--- Sachin Phadte <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: There is > nothing in the history of Hinduism or Buddhism to > compare with the obsessive ferocity of Christianity > and Islam in their persecution of other religions or > of dissident groups within their own religious > tradition."
RESPONSE: Please let's not display a complete tunnel-vision when it comes to analyzing religions. Hinduism grew on a subcontinent, with hardly any competing force. Despite this, there is ample evidence that Hindus held non-Hindus and foreigners with enough contempt to label them "mleccha". There is also evidence that upon raiding and sacking territories, they converted indigenous populations to slave-labour conditions (giving impetus to the caste movement) heaven help them if they were dasu (dark-skinned), and they either annihilated their local deities or absorbed them into Hinduism. Islam, Christianity and Judaism on the other hand had to continuously compete with each other for superiority and much of the mayhem they wrecked was on each other during the medieval era. Touting the superiority of one religion over another is just self-delusion. Sachin wrote: While the Portuguese, and most > followers of Islam, were indulging in communal wars. > Alexander's interests were territorial, while the > interests of these others were primarily religious. RESPONSE: I'm sorry you are wrong on both accounts. Both the Portuguese and the Arabs came as traders. The former trying to find a route to China and the latter doing brisk trade with India, specifically in Arabian horse. The earliest fortifications were set up to protect either trading posts or routes. That these early trading adventures turned to full-scale greed on the part of the Muslim Turks and Persian, and the Dutch and Portuguese is testimony only to the fact that man is a greedy beast, who uses the name of God to aid him in everything that is vile. Muslim and Christians are not the only ones who have a monopoly in this respect. selma ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