Why Defend Hinduism? By Vrin Parker

[Guest guest]

Dear Vrin,

 

this was again an excellent article.

 

I couldn`t help but notice that in the one sentence they have managed

to misspell the word "tolerance" TWICE !!! Was that a subconscious

sign that they have some difficulties with that concept?

 

With best wishes,

 

Shaasa

 

 

vediculture, "Vrin Parker <vrinparker>"

<vrinparker> wrote:

> Mr Parker,

> > >

> > > Please tell us what the association does

> > specifically

> > > to promote religious tolernace. Also tell us what

> > in

> > > your association's eyes is religious tolrenace.

> > >

> > > regards

> > >

>

>

> Dear Srividhya,

> Respectful greetings. Thank you for your questions and sorry for

any

> misunderstandings.

> In reply to yr relevant questions I must say that it was the

> agressive anti-hindu and anti-india nature of the media and

academia

> that turned me into an activist.By standing up against the constant

> slander, disinformation and intolerance being perpetrated against

> Hinduism I am promoting religious tolerance.

> As a person raised in this culture, it is my duty to defend it.

>

> For me to try and defend another tradition of which I have no

> background would be illogical and ineffective. For example, if my

> family is being attacked, I will naturaly defend them. That does

not

> mean I do not care about other families which may or may not be

under

> similar attack. It just means I am acting within the parameters of

my

> abilities and geographical location.

> Its high time this illogical concept that love and focus for one's

> own culture is considered hate and ignorance of another's culture.

>

> It may surprise you to know that I am a great admirer of both Lord

> Jesus and Prophet Mohammed(pbuh). Yet having no background in these

> cultures,I would not make a good spokesman for either Islam or

> Christianity. However my whole life has been nurtured by India's

> beautiful Hindu culture so I do have a few things to say about it.

>

> It was only after I began my college studies and was forced to

study

> and be tested on fallacies about India and Hinduism that I became

an

> activist. (ex. The textbook stated that Kali yuga was named after

the

> horrific and bloodthirsty Goddess Kaali among other blatantly false

> staements.)My prof. was actually an Indian lady and when I pointed

> out the mistakes she was sympathetic but said if you want to pass

you

> have to know what is in the books rather than the reality. To me

this

> was a wake up call to action.

>

> So by promoting the truth about Vedic/Hindu culture people will be

> able to get over their prejudices and intolerant attitudes. Once

they

> understand it correctly they will see that it is a culture that

> encompasses all religions. Yet it is the Abrahamic traditions which

> have frequently promoted the concept that all others are hellbound

> heathens unworthy of God.

> This concept should never be tolerated because it is an assault on

> our individual human rights.To tolerate this is to support

religious

> intolerance.

>

> In regards to the Nagaland Post, I was shocked by their report.

What

> I told them was that it is wrong for Christians to come and bring

> love of Jesus in one hand and hate of the anscestral tribal

> traditions in the other. This statement was ignored in their

report.

> I also said that by preaching against the native traditional ways

and

> denigrating Hinduism, Christian converts naturally develop an anti-

> national mood and this may be the root of the anti-India

insurrection.

>

> Upon hearing this, all the reporters emphatically denied this. They

> informed me that the Christains have never promoted seccesion from

> India but rather have created a sense of unity amongst the people.

I

> said I was very happy to hear this good news and was happy to be

> corrected. YET STILL THE NEXT DAY THE NAGALAND POST REPORTED THAT I

> BLAMED THE NAGALAND INSURGENCY ON THE CHRISTIANS, WITHOUT

MENTIONING

> THAT I STOOD CORRECTED AND HAD RETRACTED THE STATEMENT WITHIN

MINUTES.

> After the press meet, I was informed that it was very dangerous to

> make such public statements and people have been killed for less.

So

> imagine my angst reading the next days front page article. After

> spending 2 hours of talking and listening, all the Nagaland post

had

> to say about me was that I was blaming the insurection on

> Christianity. This after I repeatedly glorified Jesus and his

> teachings. I still had 2 days in Nagaland and the day the report

came

> out, I went on a trip into the countryside. Because of Nagaland

> Post's innaccurate reporting I was very worried that I would now be

> labeled an anti-christian rather than a Vedic/Hindu promoter.

(Besides

> the worry of being killed by some insurgents.)

> I believe that True Christianity(and Islam) is teaching the essence

> of Vedic philosophy so the anti-christian/islam jacket does not fit

> me at all.(Wrong Size and style for me to wear.)

> The VFA Vedic Friends Association promotes religious tolerance by

> allowing the sincere seeker to get an accurate view of Vedic/Hindu

> culture. Specifically we do this by putting on cultural shows, veg.

> feasts, TV shows and book publication. We can not expect people to

> tolerate or care for something they know nothing about or even

worse

> only have anti-hindu or incorrect sources to access. Thus they will

> not only tolerate us but actually see us as friends. This is our

> associations goal.

> What do I see as religious tolerance? I see religious tolerance to

> mean tolerance of all religious traditions. It does not mean

> supporting one religion over the other the way India's govt does.

> (Free trips to Mecca etc. no govt finacial oversight for Muslim or

> Christians but intensive oversight of Hindu groups etc.)

> As I pointed out to the Nagaland Post tolerating intolerance of

the

> anscetral traditions leads to social chaos and creates a climate of

> fear. So for the media to constantly harp on the non-fatal babri

> masjid incident as the darkest day since independence, while

Hindus

> are being slaughtered repeatedly is intolerable to me. By promoting

> the facts we strive to wake up people's intolerance for the

slaughter

> of Hindu pilgrims and the cultural genocide of the world's

indigenous

> root cultures.WHY IS THE DESTRUCTION OF AN OLD UNUSED MOSQUE SO

> INTOLERABLE COMPARED TO THE MASS SLAUGHTER OF INDIANS(of all

> denominations)....OVER 70,000 IN THE PAST 12 YEARS? WHERE IS THE

> OUTRAGE? IN THE USA NO ONE WOULD DARE LAMENT THE LOSS OF THE WTC

OVER

> THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE KILLED.

> So I hope I answered your questions.

> Sincerely, Vrin Parker