Re ( Not): Interesting read - Srivaishnavism is an interesting tradition, philosophically and theologically

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This is an amazingly revealing article. I sincerely pray to Shriman Narayana that none of us is carried away by these sorts of gimmicks and foul play by the meanest of mean creatures. I request all of you as well to pray to the Lord of the Seven Hills and our own Swami Desika that they give us the right frame of mind to tackle these kind of so called human beings. Pray recite "Viluptha Moordhanya..." from Swami Desika's Hayagreeva Stotram daily so that no evil befall us or our future generations.Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan--- On Mon, 8/17/09, Krishna <Krishna wrote:Krishna <KrishnaRe ( Not): Interesting read - Srivaishnavism is an interesting tradition, philosophically and

theologically , , acharya , nama-singapore , oppiliappan , parakalamatham , , desikasampradaya , bakthi-indonesia , andavan , Srisathyanarayanaperumal Cc: "Madhavakkannan V" <srivaishnavanMonday, August 17, 2009, 3:47 PM

 

 

 

Clooney and Witzel evangelical missions in India: Notice on Oxford U. blog

 

Wearing a Vaishnava academic robe, he is on an evangelical mission

under Dominus Jesus (S.J) under the direction of Joseph Ratzinger, the

present Pope. ...

www.bestuniversitie s.info/ - Cached - Similar -

 

Oxford Com http://bestuniversi ties.info/ oxford-com

 

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 07:00:08 +0000

 

V SUNDARAM | Tue, 04 Aug, 2009 , 03:11 PM.

 

I am shocked to note that Francis X Clooney S.J., a Roman Catholic

priest is going to give a talk on Vaishnavism at 11 a.m. today in the

Department of Vaishnavism, Madras University.

 

He is very much part of the recently organised waves of Aryan

Evangelical Invasionfrom America (inaugurated with massive American

State Funds by President Bush Jr!!) taking place in different parts of

India today. In these very columns on 7 July, 2009 and 8 July, 2009, I

had written about the Aryan Invasion of Michael Witzel, a Professor

from Harvard University.

 

Both Clooney and Witzel belong to the same category of shameless

agents of evangelisation  obverse and reverse of the same coin of

proselytizing Christianity. Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), one of the

founders of the American State, andthe Third President of America (by

no means a paganish Hindu like myself!!) had this to say about men

like Witzel and Clooney: ‘The Christian God is cruel, vindictive,

capricious and unjust.’ James Madison (1751-1836), the Fourth

President of America said: ‘What has been Christianity’s fruits â€â€

superstition, bigotry and persecution.’

 

Francis Clooney can also be viewed in the Indian historical context as

a successor ofSt Francis Xavier (1506-1552). Clooney really belongs to

the same nefarious evangelical tradition of St Francis Xavier who

inaugurated the commercial business of violent ‘Evangelisation‘

(Harvesting of Pagan Souls, like me, to be precise!!) inIndia in the

16th century in Goa and other parts of South India, including

Thirunelveli District. St Francis Xavier too, like this Francis

Clooney today, belonged to the Society of Jesus (S.J). Francis Clooney

is a committed evangelist masquerading as an academic scholar in the

field of Vaishnavism! St Francis Xavier, Clooney’s predecessor in the

same field of evangelisation, believed in open violence, murder, arson

and looting. St Francis Xavier was not very different fromMahmud of

Gazni in the 11th century or Mohammad Ghori in the 12th century

orMalik Kafur in the 14th century in his bestial rapaciousness. That

is why Sitaram Goel (1921-2003) in his ‘History of Hindu – Christian

Encounters (AD 304 to 1996’), described St Francis Xavier and his men

as: ‘Pirates in Priests Clothing.’

 

Nearly sixty years after the death of St Francis Xavier, Robert de

Nobili (1577-1656), a Jesuit came from Italy to Madurai, claiming as a

‘Roma Brahmin’, donned ochre robes, learned Indian languages, forged

‘Yasur Veda’, was tried by theEccelestical Court and finally died in

Chennai itself un-mourned and un-sung at that time. The Catholic

Church in Vatican today (particularly under the present Pope Benedict

XVI, Joseph Ratzinger) earnestly believes that the heart of Hinduism

could be reached by perfecting the fraud pioneered by Robert de Nobili

in the 17th century in South India. Despicable men like Robert de

Nobili called their fraudulent approach to conversion as condescensio,

a Latin term coined by the Church Fathers to mean ‘stooping to

conquer’. They had drawn on the example set by St Paul.

