Bhagavad Gita - Prosetylizing?

[Anonymous]

It should be noted that not all Hare Krishnas do this. The ISKCON organization is particular is really, really toned down and more "we are traditional Hindus with a Vaishnava focus" compared to how they used to be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Geez, what a gushing apology. People need to stop being so fragile. They wanted to tell you about their religion, you didn't want to hear it so you left, problem solved. I don't understand why people act like proselytizing is so inherently awful. I'm not particularly religious and don't do it myself but I'm not offended when others do it because I'm an adult and can no, thank you, have a nice day.

Proselytizing is still offensive. As Hindus we don't like it when Christians do it (and I've had Christians try to invite themselves into my house to read scripture at me), so we should make sure fringe cults that worship our Gods - and the Hare Krishnas are a fringe cult - don't engage in the same behavior in the name of one of our Gods.

All religions are cult-like. Think of the practices religious groups share. Furthermore, the goal of all religions is to grow - whether that's through procreation or recruitment.

No not all religions are like this. Countries/leaders/cults that used religion as a means to attack other lands used proselytizing as their "noble" reason for pillaging villages, killing masses of people and forced conversions in order to easier establish leadership and domination of which the end result is more $$$ for the invader.

Hinduism does not encourage proselytizing or conversions as everyone has their own path in life. There is no belief there is your god vs my god vs someone else's god. God doesn't get angry and say that others that don't believe are heathens or kuffar or whatever. There is simply ONE higher power. If you find that higher power through Christianity-great then be as much like Jesus as you can be. You're invited to learn about dharma, karma, yoga, meditation, even learn about Hindu scriptures if you want without anyone trying to convince you to convert.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Geez, what a gushing apology. People need to stop being so fragile. They wanted to tell you about their religion, you didn't want to hear it so you left, problem solved. I don't understand why people act like proselytizing is so inherently awful. I'm not particularly religious and don't do it myself but I'm not offended when others do it because I'm an adult and can no, thank you, have a nice day.

Proselytizing is still offensive. As Hindus we don't like it when Christians do it (and I've had Christians try to invite themselves into my house to read scripture at me), so we should make sure fringe cults that worship our Gods - and the Hare Krishnas are a fringe cult - don't engage in the same behavior in the name of one of our Gods.

All religions are cult-like. Think of the practices religious groups share. Furthermore, the goal of all religions is to grow - whether that's through procreation or recruitment.

No not all religions are like this. Countries/leaders/cults that used religion as a means to attack other lands used proselytizing as their "noble" reason for pillaging villages, killing masses of people and forced conversions in order to easier establish leadership and domination of which the end result is more $$$ for the invader.

Hinduism does not encourage proselytizing or conversions as everyone has their own path in life. There is no belief there is your god vs my god vs someone else's god. God doesn't get angry and say that others that don't believe are heathens or kuffar or whatever. There is simply ONE higher power. If you find that higher power through Christianity-great then be as much like Jesus as you can be. You're invited to learn about dharma, karma, yoga, meditation, even learn about Hindu scriptures if you want without anyone trying to convince you to convert.

Well, and then there's these guys - https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/05/05/attacks-indias-minority-muslims-hindu-vigilantes-mount/100951514/

[Anonymous]

Hare Krishnas - the rest of us don't consider them "real" Hindus.

[Anonymous]

Say "I am in a rush" and move on. Case closed. Done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Geez, what a gushing apology. People need to stop being so fragile. They wanted to tell you about their religion, you didn't want to hear it so you left, problem solved. I don't understand why people act like proselytizing is so inherently awful. I'm not particularly religious and don't do it myself but I'm not offended when others do it because I'm an adult and can no, thank you, have a nice day.

Proselytizing is still offensive. As Hindus we don't like it when Christians do it (and I've had Christians try to invite themselves into my house to read scripture at me), so we should make sure fringe cults that worship our Gods - and the Hare Krishnas are a fringe cult - don't engage in the same behavior in the name of one of our Gods.

All religions are cult-like. Think of the practices religious groups share. Furthermore, the goal of all religions is to grow - whether that's through procreation or recruitment.

No not all religions are like this. Countries/leaders/cults that used religion as a means to attack other lands used proselytizing as their "noble" reason for pillaging villages, killing masses of people and forced conversions in order to easier establish leadership and domination of which the end result is more $$$ for the invader.

Hinduism does not encourage proselytizing or conversions as everyone has their own path in life. There is no belief there is your god vs my god vs someone else's god. God doesn't get angry and say that others that don't believe are heathens or kuffar or whatever. There is simply ONE higher power. If you find that higher power through Christianity-great then be as much like Jesus as you can be. You're invited to learn about dharma, karma, yoga, meditation, even learn about Hindu scriptures if you want without anyone trying to convince you to convert.

Well, and then there's these guys - https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/05/05/attacks-indias-minority-muslims-hindu-vigilantes-mount/100951514/

That has nothing to do with prosetylizing does it? Just as in neighboring Pakistan, Hindus are attacked during Ramadan, Hindu girls are kidnapped and forced into marriage along with rape by Muslim men, Hindu temples have been turned into urinals. Even in India, there are always attacks against Hindus in Muslim majority areas during Ramadan, generally after Friday prayer.

That is a strife that goes back hundreds of years and actually stems from the invasion of Islamic leaders along with their brutal killings and forced conversions aka proselytizing. ISIS like terror occurred in India and there are many generations of memory there as well as the tearing apart of a country. It's not okay but you coming on here trying to act like Hindus are the only ones that do wrong is simply showing your hatred and bias. India has freedom of religion, not like many other countries.

