As long-time readers already know, I’m a practicing Hindu. (No, I don’t wear saris or bindis, but mostly because Westerners who do so always come off like pretentious assholes or wannabes, IMO. If I thought I could get away with it, I would rock saris every day of my life.) My faith is my own, and my relationship with God is between me and Her.
Except.
When I’m told that by merely choosing to be a Hindu rather than a Christian, I am “hostile” to both Jesus Christ and His followers. I truly don’t understand how or why people who presumably believe a God capable of infinite love and forgiveness and Who is infinite in His own Being is not capable of giving us all different paths to Him.
There’s an old Hindu saying, “God’s House has many doors.” The God in Whom I believe is truly infinite and presents many faces to many people. She simply wants for us to find our way to Him by whatever path we can. (I’m mixing pronouns on purpose, kids, I promise.) She realizes that while we are trapped in maya, we cannot always clearly see Him, and so He’s given us many different, valid paths to find Her.
Is that really any harder to believe than a virgin giving birth? Or a Man resurrecting after being dead three days? (I say this with utmost respect to Christian beliefs, as I happen to believe that Christ was, in fact, God Incarnate and the many stories about Him are absolutely true. I just don’t happen to believe that Christ was the only incarnation of God.)
I’m not hostile to Jesus Christ. I’m not hostile to Christianity itself or most Christians. But for those of you who ignore your Savior’s admonition to judge not, you bet your ass I’m a little hostile to you, but it has nothing to do with your faith and everything to do with you being a smug, self-righteous jackass.
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16 responses so far ↓
1 Missy // May 13, 2008 at 3:21 pm
I’m totally with you. As a person who believes that religion is a pot luck where I get to pick the portions I like and leave the portions I don’t I’m with you 100%.
Plus, unless there is concrete fact surrounding the topic at hand, people shouldn’t force their beliefs on anyone. This includes religion, politics, fashion AND American Idol among other things. *nod*
2 Melanie // May 13, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Can I get an Amen! One of the reasons I stopped going to Catholic church was because of all the “preaching” that seemed to go on. None of us are perfect and whatever higher power a person believes in would be accepting of that.
I’ve tried to lead a spiritual rather than religious life and strive to be a good person. I thought that was enough until I had a kid. My son has been asking questions lately about God and religion so I think it’s time to get myself back into the kneel/sit/stand to at least expose him to it and hope that he’ll make his own decisions later.
3 shannihilation // May 13, 2008 at 5:06 pm
When I tell people that I am Kabbalist (and then usually have to explain it to them) the response I always get is “OH! You’re Jewish?!?!?!”
That always makes me want to bop them in the head like the V8 commercials.
4 Steph // May 13, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Missy - Sometimes, even facts don’t deter a certain type of person. Like those who want creationism taught in school because all the dinosaur bones and shit were planted by God to test our faith in the Bible? Or the people who want Intelligent Design taught in school? I mean, come *on, that’s not science - there’s no proof, and I say that knowing I BELIEVE IN Intelligent Design…or at least Guided Evolution.
Melanie - Hoo. That might be my post for tomorrow - “Why I’m Raising My Kids In a Faithless (but not Godless) Home.” Bill and I were both raised in Christian homes - mine, Episcopal (Catholic Lite); his, Baptist (but not the not-dancing kind). I’ve been the one more able to accept that mainstream Christianity (or any sect of Christianity at all, really) isn’t for me; Bill is a Buddhist to the core, but he just can’t shake the idea that he MUST be Christian or pay the price. Yeah. This will be my post for tomorrow. LOL. So, to make it short for now - we’re raising the kids with God in their lives and home, just no particular “brand” of God.
Shann - HEY! I’m happy to see you “over here”! Also, I can only imagine how frustrating that is. At least when I say I’m Hindu, most people have a basic grasp of what that is. :grin:
5 Noel // May 13, 2008 at 7:28 pm
You’re hostile to JESUS? ::snort::
I’ve only ever seen you be hostile to stupid people. And, yanno. Cause they’re stupid.
