Hindus are all pagans

[Shuddhasattva]

Yep, useless term.

Also, Hindus are all bipeds.

 

[Surya Deva]

Yeah, pretty useless as the term "Hindu" itself. So heck why not adopt another useless term? lol

 

[Shuddhasattva]

Hindu's quite useful, if nothing else for the cohesion it brings. Have you ever been to India?

 

[Vrindavana Das]

Word Hindu comes from:

The civilization spreading from the Himalyas and up to the sea (Sindhu), down south.

It is a useful and self-explanatory term.

 

[Maya3]

Yep, useless term.

Also, Hindus are all bipeds.

Nah...my dog and my fish are all Hindu. Of course they would pick a religion that believes that they are part of God too!

Maya

 

[Surya Deva]

Hindu's quite useful, if nothing else for the cohesion it brings. Have you ever been to India?

Yes

The total opposite of cohesion, possibly one of the most fragmented, divided, chaotic, messy, polluted, dirty, uncivil and corrupted places I have ever been to.
Animals are walking about on the street like cows, monkeys and occasionally elephants(!) there is animal and even human excrement all over, loads of rubbish littered all over the streets, urine and paan stains everywhere, people pushing and shoving each other(this is a country where mass stampedes happen annually and kill hundreds) and everyday people quarreling and fighting on the streets and homes(and also portrayed in Indian television soap operas) Children watching porn in internet cafes; widespread crime and excessive use of vulgar language and great apathy for suffering of other people.

Not saying India is the only country that is like this, but it is one of the worst countries I have ever been to. The polar opposite of the enlightened Upanishadic culture.

Not tying to deliberately offend any Indians here, you brought up the topic, and I am telling you my honest opinion.

 

[Shuddhasattva]

The total opposite of cohesion, possibly one of the most fragmented, divided, chaotic, messy, polluted, dirty, uncivil and corrupted places I have ever been to.

I see you've not traveled much in the Caribbean, Africa or the rest of South & Southeast Asia.

Animals are walking about on the street like cows, monkeys and occasionally elephants(!) there is animal and even human excrement all over, loads of rubbish littered all over the streets, urine and paan stains everywhere, people pushing and shoving each other(this is a country where mass stampedes happen annually and kill hundreds) and everyday people quarreling and fighting on the streets and homes(and also portrayed in Indian television soap operas) Children watching porn in internet cafes; widespread crime and excessive use of vulgar language and great apathy for suffering of other people.

The norm in many parts of the world.



Hinduism nonetheless has made India the nation that is, reuniting it after 1500+ years of fragmentation, then external domination of one form or another. It unites the people in mind to at least a certain degree. And that degree is functional.

Go to obscure rural areas in India, where you see real kindness, communal spirit, much less garbage, etc., and ask people if they are Hindu. What answer do you think you'll get all across India?

 

[Surya Deva]

Ah, two wrongs make a right fallacy. I won't comment, because we will end up debating.

 

[Surya Deva]

Btw I went to an obscure rural place in India in Jaiselmer, the obscure rural village was practicing the caste system, women were not allowed to speak in front of men, and untouchables had to stay meters away from you and never make eye contact with you, lest the defile the other castes...

Kindess? Right.....

 

[Shuddhasattva]

Btw I went to an obscure rural place in India in Jaiselmer, the obscure rural village was practicing the caste system, women were not allowed to speak in front of men, and untouchables could had to stay meters away from you and never make eye contact with you, lest the defile the other castes...

Kindess? Right.....

That's another issue entirely, one that I would probably agree with you on.

 

[Surya Deva]

Go to obscure rural areas in India, where you see real kindness, communal spirit, much less garbage, etc., and ask people if they are Hindu. What answer do you think you'll get all across India?

No true Scotsman fallacy. You said go to a obscure rural area in India and see the kindness etc, I have now given you a example, and suddenly it is not a true case of an obscure rural area.

