From: wong@rkna50.riken.go.jp (Wong Weng Fai)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.eastern
Subject: Re: MCP ?
Date: 20 Aug 92 04:50:21 GMT
Article-I.D.: qiclab.1992Aug20.183433.21074
Organization: ----

Hi,

	Mr. Nimisha Mehta of nimisha@acsc.com responded to my posting
on "MCP" but had trouble posting it. So I will quote the entire posting
of his (which he kindly provided me a copy of) and then attach my own
reply afterwards ... Mr. Nimisha wrote ...

>On one nice day just sit and think. I wonder if you'll agree with any of
>the following:
>
>Men and Women are physically different. They go through a constant
>evolution day after the other. Mentally too; a constant evolution goes,
>generation after the other. To keep the evolution coherent, and for the
>betterment of the humankind, the concept of society was established. 
>Just refer to the history of the indian religion books. The most praised
>and followed are the ones written by the Men. All the rishis who
>practised the religion were men. The knowledge transfered to a young boy
>was through an other man. Do you not think that in this circumstances
>the opinion build by a person is a lot based on what his Guru (probably
>a man) has said and what he has seen in the females around (mostly his
>mother - with motherly emotions, his wife - with love, and all other
>females - with whom he came in touch through some kind of relation -
>emotion - and note one thing - NONE of the professional females) his
>opinion for the females would be just as it is said in your mail. (Does
>it mean that I go ahead and call any man irrational when he generalises
>definition on woman kind? NO!)
>
>I am religious a little and don't blame any thing for the way they
>perceive women. But I admire the wise things that they have to say
>moreover to a few that I don't personnaly beleive in. It entirely
>depends on me to look around for what I need for my growth as a human
>and discard all that can currupt my mind. 
>
>>From my childhood I had been too religious. And it was difficult for me
>to digest the thought that a lot of matter utter under the name of
>religion is partial towards man. But I have learnt from my family to
>grasp exctly what my soul agrees to on the name of god. And Believe me,
>Hinduism has soooo muchhhhh to teach that such minor issues doesn't
>arise at all in its vastness of the knowledge. I am proud to be Hindu.
>
>Please don't differentiate as what was said for whom. When one looks
>around for loopholes, one finds it. Please indulge in the religion that
>can lead you; not obstract you on trivial matters...
>
>Aum....

	I do not agree with what he said but I will leave the bulk of
it aside. What I want to respond to is his last paragraph. Although I
myself am a "part time MCP" ;-) I am saddened to find him considering
equality, in this case equality of the sexes, a "trivial matter". It is
a matter that has brought immense suffering for countless women in the
past and (in some instances) is still so. It is what the pioneering
feminists have (literally) paid for with their lives. It is NOT a
"trivial matter" or a mere "loophole".

	It is not that I disagree that men and women are different. In fact,
every single one of us is different physically, mentally and emotionally. But
I am convinced that the potentials for compassion, wisdom and perfection
is within everyone - regardless of sex, race or religion. To 
stereotype the differences and then assume them as de facto basis for
a religion is, to me, quite unacceptable. If history is anything to go
back, stereotyping is almost always the prelude to discrimination and
exploitation.

	Sure - if you look hard enough, you will find loopholes in just
about anything. But if the "loophole" is on something as serious as the
equality of human beings which is DIRECTLY relevant to the happiness of all
and the human cause, then I say a revamp is in order. Quite a few
Hindus have told me that sex, caste and other discriminations are "loopholes"
of Hinduism but yet everyone of them seems to have conveniently ignored
them. Instead of rising Hindu fundamentalism, may be its time to
seriously "patch" these "loopholes". If it is our forefathers who gave rise
to the injustice, then it is surely OUR responsibility to redress it.

	"Do not go by tradition, do not go by hearsay, do not go by the
	 words of scriptures or influential men, do not go by the majority's
	 opinion. Do what you know is right." --- The Buddha (quoted from my 
							      poor memory)

	"Not all loopholes are made the same." --- me ;-)

Regards,

W.F. Wong.