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Theme Changer

 Topic: A Hindu Atheist

 (Read 7774 times)
  • 1« Previous thread | Next thread »
  • A Hindu Atheist
     OP - January 06, 2014, 04:08 PM
    Hello all. Been lurking for a few months and finally thought I'd take the plunge. Am a guy in India, of Hindu heritage, but pretty much Godless since I discovered Led Zep in my teens.

    My nickname here is a reference to Charavaka - a school of Hindu philosophy originating in the 5/6th century BC. It is one of the oldest Atheist philosophies out there, and the mainstream Hindu schools tended to ignored it (but never persecuted adherents). The Charavaka philosophers ridiculed Vedic rituals as just a means for the priestly caste to earn money and stressed a materialistic approach to life - there is no 'afterlife,' so enjoy your life and die (one of their popular pieces of advice - 'Eat butter and live on loans'). The Charavaka school also stressed that all reality is based on subjective perception, and rejected anyone who claimed to possess 'truth.' You can read more about the Charavaka School on the net (some people write it as 'Carvaka')

    My interest in Islam was sparked by 9/11. Prior to that, I had only a hazy understanding about Islam - just one of the many religions people practice out here. But upon a lot of research into Muhammad and Islam, I have come to the opinion that out of all the Abrahamic faiths, Islam has been the most resistant to reformation. As a result, it seems completely out of place in the 21st century. Putting women in bags and taking lives of unbelievers, to name just a couple of Islam's terrible injunctions, are unacceptable in today's times as they infringe on human rights. What is more distressing is to see a virulent Bedouin-inspired Islam taking over South Asia, with South Asian Islam - a colourful slapdash of Islam and the Vaishnavite Bhakti movement of medieval India - increasingly being rejected by 'mainstream' Muslims (I do have a lot of Muslim friends - guys and girls, but most are apostates). Arabic names, saying 'Salam Aleikum' instead of 'Adaab,' the increasing visibility of full body burkhas in Muslim areas (not the case in the 80s when I was growing up), and growing intolerance towards Shias and Ahmadis in particular is very distressing.  

    But I am hopeful that with the advent of the internet and the advance of secular education, a reformation in Islam is inevitable in the next 20 years - we shall see a kinder and gentler Islam soon, inshallah!

    thnkyu
  • A Hindu Atheist
     Reply #1 - January 06, 2014, 06:19 PM
    the Carvaka school is very interesting. Shame it more or less died out and theistic Hinduism marginalised it. I think the Carvaka school may have influenced some forms of Buddhism?

    Anyway welcome to the forum.
    "we can smell traitors and country haters"


    Quote from: arX on May 01, 2011, 03:33 AM
    God is Love.
    Love is Blind. Stevie Wonder is blind. Therefore, Stevie Wonder is God.

  • A Hindu Atheist
     Reply #2 - January 06, 2014, 09:31 PM
    Really interesting. Welcome and have fun posting...it's nice to see someone with a non-Abrahamic background.
    "Work without hope draws nectar in a sieve, and hope without an object cannot live." -Coleridge

    http://sinofgreed.wordpress.com/
  • A Hindu Atheist
     Reply #3 - January 07, 2014, 02:26 AM
     parrot

    Welcome. Thank you for the information on Charavaka, I find it fascinating, and will be reading on it.
    My main argument against the implementation of Islamic Shariah is that it does not adapt, but Progressives and Apologists are spinning that round, and insisting it is all a big misunderstanding.
    Glad to see you here.
    Don't let Hitler have the street.
  • A Hindu Atheist
     Reply #4 - January 07, 2014, 02:33 AM
    Quote
    but Progressives and Apologists are spinning that round, and insisting it is all a big misunderstanding.


    that really sums it up perfectly, three
    "we can smell traitors and country haters"


    Quote from: arX on May 01, 2011, 03:33 AM
    God is Love.
    Love is Blind. Stevie Wonder is blind. Therefore, Stevie Wonder is God.

