I’ve just been catching up with the comments on Sunny’s main commentary over at Comment is Free, when I noticed one response in particular that fair demanded that I be a little naughty and lift a copy of it in its entirety to comment on here.
And this is it…
In response to the
ARTICLE IN THE GUARDIAN..
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1952149,00.htmlThough this article is not targeting Hindus alone; it is written by a worldly-wise reporter who exhibits a very limited grasp of the serious issues involved.
Right.
Well I suppose if you must go for a contradiction right from the off, then you might as well make it a good one. Sunny is apparently both ‘worldly-wise‘ and yet ‘exhibits a very limited grasp of the issues involved‘.
Okay, so I’m guessing here but this looks suspiciously like we’re heading for an argument based on the idea that all our problems can be solved by ‘other-worldly’ means, which as regulars will know well is not likely to go too well in these here parts.
Of course, religions like Hinduism trying to take roots in this country will undergo a period of trial and error before they settle down and discover or create their own unique formats.
Okay, fine. Yes, its take a little time to acclimatise to new surroundings. I can go for that.
He somehow suggests that this can be blamed for the lack of community cohesion in this country!
No, not exactly. Sunny does certainly note that some of the age-old emnities between communities and cultures that have originated elsewhere have shipped up on these shores along with those migrant communities, but that’s a bit of subtext to whole piece, which has more to do with the general importance of adaptation to new circumstances and the role that often self-appointed community ‘leaders’ play as barriers to change.
The reason why some religions are at each other’s throats is because they continue to make exclusivist claims.
Well, yes. If we’re going to look that this in the context of ideas then perhaps the most devisive concept that human beings have ever managed to contrive is the hubristic belief that they have an absolute monopoly on wisdom and understanding or some sort of direct hotline to whatever god it is they happen to believe in, who conveniently happens to be the only ‘true god’.
That is the real issue. This poorly informed reporter has no clue as to the real contribution that is about to come from Hinduism to resolve this issue.
Uh-oh. Here comes the otherworldly bit, it seems.
The establishment is yet to take the Hindu point of view seriously. It is a sad thing to say but the establishment will come to its senses and approach Hinduism only after a few planes fall out of the skies!
Well perhaps not, although that certainly is one way of getting yourself your own file at Special Branch. To be honest here I think we’ve had quite enough of the old planes falling out of the sky routine to be going on with, without going down the road of saffron-coloured suicide belts thank you very much.
Sorry, but I rather think you need to have a little more to bring to the table than that.
It is only Hinduism that holds the key of how to make religions regain their status as the main cohesive force in our society. Unfortunately, at the moment most of the mainstream reporters are incapable of appreciating this.
Sorry, what was that you were saying just now about exclusivist claims being the problem? Not being funny here but we’re back to the realm of contradiction here.
Exclusivism is the problem and only Hinduism has the solution? Somehow I don’t think that one’s going to fly, suicide belt or no suicide belt.
Let’s face it, if you think Hinduism is the only answer then I’m afraid you’ve not understood the question at all.
What was that bit in the Christian bible about things falling on stoney ground again?