 

Saint Francis Xavier 1506-1552 http://newstodaynet .com/images/

stories/columns/ sharpshot/ 2009-images/ 0408-sun1. gif

 

Robert de Nobili 1577-1656 http://newstodaynet .com/images/

stories/columns/ sharpshot/ 2009-images/ 0408-sun2. gif

 

Francis X Clooney http://newstodaynet .com/images/ stories/columns/

sharpshot/ 2009-images/ 0408-sun3. gif

 

The only problem which the missionaries faced in the 17th century in

South India was the colour of their skins. In fact it was the colour

of his skin which had betrayed Robert de Nobili in Madurai. The

difficulty had to be overcome by the use of a suitable lotion. Fr

Poenco of the Madura Mission made an appeal in his Annual Letter for

1651: ‘Among my readers, there will be some who could procure for us

some lotion of ointment which could change the colour of our skin so

that just as we have changed our dress, language, food and customs, we

may also change our complexion and become like those around us, with

whom we live … It is not necessary that the colour should be very

dark, the most suitable will be between black and red or tawny. IT

WOULD NOT MATTER IF IT COULD NOT BE REMOVED WHEN ONCE APPLIED; WE

WOULD WILLINGLY REMAIN ALL OUR LIVES ‘NEGROES’ OF JESUS CHRIST, FOR

THE GREATER GLORY OF GOD.’ The colour problem of the skin was

eventually overcome with the induction of native missionaries. This

also was an act of condescensio in the eyes of the White Masters.

 

Our distinguished professors in the Department of Vaishnavism in

Madras University ought to know that this evangelical fraud of a

scholar alled Clooney belongs to the same evangelical tradition of St

Francis Xavier and Robert de Nobili.What is very clear is that while

the white colour was the chief hurdle to the Catholic missionaries in

the 17th century, it has become the most valuable asset / weapon for

dubious scholars like Francis Clooney and Michael Witzel. White skin

seems to be a powerful passport for dubious Western scholars, with

concealed evangelical intentions, making an academic infiltration into

many Indian Universities today!!!

 

Who is Francis Clooney who tries to improve upon the record of

Ramanuja and Vedantika Desika? A native of New York, Fr. Clooney

joined the Society of Jesus in 1968 and was ordained in 1978. He

taught theology at the Boston College from 1984 until he joined

Harvard in July this year. He has been a visiting professor at the

University of Chicago and the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley

and Fellow at the Centre for Theological Inquiry at Princeton, and was

Academic Director, Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, at the Oxford

University in the United Kingdom during 2002-04. Fr Clooney held the

post of the Jesuits’ Coordinator for Inter-Religious Dialogue in the

US from 1998 to 2004. Francis X Clooney, S.J., a Roman Catholic priest

and a member of the Society of Jesus (S.J) joined the Divinity School

in 2005. He was the first president of the International Society for

Hindu-Christian Studies and, from 1998 to 2004, was coordinator for

interreligious dialogue for the Jesuits of the United States.

 

Francis Clooney’s primary areas of scholarship are theological

commentarial writings in the Sanskrit and Tamil traditions of Hindu

India, and the developing field of ‘comparative theology’, a

discipline marked by viciously planned attentiveness to the

‘evangelical dynamics’ of theological learning deepened through the

study of traditions other than one’s own, for the sole mercenary (in

other words missionary !!!) purpose of ‘maximum harvesting of maximum

number pagan souls at minimum cost’.

 

This fraudulent thieving process of evangelisation has been given the

sacred name of ‘INCULTURATION’ by the Vatican Council II Documents.

This has been officially defined as ‘The plan of Christians being

within the folds of culture, tradition and heritage of any people,

posing as faithful devotees and declaring the ‘hidden Christ’ at the

right moment, so that they (dubbed as heathens, infidels, unbelievers)

become ‘Christians’. Till such time, they have to adapt and adopt

their culture and related customs, practices and manners. They even

build Temple-like Churches, use Hindu symbols and paraphernalia

extensively and the Christian priests roam as Hindu Sanyasis and

Sadhus.’

