Can one convert to Hinduism?

Spirituality Religion
#61

[QUOTE=Surya Deva;51052]Well, again to repeat: there is no doctrine of self in the Abrahamic religions. Therefore there is no self-realization in these religion and no practices geared towards self-realization.

Adherents of Abrahamic religions are spiritually impoverished because they are not taught about the Self or taught any practices that lead to self-realization. There is no spirituality in these religions.

The end result is not going to be the same for an adherent practicing an Abrahamic religion and an adherent practicing a dharmic religion. The one practicing the abrahamic religion is going to get taught no spirituality at all and no personal practices for spiritual development(as the self is not recognised) Rather, they will be taught to occasionally pray to the Abrahamic god, occasionally attend mass at Church/mosque and to occasionally give to charity. The Hindu, on the other hand will be taught about spirituality, taught about spiritual development and given practices to do daily in order to develop spiritually to produce actual results.

I really don’t understand why anybody who is serious about their spiritual development would choose any religion other than Hinduism or Buddhism.

Abrahamic religions are false religions. Pure and simple.[/QUOTE]

SD, I keep saying this to you…the route to self realisation, enlightenment, whatever you might call it can be attained by participants of all different faiths and via vastly different practices. I don’t know how you can keep stating otherwise.???
I know that in Buddhism, techniques to improve a particular practice, are always welcome which also helps to show this.

I feel silly stating the obvious Surya…the reason Islam exists still is because followers, here and there have the spiritual results through practice…same for all…If you accept that we all have an inner Guru, we are all aided/guided regardless of which faith we belong to.

#62

Kareng, try this thought experiment. Suppose tomorrow aliens from another planet arrive on Earth. These aliens are highly spiritually evolved and 1 billion years in advance of us in science, technology and spirituality. They have their own religion and they want to share their religion with us. Will you embrace their religion because it is more advanced or will you argue with them that Earth’s religions are just as good and we don’t need their religion?

Similarly, dear one, why argue for maintaining primitive desert religions against a more advanced scientific religion like Hinduism? Sure, it is possible for one to gain spiritual liberation from these primitive religions, but only if you do not practice these primitive religions as they are suppose to be practiced. They continue not because people get spirtual liberation from them, but because they have forcibly spread around the world through the sword and people have been forced to convert to them. Today, because we are living in a more secular culture, many people no longer practice them. In Europe especially Christianity has dwindled and Church attendance has fallen. Ironically, Church’s have to offer Yoga classes to keep alive.

#63

No Catholic church is offering yoga classes to “keep alive.”

I don’t believe any church is.

They might, however, be offering yoga classes to stay fit, and lose weight, since they, as most in the west, see yoga as exercise. They might also be offering square dancing and aerobics–but not to “keep alive”–just as a fun community thing to do.

#64

[QUOTE=thomas;51231]No Catholic church is offering yoga classes to “keep alive.”

I don’t believe any church is.

They might, however, be offering yoga classes to stay fit, and lose weight, since they, as most in the west, see yoga as exercise. They might also be offering square dancing and aerobics–but not to “keep alive”–just as a fun community thing to do.[/QUOTE]

Of course they see yoga as an exercise; thats why most of them are still woefully ignorant of India and Hinduism and have so many misconceptions about them, it isn’t even funny anymore.

#65

[QUOTE=thomas;51231]No Catholic church is offering yoga classes to “keep alive.”

I don’t believe any church is.

They might, however, be offering yoga classes to stay fit, and lose weight, since they, as most in the west, see yoga as exercise. They might also be offering square dancing and aerobics–but not to “keep alive”–just as a fun community thing to do.[/QUOTE]

Thomas -stretching exercises do not qualify as yoga - not even as asanas. The word “asan” in sanskrit means seat. The sentence “asan grahan kare” for example means “Please take a seat”. It is not for nothing that the yogis postures have been given the name asan. For the end point of any asan is stability of that asan where the body remains motionless and at ease, with muscles relaxed. It is only when you have reached that stage that you have mastered the asan. This is in contrast to calisthenics or aerobics. Have fun doing your thing by all means, but please let us not call it yoga-asans.

#66

I wasn’t the one who said that Christians are doing “yoga” because they are missing something in their religion. A Hindu said they are doing “yoga,” but what they are really doing is just asanas.

#67

[QUOTE=thomas;51319]I wasn’t the one who said that Christians are doing “yoga” because they are missing something in their religion. A Hindu said they are doing “yoga,” but what they are really doing is just asanas.[/QUOTE]

Point taken, Thomas. But as I said even stretching and twisting postures do not qualify as asans unless they are practiced as part of ashtanga… with concentration and stability.

