Willis E. Elliott

Willis E. Elliott

Minister, teacher, author

An ordained United Church of Christ and American Baptist minister, "On Faith" panelist Dr. Willis E. Elliott has been a pastor, teacher, lecturer, administrator, consultant (to Newsweek for 38 years), church executive, and the author of six books. His five earned degrees in religion include a PhD, University of Chicago, where he was divinity research librarian. He taught in colleges, seminaries, & universities--including the University of Hawaii, where he taught "The World's Great Religions" and "Religion and the Meaning of Existence." At the 1966 Triennium of the National Council of Churches, he was the interlocutor with Billy Graham. Close.

Willis E. Elliott

Minister, teacher, author

An ordained United Church of Christ and American Baptist minister, "On Faith" panelist Dr. Willis E. Elliott has been a pastor, teacher, lecturer, administrator, consultant (to Newsweek for 38 years), church executive, and the author of six books. more »

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Respect for Religion Archives



June 23, 2008 8:58 AM

Hinduism and Christianity Wrongly Reduced to "Love"

“[Some] Hindu groups have protested that ‘The Love Guru,’ the latest Mike Myers movie, exposes their faith to ridicule. Where is the line between acceptable humor about religion and offensive disrespect?”

What to outsiders is acceptable humor may be, to insiders, offensive disrespect. But this applies to both insiders and outsiders to religion and of any religion: Having fun with religion is innocent, having fun at the expense of religion is not.

So is this movie having fun at the expense of Hinduism? I clicked all over its online site, sniffing for disrespect. Having taught Hinduism at the University of Hawaii, I have a fairly sensitive nose for disrespect; and I found none – though I might if I were to experience the movie.

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