Showing posts with label Hindus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hindus. Show all posts
Monday, 25 September 2017
Hinduism and Polygamy
“Polygamous marriages were not uncommon in Hindu society. Ancient texts speak of both polygyny (multiple wives) and polyandry (multiple husbands). In the Ramayana epic, king Dasaratha fathers four children through his three wives. In the Mahabharata epic, princess Draupadi married the five sons of king Pandu, and bore their children. Certain Himalayan tribes still practice polyandry today.” [Introducing Hinduism, Hilary P. Rodrigues, p 96]
Muslim Rule in India: No Evidence of Forced Mass Coversions of Hindus
The Ummayad Islamic Caliphate, whose capital was Damascus, had expanded to establish a kingdom in the lower Indus River valley as early as 711 CE. These were Arabic-speaking Muslims, many of whom also traded along India’s Malabar Coast. However, /islam’s major push into the subcontinent began with the Turkish ruler Mahmud of Ghazni, who had his Afgha armies move into Northwest India. By the time of his assassination in 1206, he had established a Turko-Afghan state bordering on Delhi. His successor, Qutb u’d-din Aibak, conquered Delhi, making it his capital, and became the first in a series of Delhi Sultans, Turko-Afghan rulers whose empire eventually stretched from the Punjab to Bengal.
It may be misleading to characterize the region of this empire as under “Muslim” or “Islamic” rule, because the ruling styles of the Hindu and Muslim kingdoms of these states were fairly similar. Furthermore, it conveys the sense that obligatory mass conversions to Islam had occurred, which current historical analyses reject. From studies in regions where Islamic populations grew, such as Western Punjab and Bengal, conversion was often driven by desires for upward mobility through intermarriage, and by teachings of charismatic religious leaders. Historians also reject a prevailing popular view of systematic wholesale destruction of non-Muslim holy places, such as Buddhist monasteries and Hindu temples. While some such were definitely sacked for their wealth, and many religious centers were destroyed by zealous Muslim rulers, such as Firuz Tughluq (14th century CE), Islam and non-Islamic spiritual and philosophical life generally coexisted and interacted peacefully. [Introducing Hinduism, Hilary P. Rodrigues, Routledge, 2nd Edition p28]
Russell Brand Exposes Muslim Terrorism Percentage
It may be misleading to characterize the region of this empire as under “Muslim” or “Islamic” rule, because the ruling styles of the Hindu and Muslim kingdoms of these states were fairly similar. Furthermore, it conveys the sense that obligatory mass conversions to Islam had occurred, which current historical analyses reject. From studies in regions where Islamic populations grew, such as Western Punjab and Bengal, conversion was often driven by desires for upward mobility through intermarriage, and by teachings of charismatic religious leaders. Historians also reject a prevailing popular view of systematic wholesale destruction of non-Muslim holy places, such as Buddhist monasteries and Hindu temples. While some such were definitely sacked for their wealth, and many religious centers were destroyed by zealous Muslim rulers, such as Firuz Tughluq (14th century CE), Islam and non-Islamic spiritual and philosophical life generally coexisted and interacted peacefully. [Introducing Hinduism, Hilary P. Rodrigues, Routledge, 2nd Edition p28]
Russell Brand Exposes Muslim Terrorism Percentage
Wednesday, 2 August 2017
A Video Shining Light Toward Farhan Qureshi and the Hindu Community
A Hindu friend of mine, Farhan, goes into what appears to be Hindu nationalist ethno-centred PSYOPS against Indian Muslims. It comes across as really low brow stuff. This is a video responding to his comments about Muslims. Hopefully this can be a light to Hindu friends to help people see beyond nationalist and ethno-centred arguments that say Islam is an Arab religion and Indian Muslims should not follow Islam because it's not native to India.
This video is also uploaded here and here
Muslim responds to Hindu
Polygamy IS in the Bible - Christians Stop Being SCARED of Liberals
Muslim Indonesian Women Tricked By Christiam Missionary Men?
She Left Islam Because She Misunderstood Salvation in Islam
Christian Ex Muslim Al Fadi Challenged by a Muslim
Discussion: Ex Muslims, Slogan "Free If You Leave Islam", Atheism, Nihilism, Consumerism and Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
Christians having dreams and converting to Islam
Learn about Islam
Email: yahyasnow@yahoo.co.uk
This video is also uploaded here and here
Muslim responds to Hindu
Polygamy IS in the Bible - Christians Stop Being SCARED of Liberals
Muslim Indonesian Women Tricked By Christiam Missionary Men?
She Left Islam Because She Misunderstood Salvation in Islam
Christian Ex Muslim Al Fadi Challenged by a Muslim
Discussion: Ex Muslims, Slogan "Free If You Leave Islam", Atheism, Nihilism, Consumerism and Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
Christians having dreams and converting to Islam
Learn about Islam
Email: yahyasnow@yahoo.co.uk
Monday, 31 July 2017
Muslim Reaches Out to Hindu Who Was Using Ethno-PSYOPS and the Genetic Fallacy on Muslims
A Hindu friend of mine, Farhan, goes into what appear to be Hindu nationalist ethno-centred PSYOPS against Indian Muslims. It comes across as really low stuff.
He writes:
"Why do you worship Arabs and their religion? Embrace your ancestry, you are ethnically Hindu"
Muslims don't worship Arabs. Muslims don't worship people. Muslims worship God alone. Just because Islam was revealed in Arabia does not mean it is an Arab religion - Islam is a Revelation for the whole of mankind. It's humanity's religion.
The fallacy he's guilty of here is the genetic fallacy. He's arguing emotionally against Islam due to it not being a religion Revealed in India. Whether deliberate or not, he's seemingly encouraging Muslims to look away from Islam and towards Hinduism simply because of where such a religion comes from. Let's delve into Farhan's barb further with 3 important points.
Point 1
To say Islam is foreign to the Indian subcontinent or to any other region of the world is short-sighted. "Muslim" linguistically means one who submits to God and "Islam" linguistically means submission to God. Muslims believe Allah (God) sent messengers to all nations and there's a tradition which says Allah sent 124,000 messengers in total (to the whole of humanity) thus "Muslim" messengers would have been sent in various parts of the Americas, Europe and the Indian Subcontinent long before the revelation of the religion of Islam as we know it today with the Quran and Prophet Muhammad.
Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi writes:
Allah has mentioned in the Qur’an that He sent Messengers and guides among all people. Allah Almighty says: “ And verily We have raised in every nation a messenger, (proclaiming): Serve Allah and shun false gods. Then some of them (there were) whom Allah guided, and some of them (there were) upon whom error had just hold. Do but travel in the land and see the nature of the consequence for the deniers!.” (An-Nahl: 36) He Almighty also says, “There was not any community except a Warner who lived among them.” (Fatir :24).
In his Musnad, Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal has stated that Allah sent 124, 000 Prophets, and from among them 315 were Messengers.
Those messengers that Allah sent to all nations would have included people indigenous to those nations thus there would have been ethnically Indian messengers. Think about that! This may well have been before the Vedas were written, before the Indus Valley civilization and before the Aryan invasion.
So we expect at least one, although given the size of that region I'd imagine there would have been more than one, ethnically Indian messenger (born and raised in the Indian subcontinent) preaching "Islam" (submission to Allah via pure exclusive monotheism) to people of his ethnicity and geographical location. In fact, if you think about it, many Indians will have an ancestry which will have links to such messenger/s.
To argue against Islam based on emotional genetic fallacies is unfair, myopic and, once we look at the broader picture of the Islamic tradition, it's an argument based on ignorance/myopia.
Point 2
2. Hinduism is not solely a product of India and can we really say all those living there do not have roots beyond India? What role did the Aryans play in the development of Hinduism? There is a standard story in most text books: the theory of the Aryan invasion (although there's a migration theory too). Sometime between 2500-1500 BCE the Aryans (meant something like noblemen or landlords) took over the Indus valley civilisation (around the Indus river) and eventually pushed all the way into India and Aryianised the culture. The Aryans seemed to have their own pantheon, their religious tradition was similar to that of ancient Persia.
How much influence did the Aryans and their descendants have on Hindu scriptures and Hindu philosophies?
For the Hindu nationalist this would be an issue if he's seriously going to use the genetic fallacy against Muslims and Islam.
Point 3
3. The Hindu is communicating in English, a language that is definitely not native to his ancestral region. Is he worshipping English people? Similar comments could be made about the internet, his PC, his phone, his clothes, his accent (obviously not Indian!) etc..
You see how silly the genetic fallacy can get? Surely, folks can see how unfair and inconsistent it is to use the said fallacy on Muslims and Islam.
Farhan sticks continues with his psychological barbs. He writes:
"Even the Arabs call you Hindi and think you are subservient to their religion and culture"
Well this is negative stereotyping of Arabs, it's almost like he's making them out to be racists and Arab supremacists who look down on other people. Is that fair to tar all Arabs with such an unpleasant theme? No. To say Arabs are all a bunch of bigots would be like saying to Eastern Christians the Europeans consider you subservient to their religion ad culture or to the Indian that Westerners look down on you and think you're subservient to their culture.
