The Independent State of India was established as a secular republic in 1948. With the various religious identities that abounded, the intention was to reconcile them.. Hinduism, by its nature is a tolerant religion but differences have arisen which have caused tensions, especially between Hindus and Muslims. India's adoption of a secular constitution was meant to diffuse the situation, and by and large, it has been fairly successful. Islam's rise of militant fundamentalism, however, has been a block to the relations between the two religions. This has seen a deepening association in India between religion and politics. This association, perhaps it could be said, signals also Hinduism's difficulty in adapting to modernity and the process of secularisation. This is not surprising seeing that in Western cultures, where the state has been long secularised, the various religions have seen a decline with the split from politics. Indian commentators attribute westerm promiscuity, materialism and individualism to the disparagment of religion and warn against the same thing happening in their own society.
The question of identity and religious authenticity is felt, it seems, most acutely, by young Hindus growing up in the West. Religious identity, however, is a fluid and changing notion both for individuals and for communities. The individual cannot or should not be reduced to a single identity. This reductive approach to the individual person denies the various ways in which he/she can assume different identities as he/she interacts in different contexts, both social and religious, for whatever purpose within which he/she finds him/herself. Perhaps the notion of a single identity presupposes a coherence of belief, action and emotion that many of us fail to realise or demonstrate, Hindus included.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Sharia
A decade ago, the term 'Sharia' would probably have meant nothignt o a majority of the population of this island and much the same could be said of Britain. Regualr media coverage has changed this and Islam is rarely out of the news.
The Archbishop of Canterbury gave a lecture on Islam in English Law and addressed issues that are central to the practice and theory of politics on all of the continents. He closed his lecture with the words, 'Theology still waits for us around the corner of these debates.' The quesiton concerns the meaning of Sharia Law for muslims. There is the perception that Muslims are answerable to Sharia before the Law of the land. There is also the impression that Islam isistis on the replacement of secular laws by the Sharia system.
Archbishop Williams asked if secular law needs to accommodate some of the religious ordinances of faith communities. This caused a storm of debate across the U.K. and indeed elsewhere. The law in England already incorporates the canon law of the Church of England as regards Church property and appointments. There is also an accomodation of Jewish law in the civil recognition of the findings of a Ben Dith, a court to which Jewish men and women may have recourse on certain matters of marriage and family law. Indeed there is already an accommodation of Sharia law itself, in the availability now of a mortgage and investments system designed in view of Sharia's prohibiyion of the taking of interest on a loan.
Sharia for a muslim is God's will and it encompasses all of the believer's duties to God and humanity and humanity's abode, and it is the standard by which everything human is judged. It's sources are acknoweldged by all muslims to be in the Koran and the Sunna which is the name for the pattern of life as well as the teaching fo the prophet, access to which is by way of authentic and authoritative 'report' (hadith).
Ali Selim, General Secretary to the Irish Council of Imams, called for the commitment of Church leaders to the creation, as a matter of urgency, of 'sound inter-faith relations'. The appointment of Archbishop Brady to the College of Cardinals, he wrote, 'renowned for his personal integrity, kindness, goodness and his hand of friendship across communities, could provide a new avenue in this context.'and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, by visiting the Islamic Cultural Centre at Clonskeagh, 'has set an example of a new type of visit which can serve the process of strenghtening inter-faith relations. Selim identifies difficulties in first and second level education systems in Ireland as they present 'challenges and difficulties' for Muslims in Ireland. He welcomed, as can be expected, Ireland's creation of a multi-faith school under Jewish, Catholic and Muslim patronage in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin.
The Archbishop of Canterbury gave a lecture on Islam in English Law and addressed issues that are central to the practice and theory of politics on all of the continents. He closed his lecture with the words, 'Theology still waits for us around the corner of these debates.' The quesiton concerns the meaning of Sharia Law for muslims. There is the perception that Muslims are answerable to Sharia before the Law of the land. There is also the impression that Islam isistis on the replacement of secular laws by the Sharia system.