So , anyone, whether it be a Hindu or Christian or Turk or Martian, practicing stretching and twisting for bodily toning, though undoubtedly good for the body, is not practicing yoga asan.:smiley:

#68

[QUOTE=thomas;51121]I SHOULD believe my religion is “superior.” If I thought it was inferior, I would switch to the religion superior to it. What’s wrong with that thinking?

That doesn’t mean I hate other religions.[/QUOTE]

So you do agree all Christians think their religion is superior?

This is just what I was hoping to squeeze out from you. Lol, and idiots call me an “extremist” when I “generalize” for saying that all Christians are inherently intolerant due to their beliefs.

Ahh, Christians love to think in absolutes. “Abortion is wrong.” “My religion is superior.” You see, the problem with your religion arises from the fact that it is NOT superior. That much is evident in the idiocy it causes and the intolerance it preaches.

#69

So I’m supposed to think my religion is inferior, and then what? Remain in an inferior religion?

Do you think Hinduism is superior? I hope you do.

But yes, abortion is absolutely wrong. It unjustly kills a baby. And even if there should be “exceptions,” that would hardly make a dent in the million that are killed each year for convenience. You don’t have a problem with all those abortions? You think we should just shut up about it? I’m proud that my Church speaks out against this horror, and sad that so many have no courage to do so, and turn a blind eye to it.

#70

[QUOTE=thomas;51417]So I’m supposed to think my religion is inferior, and then what? Remain in an inferior religion?

Do you think Hinduism is superior? I hope you do.

But yes, abortion is absolutely wrong. It unjustly kills a baby. And even if there should be “exceptions,” that would hardly make a dent in the million that are killed each year for convenience. You don’t have a problem with all those abortions? You think we should just shut up about it? I’m proud that my Church speaks out against this horror, and sad that so many have no courage to do so, and turn a blind eye to it.[/QUOTE]

Gee, I don’t know…how about equal? Why are you so unwilling to comprehend that? I know. Its because you THINK IN ABSOLUTES, like all Christians.

No. I don’t. But I do think that our religion, or any other religion for that matter, is better than Christianity and Islam because of its faults.

No. It is not absolutely wrong. I will agree with you that in most cases, it is unjustified. Other than that, the reasons are acceptable.

To tell you the truth, I never really thought too much about it. Why? Because I have been so busy trying to speak out against Christian oppression of pagan peoples, homosexuals, non-Christian nations and the Christian tradition of hate-mongering, intolerance festering, and so forth. In my opinion, these matters far outweigh the abortion problem because it concerns my people, Hindus and Indians.

So, you think I should shut up about the intolerant doctrines within Christianity and Islam? You think I should shut up about how their intolerance is institutionalized and how their supremacist views were the cause of much of the evils in this world today? You think I should shut up about their daily subversion of non-Christian religions? You think I should shut up about the illogical nature of your doctrines?

I am in fact angered, that nothing is done about it. While you fools are speaking out against abortion, someone’s hope for their religion, someone’s faith is crushed due to misinformation. Someone is fed lies and convinced to live the lie. More and more people are deceived and more and more people are taught that their religion is superior while others are worthy of destruction. All Christians are truly the same. Once again, the non-white/Christian, oppressed peoples of the Earth must fend off for themselves and find a leader to voice their troubles and opinions.

I hope that the “superior” white people will capitulate and learn…then again, I maybe I should “learn not to expect much from the members of a race who have long oppressed another.” - MLK

#71

It was not about skin color or race, but religion.

I don’t believe all religions are “equal,” either. That wouldn’t make much sense. In this case, I would bet SD would agree with me. I would also bet that he would say that Hinduism is superior to all other religions. And I would not fault him if he did. Certainly it wouldn’t make sense for one to claim belief in an inferior religion, and remain there, would it?

But it’s sad and disrespectful for you to continually imply Christianity is about being white, and about racism.

#72

[QUOTE=thomas;51429]It was not about skin color or race, but religion.

I don’t believe all religions are “equal,” either. That wouldn’t make much sense. In this case, I would bet SD would agree with me. I would also bet that he would say that Hinduism is superior to all other religions. And I would not fault him if he did. Certainly it wouldn’t make sense for one to claim belief in an inferior religion, and remain there, would it?

But it’s sad and disrespectful for you to continually imply Christianity is about being white, and about racism.[/QUOTE]

I should have explained myself better. I meant “equal” as in “equal” within specific geographical and cultural contexts. Hinduism is as equal to Taoism in the sense that Hinduism works within Indian cultural contexts while Taoism works within Chinese cultural contexts. The only exceptions are Christianity and Islam because they are expansionist, militant, and dogmatic religions which proclaims itself as having the “best idea” so to speak.

