Wednesday, March 15

A Faithless Journey

I'm at a friend's place for lunch (she follows Jehovah's Witnesses and this gathering consisted of many of her so-called Kingdom Hall friends). One guy walks up to me and asks 'hey Keshi what is your Religion?'. I say 'I was brought up in a Buddhist and Hindu background, went to a Christian school, one of my best friends is a Muslim - so yeah, I respect all religions and I believe in living life in peace, not in a text book full of rules'. He looks at me and says 'oh but it's not good to worship statues and did u realise that India and Sri Lanka though they follow Buddhism/Hinduism, are 2 of the most violent countries in terms of hatred/war and bloodshed?'. I was surprised at his straight face and his wannabe-divine facial expressions as he blurted out that stupid sentence. I really did feel like zipping him up in a freezer bag and shipping him to Uranus, not because I was insulted by what he said (I don't get insulted by un-informed beings) but because I felt miserable about his rather severe cranium deficiency. Anyways, I didn't say anything to upset him but I did say smilingly 'you know what, it doesnt bother me what you believe in so why should it bother you what I believe in?', simply because I didnt even want to waste my breath on someone who had such a limited psyche. He just smiled and said 'Sorry'.....I think he got my message or did he, ummm who knows - if not now, then some day he will.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to make any 'Religion' (personally I'm beginning to dislike that word) sound better/worse than mine. In real I have many friends of many different faiths - just like here in the blog world, and I have no problem in what they believe in as long as I can see good people in them. What I'm trying to say is that even though 'Religion' was initially created to put man on a purer path in life, it has now become quite the opposite. 'Cos it's 'Religion' that divides people and it's 'Religion' that makes people clash with each other, burn churches/temples, slam aeroplanes into buildings, drop bombs on innocent people and call it co-lateral damage, spark racial intolerance etc - yes it's 'Religion' that's become the purpose of violence now. The reason why the Jews are hated, the reason why some religions are divided within themselves, the reason for the Israeli-Palastenian conflict, the reason for the Pakistani-Indian clashes, the reason for Sri Lanka's ongoing Sinhala-Tamil war, the reason for US-Iraq wars, the reason for recent and sudden growth of fanatic Muslim extremists, the reason for Irish-English clashes etc etc my dear folks IS 'Religion'. The mere differences in 'Beliefs' can lead to so much damage in an individual, society and the whole world - how sad is that!

Think about this...we as human beings are prone to many problems in life. We can become victims of natural disasters, diseases and man. Therefore we can be victims of anything and anyone. That is a fact. Just beacuse your beliefs are different from mine, that doesn't give you the right to insult me, murder me or even burn down my entire community. People must realise that beliefs are just beliefs...and they are going to be hell of alot different from person to person. Your beliefs are a mixture of what you have been brought up to believe in and your own experiences. My beliefs are a mixture of what I was brought up to believe in and my own experiences. So you and I can never be in each others' shoes. Therefore someone else being 'different' doesnt mean you are right and the other is wrong. 'Religion' should be a way of life...it should bring peace to you and others...it's not only about praying infront of a God...it is also about respecting another's religion...it should not harm other people and violate their rights to their beliefs. It should make you a better person in thought, word and deed, not a blood-thirsty criminal. It should make you enlightened in each possible way, not deteriorate you day by day. Most of all, it should make you more tolerant of other people and their beliefs that are different to your's. After all, if you cant tolerate someone else's 'beliefs', do you honestly think your 'Religion' has helped you or that you have helped your 'Religion'?

You may be a Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Jain, Jehovah's Witness, Muslim whatever...you may be trying hard to practise your faith perfectly according to whatever the leader of your faith has passed on to generations of it's followers. And I believe that no 'Religion' teaches you to kill or make a mockery out of others (not that I have heard of such religions).
But if you cant tolerate another person's faith or you harm people just 'cos they are different, then I reckon you haven't realised what faith is all about. Such people I believe have no faith whatsoever and are doing shame to their own so-called 'Religion'. 'Cos a 'Religion' should bring peace to you and others around you. So do justice to your faith...give others the freedom of peace and the peace of freedom.