It's stereotyping. I bet most Arabs look at Indian Muslims lovingly as their brothers and sisters. In fact, Islam teaches us how irrelevant race is:
In his famous Farewell Pilgrimage sermon, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) declared: "O people! You are all to Adam and Adam was made of dust. No Arab is to be preferred over a non-Arab except by virtue of his piety." In another hadith, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah does not look at your images or your colors but He looks at your hearts (intentions) and your deeds. Creatures are the dependants of Allah and the closest among them to Allah are indeed the most useful to His dependants."
The PSYOPS against the poor Indian Muslims does not let up, Farhan goes on to write:
"Their [I assume he means Arab] history is not your history"
I think we have kind of touched on this in the section covering the genetic fallacy There we saw Islam is EVERYBODY's history as it is a religion for the whole of humanity. Messengers of Allah were sent to every race and every geographical region preaching devotion and worship to God alone.
This is such a powerful unifying thought. Think about it, God sent prophets of your race to your ancestors. I'm saddened to see some of our Hindu friends unaware of this and thus they are making statements which are not only unfair but lacking depth and meaningful insight.
God has sent a last messenger, Prophet Muhammad, with a global message. If you're a Hindu, do you know about this message? Would you like to learn about it if you have not been told about it? If yes, please see here.
He finishes off by playing a clip of Shk. Hamza Yusuf talking about the mistreatment of Indian labourers (as well as maids).
Of course, this is not by coincidence. It's linked to the other snips of ethno-PSYOPS against Indian Muslims. We must remember, labourers and maids being mistreated is certainly an issue of concern that Muslims around the world should condemn regardless of race but at the same time folks must not use it in propaganda against Arabs and/or Muslims - obviously it is only a tiny fraction of Arabs who are involved and the majority would abhor maltreatment of Indian labourers.
This propaganda by the Hindu would be akin to somebody who is not in Britain stereotyping English people as racists because of a few far right groups getting into the news here. Most English people condemn those groups and are repulsed by their racist sentiment. Likewise, the vast majority of Arab Muslims will condemn such shameful treatment, alongside Shk Hamza Yusuf. It's sad our Hindu friend in his haste misused a good deed by the Muslim scholar; who was correcting the guilty Arab Muslim brethren and warning other Arab Muslim brethren whilst bringing this social ill to the attention of the wider Muslim community in order to alleviate the problem.
The mistreatment of labourers and maids which we see on the news is a departure from Islamic teachings. Islam does not allow such mistreatment, we are taught to be just in the Quran.
O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah ; indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do. [Translation of the Meaning of Quran 5:8]
Hindu lady converts to Islam
Muslim Community Respond to Grenfell Tower Block Fire in London
American Woman Goes to Saudi Arabia
Black and Arab Inter-Marriage at Time of Prophet Muhammad (p)
Black being linked with sin - not racist Hamza Yusuf
White supremacy, Abraham Lincoln and Islam
Christians having dreams and converting to Islam
Learn about Islam
Email: yahyasnow@yahoo.co.uk
He writes:
"Why do you worship Arabs and their religion? Embrace your ancestry, you are ethnically Hindu"
Muslims don't worship Arabs. Muslims don't worship people. Muslims worship God alone. Just because Islam was revealed in Arabia does not mean it is an Arab religion - Islam is a Revelation for the whole of mankind. It's humanity's religion.
The fallacy he's guilty of here is the genetic fallacy. He's arguing emotionally against Islam due to it not being a religion Revealed in India. Whether deliberate or not, he's seemingly encouraging Muslims to look away from Islam and towards Hinduism simply because of where such a religion comes from. Let's delve into Farhan's barb further with 3 important points.
Point 1
To say Islam is foreign to the Indian subcontinent or to any other region of the world is short-sighted. "Muslim" linguistically means one who submits to God and "Islam" linguistically means submission to God. Muslims believe Allah (God) sent messengers to all nations and there's a tradition which says Allah sent 124,000 messengers in total (to the whole of humanity) thus "Muslim" messengers would have been sent in various parts of the Americas, Europe and the Indian Subcontinent long before the revelation of the religion of Islam as we know it today with the Quran and Prophet Muhammad.
Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi writes:
Allah has mentioned in the Qur’an that He sent Messengers and guides among all people. Allah Almighty says: “ And verily We have raised in every nation a messenger, (proclaiming): Serve Allah and shun false gods. Then some of them (there were) whom Allah guided, and some of them (there were) upon whom error had just hold. Do but travel in the land and see the nature of the consequence for the deniers!.” (An-Nahl: 36) He Almighty also says, “There was not any community except a Warner who lived among them.” (Fatir :24).
In his Musnad, Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal has stated that Allah sent 124, 000 Prophets, and from among them 315 were Messengers.
Those messengers that Allah sent to all nations would have included people indigenous to those nations thus there would have been ethnically Indian messengers. Think about that! This may well have been before the Vedas were written, before the Indus Valley civilization and before the Aryan invasion.
So we expect at least one, although given the size of that region I'd imagine there would have been more than one, ethnically Indian messenger (born and raised in the Indian subcontinent) preaching "Islam" (submission to Allah via pure exclusive monotheism) to people of his ethnicity and geographical location. In fact, if you think about it, many Indians will have an ancestry which will have links to such messenger/s.
To argue against Islam based on emotional genetic fallacies is unfair, myopic and, once we look at the broader picture of the Islamic tradition, it's an argument based on ignorance/myopia.
Point 2
2. Hinduism is not solely a product of India and can we really say all those living there do not have roots beyond India? What role did the Aryans play in the development of Hinduism? There is a standard story in most text books: the theory of the Aryan invasion (although there's a migration theory too). Sometime between 2500-1500 BCE the Aryans (meant something like noblemen or landlords) took over the Indus valley civilisation (around the Indus river) and eventually pushed all the way into India and Aryianised the culture. The Aryans seemed to have their own pantheon, their religious tradition was similar to that of ancient Persia.
How much influence did the Aryans and their descendants have on Hindu scriptures and Hindu philosophies?
For the Hindu nationalist this would be an issue if he's seriously going to use the genetic fallacy against Muslims and Islam.
Point 3
3. The Hindu is communicating in English, a language that is definitely not native to his ancestral region. Is he worshipping English people? Similar comments could be made about the internet, his PC, his phone, his clothes, his accent (obviously not Indian!) etc..
You see how silly the genetic fallacy can get? Surely, folks can see how unfair and inconsistent it is to use the said fallacy on Muslims and Islam.
 |
| Asked to think deeper about Islam and Muslims |
Farhan's comments on Arabs
Farhan sticks continues with his psychological barbs. He writes:
"Even the Arabs call you Hindi and think you are subservient to their religion and culture"
Well this is negative stereotyping of Arabs, it's almost like he's making them out to be racists and Arab supremacists who look down on other people. Is that fair to tar all Arabs with such an unpleasant theme? No. To say Arabs are all a bunch of bigots would be like saying to Eastern Christians the Europeans consider you subservient to their religion ad culture or to the Indian that Westerners look down on you and think you're subservient to their culture.
It's stereotyping. I bet most Arabs look at Indian Muslims lovingly as their brothers and sisters. In fact, Islam teaches us how irrelevant race is:
In his famous Farewell Pilgrimage sermon, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) declared: "O people! You are all to Adam and Adam was made of dust. No Arab is to be preferred over a non-Arab except by virtue of his piety." In another hadith, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah does not look at your images or your colors but He looks at your hearts (intentions) and your deeds. Creatures are the dependants of Allah and the closest among them to Allah are indeed the most useful to His dependants."
The PSYOPS against the poor Indian Muslims does not let up, Farhan goes on to write:
"Their [I assume he means Arab] history is not your history"
I think we have kind of touched on this in the section covering the genetic fallacy There we saw Islam is EVERYBODY's history as it is a religion for the whole of humanity. Messengers of Allah were sent to every race and every geographical region preaching devotion and worship to God alone.
This is such a powerful unifying thought. Think about it, God sent prophets of your race to your ancestors. I'm saddened to see some of our Hindu friends unaware of this and thus they are making statements which are not only unfair but lacking depth and meaningful insight.
God has sent a last messenger, Prophet Muhammad, with a global message. If you're a Hindu, do you know about this message? Would you like to learn about it if you have not been told about it? If yes, please see here.
He finishes off by playing a clip of Shk. Hamza Yusuf talking about the mistreatment of Indian labourers (as well as maids).
Of course, this is not by coincidence. It's linked to the other snips of ethno-PSYOPS against Indian Muslims. We must remember, labourers and maids being mistreated is certainly an issue of concern that Muslims around the world should condemn regardless of race but at the same time folks must not use it in propaganda against Arabs and/or Muslims - obviously it is only a tiny fraction of Arabs who are involved and the majority would abhor maltreatment of Indian labourers.
