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Narayana Guru and Atheism

I disagree with the text in this section. Associating Narayana Guru with atheism clearly shows the lack of knowledge of the originating author on the Guru's philosophical and metaphysical works and perspective and reasoning of the Universe. Proclaimed atheists being associated with an individual in social reform initiatives does not by itself make the individual an atheist.

Also there is a clear distinction between rationalists and atheists.

This section needs to be edited.

Aaroamal

5 Feb 2005

Narayana Guru and Sahodran Ayyappan

Narayana Guru had disagreed with Sahodaran Ayyappan when the latter tried to corrupt Guru's teachings with Atheism.In fact Ayyappan requested Guru's permission to modify the slogan  'Oru Jati , Oru Matham, Oru Daivam Manushyanu' as 'Jati Venda, Matham Venda, Daivam Venda'. However, Guru ridiculed him by asking "" If Ayyappan wants to collect Rs.1 from each person to set up a library,  you will ask ' Give One Rupee,Give One Rupee,Give One Rupee'. Does that mean ' No Rupee,No Rupee,No Rupee "" ?

This 'Sahodaran' kept quiet at that time.However, he renewed his Atheist activities after the samadhi of Guru, thereby corrupting Guru's ideology. Vested interests fully exploited this confusion to corrupt Guru's teachings by projecting this 'Sahodaran' even above Guru. 

Krishnan

06-Feb-2005

Clarification on Atheism

No where in the article did I say that Naryanaguru was an atheist. What I wrote was “his attitude towards the existence of a personal god is considered quite ambivalent” and that many of his followers had considered him an atheist.  Can somebody point out which sentence of the article gives such an impression that he was an atheist?  It goes to the credit of Sri Narayanaguru that in spite of being a theist, he openly accepted even atheists as his core desciples. The importance of this can be guaged only if one consideres the period in which he lived.

One also has to be clear about the kind of thiesm Narayana Guru adovocated. It definitely was not the one associated with the brahaminical/casteist Hiduism.

I find it bit difficult to comprehend why this section on atheism and atheist followers of Narayanaguru should be edited out.  A discussion/debate on the philosophy of Narayanaguru is thoroughly understandable but I find it puzzling that the followers of Narayanaguru are getting overly agitated on hearing the word atheism. Pity indeed! 

And I agree with Aaroamal that there is a distintion between rationalist and atheist. That is precisely why I assert in my user page of wikipedia that I am both an atheist and rationalist.

 09:02, 10 Feb 2005 (UTC)

 Clarification on Atheism 

Manoj, True, you did not explicitly write that Narayana Guru was an atheist. However, you implicitly structured a (misinformed and incomplete) statement as follows:

 “When Sahodaran Ayyappan modified Narayana Guru's famous catchphrase, Oru Jati, Oru Matham, Oru Daivam Manushyanu (One Caste, One Religion, One God for Humanbeing) and re-written it as Jati Venda, Matham Venda, Daivam Venda Manushyanu…the latter did not protest”. 

Obviously by stating that “…the latter did not protest”, here you are clearly implying that Narayana Guru accepted Sahodaran Ayyappan’s atheistic view as amendment to the famous catchphrase. I am sorry to say that this is absolutely false!

Everybody appreciates that Narayana Guru was tolerant of atheists because he respected an individual’s fundamental right and freedom to belief, or disbelief, in the exitence of God. That tolerant attitude however should not be misinterpreted to imply otherwise.

As Krishnan has already pointed out, Narayana Guru’s reaction to Sahodaran Ayyappan’s revised version of the slogan was a clear protest, so it is not true to say …”the latter did not protest”.

Please could you explain what you mean by saying, “his attitude towards the existence of a personal god is considered quite ambivalent”; are you referring to any of Narayana Guru’s writings, if so which one? Which serious scholar of Narayana Guru has so commented? Also, in what context is that statement being included under the heading “Narayana Guru and Atheism”.

Futher you state that “M