  • A Hindu Atheist
     Reply #5 - January 07, 2014, 03:26 AM
    They are like those animal rights activists. They stand in a lions pen, patiently explaining to all and sunder that lions are actually quite friendly, if well fed, if understood, if cared for, if properly housed, if etc, and then they act shocked when the lion tears them limb from limb, anyway.
    Because, you know, they really thought they knew the nature of the beast.
    Don't let Hitler have the street.
  • A Hindu Atheist
     Reply #6 - January 07, 2014, 03:32 AM
    Fascinating intro.

    Led Zep - hammer of the Gods?
  • A Hindu Atheist
     Reply #7 - January 07, 2014, 11:12 AM
    Quote from: three on January 07, 2014, 03:26 AM
    They are like those animal rights activists. They stand in a lions pen, patiently explaining to all and sunder that lions are actually quite friendly, if well fed, if understood, if cared for, if properly housed, if etc, and then they act shocked when the lion tears them limb from limb, anyway.
    Because, you know, they really thought they knew the nature of the beast.



    brilliant
    "we can smell traitors and country haters"


    Quote from: arX on May 01, 2011, 03:33 AM
    God is Love.
    Love is Blind. Stevie Wonder is blind. Therefore, Stevie Wonder is God.

  • A Hindu Atheist
     Reply #8 - January 07, 2014, 02:38 PM
    Welcome to the forum.  Have a welcome parrot !   parrot


    I actually have two friends who says they are hindu but do not believe in a God.  They are more on deist/pantheist. Most of the young hindus (teens early twenties) are taking their religion as a cultural thing nowadays which is always a good sign. 

    Charavaka do you find that your hindu friends are atheists/deists as well ?


    In my opinion a life without curiosity is not a life worth living
  • A Hindu Atheist
     Reply #9 - January 07, 2014, 03:40 PM
    Quote
    Most of the young hindus (teens early twenties) are taking their religion as a cultural thing nowadays which is always a good sign.  


    Why would that not be a reasonable response for muslims?

    and  parrot btw!
    When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it.


    A.A. Milne,

    "We cannot slaughter each other out of the human impasse"
  • A Hindu Atheist
     Reply #10 - January 07, 2014, 03:43 PM
    Hey there fellow indian . Have a welcome bacon  piggy
  • A Hindu Atheist
     Reply #11 - January 13, 2014, 09:42 AM
    Quote from: TheDarkRebel on January 07, 2014, 02:38 PM
    Welcome to the forum.  Have a welcome parrot !   parrot


    I actually have two friends who says they are hindu but do not believe in a God.  They are more on deist/pantheist. Most of the young hindus (teens early twenties) are taking their religion as a cultural thing nowadays which is always a good sign. 

    Charavaka do you find that your hindu friends are atheists/deists as well ?



    Not correct, it's just because of this western influence, then the modern education system as well. It's up to what people are taught. Majority of Hindus knows what hinduism is, and what it teaches as well. If they do anything against the religion, they admit it, and say that "we will get rid of bad deeds someday"...

    A person needs a well guidance, you can't avoid god or morals that were 100% success for a country, and even now.

    Quote from: billy on January 06, 2014, 06:19 PM
    the Carvaka school is very interesting. Shame it more or less died out and theistic Hinduism marginalised it. I think the Carvaka school may have influenced some forms of Buddhism?

    Anyway welcome to the forum.


    Yes, buddhism is off-shoot of Hinduism, and it's not so original if everyone reads the orthodox vedic hinduism, and obviously Carvaka.