This propaganda by the Hindu would be akin to somebody who is not in Britain stereotyping English people as racists because of a few far right groups getting into the news here. Most English people condemn those groups and are repulsed by their racist sentiment. Likewise, the vast majority of Arab Muslims will condemn such shameful treatment, alongside Shk Hamza Yusuf. It's sad our Hindu friend in his haste misused a good deed by the Muslim scholar; who was correcting the guilty Arab Muslim brethren and warning other Arab Muslim brethren whilst bringing this social ill to the attention of the wider Muslim community in order to alleviate the problem.
The mistreatment of labourers and maids which we see on the news is a departure from Islamic teachings. Islam does not allow such mistreatment, we are taught to be just in the Quran.
O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah ; indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do. [Translation of the Meaning of Quran 5:8]
Hindu lady converts to Islam
Muslim Community Respond to Grenfell Tower Block Fire in London
American Woman Goes to Saudi Arabia
Black and Arab Inter-Marriage at Time of Prophet Muhammad (p)
Black being linked with sin - not racist Hamza Yusuf
White supremacy, Abraham Lincoln and Islam
Christians having dreams and converting to Islam
Learn about Islam
Email: yahyasnow@yahoo.co.uk
Non-Arab Muslims With Surnames Like Qureshi, Related to Quraish Tribe?
So a convert to Hinduism was having a go at an panelist, on what I assume to be an Indian news show, who was claiming to be a descendent of Prophet Muhammad. He claimed to be the 35th descended of Prophet Muhammad p. He has an Indian accent so I assume ethnically he is Indian.
The Hindu in his video response writes on a slide: "He has been lied to, he is not the descendent of Muhammad"
To say he's lying or has been lied to is a hefty claim.
Rather than accusing folks of being liars or having been lied to (by their own ancestors) how about we start thinking about how this *could* be the case? Is it possible the Indian sounding man on the news show has some sort of ancestral link to the Quraish tribe? Yes.
There would be two avenues for this man to have such a link to the Quraish tribe:
1. Bloodline. Somebody in his family tree has got to be Quraishi.
2. Marriage. Somebody from his tribe has married a Quraishi Arab man and subsequently the whole tribe/village changed their name to Quraishi.
I know the gentleman claimed to be a descendent so perhaps he did not have 2 in mind. Or perhaps he's not being accurate with his language and the link is actually similar to the type outlined in 2. Or perhaps he does have some link to somebody from the Quraish tribe as per 1.
I'd say it is plausible to think some people from this region (and others) who carry names/titles such as Qureshi or Sayyid do so out of a marriage ancestral bond (i.e 2 above)
Some folks may have even innocently taken on such names without making any claims of ancestry:
It's possible a tribe/village were preached to by an Arab Quraishi Muslim leading to the tribe/village converting to Islam and taking on such a name. Or somebody took on such a name after he converted to Islam because he wanted a Muslim name so he could be identified with his new religious identity (subsequently this name was passed on to his progeny).
Who knows? But to say he's been lied to seems unfair.
Hindu lady converts to Islam
Paula Fredriksen: Paul was NOT a Trinitarian
Quran’ic Exegesis of al-Ikhlas as a Corrective of Trinitarian Theo-Christology by Ali Ataie
Tovia Singer: Does the New Testament Teach Jesus is God?
Why Islam
The Hindu in his video response writes on a slide: "He has been lied to, he is not the descendent of Muhammad"
To say he's lying or has been lied to is a hefty claim.
Rather than accusing folks of being liars or having been lied to (by their own ancestors) how about we start thinking about how this *could* be the case? Is it possible the Indian sounding man on the news show has some sort of ancestral link to the Quraish tribe? Yes.
There would be two avenues for this man to have such a link to the Quraish tribe:
1. Bloodline. Somebody in his family tree has got to be Quraishi.
2. Marriage. Somebody from his tribe has married a Quraishi Arab man and subsequently the whole tribe/village changed their name to Quraishi.
I know the gentleman claimed to be a descendent so perhaps he did not have 2 in mind. Or perhaps he's not being accurate with his language and the link is actually similar to the type outlined in 2. Or perhaps he does have some link to somebody from the Quraish tribe as per 1.
I'd say it is plausible to think some people from this region (and others) who carry names/titles such as Qureshi or Sayyid do so out of a marriage ancestral bond (i.e 2 above)
Some folks may have even innocently taken on such names without making any claims of ancestry:
It's possible a tribe/village were preached to by an Arab Quraishi Muslim leading to the tribe/village converting to Islam and taking on such a name. Or somebody took on such a name after he converted to Islam because he wanted a Muslim name so he could be identified with his new religious identity (subsequently this name was passed on to his progeny).
Who knows? But to say he's been lied to seems unfair.
Hindu lady converts to Islam
Paula Fredriksen: Paul was NOT a Trinitarian
Quran’ic Exegesis of al-Ikhlas as a Corrective of Trinitarian Theo-Christology by Ali Ataie
Tovia Singer: Does the New Testament Teach Jesus is God?
Why Islam
Sunday, 30 July 2017
Influences of Islam and Christianity on Hinduism, Info on Gandhi and Hindu Schools of Thought
4b Hindu doctrines, schools, and history - samsara, moksha, and Vedanta
Variations/disagreements amongst various schools of thought within Hinduism include
Whether Samsara (realm of reincarnation - trap) is real or illusory. A product of ignorance?
Disagreement on Moksha (liberation), whether it comes in degrees or whether it is all or nothing. Whether it’s attainable in this life, if not is it something that comes after the reincarnation cycle.
Moksha’s ultimate stage involves a “union” with Brahman. Two views on this:
- Absolutists believe the union is ontological (you become or realise you are Brahman)
- Theistic Hindus thin of it as a psychological or relational union with God/Brahman (essentially going to heaven, the realm where God is).
3 of the 6 orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy:
Sankhya/Samkhya school – dualists (distinguishes between matter and self). Self (purusha) is pure consciousness. There are many sleves. They deny Atman is Brahman. They don’t believe in an ultimate reality, thus this school contradicts the Upanishads. There are later versions of this school which do include God however. Liberation is knowledge of one’s true self.
Yoga school. Yoga school has been closely associated with Samkhya. It can be theistic or absolutist, thus can be centred around gaining a relationship to a personal God or centred around impersonal Brahman. Focusses on controlling one’s senses, body and mind. They recite mantras. Their goal is to attain a state of pure consciousness called Samadhi: the mind is absorbed into the ultimate or being one with it. They also believe masters of this discipline can fly, levitate, do miracles, stop their heart from beating etc..
Vedanta school – traditionally was a scriptural school (interpreting the Upanishads). It tries to systematise the teaching that there’s only one being – Brahman. It tries to clarify what it means to say Atman is Brahman. Primarily Vishnaivite. 3 main subgroups in this school, 2 biggest:
Advaita Vedanta – Non dualism (no distinction between Atman and Brahman). Samsara is illusory. To get the cure (Moksha) is to have a non-conceptual awareness that Atman is Brahman.
Visistadvaita Vedanta – qualified non-dualism (in one sense a distinction can be made). Samsara is real. To get the cure (Moksha) is to go to Vishnu’s heavenly realm to enjoy him forever.
4c Hindu doctrines, schools, and history - Islam, and Christianity, and Modern Hinduism
Impact of Islam on Hinduism. This began in earnest in 1021 when Muslims (al Ghavni) conquered northwest India
Most notable Muslim rule in India: The Mughal/Mongol empire c. 1526-1857
Possibly a quarter of the population converted to Islam. As a reaction and interaction with Islam the monotheistic views of Hindusim was strengthened in some cases. There was also syncretism, Guru Nanak is thought by some scholars to have combined Hinduism and Islam.
Christianity also had an effect on Hinduism. Big impact came with colonialism and British imperialism (1777-1947). Today 2.3% of Indians are Christian. British scholars actively preserved some Hindu texts. They brought the printing press to India. Contact with British and Indians stimulated a number of reform movements.
Rammohum Roy (1774-1833) was influenced by Unitarian Christians (non-Trinitarian Christians who happened to be modernists). He argued there was an original Vedic tradition which was later corrupted. Roy thought it was originally monotheistic, mythology free and was aniconic. Roy founded a group, inn 1828, called Brahmo Samaj – a group which tried to purge Hinduism of idol worship and polytheism. This group still exists today.
Ramakrishna movement (1836-1886). A devotee of Kali. He was a convinced religious pluralist. Ramakrishna is widely worshipped in India today. Controversial character in Western writings.
5b Hindu Practices - Gandhi's pluralism and death
Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in 1948 by a Hindu nationalist (people who believe india should be a Hindu country – extreme proponent of hindutva, hinduness) held to religious pluralism. He opposed:
Caste discrimination (untouchability).
Sati
Partition
Communalism (basing politics on religious groupings – people voting in blocks) [There was also the problem of communal violence in the subcontinent – Gandhi tried to stop this]
Religious conversion
Child marriage
He promoted/became:
Tea-totalism
Became celibate
Experimented with brahmachariya (an attempt in eliminating all desire in the face of temptation). Part of this spiritual experiment was to sleep in bed with naked teen girls. He did not have sex with them. At some point before his death he stopped doing this. There are pictures of him with teenage girl helpers.