6 matteroffactmommy // May 13, 2008 at 7:47 pm
holy fucking jesus shit, batman! love that you’re tackling religion on your site! i haven’t had the balls to do that… nor will i ever… i don’t think… mainly because i lack the knowledge to ’spar’ with someone verbally on the topic. i am not well read enough, if you will. (reading makes me tired. *yawn*)
did you see the movie, Bee Season? i’m pretty sure it was buddhism, not hinduism in the movie, but… the parents were jewish. and their son ended up joining a buddhist thing. or something.
anyway… i can’t stand the christian hypocrites. f them. i grew up southern baptist. and well? now i’m nothing. thanks to them.
7 Steph // May 13, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Noel - Apparently, in the minds of some Christians, I’m hostile to Christ merely because I’m not Christian. It makes me sad because I think Jesus was a pretty great Guy really. I think some of His followers have twisted His message all around, but hostile to Him? Me? Um. No. :grin:
MoFM - I’ll be covering religion again in tomorrow’s post about my children’s lack of formal religious training. I’m a rebel like that. :grin: At some point, I’ll get feisty about politics, and go there again, too. Pretty much anything I think winds up here, at some point. It’s a sickness. :grin:
8 Eden // May 13, 2008 at 11:31 pm
I just started reading so I didn’t know that. I would rock saris every day too ;) I’m a witch so I get a lot of the same preconceptions. Just b/c I don’t believe some of the stories of a religion doesn’t mean I don’t respect them or find great value in them. What I like is how many Christians (and people of other faiths and/or none) get that and give me equal respect.
9 Steph // May 13, 2008 at 11:56 pm
Eden - For the most part, I think most Christians (and people of all faiths) are pretty tolerant and open-minded, but the few who aren’t always seem to be the loudest.
10 Deb // May 14, 2008 at 1:27 am
I am with you all the way.
Nothing bothers me more than those people in church who so piously worship in their pews, then are total judgmental assholes the second they step out of the building.
Anyone who claims God is limited to one religion or type of person is bastardizing the whole concept of spirituality.
11 d // May 14, 2008 at 9:37 am
Yeah. We’ve had this conversation before. Respect their faith, but let them dump all over yours and judge you. Totally one -sided AND not very Jesus like at all.
I know you’re not hostile to Jeebus. I don’t really see you being hostile towards anyone except stupid people–Like Noel said. LOL
And you know how my faith is. I’m all about being spiritual instead of practicing a religion, but I’m not gonna trash on what other people believe.
I really agree with the idea of God’s house has many doors.
But as we all know, some people use religion as a crutch most of the time and as a weapon because they’re insecure in their own being and in their faith.
12 Steph // May 14, 2008 at 11:29 am
Deb - Amen, sister. Preach on. :)
D - Lately, I haven’t even been hostile to stupid people really. They’re not worth my time or energy. LOL.
13 d // May 14, 2008 at 12:09 pm
That’s true dude. You just ignore the stupid people.
I’m actually really proud of you dude. You’ve had some nasty shit thrown at you and you’ve risen above the mire.
I’m so happy that you are so happy and relaxed now.
LOVE YOU!!
14 Steph // May 14, 2008 at 12:10 pm
d - Thanks. :*) You know I love you, too. All day long. :)
15 Krystie Lee // May 14, 2008 at 2:29 pm
You don’t sound hostile to Christians. I saw a shirt yesterday that said “I love roman lions.” Now THAT’S hostile to Christians!
16 Steph // May 14, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Krystie Lee - Those kinds of shirts irritate me endlessly. People want Christians to be tolerant and loving, then those same people have shirts like that or Darwin fish on their cars or whatever. That, to me, is just as bad as a Christian telling me I’m going to Hell. You don’t have to agree with someone’s ideas to be respectful about it, for pity’s sake!