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political racism
Mr. Pat Robertson Denigrates Hinduism
In his March 23, 1995 TV show 700 Club, Mr. Pat Robertson labeled
Hinduism as demonic. He stated, "Of all of India's problems, one stands
out from the rest. That problem is idol worship. It is said there are
hundreds of millions of Hindu deities. All this has put a nation in
bondage to spiritual forces that have deceived many for thousands of
years. We are importing Hinduism into America. The whole thought of
your karma, of meditation, of the fact that thereUs no end of life, this
is all Hinduism. Chanting too. Many of those chants are to Hindu
Gods--Vishnu, Hare Krishna. The origin of it is all demonic. We can't
let that stuff come into America."
Mr. Pat Robertson's denigration of Hinduism as 'demonic' is a
bigger challenge than ever presented to the practice of Hinduism in the
United States. It is unfortunate that such an influential Christian as
Mr. Robertson calls the worldUs oldest living religious tradition demonic.
A religion that defines highest morality as total harmlessness to
all creatures (Mahabharata Shantiparva 262.5-6) and teaches that all
mankind is one family (Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam) cannot be devilish. A
religion that does not claim exclusiveness of thought, does not approve
of forcible conversions, and provides room for the worship of all the
prophets of the world cannot be impious. A religion that has produced,
not only in the past, but even in recent times, numerous world-famous
saints and scholars, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Radhakrishnan, Swami
Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo, Paramahansa Sri Ramakrishna, Robindranath
Tagore, Paramahansa Yogananda, and Swami Chinmayananda, cannot be
wicked. To say that Hinduism is demonic is to say that the sun is dark,
and only a blind person may conclude that. It is against the gospel of
Jesus Christ to preach condemnation of the people of other faiths,
harshly judge the other religious traditions, or denigrate their followers.
By his indictment of Hinduism I conclude that Mr. Robertson is
ignorant about many of the fundamental doctrines of Hinduism. I invite
him to read my book: The Hindu Mind, Fundamentals of Hindu Religion and
Philosophy For All Ages. After reading this popular publication, I am
ready to meet him any time and anywhere to answer his questions and
dispel his misunderstandings. Hinduism is not absolute polytheism, as he
claims. Hinduism is monotheistic polytheism. Hindu deities are not
independent gods, but are symbolic representations of various powers of
the Supreme Lord, whom Christians call Heavenly Father. Each Hindu deity
is thus a personification of a particular divine aspect of the Supreme
Lord. If Hindu deities are called demons (as Mr. Robertson suggests),
then all divine powers of the Supreme Lord are demonic, and that is a
stupid conclusion.
Who can comprehend the infinite powers of the Supreme Lord? Who
can say that He is only this and not that? Who can say that the Lord is
only Heavenly Father and not the Divine Mother, Divine Friend or Divine
Teacher? Calling Him by only one name and worshipping Him only in one
form is an attempt on the part of the human mind to limit the infinite
potentiality of the Supreme Lord. History shows that in the name of God,
pure monotheistic traditions have performed many un-Godly acts and
thereby brought more misery to mankind by their evangelical commotion
than the polytheistic traditions.
Mr. Robertson calls Hindu worship idolatry. Hindu worship of
images and idols is not idolatry, since Hindus do not consider images and
idols as God, but symbols of God. Just as Christians worship the
crucifix as a symbol of Christ, Hindus use images and idols as symbols of
God. "Worship with the aid of images in India was not idolatry, as [was
the case] in Arabia," says Al Baruni, the great Muslim scholar. Swami
Vivekananda further explains, "Idolatry in India does not mean anything
horrible. It is not the mother of harlots. On the other hand it is an
attempt of undeveloped minds to grasp high spiritual truths." Images are
an aid to worship. No Hindu considers an image to be God. I do not
consider idol-worship as sin," declares Mahatma Gandhi, the apostle of
truth and non-violence.
In his March 23rd show, Mr. Robertson advocated keeping Hindus
out of America on the pretext that their religion is demonic. Such
denigrating speeches are the instigators of hate and violence in
society. Mr. Robertson's odium against Hinduism and other non-Christian
faiths is politically motivated. In recent years westerners in large
numbers have been turning to Hinduism and Buddhism to seek spiritual
solace. Yoga and meditation are becoming a part and parcel of western
life. This is a disturbing scenario for the super conservatives such as
Mr. Robertson. This is the basis for Mr. Robertson's campaign of hate
and malice against Hinduism.
All animate and inanimate objects in creation have their own
intrinsic nature. It is the nature of a rose to give fragrance and it is
the nature of a snake to bite. We cannot condemn the snake as a bad
creature, but we must learn to protect ourselves from his poison. It is,
therefore, important that all the lovers of freedom of religion, who
believe in religious harmony, and universal brotherhood write letters to
the US Department of Justice, Hate Crimes Division, Tenth and
Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20530 (Fax: 202-514-4371), to
protest Mr. Robertson's denigration of Hinduism. Letters should also be
sent to Mr. Pat Robertson, CBN, 977 Centerville Turnpike, Virginia Beach,
Virginia 23463-0001.
Bansi Pandit,
Author, The Hindu Mind
925 Maryknoll Circle, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