Screencast lectures by Dr. Dale Tuggy, for his INDS 120 World Religions - a college course surveying the traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and introducing students to the terms and classic theories of Religious Studies.
Variations/disagreements amongst various schools of thought within Hinduism include
Whether Samsara (realm of reincarnation - trap) is real or illusory. A product of ignorance?
Disagreement on Moksha (liberation), whether it comes in degrees or whether it is all or nothing. Whether it’s attainable in this life, if not is it something that comes after the reincarnation cycle.
Moksha’s ultimate stage involves a “union” with Brahman. Two views on this:
- Absolutists believe the union is ontological (you become or realise you are Brahman)
- Theistic Hindus thin of it as a psychological or relational union with God/Brahman (essentially going to heaven, the realm where God is).
3 of the 6 orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy:
Sankhya/Samkhya school – dualists (distinguishes between matter and self). Self (purusha) is pure consciousness. There are many sleves. They deny Atman is Brahman. They don’t believe in an ultimate reality, thus this school contradicts the Upanishads. There are later versions of this school which do include God however. Liberation is knowledge of one’s true self.
Yoga school. Yoga school has been closely associated with Samkhya. It can be theistic or absolutist, thus can be centred around gaining a relationship to a personal God or centred around impersonal Brahman. Focusses on controlling one’s senses, body and mind. They recite mantras. Their goal is to attain a state of pure consciousness called Samadhi: the mind is absorbed into the ultimate or being one with it. They also believe masters of this discipline can fly, levitate, do miracles, stop their heart from beating etc..
Vedanta school – traditionally was a scriptural school (interpreting the Upanishads). It tries to systematise the teaching that there’s only one being – Brahman. It tries to clarify what it means to say Atman is Brahman. Primarily Vishnaivite. 3 main subgroups in this school, 2 biggest:
Advaita Vedanta – Non dualism (no distinction between Atman and Brahman). Samsara is illusory. To get the cure (Moksha) is to have a non-conceptual awareness that Atman is Brahman.
Visistadvaita Vedanta – qualified non-dualism (in one sense a distinction can be made). Samsara is real. To get the cure (Moksha) is to go to Vishnu’s heavenly realm to enjoy him forever.
4c Hindu doctrines, schools, and history - Islam, and Christianity, and Modern Hinduism
Impact of Islam on Hinduism. This began in earnest in 1021 when Muslims (al Ghavni) conquered northwest India
Most notable Muslim rule in India: The Mughal/Mongol empire c. 1526-1857
Possibly a quarter of the population converted to Islam. As a reaction and interaction with Islam the monotheistic views of Hindusim was strengthened in some cases. There was also syncretism, Guru Nanak is thought by some scholars to have combined Hinduism and Islam.
Christianity also had an effect on Hinduism. Big impact came with colonialism and British imperialism (1777-1947). Today 2.3% of Indians are Christian. British scholars actively preserved some Hindu texts. They brought the printing press to India. Contact with British and Indians stimulated a number of reform movements.
Rammohum Roy (1774-1833) was influenced by Unitarian Christians (non-Trinitarian Christians who happened to be modernists). He argued there was an original Vedic tradition which was later corrupted. Roy thought it was originally monotheistic, mythology free and was aniconic. Roy founded a group, inn 1828, called Brahmo Samaj – a group which tried to purge Hinduism of idol worship and polytheism. This group still exists today.
Ramakrishna movement (1836-1886). A devotee of Kali. He was a convinced religious pluralist. Ramakrishna is widely worshipped in India today. Controversial character in Western writings.
5b Hindu Practices - Gandhi's pluralism and death
Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in 1948 by a Hindu nationalist (people who believe india should be a Hindu country – extreme proponent of hindutva, hinduness) held to religious pluralism. He opposed:
Caste discrimination (untouchability).
Sati
Partition
Communalism (basing politics on religious groupings – people voting in blocks) [There was also the problem of communal violence in the subcontinent – Gandhi tried to stop this]
Religious conversion
Child marriage
He promoted/became:
Tea-totalism
Became celibate
Experimented with brahmachariya (an attempt in eliminating all desire in the face of temptation). Part of this spiritual experiment was to sleep in bed with naked teen girls. He did not have sex with them. At some point before his death he stopped doing this. There are pictures of him with teenage girl helpers.
Screencast lectures by Dr. Dale Tuggy, for his INDS 120 World Religions - a college course surveying the traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and introducing students to the terms and classic theories of Religious Studies.
Saturday, 29 July 2017
Hindu Scriptures, Pantheon and Doctrines
First part: World Religions: Notes on Hinduism
3b Hindu Scriptures and Pantheon - meet the deities
There are many gods and goddesses in Hindu belief.
Amongst these there’s a grouping of three Hindu deities (sometimes called the Hindu Trinity, trimurti): Brahma (the creator) Vishnu (the preserver) and Shiva (the destroyer). Brahma is the oldest of these deities but the least worshipped of the three. Vishnu is said to have had many avatars/descents. They believe he becomes incarnate whenever the world is in trouble in order to save the world. Shiva is thought to currently be the most popular deity amongst Hindus. Ganesh (with an elephant head) is considered the remover of obstacles.
Most of the Gita is about Krishna talking to Arjuna.
More reflective and philosophically minded Hindus have a strong tendency to say all their gods are different manifestations or forms of the one god.
3c Hindu Scriptures and Pantheon - Is Hinduism monotheistic or polytheistic?
More reflective and philosophically minded Hindus have a strong tendency to say all their gods are different manifestations or forms of the one god. In modern Hinduism this monotheistic tendency is very strong. It’s possible this view is influenced by Christianity and Islam.
In some Hindu literature Shiva is the high god and Vishnu is created by Shiva. Whilst in other literature Vishnu is the high god and Shiva is created by Vishnu. Some say the high god is Krishna. Contradictory stories?
Is it monotheism or polytheism? Can be both for Hindus depending on how they view their traditions.
4a Hindu doctrines, schools, and history - Brahman, atman, and reincarnation
Occasionally in the Vedas and prominently in the Upanishads there’s the idea of an underlying unity behind all phenomena – what is called nowadays as the ultimate reality by philosophers. “This One”. In the Upanishads it’s called Brahman (the inner self of everything including inanimate objects). In some sense everything is Brahman deep down including the gods according to Hinduism. It’s described as pure consciousness , unborn, mysterious, ineffable (no human thought captures it), enduring and is expressed by the sacred mantra word Om (aum).
A disputed teaching in the Upanishads is that Atman is Brahman. Atman is one’s deep self – what is most fundamental to you.
Hindus believe humans are trapped in a cycle of reincarnation (Samsara). The goal is moksha (liberation, release) from the cycle. There are three paths to this liberation:
1. Karma yoga (action, fulfilling your duties, doing your darma)
2. Jnana yoga (mystical, nonsensory perception of atman being Brahman)
3, Bhakti yoga (devotion, surrendering to in love to a god or goddess)
[Timeframe 8.50] Scholars think this is different to the earlier Vedic religion which is seen as very ritualistic. A development? Scholars think in Vedic religion one’s soul ends continues after death, is judged and then ends up in something like heaven or hell.
In the later Upanishads the ideas of reincarnation/rebirth is taught. The assumption is that this process never began, this has always been ongoing. The law of karma determines a better or worse birth. An explanation for undeserved suffering. This belief could get in the way of motivating somebody to remove injustice and suffering in this world
Screencast lectures by Dr. Dale Tuggy, for his INDS 120 World Religions - a college course surveying the traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and introducing students to the terms and classic theories of Religious Studies.
3b Hindu Scriptures and Pantheon - meet the deities
There are many gods and goddesses in Hindu belief.
Amongst these there’s a grouping of three Hindu deities (sometimes called the Hindu Trinity, trimurti): Brahma (the creator) Vishnu (the preserver) and Shiva (the destroyer). Brahma is the oldest of these deities but the least worshipped of the three. Vishnu is said to have had many avatars/descents. They believe he becomes incarnate whenever the world is in trouble in order to save the world. Shiva is thought to currently be the most popular deity amongst Hindus. Ganesh (with an elephant head) is considered the remover of obstacles.
Most of the Gita is about Krishna talking to Arjuna.
More reflective and philosophically minded Hindus have a strong tendency to say all their gods are different manifestations or forms of the one god.
3c Hindu Scriptures and Pantheon - Is Hinduism monotheistic or polytheistic?
More reflective and philosophically minded Hindus have a strong tendency to say all their gods are different manifestations or forms of the one god. In modern Hinduism this monotheistic tendency is very strong. It’s possible this view is influenced by Christianity and Islam.
In some Hindu literature Shiva is the high god and Vishnu is created by Shiva. Whilst in other literature Vishnu is the high god and Shiva is created by Vishnu. Some say the high god is Krishna. Contradictory stories?
