C'da,
> But if that is how you feel, why all the related stuff you wave even > when you don't believe in :-)? I think thats the conlusion that you seem to have arrived at. If you had noticed, I don't wave such flags. Actually, I often find myself defending Hinduism when OTHER religions are somehow portrayed as being superior. This often happens (whether its India or Hinduism) to some when they suddenly find themselves in the West, and start having dim views of India/Hinduism : The West seems to have brought 'religion' to them overnight. > Somehow the entire Hindu-secularists ( the oxymoron that is) are > defined by that : They don't really believe in it, but still wave it > around. It destroys their credibility, don't you think :-). Sure it would. Its one thing to come to the defence of your beliefs and totally another to brandish or wave it in someone's face. Many a time, one comes does across netters who NOW realize that other faiths such as Islam/Bhuddhism or even Christainity as the 'in thing' or some new found salvation, and Hinduism or Indian traits as being shameful or abhorrent. That IMHO is akin to pseudo secularism. --Ram > But if that is how you feel, why all the related stuff you wave even > when you don't believe in :-)? > > Somehow the entire Hindu-secularists ( the oxymoron that is) are > defined by that : They don't really believe in it, but still wave it > around. It destroys their credibility, don't you think :-). > On 6/12/05, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Ram: > > > > > Schools ought to be like secular > >governments, where religion is kept separate from their activities. > > > >Just my thoughts > > > *** I agree. > > But if that is how you feel, why all the related stuff you wave even > when you don't believe in :-)? > > Somehow the entire Hindu-secularists ( the oxymoron that is) are > defined by that : They don't really believe in it, but still wave it > around. It destroys their credibility, don't you think :-). > > c-da > > > > > > At 12:21 PM -0500 6/12/05, Ram Sarangapani wrote: > >Umesh, > > > >Yes, this faith stuff is all over the universities. I really do not > >see any value for their presence in convocations. A Religious studies > >department should be sufficient. Schools ought to be like secular > >governments, where religion is kept separate from their activities. > > > >Just my thoughts > > > >--Ram da > > > >On 6/12/05, umesh sharma <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> I think all Univs have chaplains of different faiths to say the > >> commencement > >> prayer. It depends upon whose trun it is that day. At Harvard's this year > >> -it was the turn of the Christian chaplain, maybe next year it be of some > >> other faith. > >> Every day of the week a different faith's chaplain says the paryers in the > >> prayer hall-atleast at Harvard. > >> > >> Umesh > >> > >> Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> C'da, > >> > >> I know news items like these are rather hard to digest:-) > >> > >> Honestly, IMHO, I think the whole thing is a bit over the top. > >> Hinduism (or any other religion) does not and should not need an MIT > >> or the White House to give its blessings. > >> > >> I don't think it served any purpose (for Hinduism or MIT) - except > >> maybe to cause some discomfort to the Hindu/India bashers:-) > >> > >> --Ram > >> > >> On 6/12/05, Chan Mahanta wrote: > >> > At 6:34 PM -0500 6/11/05, Ram Sarangapani wrote: > >> > Here is some interesting bit of news from the halls of MIT. Hope > >> itdoesn't > >> > gag those netters who find everything wrong with India orHinduism. > >> > > >> > *** That was very timely. > >> > > >> > You really delivered a 'jen-kukur-ten-tangwn' wham to these > >> ne'er-do-good > >> > anti_indian, hindu-bashers. Making them gag in their own bilious blabber > >> is > >> > too kind a treatment for them and who deserve much worse. > >> > > >> > I mean just look at it, even MIT has, at long last, incorporated Hindu > >> > chants > >> > in their convocation invocations, thus purifying, in one fell swoop, all > >> the > >> > sins of commission and omission of the Hindu, something that even a deep > >> > steep in the Ganga could not do. > >> > > >> > Time for all good Hindus of the world to rise and rejoice and for the > >> > hindu-bashers to, at the very least, take a bow, if not offer a > >> > 'xastange-pronipaat' with appropriate 'dokkhina' to the Brahman so they > >> too > >> > can reach Brahman. > >> > > >> > C-da :-) > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > Nevertheless hope y'all enjoy it. > >> > --Ram______________________________________Issue Date: > >> > Sunday, June 12, 2005Shanti, shanti rings out in MIT K.P. NAYAR > >> Washington, > >> > June 11: Five years after a Hindu priest gave the openingprayer on > >> Capitol > >> > Hill for the first time in the