Monthly Archives: December 2009

Egg-free products and recipes

Posted on December 31, 2009 | 1 Comment

I have started a new blog, together with my wife, to pass on tips and recipes for an egg-free diet. Actually my wife will be coming up with all the recipes, so she will be doing most of the work! It is at a very early stage, but I hope that it will be a useful resource for anyone following an egg-free diet for any reason. Many of the recipes and products will also be suitable for vegans. The blog address is:

http://eggfree.wordpress.com/

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Posted in hinduism, religion

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Ethical Conversion

Posted on December 20, 2009 | 20 Comments

When is conversion Ethical?

To what extent should a religion welcome converts, and should a religion actively seek converts? There are many schools within Hinduism, and many different answers to this question.

I have previously written about Hinduism’s attitude towards newcomers, and how most typical Hindus don’t actively attempt to proselytise. This was illustrated in our mandir recently. We often have visits from school groups learning about religions practised in the city, and occasionally we have adult groups visiting. One day when I came to the mandir for arti there was a group from a nearby church. When the arti had finished some of the visitors came over and talked to us, and one of them asked if I was a convert. One of the other Hindus present said that he wanted the visitors to be clear that Hindus do not try to convert people. If people come and are interested they will welcome and help them, but they don’t actively seek converts. I have heard it said that Hinduism should be offered like sweets on a plate. If someone wants to take them then they are welcome, but they are equally welcome to decline the offer and move on. This is certainly far more restrained than the practice of religions which actively proselytise, but is it sufficient to ensure that people who convert have really accepted the faith and have positive reasons for joining? To answer this question I will take a side-step and look at the acceptance of converts in Judaism.

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Posted in christian right, hinduism, judaism, other religions, religion

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Hinduism and the environment revisited.

Posted on December 10, 2009 | 1 Comment

A while a go I wrote about Hinduism’s attitude to the environment, suggesting that protection of the environment is a duty. I am pleased to say that other Hindus seem to think the same way. A declaration was posted at the Parliament of World Religions, in Melbourne, Australia which supported environmental protection. The declaration begins:

The Hindu tradition understands that man is not separate from nature, that we are linked by spiritual, psychological and physical bonds with the elements around us. Knowing that the Divine is present everywhere and in all things, Hindus strive to do no harm. We hold a deep reverence for life and an awareness that the great forces of nature—the earth, the water, the fire, the air and space—as well as all the various orders of life, including plants and trees, forests and animals, are bound to each other within life’s cosmic web.

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Posted in environment, hinduism, religion

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