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#1 2008-10-13 10:31 am
- radarman
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- Registered: 2005-02-28
- Posts: 3638
Freedom of religion in India? Not so much
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/world … ref=slogin
BOREPANGA, India — The family of Solomon Digal was summoned by neighbors to what serves as a public square in front of the village tea shop.
They were ordered to get on their knees and bow before the portrait of a Hindu preacher. They were told to turn over their Bibles, hymnals and the two brightly colored calendar images of Christ that hung on their wall. Then, Mr. Digal, 45, a Christian since childhood, was forced to watch his Hindu neighbors set the items on fire.
“ ‘Embrace Hinduism, and your house will not be demolished,’ ” Mr. Digal recalled being told on that Wednesday afternoon in September. “ ‘Otherwise, you will be killed, or you will be thrown out of the village.’ ”
India, the world’s most populous democracy and officially a secular nation, is today haunted by a stark assault on one of its fundamental freedoms. Here in eastern Orissa State, riven by six weeks of religious clashes, Christian families like the Digals say they are being forced to abandon their faith in exchange for their safety.
Crap like this makes me glad I don't live in a third-world hell-hole. Normally, I wouldn't think of India as being a third-world hell hole, but stories like this, and others involving Hindus and Muslims, are making me reconsider that.
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#2 2008-10-13 10:45 am
- sturner
- Royal High Poobah
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Re: Freedom of religion in India? Not so much
Yep, always remember that this same can happen here. Stupidity isn't a hallmark of any one culture.
I'm not dead yet.
There are 3 types of people, those who can count and those who can't.
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#3 2008-10-13 10:57 am
- mo' ron
- PS3 4 EVA
- From: NC, USA
- Registered: 2002-10-15
- Posts: 14257
Re: Freedom of religion in India? Not so much
http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=1163 <- click
There are plenty of ways to oppress minority religious groups that don't involve threatening to burn someone's house, but can be just as stressful.
Last edited by mo' ron (2008-10-13 10:57 am)
What is the difference between Vista and OSX?
- Microsoft employees are excited about OSX.
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#4 2008-10-13 12:18 pm
- radarman
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- Registered: 2005-02-28
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Re: Freedom of religion in India? Not so much
sturner wrote:
Yep, always remember that this same can happen here. Stupidity isn't a hallmark of any one culture.
Understood. I just read a story relating to the anti-miscegenation laws, and while it's not based on religion, it was equally offensive. People were being thrown in jail for marrying outside their race; or having marriages annulled by claiming the marriage was invalid due to race.
We should strive to cleanse the land of such crap, and so far, the US has done as good a job as any at that. Shoot, we have gone from jailing people for marrying blacks to having a black man as the front-runner in a presidential race. That's not to say we should kick back and relax, as there is still a lot of work left to be done, but it does say quite a bit about our nation.
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#5 2008-10-13 12:55 pm
- sturner
- Royal High Poobah
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Re: Freedom of religion in India? Not so much
Ah but much of the white supremacy, as well as justificaiton for slavery, was encapsulated under the guise of religion.
I'm not dead yet.
There are 3 types of people, those who can count and those who can't.
"There are few things graven in stone, excepting your date of death."
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#6 2008-10-13 2:57 pm
Re: Freedom of religion in India? Not so much
sturner wrote:
Ah but much of the white supremacy, as well as justificaiton for slavery, was encapsulated under the guise of religion.
So were the abolitionist movements and civil rights movements.
Slavery was more often justified by material gain and money making opportunities, but people dont seem to think that its proof that making money is somehow morally hypocritical.
"Live with your head in the lion's mouth. I want you to overcome 'em with yeses, undermine 'em with grins, agree 'em to death and destruction, let 'em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open." -Ralph Ellison
"Overpower, overcome" -Cro-Mags
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#7 2008-10-13 3:04 pm
- everlong554
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- Registered: 2003-12-24
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Re: Freedom of religion in India? Not so much
StaticAge wrote:
sturner wrote:
Ah but much of the white supremacy, as well as justificaiton for slavery, was encapsulated under the guise of religion.
So were the abolitionist movements and civil rights movements. .
Great point.
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#8 2008-10-13 6:53 pm
- Tallgeese
- Sternly Advising
- From: Pool Party
- Registered: 2000-10-17
- Posts: 34114
Re: Freedom of religion in India? Not so much
sturner wrote:
Ah but much of the white supremacy, as well as justificaiton for slavery, was encapsulated under the guise of religion.
Not really. Religion was a fairly late justification for African slavery and white supremacy. Supposed biological differences were the first justification and lasted for hundreds of years until people stopped buying it and religion was thrown in.
I still believe in liberalism today as much as I ever did, but, oh, there was a happy time when I believed in liberals.
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