history of the USCongress, the > >> Massachusetts > >> > Institute of Technology (MIT) has followedsuit. > >> > The 139th commencement ceremony of MIT, which has produced 59 NobelPrize > >> > winners in all, began this year with an invocation in Sanskritand > >> English. > >> > "May we come together for a common purpose. Common be ourprayer, common > >> our > >> > goal," prayed Swami Tyagananda. > >> > "May the one and the same Divine Reality lead us. May we be grantedclear > >> > understanding and the courage to pursue the goals of socialjustice, > >> > non-violence, harmony and peace." > >> > The swami, who belongs to the Ramakrishna order and heads its > >> Bostonbranch, > >> > is MIT's Hindu chaplain. He has been in Boston since 1998,assigned to > >> the > >> > Vedanta Society there. > >> > The presence of Swami Tyagananda apart, India was all over theceremony, > > > > reflecting the dominant presence of Indian and IndianAmerican students > > at > >> > prestigious US educational institutions. Amongthe speakers was Barun > >> Singh, > >> > president of the Graduate StudentCouncil, who saluted the Class of 2005. > >> > "We celebrate the hope and promise of times to come in the world weall > >> > share. You have demonstrated the ability to reason. Be open > >> tounconventional > >> > solutions. Keep alive your passion and drive. The worldneeds this, and > >> it > >> > waits for you," Singh said. > >> > The president of the senior class presented MIT's president, > >> SusanHockfield, > >> > with a senior class gift - $31,000 this year - for a newstudent lounge. > >> The > >> > senior class president's name is Rohit Gupta. > >> > Senior class gift is a tradition at MIT. Since 1935, they have so > >> farraised > >> > $138.56 million for MIT. > >> > An Indian American from California, Sandhya Sitaraman, a brain > >> andcognitive > >> > sciences major, was among those graduating this year. Shewas a resident > >> > academic adviser for three years at MIT's women's dorm,McCormick Hall. > >> > "When I was accepted to MIT, many boys were surprised that a girlcould > >> get > >> > accepted to this institution," Sitaraman said. "My fouryears here have > >> been > >> > absolutely wonderful in terms of helping me growas an individual, and I > >> > leave this place with many fond memories." > >> > MIT said in a press release that the invocation in Sanskrit andEnglish > >> > "reflected the large international crowd's spirit of unity andgoodwill" > >> at > >> > the commencement ceremony of this venerable institution. > >> > Reflecting the diversity of the occasion, the chaplain said in > >> hisprayer: > >> > "May the one and the same Divine Reality who is the Father inheaven of > >> the > >> > Christians, Holy One of the Jewish faith, Allah of theMuslims, Buddha of > >> the > >> > Buddhists, Dao of the Chinese faith, AhuraMazda of the Zoroastrians, The > >> > Great Spirit of the Native Americansand Brahman of the Hindus, lead us > >> from > >> > ignorance to knowledge, fromdarkness to light, from death to > >> immortality." > >> > He began his invocation with a quote from Swami Vivekananda thatsuited > >> the > >> > occasion: "Education is the manifestation of the perfectionalready > >> within > >> > us." He concluded with the chant, shanti, shanti,shanti. > >> > The opening prayer at the US Congress by a Hindu priest in 2000 was > >> onthe > >> > occasion of then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's > >> > visit.Venkatachalpathi Samuldrala, a priest from the Shiva Vishnu > >> > Hindutemple in Parma, Ohio, was brought to Capitol Hill at the > >> initiativeof > >> > Sherrod Brown, a Congressman from Ohio. > >> > During this year's Commencement ceremony, 1,094 MIT students > >> > receivedbachelor's degrees, 1,078 received master's degrees, 257 > >> > gotdoctorates and 12 students were given engineering degrees, > >> accordingto > >> an > >> > MIT press release. > >> > _______________________________________________ > >> > Assam mailing list > >> > [email protected] > >> > http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/listinfo/assam > >> > > >> > Mailing list FAQ: > >> > http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/assam/assam-faq.html > >> > To unsubscribe or change options: > >> > http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/options/assam > >> > > >> > > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Assam mailing list > >> [email protected] > >> http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/listinfo/assam > >> > >> Mailing list FAQ: > >> http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/assam/assam-faq.html > >> To unsubscribe or change options: > >> http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/options/assam > >> > >> > >> ________________________________ > >> Yahoo! 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