm the Bible has done, I despair of ever writing anything to equal it.
Missionaries are going to reform the world whether it wants to or not.'
- Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), Irish author
***
These two (Christianity and Islam) hostile ideologies, flawed because they are not based on human experience but on spurious and fantastic literature, are based on a priori illusion that human beings are genetically flawed and can be redeemed only by symbolic conversion and the acceptance of their bookish deity. For instance, if the Christian and Islamic clergy do not propagate and force their sterile ideologies down the throats of unsuspecting or helpless people through dubious means, or do not force them to stay on with censure and punishment, their religions would be wiped out in decades. Europe is a primary example.
Eleazer Wheelock and King George III
The charter gave to Dartmouth College the following purpose: the civilizing and Christianizing of children of pagans
***
The charter gave to Dartmouth College the following purpose: the civilizing and Christianizing of children of pagans. As late as 1945 the then president, Ernest Hopkins, declared, 'Dartmouth is a Christian college founded for the Christianization of its students.'
Dartmouth’s official seal still portrays this historical mission, depicting a group of Indians approaching Dartmouth Hall with a bible in hand. http://www.hinduwisdom.info/Glimpses_XIII10.htm
0 comments:
Post a Comment