    You will find that buddhism is just explanation of one Hindu chapter.
  • A Hindu Atheist
     Reply #12 - January 13, 2014, 10:14 AM
    So if it's not your idea of hinduism it's not real hinduism?
    `But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
     `Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: `we're all mad here. I'm mad.  You're mad.'
     `How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice.
     `You must be,' said the Cat, `or you wouldn't have come here.'
  • A Hindu Atheist
     Reply #13 - January 13, 2014, 10:15 AM
    Welcome Charavaka. Interesting intro. Hope you stick around. Afro
    `But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
     `Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: `we're all mad here. I'm mad.  You're mad.'
     `How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice.
     `You must be,' said the Cat, `or you wouldn't have come here.'
  • A Hindu Atheist
     Reply #14 - January 13, 2014, 10:55 AM
    A Hindu cannot be an Atheist Because in true Hinduism there is no God.
    I was born a Hindu and lived practiced Hinduism until the age of 23. I lived in a Buddhist country and had to know about Buddhism then when I came to the UK I learned about Christianity Methodism in particular.  When I went to Yemen I learned about Islam.  Only shortfall in my experience is Judaism I know very little about it.
    First comment I would like to make is majority of Hindus in India are influenced by the Moghuls and there is a big difference between the Hinduism between the north of India and the south.  Hindus can never be an Atheist from the way I was brought up and taught.  There is a big misconception that Hindus have a number of Gods “Not correct”.  These are images to explain the nature of natural power and natural law.  For example we all die one day and that is certain.  For that reason and to explain the concept of death there is a God called “Yaman”.  The teaching we all received as Hindus is simple you are God we are all god and God lives within us.  No a daily life listen to the Inner voice and listen to the conscience and this is linked to Morality.
    The hard core Hindu teaching not only says there is no God and we have to be just and do our duty it has no objection to other religions as they all try to teach morality and duty.
    I am sure there will be a lot of objection to what I am saying and obviously there will be a lot of reply to say I do not know what I am talking about that is fine.
  • A Hindu Atheist
     Reply #15 - January 13, 2014, 12:31 PM
    I realised only recently that my grandaddy converted to ahmadi muslim before I was born . He died when I was very young so I dont really remember much but my family and extended family hated him for being an ahmadi and only seen him after a long time during his death . My mom says hes been "brainwashed" by other ahmadis and made himself hated by other close people in our neighborhood . He was apparently called a non muslim by other imams in our area and had many problems such as difficulty in marrying off my father's sisters since people get the misconception that we also converted to ahmadi . it was really strange hearing it since parents still consider him as one of the kindest in my family .
  • A Hindu Atheist
     Reply #16 - January 13, 2014, 01:56 PM
    Quote from: Spathmarajah on January 13, 2014, 10:55 AM
    A Hindu cannot be an Atheist Because in true Hinduism there is no God.
    I was born a Hindu and lived practiced Hinduism until the age of 23. I lived in a Buddhist country and had to know about Buddhism then when I came to the UK I learned about Christianity Methodism in particular.  When I went to Yemen I learned about Islam.  Only shortfall in my experience is Judaism I know very little about it.
    First comment I would like to make is majority of Hindus in India are influenced by the Moghuls and there is a big difference between the Hinduism between the north of India and the south.  Hindus can never be an Atheist from the way I was brought up and taught.  There is a big misconception that Hindus have a number of Gods “Not correct”.  These are images to explain the nature of natural power and natural law.  For example we all die one day and that is certain.  For that reason and to explain the concept of death there is a God called “Yaman”.  The teaching we all received as Hindus is simple you are God we are all god and God lives within us.  No a daily life listen to the Inner voice and listen to the conscience and this is linked to Morality.
    The hard core Hindu teaching not only says there is no God and we have to be just and do our duty it has no objection to other religions as they all try to teach morality and duty.
    I am sure there will be a lot of objection to what I am saying and obviously there will be a lot of reply to say I do not know what I am talking about that is fine.



    Interesting. I have heard that as well. That the Gods are more just a philosophy than actual gods.
    "Work without hope draws nectar in a sieve, and hope without an object cannot live." -Coleridge

    http://sinofgreed.wordpress.com/
  • A Hindu Atheist
     Reply #17 - January 13, 2014, 05:28 PM
    Namasta. Ap kesay hiam?
    (I think that right if using English letters)

    I see you have already recieved some nice parrots and a generous supply of bacon. So I'll give you a pair of  bunny bunny 

    Hope you enjoy it here.