Okay.... no debate in DIR.... I won't comment anymore on this topic here.

 

[Quintessence]

Man, as a Neopagan I feel like I could have some good contributions to this to clarify on the Pagan end of things, but this thread is in a DIR so... I'm not sure if I should do that. I figure if you wanted perspectives from contemporary Pagans you'd ask in there or put it in non-DIR (e.g. "comparative religion"). Until asked or a thread moves I shall keep my silence. >_>

 

[Shuddhasattva]

If you've learned something or gained understanding of others' points of view, then I've accomplished my goal.

In the spirit of this, I request your contribution to the thread.

 

[Maija]

I see you've not traveled much in the Caribbean, Africa or the rest of South & Southeast Asia.

Or parts of Zambia where I'd see kids bag and sniff fermented "jenkem" in order to get high...hey at least it's free right?

If you want to know what this is...hold your breath..

Jenkem - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

At least you don't have to pay for sniffing glue. :areyoucra

Indias not the most corrupt or dirty or poor place..

Spent time in both India and Africa..

just saying.

 

[Maija]

Man, as a Neopagan I feel like I could have some good contributions to this to clarify on the Pagan end of things, but this thread is in a DIR so... I'm not sure if I should do that. I figure if you wanted perspectives from contemporary Pagans you'd ask in there or put it in non-DIR (e.g. "comparative religion"). Until asked or a thread moves I shall keep my silence. >_>

i think it would be interesting to hear from a modern pagan, the connection they see between Hinduism and true paganism in their eyes.

 

[Breathe]

Man, as a Neopagan I feel like I could have some good contributions to this to clarify on the Pagan end of things, but this thread is in a DIR so... I'm not sure if I should do that. I figure if you wanted perspectives from contemporary Pagans you'd ask in there or put it in non-DIR (e.g. "comparative religion"). Until asked or a thread moves I shall keep my silence. >_>

Get in here, this is the Hindu DIR. It's a lot more... easygoing.

 

[Jainarayan]

Do members agree or disagree with the opinion that using "Pagan" for "non-Abrahamic" religions renders the word "Pagan" to be pretty much useless?

I agree, when used by non-Abrahamics it's a useless word. However, I think it renders it pejorative and derogatory when used by Abrahamics.

 

[Jainarayan]

Word Hindu comes from:

The civilization spreading from the Himalyas and up to the sea (Sindhu), down south.

It is a useful and self-explanatory term.

OK here we go again. Epic linguistic failure is a failure.

Correct version:

Hindu is the Old Persian pronunciation of Sindhu, using the regular sound shift of /s/ in Sanskrit to /h/ in Old Persian. The Old Persian used Hindu as an ethnonym for the people across the Sindhu river. Greek dropped the initial aspiration /h/ and tacked on its own nominative masculine singular case-ending of /ós/. And it would not be 'Perhia' because Persia is a Greek word.

Greek Indós =>Latin Indus =>English India.

I really tire of repeating this.

 

[Breathe]

I agree, when used by non-Abrahamics it's a useless word. However, I think it renders it pejorative and derogatory when used by Abrahamics.

Makes sense. The only thing that comes to my mind when I think of "Pagan" is European pagan groups though; probably because they use it as an umbrella term; I've never known a Hindu to use it. Nor do I think they need to use it: the word Hindu is big enough already.

 

[Breathe]

OK here we go again. Epic linguistic failure is a failure.

Correct version:

Hindu is the Old Persian pronunciation of Sindhu, using the regular sound shift of /s/ in Sanskrit to /h/ in Old Persian. The Old Persian used Hindu as an ethnonym for the people across the Sindhu river. Greek dropped the initial aspiration /h/ and tacked on its own nominative masculine singular case-ending of /ós/. And it would not be 'Perhia' because Persia is a Greek word.

Greek Indós =>Latin Indus =>English India.

I really tire of repeating this.

Sweet, sweet music.