From: udumudi@vanilla (u v babu srinivas)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: INDIAN CULTURE - subservient?
Date: 20 Nov 1992 23:39:16 GMT
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
NNTP-Posting-Host: vanilla.wpi.edu
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crs == C.R.Selvakumar (selvakum@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca) wrote:

crs>  I agree with most of what Ainikkal says. As J.Krishnamurthy 
crs>  often used to say : Religion divides. In the olden days people
crs>  had a necessity for a religion for social and spiritual purposes
crs>  which is no longer needed now. Religion should become purely
crs>  spiritual and PRIVATE and might be needed only for the deeply
crs>  seeking individuals. 

when you say we don't need religion now, do you mean that we don't
need it in its current form? as you say, it should become purely
spiritual. I agree with you. 

though I don't say that everyone need to be spiritual and deep 
thinking, I think it is essential that everyone has a spiritual 
side. and I think, religion [in it's pure form] could help. 


crs>  What we see often is - religion is used as a polarizing agent 
crs>  and used politically by fundementalist organizations.
crs>  Religion is about love and wisdom and harmony but in the hands of
crs>  political forces it becomes just the opposite hate, uncritical
crs>  thinking and discord.

very true.


crs>  We need good morals ( it has nothing to do
crs>  with religion), great resourcefulness, good ethics, a genuine
crs>  drive for ambitious achievements, a spirit of cooperation
crs>  and sharing and contribution to community well-being....
crs>  [ these can be achieved without religion and sadly lacking..]

can be achieved without religion. true. but a moral code always
comes with religion. and a truly religious person will always have
what all you mention. I can't think of a truth seeking individual
without morals. and the striving to realize the truth is what 
the main goal of such a person would be. 

again, everyone can't be truly religious or spiritual. for some
this would be secondary. 


crs>  What is the point in TALKING philosophy, praying to God 
crs>  putting or wearing prominent religious marks etc. and getting and paying
crs>  bribes and mostly practising blatant dishonesty ? 

they are not religious in the first place. religion, as everyone
has always asserted, is not just putting tilak on your forehead, and 
_talking_ philosophy. as for the rituals and all, they are only
symbolic embellishments which came with religion. we might not
really need them. but I really don't see anything wrong with them
unless they take the first place, as it happens in India now.


crs>  Not all need religion today, but all need good morals and ethics.
crs>  Belief in God is fine but in the name God so much fraud is going on
crs>  in every religion there is! I think a part of the reason for
crs>  our 'cultural' decline is because of split pursuits ( philosophy-god
crs>  on the one hand and bribe-dishonesty-racism on the other for example).

I agree with you completely here.


waiting for the rule of the intellectual,

						     -- srinivas
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| I wait for the rule of the intellectual  -- srinivas                    |
|                                                (in above article ;)     |
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