Is it monotheism or polytheism? Can be both for Hindus depending on how they view their traditions.
4a Hindu doctrines, schools, and history - Brahman, atman, and reincarnation
Occasionally in the Vedas and prominently in the Upanishads there’s the idea of an underlying unity behind all phenomena – what is called nowadays as the ultimate reality by philosophers. “This One”. In the Upanishads it’s called Brahman (the inner self of everything including inanimate objects). In some sense everything is Brahman deep down including the gods according to Hinduism. It’s described as pure consciousness , unborn, mysterious, ineffable (no human thought captures it), enduring and is expressed by the sacred mantra word Om (aum).
A disputed teaching in the Upanishads is that Atman is Brahman. Atman is one’s deep self – what is most fundamental to you.
Hindus believe humans are trapped in a cycle of reincarnation (Samsara). The goal is moksha (liberation, release) from the cycle. There are three paths to this liberation:
1. Karma yoga (action, fulfilling your duties, doing your darma)
2. Jnana yoga (mystical, nonsensory perception of atman being Brahman)
3, Bhakti yoga (devotion, surrendering to in love to a god or goddess)
[Timeframe 8.50] Scholars think this is different to the earlier Vedic religion which is seen as very ritualistic. A development? Scholars think in Vedic religion one’s soul ends continues after death, is judged and then ends up in something like heaven or hell.
In the later Upanishads the ideas of reincarnation/rebirth is taught. The assumption is that this process never began, this has always been ongoing. The law of karma determines a better or worse birth. An explanation for undeserved suffering. This belief could get in the way of motivating somebody to remove injustice and suffering in this world
Screencast lectures by Dr. Dale Tuggy, for his INDS 120 World Religions - a college course surveying the traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and introducing students to the terms and classic theories of Religious Studies.
Friday, 28 July 2017
World Religions: Notes on Hinduism
2a Hinduism - origins and social structure - India and defining "Hinduism
India is the homeland of Hinduism. The terms Hindi and Hindu have historically, at some point, referred to people from India regardless of their faith. Nowadays, Hindu tells you what religion somebody is and Hindi is referred to a language.
The term Hinduism is thought to have been coined by a British scholar in the early 19th century. It’s a term used, by the British, for non-Muslim Indians. Before the British, there was no word for this religious tradition/s. People of India enthusiastically adopted this term to describe themselves. The British at the time generally regarded traditional religions as paganism and backward.
There are some scholars that object to the term Hinduism as it makes it sound like it is like one religious tradition when it is a term referring to a family of religious traditions.
Working definition of Hinduism: The religious traditions indigenous to the Indian subcontinent, not including Sikhism, Buddhism or Jainism.
In 1955, the Indian supreme court relating to marriage laws considered Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains as Hindus. Although most people from those traditions would disagree.
Modern Hindus are mostly committed to some version of religious pluralism. The evaluative claim that all/most religions are equal/true to certain degrees. Most modern Hindus would say other religions are fine (all paths lead to the same mountain) but at the same time they do think Hinduism is superior.
2b Hinduism - origins and social structure - ancient history and Hindu origins
Ancient history of the Indian subcontinent is still unclear. There is a standard story in most text books: the theory of the Aryan invasion. Sometime between 2500-1500 BCE the Aryans (meant something like noblemen or landlords) took over the Indus valley civilisation (around the Indus river) and eventually pushed all the way into India and Aryianised the culture. The Aryans seemed to have their own pantheon, their religious tradition was similar to that of ancient Persia. Some scholars are sceptical of this standard story. Perhaps the Indus valley civilisation collapsed due to an ecological disaster. No temples have been found in their excavations around the region though. The written language of the Indus valley civilisation has not been decoded so much is to be learned. There’s a theory that the Aryans may have migrated into the area rather than entered via an invasion.
Hinduism does not have an official creed thus it contains people who would be described as monotheists, polytheists, atheists, pantheists, agnostics and so one. There’s some commonalities between the strands of Hinduism such as the belief in Brahman.
2c Hinduism - origins and social structure - the four varnas, women, and sati
Hinduism teaches people can be classified into four colours (Varnas). This is not a racial classification but of ritual purity.
1. Brahmans (priestly class) - white
2. Kshatriya (rulers, nobles, warriors) – red
3. Vaisya (farmers, merchants, traders) – yellow
4. Sudra (labourers, servants) – black
Not everybody has a Varna. There are outcasts, people without a class. The Chandalas (also called untouchables, dalits which literally means “broken”). This group is as the bottom of the social totem pole.
This is a simplification. It’s actually more complicated than this and there are regional variations
Traditional Hindus (particularly those in the higher castes) argue these distinctions were given by God and nature.The traditional justification for this caste system ties in with reincarnation and karma. Belief in karma and reincarnation is the idea that the universe is set up so that if you behave well you come back in a better next life, if you’re bad you will go down in scale (maybe even become a lower caste or animal). The justification is that people are getting what they deserved – based on previous life actions. Another justification for their four-part Varna system is in their scripture (Baghavad Gita 4.13) – Vishnu is thought to have set it up.
Place of Women in Hinduism
Code of Manu (200 BCE-200CE)
In chapter 5 in particular, women are made dependent on men in their society. They are commanded to worship their husband as they worship a god, they have to have a reverence for their husbands. They are expected not to remarry upon the death of the husband.
Hindus cremate their dead. They don’t bury them. The practice of Sati is unclear as to how widely it was practiced and some would say the practice of Sati would have been voluntary although in some cases it appears to have been forced on the women.
How Lawrence Krauss Has Misled Atheists
Tovia Singer: Does the New Testament Teach Jesus is God?
Why Islam
India is the homeland of Hinduism. The terms Hindi and Hindu have historically, at some point, referred to people from India regardless of their faith. Nowadays, Hindu tells you what religion somebody is and Hindi is referred to a language.
The term Hinduism is thought to have been coined by a British scholar in the early 19th century. It’s a term used, by the British, for non-Muslim Indians. Before the British, there was no word for this religious tradition/s. People of India enthusiastically adopted this term to describe themselves. The British at the time generally regarded traditional religions as paganism and backward.
There are some scholars that object to the term Hinduism as it makes it sound like it is like one religious tradition when it is a term referring to a family of religious traditions.
Working definition of Hinduism: The religious traditions indigenous to the Indian subcontinent, not including Sikhism, Buddhism or Jainism.
In 1955, the Indian supreme court relating to marriage laws considered Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains as Hindus. Although most people from those traditions would disagree.
Modern Hindus are mostly committed to some version of religious pluralism. The evaluative claim that all/most religions are equal/true to certain degrees. Most modern Hindus would say other religions are fine (all paths lead to the same mountain) but at the same time they do think Hinduism is superior.
2b Hinduism - origins and social structure - ancient history and Hindu origins
Ancient history of the Indian subcontinent is still unclear. There is a standard story in most text books: the theory of the Aryan invasion. Sometime between 2500-1500 BCE the Aryans (meant something like noblemen or landlords) took over the Indus valley civilisation (around the Indus river) and eventually pushed all the way into India and Aryianised the culture. The Aryans seemed to have their own pantheon, their religious tradition was similar to that of ancient Persia. Some scholars are sceptical of this standard story. Perhaps the Indus valley civilisation collapsed due to an ecological disaster. No temples have been found in their excavations around the region though. The written language of the Indus valley civilisation has not been decoded so much is to be learned. There’s a theory that the Aryans may have migrated into the area rather than entered via an invasion.
Hinduism does not have an official creed thus it contains people who would be described as monotheists, polytheists, atheists, pantheists, agnostics and so one. There’s some commonalities between the strands of Hinduism such as the belief in Brahman.
2c Hinduism - origins and social structure - the four varnas, women, and sati
Hinduism teaches people can be classified into four colours (Varnas). This is not a racial classification but of ritual purity.
1. Brahmans (priestly class) - white
2. Kshatriya (rulers, nobles, warriors) – red
3. Vaisya (farmers, merchants, traders) – yellow
4. Sudra (labourers, servants) – black
Not everybody has a Varna. There are outcasts, people without a class. The Chandalas (also called untouchables, dalits which literally means “broken”). This group is as the bottom of the social totem pole.
This is a simplification. It’s actually more complicated than this and there are regional variations
Traditional Hindus (particularly those in the higher castes) argue these distinctions were given by God and nature.The traditional justification for this caste system ties in with reincarnation and karma. Belief in karma and reincarnation is the idea that the universe is set up so that if you behave well you come back in a better next life, if you’re bad you will go down in scale (maybe even become a lower caste or animal). The justification is that people are getting what they deserved – based on previous life actions. Another justification for their four-part Varna system is in their scripture (Baghavad Gita 4.13) – Vishnu is thought to have set it up.
Place of Women in Hinduism
Code of Manu (200 BCE-200CE)
In chapter 5 in particular, women are made dependent on men in their society. They are commanded to worship their husband as they worship a god, they have to have a reverence for their husbands. They are expected not to remarry upon the death of the husband.
