This past Monday, on a day meant to celebrate the life and message of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who continues to inspire so many of us with his call for brotherhood among all Americans, Gov. Robert Bentley of Alabama had this to say:
"...There may be some people here today who do not have living within them the Holy Spirit. But if you have been adopted in God's family like I have, and like you have if you're a Christian and if you're saved, and the Holy Spirit lives within you just like the Holy Spirit lives within me, then you know what that makes? It makes you and me brothers. And it makes you and me brother and sister. Now I will have to say that, if we don't have the same daddy, we're not brothers and sisters. So anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I'm telling you, you're not my brother and you're not my sister, and I want to be your brother."
News of this speech, which has left many speechless (and not in a good way), began trickling in early yesterday. But before I could even begin to intelligently formulate a reaction, a funny thing happened...
"We are family. I've got all my sisters with me..."
Yes, the disco hit -- it began playing in my head, and it's been stuck there. Long, lazy summer days, choreographing roller skating routines in the backyard with my sister to that classic song. Aside from being just plain upbeat and catchy, the Sister Sledge top 10 tune has a great message that resonates universally -- the power of sisterhood and family.
And so I digress, but just for a moment, from the esteemed Governor and his statement. Being brought up in a traditional Hindu home, we celebrated the bonds of family, and especially sisterhood and brotherhood, every year around August. My parents hosted a multi-generation ceremony for the Hindu holiday of Rakshabandhan when we ladies tied rakhis or hand-made, sacred amulets on the wrists of our brothers with heartfelt prayers for his protection and well-being. The ritual always included distant cousins, and over the years, we even "adopted" some of our close male friends as honorary brothers.
Such "adoptions" probably aren't all too surprising for most Hindus because what fundamentally constitutes "family" in the Hindu world is quite expansive: Vasudhaiva kutumbakam -- the world is one family. It includes those related by blood, those related by marriage and those who we are tied to only by circumstance. But on a metaphysical level, it includes all of humanity, even all of existence. And why wouldn't it? After all, according to Hindu teachings, we are all kindred spirits in our shared divinity. We are all brothers and sisters, regardless of who our father or mother is and regardless of our race, religion, caste, gender, sexual orientation and all the other walls that seek to separate us.
Gov. Bentley, indeed, as an American you are entitled to your religious beliefs and clearly you were exercising your right to free speech when you aimed a pot-shot at your wayward, hell-bound not-brothers and not-sisters on Monday. But you are not Joe Citizen anymore. You took an oath, which, at least in spirit, demands that you serve equally the close to 5 million citizens of Alabama, including thousands of Hindu Alabamians -- attending Hindu temples in your fair state -- not to mention atheists, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Pagans and more. Perhaps you got caught up in the moment, after all, you were in a church and you are a former deacon, but words are difficult to retract, but at least the hurt that can be caused by them can also be allayed by other words, like, "I'm sorry."
As a Hindu American, despite the fact that I find your remarks repulsive and intolerant, I recognize that the same Divine that dwells in me, dwells in you, and for that reason we are family. And as members of most families do to live in peace with one another, I respect the fact that you are on a different path, and I can only hope that someday you too will feel the same.
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wrote that 3 years back- well, starting from the pope, the trouble is, the Christian theology is not very "catholic" in its expression. (cath·o·lic) [kath-uh-lik, kath-lik] –adjective
1. broad or wide-ranging in tastes, interests, or the like; having sympathies with all; broad-minded; liberal.
2. universal in extent; involving all; of interest to all.)
Amen
In this context, I thought it will be good to introduce your readers to some relevant mantras as well, like the Purnahuti, Sukhino Bhavantu, etc
lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu
sarve janah sukhino bhavantu
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanti_Mantra
He is part of a minority of the Old thought in America.
I must say that I am a resident of the state of Alabama. My belief is that my state is a Christian theocracy, so it does surprise me that people from outside this state are so surprised. I watched the inauguration ceremony, where EACH person being sworn in made a statement regarding the Christian faith. Recently, the head justice of our state supreme court had a monument erected to the Ten Commandments in front of a state building.
In my experience in a rural area, those of us with non-Christian beliefs (or lack of beliefs) are mistreated and shunned by those claiming to exhibit the love and understanding of their professed faith. I recently read an article in which members of a church were making the statement that "SIN will not be tolerated in our church." Sinners not welcome in a church, my friends. It did not surprise me in the least, as I am a person who had her life threatened for the color of my spouse's skin.
Think kindly of Alabamians, dear friends. Not all of us feel the way our elected officials do. Namaste.
http://thinkunity.com
the difference between your views and his beliefs is ignorance, his ignorance.
now find the origin of that ignorance and a whole new reality will be revealed.
his evolution of consciousness is at a very low level at this time in this life. give him a few more lives experiences and some karma and he too will know that the living vitality most call spirit is within all living souls.
he wants to be special so his ego makes such ignorant statements. ie look at me. that desire to be special comes from within his own lack of ************
atheists are made not born with statements like his.
the read sad part of all of this is the people of his state that elected him into office. that is where the real ignorance lies. the southern states are an interesting collection of people to say the least.
Hear, hear. :)
With that said, I thank Ms. Shukla for her article and join her in praying that Gov. Bentley can more fully manifest the enlightened part of his nature.
It should interest women to read these books the Vatican banned, for one thing they say: At this time, an old woman approached the crowd, but was pushed back. Then Jesus said, "Reverenc Woman, mother of the Universe,' in her lies the truth of Creation. She is the foundation of all that is good and beautiful. She is the source of life and death. Upon her depends the existence of man, because she is the sustenance of his labors. She gives birth to you in travail, she watches over your growth. Bless her. Honor her. Defend her. Love your wives and honor them........Wife and mother-they are the adornments of the Universe." Is their any rocket scientist out there that can figure out why the Vatican dispises women, or these leader's of the [Red] states say "The Job Killing Hearth Care Reform," is bad for them and deny them basic hearth care for the 'Creator's' of the Universe!
"The Book of Issa" has never been produced, and the leader of the lamasery at Hemis,India, where it is supposedly was found by a Theosophy-inclined Russian adventurer named Nicholas Notovich, has gone on record as saying there is no such thing there, and no European had ever stayed the night and perused its library as Notovich claimed he did.