Re: Why a Hindu should become a Muslim
[Hinduism is] "... a name without any content... Its content, if
any, has altered from age to age, from community to
community. It meant one thing in the Vedic period, another in
the Brahmanical, a third in the Buddhist [1] - one to Saivite,
another to Vaishnavite and Sakta." (Dr. Radhakrishnan was
the first President of independent India).
Well that is true. So what ?
[quote]
"Hinduism, as a faith, is vague, amorphous, many-sided, all
things to all men. It is hardly possible to define it, or indeed to
say definitely whether it is a religion or not, in the usual sense
of the word. In its present form, and even in the past, it
embraces many beliefs and practices, from the highest to the
lowest, often opposed to or contradicting each other." (Pandit
Nehru was the first Prime Minister of independent India during
1947-64).
[/quote]
True. So ?
[quote]
"Hinduism does not rest on the authority of one book or one
prophet, nor does it possess a common creed - like the
Kalma [sic.] of Islam - acceptable to all. That renders a
common definition of Hinduism a bit difficult." (Mahatma
Gandhi is known as the Father of the Nation, India).
[/quote]
Actually, thats just a comment and not a criticism of Hinduism.
Mahatma Ganhi was a staunch Ram devotee and an avid Bhagawad Gita reader.
His call for "Ram Rajya" in India was one of the reaons that led Jinnah to leave the INC and demand Pakistan.
[quote]
"Frankly speaking, it is not possible to say definitely who is a
Hindu and what is Hinduism. These questions have been
considered again and again by eminent scholars, and so far
no satisfactory answer has been given. Hinduism has within
itself all types of religions such as theism, atheism,
polytheism, Adwitism, Dwaitism, Saivism, Vaishnavism, and
so forth. (emphasis added). It contains nature worship,
ancestor worship, animal worship, idol worship, demon
worship, symbol worship, self worship, and the highest god
worship. Its conflicting philosophies will confound any ordinary
person. From barbarious practices and dark superstitions, up
to the most mystic rites and sublime philosophies, there is
place for all gradations and varieties in Hinduism. Similarly,
among the Hindu population are found half barbarian wild
tribes, and depressed classes and untouchables, along with
small numbers of cultured, gentle natures and highly evolved
souls."
[/quote]
Thats a mere comment on Hinduism's diversity. There is NOT a single word of criticism.
[quote]
"Hinduism defies definition... It has no specific creed."
[/quote]
Thats true. So should we convert to Islam ?
[quote]
Sir Alfred Lyll as quoted in Modern Hinduism by Wilkins,
London, 1975, p. 310.
"... the religion of the non-Mohamedan [2] population of India
is a tangled jungle of disorderly superstitions, ghosts and
demons, demi-gods, and deified saints, household gods, local
gods, tribal gals, universal gods, with their countless shrines
and temples, and the din of their discordant rites; deities who
abhor a fly's death; those who still delight in human
sacrifices."
[/quote]
Who is Sir Alfred Lyll ? Never heard of this person.
[quote]
P. Thomas, Hindu Religion, Customs and Manners, p.21.
"Hinduism is not a religion established by a single person. It
is a growth of ideas, rituals and beliefs so comprehensive as
to include anything between atheism and pantheism.
(emphasis added). Having grown out of the practices and
speculations of various communities that were admitted into
the Hindu fold at different times, Hinduism, as it stands at
present, has very few set of dogmas. A formal recognition of
the Vedas as revealed wisdom is all that is required for a
Hindu to be known as such. But the latitude permitted in
interpreting the Vedas is so wide that the atheistic Sankhya
philosophy of Kapila and the polytheism of the Puranas are
both recognized as Orthodox."
[/quote]
Well I think thats a very good analysis of Hinduism, although P. Thomas is also unknown.
[quote]
Percival Spear, India: A Modern History, Michigan, 1961,
p.40.
"The more Hinduism is considered, the more difficult it
becomes to define it in a single phrase... A Hindu may have
any religious belief or none; he may be an atheist or an
agnostic and still be an accepted Hindu... It is public opinion
working through the caste system which determines whether
someone shall or shall not be regarded as a Hindu."
[/quote]
No definition....no definition.....like cant we see a pattern here ?
[quote]
The Economist, June 8, 1991, p. 22, col. l.
"Hinduism is far more unstructured than most other religions.
It has no archbishops, chief rabbis, grand muftis. Each Hindu
decides for himself which manifestations of God are most
important to him, what scriptures to accept as authentic,
which holy man to follow. The one ineluctable certainty is a
person's dharma."
[/quote]
Very true. Actually I like the last sentence "The one ineluctable certainty is a person's dharma".
About Ambedkar's comments, they are expected coz he was a known anti-Hindu. He converted out to Buddhism.