Hindus cremate their dead. They don’t bury them. The practice of Sati is unclear as to how widely it was practiced and some would say the practice of Sati would have been voluntary although in some cases it appears to have been forced on the women.
How Lawrence Krauss Has Misled Atheists
Tovia Singer: Does the New Testament Teach Jesus is God?
Why Islam
Wednesday, 26 July 2017
RE: "Farhan Qureshi Continually Changing his Faith"
There's an interfaith discussion featuring Farhan Qureshi and the interviewer said I said Farhan continually changes his religion. I assume he was referencing the following the comment:
Click the image to enlarge.
I do stand by this comment, Farhan has changed his approach to religion a few times. That's not necessarily something I'm criticising him for. It's positive in that he may come to Islam. However I do believe the comment is true in that he does change his approach and views to religion regularly. Ahmadi, Salafi, Sufi, Universalist and then full blown Hinduism. Farhan can email me* if he was not following any of these paths - I would not be surprised if there are more approaches to faith Farhan has taken in between especially considering somebody recently said he was a gnostic Christian. He may say Universalism and Hinduism are the same thought patters, they aren't the same. We can get in to that at another time.
If I get time I will critique some of Farhan's comments and views, perhaps even debate him privately if I feel there will be value in it. He has been promoting Hinduism and exMuslims recently.
NOTE: I don't recommend listening to the Farhan Qureshi interview. It was very repetitive and the there was little refutation and rebuttal material to some of the views Farhan was expressing. Farhan was quite contradictory too.
*Farhan emailed me stating he never gave allegiance to a Sufi pathway. He has also stated he does not recall ever saying he was a gnostic Christian.
Farhan Qureshi - Ego or Bad Comprehension
Sam Shamoun Confuses Hindu Philosophy with Christianity: Debate "Is Jesus God?" Inamullah Mumtaz vs Farhan Qureshi
Farhan Qureshi From Ahmadiyya, Islam to Hinduism
Paula Fredriksen: Paul was NOT a Trinitarian
Wayne Grudem Shoe-horning Partial Trinitarianism into the Old Testament
Edgar G Foster: Trinity Came After the Council of Nicea
Quran’ic Exegesis of al-Ikhlas as a Corrective of Trinitarian Theo-Christology by Ali Ataie
Tovia Singer: Does the New Testament Teach Jesus is God?
Why Islam
Click the image to enlarge.
I do stand by this comment, Farhan has changed his approach to religion a few times. That's not necessarily something I'm criticising him for. It's positive in that he may come to Islam. However I do believe the comment is true in that he does change his approach and views to religion regularly. Ahmadi, Salafi, Sufi, Universalist and then full blown Hinduism. Farhan can email me* if he was not following any of these paths - I would not be surprised if there are more approaches to faith Farhan has taken in between especially considering somebody recently said he was a gnostic Christian. He may say Universalism and Hinduism are the same thought patters, they aren't the same. We can get in to that at another time.
If I get time I will critique some of Farhan's comments and views, perhaps even debate him privately if I feel there will be value in it. He has been promoting Hinduism and exMuslims recently.
NOTE: I don't recommend listening to the Farhan Qureshi interview. It was very repetitive and the there was little refutation and rebuttal material to some of the views Farhan was expressing. Farhan was quite contradictory too.
*Farhan emailed me stating he never gave allegiance to a Sufi pathway. He has also stated he does not recall ever saying he was a gnostic Christian.
Farhan Qureshi - Ego or Bad Comprehension
Sam Shamoun Confuses Hindu Philosophy with Christianity: Debate "Is Jesus God?" Inamullah Mumtaz vs Farhan Qureshi
Farhan Qureshi From Ahmadiyya, Islam to Hinduism
Paula Fredriksen: Paul was NOT a Trinitarian
Wayne Grudem Shoe-horning Partial Trinitarianism into the Old Testament
Edgar G Foster: Trinity Came After the Council of Nicea
Quran’ic Exegesis of al-Ikhlas as a Corrective of Trinitarian Theo-Christology by Ali Ataie
Tovia Singer: Does the New Testament Teach Jesus is God?
Why Islam
Monday, 6 June 2016
Debating Pantheism and Christianity - Seth Dunn's Discussion Greek Teacher Jordan
This was quite an interesting discussion. I recommend this
for Muslims who are beginning to interact with folk of a Pantheistic worldview whilst simultaneously being familiar with Christian apologetics. That may not be too many Muslims. It will help
you to understand this philosophy and assist in arguing against it. As a Muslim,
in this discussion I found myself agreeing with the Christian on a few points
Seth Dunn represented the Christian Biblical worldview. He
has a seminary education in Christianity.
I have added some commentary and discussion points below this debate video.
Deistic Pantheist's formulate their own religion?
It is quite apparent Jordan
Coming to a particular worldview for emotional reasons is not the best way to do one's theology.
Problem of Cosmology in Pantheism
This is an interesting problem for the Pantheist worldview.
We know, the Universe had a beginning (this is deduced by the observation that
the Universe is expanding) while Pantheists believe "All is God". Thus, if they
believe God is immutable how can they believe God is the everything we see as
God is eternal while the material universe we observe is not eternal?
Biblical inerrancy
I don't think Seth answers this well. He misses the real
point behind the objection. Seth draws parallels between Jordan
How can Seth be sure other parts aren't additions waiting to
be uncovered via new MSS discoveries?
What of the Biblical Christians prior to the discovery of
Codex Sinaiticus by Dr Von Tischendorf in the 1800s? Weren't those Christians
claiming to have the Holy Spirit yet believing in those two chunks Jordan brought up to be
theopneustos (God breathed?)
And what about the other variants - the footnotes in Seth's
Bible aren't considered to be Non-Biblical. Rather, conservative Christians
consider them to be possible readings when it comes to the autographs. However,
what if we have further discoveries which lead to more footnotes being added to
accommodate a new reading? Who knows, perhaps John 1:1 will be found to have
variants or even to be a complete addition in the future? There
are some sceptical scholars who do suspect John 1:1-18 is
not authentic to the autograph, they obviously base this on internal evidence
rather than manuscript evidence but what if there is a new MS find to reflect this in the
future?
These are huge problems for Seth and other Biblical
Christians
Problem of evil (theodicy) in Pantheism and Christianity
(and Islam)
Historically, this has been a talking point amongst folk of
every worldview. I think this is a bigger problem for Pantheists than Christians
(or Muslims) when we consider moral evil. There are two types of problems; moral and natural. In this case, moral is the one we is the focus. It is considered moral evil when humans commit reprehensible acts such as murder, rape, theft etc.
For the Pantheist, as Seth touched
upon, it is God committing the evil act and being the victim of the evil act
simultaneously.
Old Testament violence
The thought of children being put to death will elicit emotions
in any human with a heart. Jordan
I thought Seth Dunn did well to raise the point to Jordan
Also the idea of a Pantheist telling somebody what they did
is not moral is problematic as they believe all is God.
Concluding remarks
I thought the dialogue was conducted fairly and in the spirit of friendship. I think dialogues like these will help us all to understand different worldviews and will help people with their intellectual and spiritual growth.
For me, I am surprised Jordan left the Abrahamic tradition just because of problems with the inerrancy of the Bible.
Why did he not explore Islam? Dr Jerald Dirks had a similar experience to Jordan during his studies of the NT, he came to Islam - I'd like Jordan to take the time to listen to Dr Dirk's story. Islam teaches there were Scriptures given to Moses and Jesus but these Scriptures are now corrupted thus the Hebrew Bible and the NT are not considered reliable. Islam also teaches Jesus was not God but rather a Prophet of God. This is all very interesting to somebody who follows modern day historical Jesus studies and NT textual criticism as these disciplines point to these Islamic teachings. Textual critics don't consider the text of the NT to be reliable nor authorised. Scholars like Bart Ehrman openly state Jesus would have taught himself to be a Prophet (not divine).
Some further discussion topics for our Pantheistic friends:
- Idolatry and Pantheism. Would Pantheists not accept the
worship of anything in nature as they believe whatever they are worshipping is
God?
- The universe had a beginning. The Pantheist, if consistent
with the idea that God is the universe, would be left with the problem of
whether God (too) has a beginning. Muslims and Christians don't have this
problem as we believe God is eternal.
- How can a Pantheist not believe in a moral law from God if
there's evil? If there's an evil that means there's good. If there's good that
means we have a moral law. If we have a moral law that means it can only come
from God. Would this not be an argument for divine revelation from God?
- Truth by its nature is exclusive. For example, if I say we
live on Mars and you say we live on Earth, both of us cannot be right. The same
applies for religious belief. However, for the Pantheist there's an added
difficulty as they believe everybody is God. How can they believe God is the Christian,
Muslim and the Deistic Pantheist while all three have radically different views
- all three cannot be correct. For the Pantheist, God is part of this lack of
truth as God is believed to be the untruthful/incorrect one too. There's a
problem!