Hinduism is inherently secular, it's built into it's foundation. Don't twist the actions of people with religion. Isn't that what you say whenever there is another terrorist attack?

[Anonymous]

That has nothing to do with prosetylizing does it? Just as in neighboring Pakistan, Hindus are attacked during Ramadan, Hindu girls are kidnapped and forced into marriage along with rape by Muslim men, Hindu temples have been turned into urinals. Even in India, there are always attacks against Hindus in Muslim majority areas during Ramadan, generally after Friday prayer.

That is a strife that goes back hundreds of years and actually stems from the invasion of Islamic leaders along with their brutal killings and forced conversions aka proselytizing. ISIS like terror occurred in India and there are many generations of memory there as well as the tearing apart of a country. It's not okay but you coming on here trying to act like Hindus are the only ones that do wrong is simply showing your hatred and bias. India has freedom of religion, not like many other countries.

Hinduism is inherently secular, it's built into it's foundation. Don't twist the actions of people with religion. Isn't that what you say whenever there is another terrorist attack?

+1

To point out a new, minority fundamentalist attitude in a religion that's thousands of years old and has never created a system of conversion, and pretend that it represents Hinduism, is ridiculous. Your local yoga studio is more representative of Hinduism than a couple of goons in Meerut, but why admit that the parts of spirituality you enjoy are part of a religion you want to bash?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hare Krishna cult usually attracts western people because their culture and religion does have the aspect of religious conversion. In western religions (Christianity, Judaism and Islam), people are open to converting from one religion to another.

Most Indian Hindus look down on any proselytizing attempts because to them such attempts demonstrates a lack of faith in the omnipresence and omnipotence of God. Hindus are born not made.

Your response sounds very much like you believe Hinduism to be somehow better than the Hare Krishna faith. That's no different from the Southern Baptist feeling superior to the Catholic. Or the Christian feeling that he is better than the atheist.

We are all on our own sacred path. One is not better than another.

Atheists are not on a sacred path. We're just living the one life we have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Proselytizing is obnoxious because it assumes their religious beliefs are superior to yours. And it's rude to randomly approach people in this way, uninvited, and start talking about something so personal.

Do you assume your religious beliefs are superior to theirs? What does your religion say happens to people to don't believe your way? If you're a Christian and your religion says non-believers go to Hell (or are at least denied entry into Heaven) for eternity, who's the better person - the one who sits back and says, "My religion is superior to yours and I'm going to let you suffer for Eternity because you're not smart enough to realize it," or the person who says, "I'm concerned that you're sacrificing an eternity of happiness. Please let me try to save you"?

Personally I'd rather go to hell than suffer in "heaven" with such a petty god.

PP here, and, I agree that such a god would be petty. However, that describes most religions (particularly Christianity) - believe as you're told or face punishment. But that's why I have to respect the people who have such faith in their particular religion that they choose to spend their time trying to "save" the rest of us. In the same way, when people say they are praying for me, even though I don't believe, I say thank you because they are spending their time doing something they believe is beneficial to me, and being nice about it costs me nothing. When the Jehovas Witnesses or the Mormons come to my door, I say thank you for offering to share your faith, but I'm an atheist and your time would be better spent with someone else.

To each his own. I don't want to hear that someone is praying for me. Mostly, I'm thinking they don't know what to say and probably aren't going to pray for me, which is OK, because I think prayer is a waste of time. I wish they'd just say "sorry - please let me know if there is anything I can do to help."

As for the JWs, I wouldn't say "thank you for sharing...." because I'm not thankful. I might say, "No thanks, I'm an atheist."

[Anonymous]

Atheists are not on a sacred path.

Tell that to Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Atheists are not on a sacred path.

Tell that to Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris.

They would agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Atheists are not on a sacred path.

Tell that to Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris.

They would agree.

If you don't think atheism is sacred, you won't proselytize about atheism, harangue theists with all the energy of a preacher, and get into angry Twitter battles with anyone who doesn't toe the atheist gospel.

There is a HUGE difference between secular humanist atheists and the "atheism is sacred" atheists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Atheists are not on a sacred path.

Tell that to Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris.

They would agree.

If you don't think atheism is sacred, you won't proselytize about atheism, harangue theists with all the energy of a preacher, and get into angry Twitter battles with anyone who doesn't toe the atheist gospel.

There is a HUGE difference between secular humanist atheists and the "atheism is sacred" atheists.

It''s not "atheist is sacred" it's "not believing in god is perfectly acceptable" and the difference is in the minds of religious believers who confuse an atheist speaking up with proselytizing. People are so used to atheists being quiet that it seems like a threat when they express themselves openly.

[Anonymous]

It''s not "atheist is sacred" it's "not believing in god is perfectly acceptable" and the difference is in the minds of religious believers who confuse an atheist speaking up with proselytizing. People are so used to atheists being quiet that it seems like a threat when they express themselves openly.

Lol no, the atheists who "express themselves openly" are secular humanists. I'm a theist and I've attended meditation sessions with secular humanists and gone out for beers afterwards. Secular humanists express themselves openly whenever a philosophical discussion comes up. If you think Richard Dawkins is merely saying, "not believing in god is perfectly acceptable" instead of saying, "Of course you can have an opinion about Islam without having read Qur'an. You don't have to read Mein Kampf to have an opinion about nazism" or that forcing religion on kids is child abuse (these are actual things he has said, and that quote about Islam is what he actually tweeted, and he does this constantly), you are completely delusional.

[Anonymous]

As a kid raised in the Hare Krsna cult, run... seriously, nothing like Hinduism. Look up ISKCON. You will find murder, child abuse, drugs, corruption and more. Certainly, there are innocent Hare Krsna members, but it is a cult similar to Scientology.