    I didn't know very much about Hindu until lately. Actually I'm learning to speaking Hindi for the reason of speaking to people from India about the Bible. For the most part people who are Hindu are the most inreresting to talk to. Very willing to share their believes and talk about compares or difference with things in the Bible. So I don't have much technical knowledge type of Hindus or which or such just what people say. Anyhow sounds like you might be informative.

    Oh yeah I'm a religious person here. Must the time I try not to be a pain. But oh well every one has their moments.
    If at first you succeed...try something harder.

    Failing isn't falling down. Failing is not getting back up again.
  • A Hindu Atheist
     Reply #18 - January 13, 2014, 06:14 PM
    Quote from: Spathmarajah on January 13, 2014, 10:55 AM
    A Hindu cannot be an Atheist Because in true Hinduism there is no God.
    I was born a Hindu and lived practiced Hinduism until the age of 23. I lived in a Buddhist country and had to know about Buddhism then when I came to the UK I learned about Christianity Methodism in particular.  When I went to Yemen I learned about Islam.  Only shortfall in my experience is Judaism I know very little about it.
    First comment I would like to make is majority of Hindus in India are influenced by the Moghuls and there is a big difference between the Hinduism between the north of India and the south.  Hindus can never be an Atheist from the way I was brought up and taught.  There is a big misconception that Hindus have a number of Gods “Not correct”.  These are images to explain the nature of natural power and natural law.  For example we all die one day and that is certain.  For that reason and to explain the concept of death there is a God called “Yaman”.  The teaching we all received as Hindus is simple you are God we are all god and God lives within us.  No a daily life listen to the Inner voice and listen to the conscience and this is linked to Morality.
    The hard core Hindu teaching not only says there is no God and we have to be just and do our duty it has no objection to other religions as they all try to teach morality and duty.
    I am sure there will be a lot of objection to what I am saying and obviously there will be a lot of reply to say I do not know what I am talking about that is fine.



    Would you agree that certain schools of thought in hinduism believe in the one true god and that other gods are extensions of this being? Though not accurate, would you say a comparison for understanding would liken it to the idea of god and angels? Though I'm not sure how widely that view would be accepted. Hinduism is quite complex.
    `But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
     `Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: `we're all mad here. I'm mad.  You're mad.'
     `How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice.
     `You must be,' said the Cat, `or you wouldn't have come here.'
  • A Hindu Atheist
     Reply #19 - January 13, 2014, 06:20 PM
    Quote from: Spathmarajah on January 13, 2014, 10:55 AM
    A Hindu cannot be an Atheist Because in true Hinduism there is no God.

    Do you mean cannot be a theist?
    Too fucking busy, and vice versa.
  • A Hindu Atheist
     Reply #20 - January 13, 2014, 06:46 PM
    You may be correct there are many schools of thoughts because the religion is very old and as with time there have many reformation and many versions . They include Rama to be God, in fact it is a literature called Ramaniam and people started to believe Rama to be God. Founder mental teaching is simple. Do you duty and do the correct things mealy correct things.
    That is all
  • A Hindu Atheist
     Reply #21 - February 01, 2014, 12:10 PM
    Quote from: Quod Sum Eris on January 13, 2014, 06:14 PM
    Would you agree that certain schools of thought in hinduism believe in the one true god and that other gods are extensions of this being? Though not accurate, would you say a comparison for understanding would liken it to the idea of god and angels? Though I'm not sure how widely that view would be accepted. Hinduism is quite complex.


    There is no one "true" god, because there is only the One. There is none or nothing to deny. The idea of the one "true" god belongs to the monotheistic religions which deny the "other".

    I remember reading about a sufi who on his death bed was asked to recite the kalma by other muslims. And he says, "Whom do I deny, when all is one?"

    The other "gods" can be thought of as manifestations of that "One".
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