 

I requested Dr Kalyanaraman, an outstanding scholar and an

acknowledged world authority on Saraswati Civilization to enlighten me

about the academic and spiritual credentials of Francis Clooney to sit

in judgement on Ramanuja and Vedanta Desika which such authority. He

told me:

 

‘What cannot be hidden from international public view is that Francis

X Clooney, S.J., is a Roman Catholic priest and a member of the

Society of Jesus. He had a website when he was working in the Boston

College; it showed him as an impostor wearing the robe of a Sanyasi.

His role models are Francis Xavier andRoberto de Nobili. Wearing a

Vaishnava academic robe, he is on an evangelical mission under Dominus

Jesus (S.J) under the direction of Joseph Ratzinger, the present Pope.

Clooney himself has never repudiated this, nor has he repudiated the

doctrine of evangelisation inherent in the Dominus Jesus (S.J). HIS

MISSION IS TO CONVERT FIVE TEMPLES INTO CHURCHES, MAKING FALSE

HISTORICAL CLAIMS THAT SOME CHURCHES HAD ORIGINALLY EXISTED IN THE

PRECINCTS OF THOSE FIVE HINDU VAISHNAVITE TEMPLES. After his last

visit in 2005 and stay in Loyola College, an FM station had come up at

the College to promote DJ (evangelisation) . He also made, at that

time, some shocking/mischievou s comments about churches converted as

Hindu Vaishnava Mandirams at Srirangam, Kulithalai, Chidambaram,

Aaduthurai, and Aavoor. He justified his mischievous comments wearing

an ‘academic’ hat as ‘historian’. Francis Clooney tries to infiltrate

into the world of traditional Vaishnava scholarship in order to use

their knowledge to promote evangelical activities by indulging in

spurious comparative theology exercises. Some such exercises are the

comparison of Mary with Lakshmi; of Francis de Sales with Vedanta

Desikan; of Christian God and Hindu God claiming that the theology of

saranagati or prapatti was influenced by Christian love of God and

surrender. He has no ADHIKAARA to indulge inVAISHNAVA STUDIES and

should face excommunication for blasphemy by picturing Mary as a

goddess and comparing her to Hindu divinities. Dominus Jesus (S.J) has

one mission: harvest Hindu souls. The Feuhrer of this evangelical gang

is Joseph Ratzinger; the ‘Inculturation’ storm-troopers are led by

Clooney who instructs evangelists in seminaries in Chennai, Pune and

Jaipur.’

 

Who gives unlimited political freedom to such evangelical

storm-troopers as Fr Francis Clooney and Prof Michael Witzel to carry

on their evangelical missions for the ‘harvesting of pagan souls’ in

India? The answer is the Vatican’s Viceroy in India  The chairman of

the UPA Coordination Council a known Catholic who owes her open

allegiance to the Pope in Rome and not to the letter and spirit of the

Indian Constitution. Under the open political patronage of the

evangelical UPA Government, ‘inculturation’ Vatican Council II

Documents will always have precedence over all the Articles of the

Indian Constitution. All the enlightened Hindus of India are convinced

that the UPA government is acting under the evangelical instructions

of Sonia Gandhi. In this dangerous situation India badly requires a

Swami Vivekananda today to give a thundering wake up call to all the

sleeping Hindus of India: ‘ARISE! AWAKE!! AND STOP NOT TILL THE GOAL

IS REACHED!!!’

 

(The writer is a retired IAS officer)

e-mail the writer at vsundaram@newstoday net.com

 

http://newstodaynet .com/printer. php?id=18617

 

-

Madhavakkannan V

; ; acharya@ .com ; nama-singapore ; oppiliappan ; parakalamatham ; ; desikasampradaya ; bakthi-indonesia ; andavan@ .com ; Srisathyanarayanape rumal@ s.com

Friday, August 14, 2009 8:51 AM

Interesting read - Srivaishnavism is an interesting tradition, philosophically and theologically

 

http://www.hindu. com/fr/2009/ 08/14/stories/ 2009081450950100 .htm

 

What does Vaishnavite scholar Vedanta Desika have in common with Catholic priest St. Francis? Prof. Francis X. Clooney discusses the link in his latest book.

