A lot of the material in the post appended below has been selectively lifted verbatim from a blogger named Siddhartha from Bangalore, without giving him credit, without putting his text in quotation marks, and without providing a link to one of his webpages containing this text. Please see for example: http://pipaltree.org.in/index.php?page=the-equality-of-religions
Moreover, the funny thing is that what he has quoted from Gandhi vindicates the secular pluralistic position of both Gandhi and the Indian constitution i.e. all religions are equal - equal before the law and equally good. Cheers, Santosh --- On Wed, 8/18/10, Ivo <icso...@bsnl.in> wrote: > > ***This is not a value judgment given by Manmohan Singh, it > is alien to his > speech. How can Manmohan Singh have a say on this topic? > When we take part > in the interfaith dialogue, we share our religious > insights, precisely > because our religions are not equal. This is a crass, > supine blunder. The > believers of different religions pledge to work for harmony > and peace, for > the human integral development.We come together on the > concept of "Kingdom > of God" ("Ramarajya" or "Golden Age"). The task of > establishing the Kingdom > of God, the New Society is not a monopoly of Christian > communities. The > Kingdom is the concern of everyone: individuals, society, > and the world. > Christian communities are called to work, in solidarity > with others, for the > establishment of a New Society, the Kingdom of God. > > <<...just as all human beings are equal. When > > we view each other as equals, we try to live in > harmony. > **Yes, all human beings are equal (in humanity and human > rights), before the Law. Yet India > does not recognize it in practice. (Manmohan Singh, Prime > Minister of India). Manmohan Singh is not giving a > value-judgement about world religions, but a > socio-political-legal statement. Would he accept that > Sikhism and polythetistic Hinduism are "equal", equally > good, equally acceptable to him? Would you accept that > Hinduism, agnosticism and atheism (which is based on faith, > not in science) are equallly good? Atheism, agnosticism, > marxism are called "quasi-religions". > > > > Great thinkers such as Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi > have also > > espoused the equality of all religions. > ***You are absolutely wrong. > 1. The Constitution of India does not says that "all > religions are equal", or equally good. > "WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to > constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR > DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens: > JUSTICE, social, economic and political; > > LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and > worship; > > EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; > > and to promote among them all > > FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the > unity and integrity of the Nation; > > IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of > November, 1949, DO HERE BY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO > OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION". The art.14 says: "Equality > before law: The State shall not deny to any person equality > before the law or the equal protection of the laws within > the territory of India Prohibition of discrimination on > grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth". > > 2. Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandi spoke always in the > context of communal harmony: > > "As different streams, having their sources in different > places, all mingle their water in > the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men take > through different > tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or > straight, all lead to > Thee." > In his speech in Chicago, Swami Vivekananda said: "I will > quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I > remember to > have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day > repeated by > millions of human beings: "As the different streams having > their sources in > different paths which men take through different > tendencies, various though > they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee." > The present convention, which is one of the most august > assemblies ever > held, is in itself a vindication, a declaration to the > world of the > wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita: "Whosoever comes > to Me, through > whatsoever form, I reach him; all men are struggling > through paths which in > the end lead to me." > > "Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, > fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They > have filled the > earth with violence, drenched it often and often with > human blood, destroyed > civilization and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not > been for these > horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced > than it is now. > But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell > that tolled this > morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell > of all > fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the > pen, and of all > uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to > the same goal". > > > 3. Gandhi propagated the notion of Sarvadharma Samabhava, > the equality of all religions. This is an important notion, > particularly in a world where we are witnessing an > increase in religious fundamentalism and > religious conflict. Although it was clear to Gandhi that > there was only one God, he was > realistic enough to recognize that different religions > would always exist. Gandhi stated that > "belief in one God is the cornerstone of all religions. > But I do not foresee a time when there would > be only one religion on earth in practice. In theory, > since there is one God, there can be only one > religion. But in practice, no two persons I have known > have had the same and identical > conception of God. Therefore, there will, perhaps, always > be different religions answering to > different temperaments and climatic conditions." (Harijan, > Feb.2, 1934) > > Elsewhere he has used the metaphor of different leaves > belonging to the same > tree to underline the theme of unity in diversity. "Just > as men have different names > and faces, these religions also are different. But just as > men are all human in spite of > their different names and forms, just as leaves of a tree > though different as leaves are the same as > the leaves of the same tree, all religions though > different are the same. We must treat all > religions as equals". (Harijanbandhu, July 22, 1934). > > Again, the statement is in the context of national > harmony. > > Gandhi insisted that, "The need of the moment is not one > religion but mutual respect and tolerance of the devotees > of > different religions. We want to reach not the dead level > but unity in diversity. Any attempt to root > out traditions, effects of heredity, climate and other > surroundings is not only bound to fail but is > a sacrilege. The soul of religion is one but it is encased > in a multitude of forms. The latter > will persist to the end of time. Wise men will ignore the > outward crust and see the same soul living > under a variety of crusts." (Young India, Sept.25, 1925). > Regards. Fr.Ivo > > > > P.S. BTW, the statements on scientific theories and > therapeutic drugs > > below do not make any sense at all, in terms of > relevance or analogy. > ***As we choose the best routes, theories and drugs, so > also we choose > religions. If all religions had been equally good, it > would be immaterial to choose > any religion, which is absurd. > > Santosh chooses crooked ways in our discussion on the > public Forum and then he takes refuge in SPAM-ing, and makes > confusion worse confounded. It only gives the readers the > opportunity of reading more and deepening the issues. > Thanks! >