Now [B]philosophies[/B] are different. I do agree that certain philosophies within Hinduism are superior to most others. I do believe that philosophies have that right to expand themselves. Take Yoga for example.

But it is. Christianity is deeply rooted within the “civilized” Western world. You just don’t see what I have seen and you don’t see what the rest of the world has seen. Christians are religiously supremacist and indeed very racist as most of the “civilized” vs “uncivilized” BS in the Western world goes hand in hand with Christianity’s beliefs of converting “lost/pagan souls.” The only reason you have non-white Christians is [B]mainly[/B] forced conversion.

#73

You do realize the first Christians were not “white” don’t you?

Christianity is an inclusive religion, clear from the beginning, when Peter and Paul realized that not just the Jews, but the Gentiles too, are welcome.

Most people of any color who are Christians are because it was “forced” on them by their parents.

#74

[QUOTE=thomas;51438]You do realize the first Christians were not “white” don’t you?

Christianity is an inclusive religion, clear from the beginning, when Peter and Paul realized that not just the Jews, but the Gentiles too, are welcome.

Most people of any color who are Christians are because it was “forced” on them by their parents.[/QUOTE]

How does that change the fact that the places it took root in were in the Western world, a world of Caucasians?

And that is why it has a disgusting supremacist bias.

And who made their parents Christian I wonder? And their parents? And so on? Its because they were FORCED TO CONVERT.

#75

And I was forced to be a US citizen.

I can choose to leave if I want to.

But what is wrong with being a caucasian? You seem to have a bias against this particlar race.

#76

[QUOTE=thomas;51448]And I was forced to be a US citizen.

I can choose to leave if I want to.

But what is wrong with being a caucasian? You seem to have a bias against this particlar race.[/QUOTE]

Its not so much the race as the chauvinism/supremacy they have.

You weren’t forced. You’re born here = citizen. How is that forced? Are you saying that your parents immigrated here? If so, that still doesn’t change anything. You can always “leave.” So what is your point?

On the other hand, pagans were raped, tortured, and forced against their will to convert. Any attempts to reconvert = societal repercussions.

#77

The vast majority of blacks in the US are Christian.

This is because it was forced on them? They’re not intelligent enough or are too cowardly to change religions? Could it be they WANT to be Christians?

#78

[QUOTE=thomas;51454]The vast majority of blacks in the US are Christian.

This is because it was forced on them? They’re not intelligent enough or are too cowardly to change religions? Could it be they WANT to be Christians?

Silly young whippersnapper teenager![/QUOTE]

Hey Thomas! Didn’t see you log on.

It WAS forced on them.

It was forced on them to the point where they knew of nothing else. This is a historical fact. However, they made the best of what they had and derived their own teachings from it (while mixing in traditional African spirituality). That tradition still continues today. I often find that the best Christians are blacks (the semantics of Christianity aside).

#79

I have stumbled into all-black Catholic Churches a couple of times, and must say that that they were the most reverent and devout Catholics I’ve met. And they didn’t come wearing sneakers and jeans like in most churches, but were all dressed well.

Regardless–remaining in a religion is a choice for an adult to make. Maybe a child has little choice, but when an adult, he or she can convert to whatever religion they want, or to atheism or agnosticism.

#80

[QUOTE=thomas;51457]I have stumbled into all-black Catholic Churches a couple of times, and must say that that they were the most reverent and devout Catholics I’ve met. And they didn’t come wearing sneakers and jeans like in most churches, but were all dressed well.

Regardless–remaining in a religion is a choice for an adult to make. Maybe a child has little choice, but when an adult, he or she can convert to whatever religion they want, or to atheism or agnosticism.[/QUOTE]

Yes, but African Americans are bound by their cultural and racial and historical contexts. They took the religion that was fed to them and juxtaposed it to their oppressive condition, rather than willingly take the “whites are superior”/“The Bible says obey your master” BS; consider the Moses and the Jews story for example. They have carried on the tradition ever since in a society that has handed them nothing but piles of shit for centuries.

Besides, while there are many devout Black Christians, there are more nowadays who lean towards the atheist and agnostic side.

And speaking of black Christians, I do love how there are none who go around preaching brimstone, hellfire, “your religion is false” dogma, and so forth. White Christians on the other hand.

Let me give you a moment of silence to ponder why that is…:rolleyes:

Whites do have much to learn from blacks in this area don’t they (providing that they would be willing to “stoop so low”)?