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Respect Between Religions
When President Obama offered a hand of friendship to the Muslim world and suggested that we forge a new relationship based on mutual respect and understanding it was an appeal to all people of faith to move away from confrontation and competition and come back to a more sane relationship based on respect, understanding, acceptance and appreciation.
What needs to happen is for all religions to come to an understanding that it is impossible for the whole world to be converted to any one faith. This competition among some of the religions to go out and convert the whole world by any means possible is what has brought us to the brink of spiritual disaster.
My Grandfather said: When we stop talking about how good our religion is and start living it people will be attracted to join. I think this makes a great deal of sense. We need to remember that no religion possesses the whole Truth. It is only when we have the humility to recognize this and the commitment to make an honest and sincere search for the Truth that we will one day find it in our hearts.
Instead of looking for the Kingdom of God within ourselves we have been locking God in our Churches, Temples, Synagogues and Mosques and prohibiting God from interfering with our lives outside the precincts of these hallowed spiritual prisons. It will be interesting to see how much influence political leaders have on religious leaders. This qualitative change can happen if the people want it to happen.
By
Arun Gandhi
|
January 27, 2009; 2:49 AM ET
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Posted by: politicallyincorrectworldcitizen1 | January 31, 2009 8:20 AM
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Hindu fascism which uses violence to prevent conversions or force convert people back to Hinduism is no improvement on Islamic terrorism.
Posted by: politicallyincorrectworldcitizen1 | January 31, 2009 3:20 AM
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Why are Hindu fascists trying to reconvert all Indians back to Hinduism then?
Does not freedom of religion include the freedom to change one's religion?
Who is anyone to decide what religion anyone must follow? If it is bad for Muslims to kill those who convert from Islam to other religions, so it is for Hindus to insist that all living in India must convert to Hinduism.
Posted by: politicallyincorrectworldcitizen1 | January 31, 2009 3:18 AM
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Thank you for this message that encourages all religions to respect one another. I've felt for a long time that this was missing from the religious dialogue. I just hope our religious leaders will realize this and change their behavior.
Posted by: Serenity2 | January 29, 2009 10:57 PM
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Respect for all religions is one thing. But to conclude that respect implies there should be a law against converting to another religion is another. Such prohibition violates the most basic of human rights. How does it hurt a high caste Hindu if a low caste or any caste Hindu converts to another religion? Hindus worship any god they like.