Archbishop Williams asked if secular law needs to accommodate some of the religious ordinances of faith communities. This caused a storm of debate across the U.K. and indeed elsewhere. The law in England already incorporates the canon law of the Church of England as regards Church property and appointments. There is also an accomodation of Jewish law in the civil recognition of the findings of a Ben Dith, a court to which Jewish men and women may have recourse on certain matters of marriage and family law. Indeed there is already an accommodation of Sharia law itself, in the availability now of a mortgage and investments system designed in view of Sharia's prohibiyion of the taking of interest on a loan.
Sharia for a muslim is God's will and it encompasses all of the believer's duties to God and humanity and humanity's abode, and it is the standard by which everything human is judged. It's sources are acknoweldged by all muslims to be in the Koran and the Sunna which is the name for the pattern of life as well as the teaching fo the prophet, access to which is by way of authentic and authoritative 'report' (hadith).
Ali Selim, General Secretary to the Irish Council of Imams, called for the commitment of Church leaders to the creation, as a matter of urgency, of 'sound inter-faith relations'. The appointment of Archbishop Brady to the College of Cardinals, he wrote, 'renowned for his personal integrity, kindness, goodness and his hand of friendship across communities, could provide a new avenue in this context.'and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, by visiting the Islamic Cultural Centre at Clonskeagh, 'has set an example of a new type of visit which can serve the process of strenghtening inter-faith relations. Selim identifies difficulties in first and second level education systems in Ireland as they present 'challenges and difficulties' for Muslims in Ireland. He welcomed, as can be expected, Ireland's creation of a multi-faith school under Jewish, Catholic and Muslim patronage in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin.
Religious Tolerance
The New Testament speaks of Jesus as the only way (John14:6), but that does not mean that people cannot come to God through Jesus without ever being able to name him. Jesus came to reconcile all things and all people to himself (Col. 1:20). Regardless, then, of whatever context within which reconciliation occurs, it must surely concern Jesus. Revelation of God and life-changing experiences has been made possible by the work of Jesus, the word made flesh (John 1:1). Jesus also defined his role as to reveal the Father, not to glorify himself (John 14:8). Wherever God is known then, it is the work of Jesus made manifest. Because God is found in other religions, Jesus is also there, silently and modestly doing his work of revelatin. 'All that is noble in the non-Christian systems of thought, or conduct, or worship is the work of Christ upon them and within them. By the word of God, that is to say by Jesus Christ - Isaiah and Plato, and Zoroaster and Buddha and Confucius conceived and uttered such truths as they declared. There is only only one divine light, and every[one] and [their] measure is enlightened by it' (Archbishop William Temple).
Temples way is a very Christian way of looking at things and it is not often well received by other faith communities. However, we need to be faithful also to our own tradition and beliefs, while developing an appreciation and tolerance of others. This is best done by understanding other faiths within the parameters of our own. We can push the boudaries of traditionally exclusive texts in order to underline the mutual inter-penetration of all true faith. We make God very small if we dismiss the possibility outright
Within the traditions of other faiths there is a similar minority tradition of tolerance. In the Qur'an, where the 'people of the book' refer to Jes and Christians, there are 3 texts that stand out:
-to you be your way and to me mine
-truth stands out from error, whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy handfold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things
-of the people of the book are a portion that stand for the right...they enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong; and they hasten in emulation of all good works; they are in the ranks of the righteous. Of the good they do, nothing will be rejected of them; for Allah knoweth well those that do right.
The Hindu tradition is much more open to this kind of possibility. The Bhagavadgita suggests that even those who in faith worship other gods, because of their love they worship me and also...for many are the paths of men, but they all in the end come to me. This is typical of Hindu inclusiveness.
Exclusivity makes God into a very small, petty and insecure being> The limitless God becomes limited and without unconditional love. The God of the Christian scriptures is a God of prodigal grace. Calvinists say that we are put right with God by God's own grace. Grace, then, can put others of different faiths right with God as well. Paul tells us that it is by grace we are saved and not by works (Eph. 2:8).