- Pantheism is not monolithic. There's a very basic belief
that is common to all Pantheists but after that there are divisions. It
really is the individual or a collective of individuals deciding what to
believe:
At its most general, pantheism may be understood positively as the view that God is identical with the cosmos, the view that there exists nothing which is outside of God, or else negatively as the rejection of any view that considers God as distinct from the universe.
However, given the complex and contested nature of the concepts involved, there is insufficient consensus among philosophers to permit the construction of any more detailed definition not open to serious objection from some quarter or other. Moreover, the label is a controversial one, where strong desires either to appropriate or to reject it often serve only to obscure the actual issues, and it would be a sad irony if pantheism revealed itself to be most like a traditional religion in its sectarian disputes over just what counts as ‘true pantheism.’ Therefore pantheism should not be thought of as a single codifiable position. [Pantheism, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy]
Prophecies of the Messiah - Reza Aslan
British Muslims Protested to Defend Jesus p
Sharia Law against terrorism
Christians having dreams and converting to Islam
Conversions to Islam
Learn about Islam
Email: yahyasnow@yahoo.co.uk
Friday, 9 January 2015
Was Krishna a Prophet?
The leading Sufi of Delhi in Shah WaliAllah's day was Mazhar Jan-e Janan, who affirmed that Krishna (in Hinduism, an avatar of the god Vishnu) had been a prophet and that the Hindu Rig Veda was divinely inspired scripture even if Hindus in his own time had descended into polytheism. 'Misquoting Muhammad', Jonathan A.C Brown, Kindle p60
Was Krishna a prophet of God, who taught pure monotheism, but was later wrongly believed to be a deity? If this is true, this would be similar to what happened to Jesus (p), he was sent by God as a messenger but Trinitarian Christians wrongly ended up believing he is God.
Of course, we don't know whether Krishan was a Prophet of not. This is just an interesting hypothesis which is out there.
What is Isnad?
Sharia Law against terrorism
Christians having dreams and converting to Islam
Learn about Islam
Email: yahyasnow@yahoo.co.uk
Was Krishna a prophet of God, who taught pure monotheism, but was later wrongly believed to be a deity? If this is true, this would be similar to what happened to Jesus (p), he was sent by God as a messenger but Trinitarian Christians wrongly ended up believing he is God.
Of course, we don't know whether Krishan was a Prophet of not. This is just an interesting hypothesis which is out there.
What is Isnad?
Sharia Law against terrorism
Christians having dreams and converting to Islam
Learn about Islam
Email: yahyasnow@yahoo.co.uk
Sunday, 8 June 2014
Hinduism- Hindu Doctor Converts To Islam -A Must Watch
Hindu Cardiologist Convert to Islam in India : Dr Nagishetty Mukunda Sudhir
This ex-Hindu man looked into Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity before coming to Islam.
Christians having dreams and converting to Islam:
http://thefactsaboutislam.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/christians-are-having-dreams-and.html
Invitation to Islam
Jesus taught people to do the Will of God (according to Mark 3:35) in order to become his brothers, mothers or sisters. A Muslim means one who submits to the Will of God. Do you want to become a brother/sister of Jesus? If yes, become a Muslim.
Learn about Islam:
http://www.thedeenshow.com
Email: yahyasnow@yahoo.co.uk
This ex-Hindu man looked into Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity before coming to Islam.
Christians having dreams and converting to Islam:
http://thefactsaboutislam.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/christians-are-having-dreams-and.html
Invitation to Islam
Jesus taught people to do the Will of God (according to Mark 3:35) in order to become his brothers, mothers or sisters. A Muslim means one who submits to the Will of God. Do you want to become a brother/sister of Jesus? If yes, become a Muslim.
Learn about Islam:
http://www.thedeenshow.com
Email: yahyasnow@yahoo.co.uk
Thursday, 5 June 2014
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Invited to Islam
After accepting an invitation from the Iraq government, on May 22, 2007, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar embarked on a three-day visit to Iraq as an ambassador of peace. Sri Sri became the first Indian spiritual leader to visit Iraq.
I hope somebody invited Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to Islam while he was in Iraq. If he is not a Muslim, I'd like to invite him and his Hindu followers to Islam.
Islam offers you a perfect spiritual path. In Islam you worship God in the best manner and you have practical rules which help you to grow spiritually.
I hope somebody invited Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to Islam while he was in Iraq. If he is not a Muslim, I'd like to invite him and his Hindu followers to Islam.
Islam offers you a perfect spiritual path. In Islam you worship God in the best manner and you have practical rules which help you to grow spiritually.
Christians
having dreams and converting to Islam:
http://thefactsaboutislam.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/christians-are-having-dreams-and.html
Invitation to Islam
Jesus taught people to do the Will of God (according to Mark 3:35) in order to become his brothers, mothers or sisters. A Muslim means one who submits to the Will of God. Do you want to become a brother/sister of Jesus? If yes, become a Muslim.
Learn about Islam:
http://www.thedeenshow.com
http://thefactsaboutislam.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/christians-are-having-dreams-and.html
Invitation to Islam
Jesus taught people to do the Will of God (according to Mark 3:35) in order to become his brothers, mothers or sisters. A Muslim means one who submits to the Will of God. Do you want to become a brother/sister of Jesus? If yes, become a Muslim.
Learn about Islam:
http://www.thedeenshow.com
Email:
yahyasnow@yahoo.co.uk
Sunday, 4 May 2014
Do Hindus Believe in Animal Reincarnation? Yes
When one dies in the mode of passion, he takes birth among those engaged in fruitive activities; and when he dies in the mode of ignorance, he takes birth in the animal kingdom. [Source]
The Unitarian Universalist, who does not know the original language of the Hindu scripture, decided to claim the translation is wrong.
He offered this translation which mentions the word 'foolishness' rather than 'animal kingdom':
The result of pious action is pure and is said to be in the mode of goodness. But action done in the mode of passion results in misery, and action performed in the mode of ignorance results in foolishness. [Source]
So what he did was offer another translation WITHOUT looking into the commentary on this verse from the SAME website. The commentary teaches the verse refers to animal reincarnation:
As far as the mode of ignorance is concerned, the performer is without knowledge, and therefore all his activities result in present misery, and afterwards he will go on toward animal life. Animal life is always miserable, although, under the spell of the illusory energy, māyā, the animals do not understand this. Slaughtering poor animals is also due to the mode of ignorance. The animal killers do not know that in the future the animal will have a body suitable to kill them... [Source]
If the UU chap puts his ego to one side, this should be sufficient for him to recognise his error. Dr Naik is correct in saying Hindus believe in animal reincarnation - it's in the Hindu translations and commentaries.
Here's the website of Washington State University, teaching the same thing about Hinduism, namely that Hindus do believe in animal reincarnation:
If you have bad karma, does that affect what you would come back as in the next life?
Yes indeed. You earn good karma by performing your dharma well, and can be reincarnated as a higher being, or acquire bad karma through bad behavior and come back as a lower being, even an animal. [Source]
Jay Lakhani, a teacher of Hinduism in the UK, also mentions this.
My advice to the Unitarian Universalist is to put your ego to one side and stop accusing others of being wrong on a fundamental point that is affirmed by Hindus and academic sources. I also ask you to please respect my time and not argue this point again with me. There are people who mock and look to demonize my people and my religion of Islam - I'd rather spend the time in trying to sway people away from hatred against my people and my faith online.
I invite all the non Muslim readers to Islam
Prophet Muhammad (p) and some miracles which were performed by the Will of God:
http://thefactsaboutislam.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/did-prophet-muhammad-p-perform-miracles.html
Christians having dreams and converting to Islam:http://thefactsaboutislam.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/christians-are-having-dreams-and.html
Invitation to Islam
Jesus taught people to do the Will of God (according to Mark 3:35) in order to become his brothers, mothers or sisters. A Muslim means one who submits to the Will of God. Do you want to become a brother/sister of Jesus? If yes, become a Muslim.
Learn about Islam:
http://www.thedeenshow.com
Email: yahyasnow@yahoo.co.uk
Saturday, 3 May 2014
Unitarian Universalist Said Zakir Naik is Making Stuff Up...
I recently posted this video of Dr Zakir Naik refuting the belief of reincarnation:
What’s worse is that he makes up stuff, completely straw man without quoting any scripture that Hindus believe that bad people will return as animals such as cats or dogs. Where is he getting this is information from? What are his sources? The fact that that he just makes this up without any source, academically speaking this allegation should be an embarrassment for Muslims who care to represent other peoples faith accurately...
...What is Zakir Naik’s source that humans who do bad deeds will return as animals? Why does he not give a source to this alleged teaching? Zakir Naik is known for memorizing citations and yet he doesn't give one in this case?
I was surprised. I mean, think about it, you have Dr Zakir Naik who was born and raised in a Hindu majority country (India) so one would expect Dr Zakir Naik to have spoken to a number of folk who believe in reincarnation and thus garnered an understanding of the doctrine of reincarnation.
