"Polytheists
are tolerant. Monotheists are tolerant as long as they are a small
powerless minority. In power the fangs are out. This will never change."
Atheists are also monotheists, and disdainful of polytheists.
And so we idol worshippers who worship many idols, Gangamma, Vinayaka, Balaji, Akkagarulu ... We make peace easily with all gods of other creeds also.
Paalaguttapalle (Dalitwada)
And so we idol worshippers who worship many idols, Gangamma, Vinayaka, Balaji, Akkagarulu ... We make peace easily with all gods of other creeds also.
Paalaguttapalle (Dalitwada)
Shyamala Sanyal I am atheist .
I am not disdainful of anything except mindlessness
Even that I excuse as helplessness.
I am not disdainful of anything except mindlessness
Even that I excuse as helplessness.
Aparna Krishnan All
that is needed is that. A sense of superiority, and a matching disdain,
is where the problem begins. Of the monotheist or the atheist. The
polyheist is usually more liberal.
Aparna Krishnan Of course there are arrogant polytheists also, as there would be in any hiuman crowd !
Write a reply...
Uday Shankar Well said. Totally agree!
Aparna Krishnan glad to find agreement !
Write a reply...
Uday Shankar It will always remain a challenge to find tolerance at a theological level within monotheism but a practical tolerance and non judgmentality is built into many monotheistic belief systems. Atheism may struggle with being non judgmental.
Aparna Krishnan Yes, the atheist feels intellectually superior. And that rigteousness can be his downfall.
Write a reply...
Mark Johnston I find that people who have religious beliefs and people who do not have religious beliefs can be just as judgemental or as non judgemental as each other although I live in a society where an imposed external religion is slowly losing influence and the re-invented earlier paganism has only a tiny following.
Aparna Krishnan just that in modern times science is the unquestioned religion, and by the commandment of science, what cannot be proved in the labs is an imagination. So in these times, the atheist feels more scientific and more intelligent and superior to my village people who bow to a multitude of gods. I question his superiority over my village people and their beliefs, thats all.
Mark Johnston Perhaps atheism is no better served by its self appointed and narrowest minded spokespeople than Christianity or Hinduism is. For those who believe in science to dismiss paganism is surely denying the roots of their knowledge. Modern medicine is founded on the knowledge of the herbalists, midwives and healers dismissed by Christianity as witches. Cosmology is based on the pagan priests and priestesses being able to accurately count the seasons and moon phases to predict planting and harvesting times, to mark the turning points of the year and to get audiences for 'magical' occasions like eclipses.
Aparna Krishnan Mark Johnston so modern medicine is thereby superior to ayurveda ? :) i would differ totally. Or science is superior to the vedanta - that is also invalid as they stand in seperate spheres.
Mark Johnston I did not intend to make that claim. I was refering to my local history and pointing out that in making pronouncements from ivory towers it is probably better to acknowledge and respect the foundations that their tower is built on rather than dismiss them. Those calling themselves adherents of science whilst ignoring its roots and looking instead for power and profit are, arguably, in denial of the very principles they claim to represent. In that sense they appear little different from many who speak in the name of religion, (particulary but not restricted to the Patriarchal Abrahamic religions) in order to promote their own secular interests. Perhaps it is unquestioning faith in any dogma (religious or secular) that dismisses the value of others that is problematic and on that many atheists and polytheists could probably (hopefully) happily agree :)
Write a reply...
Damodara Savarkar Reddy these Monotheists or specifically abrahamic religions, it's not a problem if they follow their own belief path. but they insists that's only path. and goes with a binary approach like believers and non belevers , and impose rule. but never successfully answers internal struggle, questions, nor they promote reasoning and learning about self. and unfortunately worshipping mother nature, earth, sun, panchabhutas, as a form of brahman, and seeing bhagvan in every being, and search of innerself these all only specific to those religions or ways which are result of extensive search for origins, self .. not blind belief of eternal hell. nor they have karma ,dharma, reincrenation, anything to answer. and now a days our country and village society unfortunately made fools and going into arms of like christianity by conversions with endless foreign money, hatred, and hatred towards their own culture and worshipping of feminine, nature. it's a big maffia running to destroy our culture like they did with native americans, or any indiginious civilisations. already we lost north east india.. they all got converted and has immense hatred towards their own tribal culture, dressing, language, worship. It's high time we have to wake up...