 

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Srivaishnavism is an interesting tradition, philosophically and theologically.

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THEOLOGICAL APPROACH: Prof. Francis X. Clooney.

 

The coming together of any two religions for most of us could mean raised voices and bloodshed… quite paradoxical to what all religions preach. But Prof. Francis X. Clooney, S.J., Harvard University, and author of several books, has a different perspective.

 

Prof. Clooney spoke about his book ‘Beyond Compare: St. Francis and Sri Vedanta Desika on Loving Surrender to God’, during a talk organised by Prakriti Foundation at Madras Terrace House recently. In his work, he compares the two preceptors who were from different times and countries, and practised different religions, but who were united in their approached the concept of surrender to God.

 

Prof. Clooney pointed out that since his work was like the interpretative work of a dancer or a musician, there was a great deal of practice and hard work that went into it right from the choice of subject. “It took me several years to narrow down on whom to compareâ€, he said. He added that “the minute you compare to celebrate one over the other, or compare to just get common quotes, it is not comparison in the real term.â€

 

So what does Vedanta Desika, the 13/14th century preceptor for Vaishnavites, have in common with St. Francis, a 17th century Catholic priest from Geneva? Both valued writing and in their written work, they hoped to pursue the devotee to perform a religious act itself. Both sought to transform the reader and used older texts to reinforce their message. Most important, both urged the reader to introspect and find out what it takes for him to surrender unconditionally to God. The book has several interesting passage on these topics. The audience was treated to a few enthralling readings. Catching up with Prof. Clooney after the session for a short interview, helped put the book in a greater context. Excerpts:

 

Tell us a little about your research.

 

I work in certain traditions of classical Hinduism, including Mimamsa Vedanta and Srivaishnavism. Of course, my work as a professor leads me to write on other topics and themes at times, but these are my areas of focus in the study of Hinduism. Beyond these, I am also a comparative theologian, and so, I reflect on what I learn from Indian traditions alongside my understanding of my Christian bearings. And, to understand comparative study, I am also a bit of a historian, studying how Western Jesuits over the centuries have understood Hinduism.

 

What got you interested in Srivaishnavism?

 

It is a very interesting tradition, philosophically and theologically, and it shows us a complete religious way of life. The fact that Srivaishnavism flourishes in both Tamil and Sanskrit makes it all the more beautiful. The poetry of Divya Prabandham in particular is very lovely. I also appreciate the Vaishnava temples, their architecture, imagery, and the worship that takes place there. In many ways, I have found Srivaishnavism to be parallel to Roman Catholicism, with a similar depth, breadth, and wholeness.

 

What is your mission on comparative religious studies and what forces do you see helping/hindering it?

 

I am a professor at one of the oldest and best universities in the U.S., and also a Catholic priest and Jesuit. So my mission is academic — scholarly writing on topics of religious importance, and doing comparative study. It is also spiritual, in the sense that I believe that inter-religious truths and understanding are valuable to one and all. If my work helps people appreciate and learn from other religions, then I think I would have succeeded and will be very happy. If people become more convinced of the truth of their own tradition, with deep faith, that too is very good. Since there is a lot of religious misunderstanding and intolerance today, my hope is that my work will probably show a way for people to relate to other religions more constructively and positively.

 

Your future plans and interests…

 

I have several book projects in mind, including more work on the Srivaishnava Bhagavatha Visaya, certain songs and commentaries compared with medieval Christian commentary on the Biblical Song of Songs. I have also been doing research on the Jesuit tradition of inter-religious learning in India, and may soon have something more to write on that.

 

Written word

 

Some of the books written by Prof. Clooney are:

 

• Hindu God, Christian God: How Reason Helps to Break Down the Boundaries between Religions (2001),

 

• Divine Mother, Blessed Mother: Hindu Goddesses and the Virgin Mary (2005),

 

• Beyond Compare: St Francis de Sales and Sri Vedanta Desika on Loving Surrender to God (2008).