Indian 'Untouchables' convert to Buddhism to protest discrimination.

[Drake Tungsten]

I didn't say it was completely defensible.

[RGBVideo]

Originally posted by LordShiva

Originally posted by Arrian


Seriously, what is this bull****?

-Arrian

It's exactly that.

I think this is a pretty good summary of the news presented in this thread.

[Elok]

I read (in Larry Gonick's Cartoon History) that the Hindu version of the story goes that Vishnu came as Gautama to spread lies so people would learn to be more critical.

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by Elok
I read (in Larry Gonick's Cartoon History) that the Hindu version of the story goes that Vishnu came as Gautama to spread lies so people would learn to be more critical.

I'm no expert, but I think the story goes that Hindu society had been led astray from true devotion and had become obsessed with rigid observance of empty rituals, and so Vishnu descended as the Enlightened One in order to, well, enlighten people.

[Cort Haus]

[aneeshm]

Originally posted by LordShiva


It's exactly that.

Sorry , but it isn't .

The law is meant to prevent conversion by force or fraud ( a very , very serious problem in the South and the North-East ) .

For example , conversions within a religious family face no restrictions - a Hindu can become a Buddhist and then become a Jain without registering that conversion with the government . A Shia can convert to a Sunni who can then become an Ahmediya , again with no registration . A Christian can convert from Catholicism to Protestantism to any other Christian sect , with no registration .

But a Muslim wanting to become a Christian , a Christian wanting to become a Hindu , or a Hindu wanting to become a Muslim , has to register one month in advance with the government - and that's about it . This is meant to prevent people converting because they were offered inducement .

This law has been implemented in only one state of India , whereas other states have instituted laws saying that conversions by force or fraud will not be counted , and are illegal , and people who offer such inducements or make such threats are liable to punishment .


I see nothing wrong with that . Do you ?

[aneeshm]

As for the opening post - I have no issue with that . If it gives them some pride ( though I doubt it will ) and self-respect , I'm all for it .

My only request is that the people who convert actually take an interest in the religion into which they have converted , and see where it came from and what it actually teaches ( instead of blindly following Ambedkar ) .

[Arrian]

For example , conversions within a religious family face no restrictions - a Hindu can become a Buddhist and then become a Jain without registering that conversion with the government

Wow! Amazing! Impressive! Not.

But a Muslim wanting to become a Christian , a Christian wanting to become a Hindu , or a Hindu wanting to become a Muslim , has to register one month in advance with the government

And this, you say, is supposedly for the protection of the people? Color me skeptical.

-Arrian

[Brundlefly]

Hard to imagine these guys as Buddhists

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by aneeshm
But a Muslim wanting to become a Christian , a Christian wanting to become a Hindu , or a Hindu wanting to become a Muslim , has to register one month in advance with the government - and that's about it . This is meant to prevent people converting because they were offered inducement .

I see nothing wrong with that . Do you ?

Yes, I do. The government has no place in religion. Why is it the governments responsibility to "protect" people from "inducements?" Besides, believing that people would change their core beliefs because some priest gave them a free meal or something is exceedingly dehumanising.

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by aneeshm


Sorry , but it isn't .

The law is meant to prevent conversion by force or fraud ( a very , very serious problem in the South and the North-East ) .

For example , conversions within a religious family face no restrictions - a Hindu can become a Buddhist and then become a Jain without registering that conversion with the government . A Shia can convert to a Sunni who can then become an Ahmediya , again with no registration . A Christian can convert from Catholicism to Protestantism to any other Christian sect , with no registration .

But a Muslim wanting to become a Christian , a Christian wanting to become a Hindu , or a Hindu wanting to become a Muslim , has to register one month in advance with the government - and that's about it . This is meant to prevent people converting because they were offered inducement .

This law has been implemented in only one state of India , whereas other states have instituted laws saying that conversions by force or fraud will not be counted , and are illegal , and people who offer such inducements or make such threats are liable to punishment .


I see nothing wrong with that . Do you ?

Why on Earth is a supposedly secular government registering the religion of people...it should be of no consequence whatsoever, and thus, shouldn't be officially counted...

[KrazyHorse]

I don't have a problem with the government taking that information down during census time (same with race information) for purely statistical purposes, but the fact that you have to actually "register" as being of one religion or another is a big fat joke.



Poor backwards India.

[rah]

Why,
Religion has always been about controlling the masses.
Government has always been about controlling the masses.
This is just a two fer.

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
I don't have a problem with the government taking that information down during census time (same with race information) for purely statistical purposes, but the fact that you have to actually "register" as being of one religion or another is a big fat joke.

You don't. You need to register in one state, if you're contemplating conversion. Of course, that's a big fat joke in itself.

[Starchild]

Originally posted by aneeshm

For example , conversions within a religious family face no restrictions - a Hindu can become a Buddhist and then become a Jain without registering that conversion with the government . A Shia can convert to a Sunni who can then become an Ahmediya , again with no registration . A Christian can convert from Catholicism to Protestantism to any other Christian sect , with no registration .

But a Muslim wanting to become a Christian , a Christian wanting to become a Hindu , or a Hindu wanting to become a Muslim , has to register one month in advance with the government - and that's about it . This is meant to prevent people converting because they were offered inducement .

So the Buddhists reject all the Hindu gods and are still in the same family of relgion yet Islam, Judaism and Christianity share the same God and majority of Prophets and we're seperate families?