It appears Dr Zakir Naik is correct and the Unitarian Universalist chap who emailed me is incorrect - reincarnation does teach that humans can be reincarnated as animals. Here's a few interesting quotes to highlight the fact Zakir Naik is correct to teach Hindus believe humans can reincarnate into animals:
Do people reincarnate as animals and vice-versa?An popular reincarnation myth posits that the soul, once attaining a human form, always comes back in a human body in the next life and never reincarnates in a lower species. We may reincarnate as humans, but we could come back as dogs, cats, hogs, or lower species. There is no scientific or scriptural evidence anywhere for this fanciful "once a human, always a human" notion, which runs contrary to the true principles of reincarnation, principles that have been understood and followed by millions of people since time immemorial.
So Lord Krsna says:
"When one dies in the mode of goodness, he attains to the pure higher planets. When one dies in the mode of passion, he takes birth among those engaged in fruitive activities; and when he dies in the mode of ignorance, he takes birth in the animal kingdom"(Bhagavad-gita 14.14-15) [Source of quote]
.So I, as spirit soul, I am individual, existing. I shall continue to exist as individual in this material world, either as human being or as an animal or as demigod or a tree, plants, fish, aquatics—so many [Source]
Oh and I know it's Wikipedia but still:
Reincarnation is the religious or philosophical concept that the soul or spirit, after biological death, begins a new life in a new body that may be human, animal or spiritual depending on the moral quality of the previous life's actions. This doctrine is a central tenet of the Indian religions.[1] [Wiki]
Conclusion
It appears the Universalist is wrong and Dr Naik is correct. The Unitarian Universalist clearly had not come across the 14th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. Clearly Naik was not making stuff up. I invite the Unitarian Universalist to Islam.
Christians having dreams and converting to Islam:
http://thefactsaboutislam.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/christians-are-having-dreams-and.html
Invitation to Islam
Jesus taught people to do the Will of God (according to Mark 3:35) in order to become his brothers, mothers or sisters. A Muslim means one who submits to the Will of God. Do you want to become a brother/sister of Jesus? If yes, become a Muslim.
Learn about Islam:
http://www.thedeenshow.com
Email: yahyasnow@yahoo.co.uk
Thursday, 1 May 2014
Zakir Naik Refuted Reincarnation
I have recently been communicating with a chap who believes in reincarnation hence this video. In this video, Dr Zakir Naik, offers a bit of background into the belief of reincarnation and some logical refutation of the belief of reincarnation. PLEASE do view this video and ponder upon the points made by Zakir Naik if you believe in reincarnation. Thanks
Why Reincarnation in Hinduism is illogical?
Christians having dreams and converting to Islam:
http://thefactsaboutislam.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/christians-are-having-dreams-and.html
Invitation to Islam
Jesus taught people to do the Will of God (according to Mark 3:35) in order to become his brothers, mothers or sisters. A Muslim means one who submits to the Will of God. Do you want to become a brother/sister of Jesus? If yes, become a Muslim.
Learn about Islam:
http://www.thedeenshow.com
Email: yahyasnow@yahoo.co.uk
Why Reincarnation in Hinduism is illogical?
Christians having dreams and converting to Islam:
http://thefactsaboutislam.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/christians-are-having-dreams-and.html
Invitation to Islam
Jesus taught people to do the Will of God (according to Mark 3:35) in order to become his brothers, mothers or sisters. A Muslim means one who submits to the Will of God. Do you want to become a brother/sister of Jesus? If yes, become a Muslim.
Learn about Islam:
http://www.thedeenshow.com
Email: yahyasnow@yahoo.co.uk
Sunday, 6 April 2014
From Night Club To Islam - Amazing Story Hindu Converts to Islam
A story of a revert of Hindu background. He shares his story how his life transformed from running a Night Club to converting to Islam.
Christians having dreams and converting to Islam:http://thefactsaboutislam.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/christians-are-having-dreams-and.html
Learn about Islam:
http://www.thedeenshow.com
Christians having dreams and converting to Islam:http://thefactsaboutislam.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/christians-are-having-dreams-and.html
Learn about Islam:
http://www.thedeenshow.com
Email:
yahyasnow@yahoo.co.uk
tags: conversions, islam is true, hindu scriptures, babagita, muslim girls boys clubbing, clubs, drinking, video, ahmed deedat, zakir naik,shia, shias, dancer became muslim, Iranians, turks,
Tuesday, 5 July 2011
According to Toronto District School Board Muslims are Within The Law to Pray
I think the article below, says it all:
The Toronto District School Board says it is meeting its obligation to accommodate students’ religious beliefs by allowing an imam to lead students in prayer on school property.
The board came under fire this week when a Hindu group that regularly criticizes Islam raised objections to Friday Muslim prayer sessions, which have been held inside a cafeteria at Valley
Jim Spyropoulos, superintendent of inclusive schools for the board, said that parents and teachers at the school came up with an arrangement that would enable the more than 300 observant students at the school to attend prayer without leaving school property and missing class time.
The prayers are entirely run and paid for by the Valley Park community.
“I think it’s important to note the prayer isn’t conducted under the auspices of the board,” he said. “The principal was creative enough to sit down with parents and come up with a solution that worked for everyone and there has not been a single complaint from within the community.”
Similar arrangements have been made for Muslim students at other schools throughout the board, he said.
But Ron Banerjee, director of Canadian Hindu Advocacy, said his group has received support both from Hindus and non-Hindus who say the TDSB is going too far.
Islamic groups are “imposing their view and trying to change the rules, regulations, norms and values to accommodate themselves, and in the long-term, to spread their ideology,” he said.
“….Pretty soon we’re going to have 50 different ethnicities and religions asking for different accommodations.”
The TDSB introduced a religious accommodation policy in 2000 in order to ensure it was in compliance with human rights legislation. It outlines ways to accommodate modesty requirements in gym class, and fasting and dietary requirements, among other things. It also includes limitations that state the board won’t compromise on certain issues, such as public safety or health, in making these accommodations, and that parents must make the request.
Prayer has a long history inside Canadian schools.
Since before Canada became a country, it was a common requirement for students to begin their day with a recitation of the Lord’s Prayer.
In 1982, when the Charter of Rights and Freedoms came into play, obligatory school prayers became a violation of students’ rights to freedom of conscience and religion.
Prayer in schools has remained controversial in the United States where some jurisdictions have attempted to reinstate religious observances in state-sponsored classrooms.
The accommodations for students at Valley Park Middle School are very different.
They amount to allowing prayer inside a school, but don’t go so far as the school-directed form of prayer that was outlawed in Canada nearly 30 years ago.
“In a school where there is such a high concentration of Muslim students, this was the best solution that avoided compromising instructional time,” said Mr. Spyropoulos.
The Toronto District School Board says it is meeting its obligation to accommodate students’ religious beliefs by allowing an imam to lead students in prayer on school property.
The board came under fire this week when a Hindu group that regularly criticizes Islam raised objections to Friday Muslim prayer sessions, which have been held inside a cafeteria at Valley
Jim Spyropoulos, superintendent of inclusive schools for the board, said that parents and teachers at the school came up with an arrangement that would enable the more than 300 observant students at the school to attend prayer without leaving school property and missing class time.
The prayers are entirely run and paid for by the Valley Park community.
“I think it’s important to note the prayer isn’t conducted under the auspices of the board,” he said. “The principal was creative enough to sit down with parents and come up with a solution that worked for everyone and there has not been a single complaint from within the community.”
Similar arrangements have been made for Muslim students at other schools throughout the board, he said.
But Ron Banerjee, director of Canadian Hindu Advocacy, said his group has received support both from Hindus and non-Hindus who say the TDSB is going too far.
Islamic groups are “imposing their view and trying to change the rules, regulations, norms and values to accommodate themselves, and in the long-term, to spread their ideology,” he said.
“….Pretty soon we’re going to have 50 different ethnicities and religions asking for different accommodations.”
The TDSB introduced a religious accommodation policy in 2000 in order to ensure it was in compliance with human rights legislation. It outlines ways to accommodate modesty requirements in gym class, and fasting and dietary requirements, among other things. It also includes limitations that state the board won’t compromise on certain issues, such as public safety or health, in making these accommodations, and that parents must make the request.
Prayer has a long history inside Canadian schools.
Since before Canada became a country, it was a common requirement for students to begin their day with a recitation of the Lord’s Prayer.
In 1982, when the Charter of Rights and Freedoms came into play, obligatory school prayers became a violation of students’ rights to freedom of conscience and religion.
Prayer in schools has remained controversial in the United States where some jurisdictions have attempted to reinstate religious observances in state-sponsored classrooms.
The accommodations for students at Valley Park Middle School are very different.
They amount to allowing prayer inside a school, but don’t go so far as the school-directed form of prayer that was outlawed in Canada nearly 30 years ago.
“In a school where there is such a high concentration of Muslim students, this was the best solution that avoided compromising instructional time,” said Mr. Spyropoulos.
Park Middle School in Flemingdon Park for about three years.
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