Adapted from A Deep but Dazzling Darkness: A Christian Theology in an Inter-faith Perspective, Timothy Kinahan
Temples way is a very Christian way of looking at things and it is not often well received by other faith communities. However, we need to be faithful also to our own tradition and beliefs, while developing an appreciation and tolerance of others. This is best done by understanding other faiths within the parameters of our own. We can push the boudaries of traditionally exclusive texts in order to underline the mutual inter-penetration of all true faith. We make God very small if we dismiss the possibility outright
Within the traditions of other faiths there is a similar minority tradition of tolerance. In the Qur'an, where the 'people of the book' refer to Jes and Christians, there are 3 texts that stand out:
-to you be your way and to me mine
-truth stands out from error, whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy handfold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things
-of the people of the book are a portion that stand for the right...they enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong; and they hasten in emulation of all good works; they are in the ranks of the righteous. Of the good they do, nothing will be rejected of them; for Allah knoweth well those that do right.
The Hindu tradition is much more open to this kind of possibility. The Bhagavadgita suggests that even those who in faith worship other gods, because of their love they worship me and also...for many are the paths of men, but they all in the end come to me. This is typical of Hindu inclusiveness.
Exclusivity makes God into a very small, petty and insecure being> The limitless God becomes limited and without unconditional love. The God of the Christian scriptures is a God of prodigal grace. Calvinists say that we are put right with God by God's own grace. Grace, then, can put others of different faiths right with God as well. Paul tells us that it is by grace we are saved and not by works (Eph. 2:8).
Adapted from A Deep but Dazzling Darkness: A Christian Theology in an Inter-faith Perspective, Timothy Kinahan
hindu worship
Daily worship is known as puja and for most Hindus is usually carried out in the home. A shrine richly decorated with pictures or statues (Murtis) of favourite gods is set aside for this purpose. Wealthier families sometimes set aside a whole room as a shrine, and worship there individually or as a family. Puja begins with the simplest but most important prayer (mantra) - the saying of the sacred word Om to make contact with the divine. This is followed by the recitation of other mantras from the scriptures and the offering of gifts such as sweets, money, fruits etc. to a particular god.
Worship is also carried out in the Temple (mandir) under the supervision of a Brahmin or a high caste priest. Although Hindus beleive that their God is everywhere, they also believe that the Temple is his special home. Only the priest is allowed to come close to the divine presence which 'resides' in the inner sanctuary of the building, in the Holy of Holies, known as the garbhagriha (womb-house).
Before worship begins, members of the congregation carry out elaborate rituals of purification, which may involve washing the feet, rinsing the mouth or preparing special food. The priest leads the worship by reading from the sacred texts and saying mantras. Small devotional lamps (divas) ar elit, and after worship, the people share the food that has been blessed and offered to the gods.
"LIGHTS ARE LIT IN HINDU HOUSEHOLDS TO GUIDE LAKSHMI, THE GODDESS OF FORTUNE, INTO THE HOME" from the Mahabharata
Worship is also carried out in the Temple (mandir) under the supervision of a Brahmin or a high caste priest. Although Hindus beleive that their God is everywhere, they also believe that the Temple is his special home. Only the priest is allowed to come close to the divine presence which 'resides' in the inner sanctuary of the building, in the Holy of Holies, known as the garbhagriha (womb-house).
Before worship begins, members of the congregation carry out elaborate rituals of purification, which may involve washing the feet, rinsing the mouth or preparing special food. The priest leads the worship by reading from the sacred texts and saying mantras. Small devotional lamps (divas) ar elit, and after worship, the people share the food that has been blessed and offered to the gods.
"LIGHTS ARE LIT IN HINDU HOUSEHOLDS TO GUIDE LAKSHMI, THE GODDESS OF FORTUNE, INTO THE HOME" from the Mahabharata
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