Afsan Chowdhury haahaaha.. so polytheists are more tolerant hence superior..Will take it to my class tomorrow.. religion is not a matter of choice according to most scholars, it defined by socio-economics of the environment.. I love such variations of thought.. people who ponder and people who don't.. btw did you know Vedas Prajapati and later Niranjan are monotheistic in concept.. cheers
Aparna Krishnan Vedanta is its essence renders the division of theism and atheism redundent. Where god is the Law, and himself is not above it. Different systems have different strengths. This is a strength of this philosophy of polytheism I have indicated. No, I do not consider any person inferior or superior.
Afsan Chowdhury Aparna Krishnan Your reading of the Vedas is itself very elitist.. its how ordianrry people perceive that matters.. and they read it very differently which is why I mentioned the terms.. In Bengal the Muslims referred to :God" as Niaranajn which means they had internalized the meaning to fit their notion.. to you its a work of philosophy and abstraction,, to the poor.. its a tool of survival.. for them the divisions don't and can't exist and nor do holy text as they are illiterate.. so the essence is within them,, unless read out they can't experience..hence holy books are sacred by themselves and not necessarily what they mean... textualization of holy books is linked to wealth. status in all societies its like IT of the ancient world.. Thanks .
Damodara Savarkar Reddy “Hari Anant Hari Katha Ananta-God is infinite and so is his narratives and stories”. advaita, or vedas ,gita are not monotheistic in sense of abrahmic religions. they all say about knowing about ultimate brahman, multiple gods and goddesses are sym...See More
Uday Shankar I don't think any "superiority" or "inferiority" is suggested ?
Aparna Krishnan What I learn from the philosophy of my village people, is what I learn from the Gita. It is a continuuim. That one is elitist and one is folk is an elitist reading, I'm sorry. Just as I see intellectuals says ayurvda is brahminical and folk medicine is...See More
paalaguttapalle.blogspot.com|By Aparna Krishnan
Aparna Krishnan Uday Shankar not between persons. But if a philosophy is inherently more accomodative that i would consider 'superior'. Illiya ?
Uday Shankar I would consider it a preferred or a preferable philosophy for peaceful coexistence. But superior or inferior need to be descriptors. Even peaceful coexistence need not be a stated requirement. The world has its original n course and it is our prarabda to live through it
Aparna Krishnan true
Uday Shankar Need NOT be descriptors
Afsan Chowdhury Damodara Savarkar Reddy I really have no idea about the philosophical concepts and not very interested in anything which a poor can't consume so I am sure you all are right.. but a basic history of religion shows faith ideas are a response to food gat...See More
Damodara Savarkar Reddy Afsan Chowdhury If not then U SHOULD NOT mis interpretate texts, dharma, samskruti. major reason every one fed up with these inteligentia, and rebelling to protect their culture, and phylosophical base. and they like puranas ,stories, matters to villagers too.. they keep alive their values, culture which are digested into them, and make them value bhoomi, prakruti. and so on.
Write a reply...
Mohammad Chappalwala Maybe you are reading what you want to from the Geeta.
Aparna Krishnan i dont think so because the commentaries are rigourous, and the teachings of an established teacher rather unambiguous.
Mohammad Chappalwala can you point out some negatives from the text, or is it all good like the bible and Quran (wink, wink)
Write a reply...
Mohammad Chappalwala The other thing is that your post will be loved by the hindutva brigade
Mohammad Chappalwala you will see comments such as India is so tolerant becuase of our superior religion,
Damodara Savarkar Reddy why superiority comes here? it describes about values of our ancestors, and their culture. what ever religion one may be. to be frank who are talking about superiority of religion ? those who seperates so called non believers as infidels or who worships nature and allow every one to practice what ever one believe3?
Write a reply...
Aparna Krishnan I am not the Hindutva brigade's keeper. I need to be true to my understandings, and change them when I realize they were erroneous. Some of my present understandings fall in the charter of the Left, and some would be based in religion. My learnings are essentially from my village. My intent was not to deify my religion at all. Just that I see a lot of idol bashing, and this post put the worship of many idols in another perspective. In my understanding all religions are holy, and a certian broadness is built into them. Perversions creep in, and need correction.
Damodara Savarkar Reddy ha ha waiting to see these type of comments. so it gives some crediblity to some kind of group, we cannot utter any logic or feeling. unfortunate. I remember a guy in JNU seminar that ' we accept aryan migration theory is false. but it will give boost to so called hindutva brigade. hense should not support native indologists' .
No comments:
Post a Comment