109 Cranium Signets:

uttara said...

heyyyyyyyyyy

here again we r quite alike ...:)

me hindu... schooling from catholic school .. n one of my best frnd is a muslim ...:)

religion doesnt matter to me ... eat matters is the culture n how u respect each other as an individual ...


will be bk :)
HUGGGGZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Kathy said...

I'm a christian, i don't believe in idols,images but it doesn't stops me makin' friends to anyone with different religions.I do have friends which is Jehovahs Witnesses,Muslims,Mormons,Protestant ,Catholic etc..
I respect them and their beliefs...especially our frienship ,that's all!Good post Kesh..thanx!

Peace to all...Amen.

-kathy-

uttara said...

u knw wat keshi .. religion is wat ppl make n belief .. after all we have segrigated gods too .. heheheh ...

as far as am concerned .. i have no issues going to a temple/church or a mosque( i guess women r not allowed..)
i have attended navina's lit a candle
gone to the temple ... lit a diya
given a chance i wont say no to go to the mosque too .. but i do pray ..
does it matter which god???
i know hindu prayes ... catholic prayes... to some extent muslim prayer too... now am i doing a crime .. its just within me .. my mom has never told me to do or not...

religion is the cause for todays fight n agony ... its within .. no 1 can rule us ...

nice topic keshi .. enlightening .. in he name of god we people fight .. i donno for wat ... damnnn religion ...

lubbb uuuuuuuu

will be bk on previous post

muaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh
uttara

ishipishi said...

nice post keshi..."religion is a way of life"...that's so right. For me, it's a very personal thing...my relationship with God is not bound by any form of faith or any set rules / rituals... I just know God exists and I am being watched over...in happiness and in sadness...

Being a hindu married to a christian (he had muslim ancestors)...i have no religious intolerance but i cannot tolerate "fanatics" and "misinformed people"...

I avoid religious debates with misinformed people...it makes me experience feelings i'd rather live without..."anger".."frustration"!

But if there is something to learn and broaden my knowledge...i'm the first person to take part in a discussion with open minded tolerant people!!...

Why not sure said...

Keshigurl thats one more good one.

Religion or country or community and such are made from PEOPLE. No religion is bad in itself, nor a person following any religion is bad coz of s/he is following that religion.

Your answer to that person was a good one and in a better way to make him understand! :).

Vishnu said...

hi Keshi,
Relgion is nothing but a Discipline.

Casablanca said...

Beautifully written! Glad you said it... often we all feel this way, but nobody ever pens it down, because others will say 'its too preachy'. I admire you for blogging this :)

Die Muräne said...

Hi Keshi
Good post, again.
I think the message of every religion is love. Only.

But many people don't think about the real message, are lost or can't feel their own power. So they just run behind their leaders. Leaders who could use that for their own interest, and power, hate or greed.
But this has nothing to do with religion.

My religion is the "Read-the Muraenenblog-Cult"! Followers are welcome. lol

Queen Bee said...

Very good post, Keshi!!

I wish more people can read this and truly understand.

A lot of conflicts are spun out from ignorance...

Jim said...

Religion and Polly tics
is the cause of all dis mess




, Jesus was anti-religion ,

Jim said...

the message of Jesus was simple

, Love God wid all you gott
and Love one another as I have loved u
,

but dat idiot BUSH and his cronie BLAIR read the fucking Bible and bombed IRAQ

and these bastards said GOD TOLD ME TO DO SO

Anand said...

agree totally with your post..but your 'friend' may actually be right...but the reason is not religion itself....it is a bad case of religion and politics brought together...rather unfotunate

burf said...

yea exactly...

when you can love all the hot females irrespctive of their respective religion, then why can't you be tolerant of all guys and their religion

;) :D

Dewaker Basnet said...

loved the post keshi..swear..:) religion is too personal a thing to be discussed. More dangerous when you have ignorant folks with half baked ideologies try to put their aggresive, so called "point of view" in front of individuals.
Here in India, ironically religion is so much a cause of distress than happiness..if u know what i mean:(

great post keshi, once again!!cheers

Shriedhar said...

Hi.

nice read :)

Scoot said...

great post.i do not believe in one particular thing.i still do not know what is religion.i feel it is all made by man.all the boundaries were set by him.
it's sad that there is so much blood shed over this particular term.
there used to be this tailor who used to come and preach his particular faith to me for hours and hours.i would politely listen and if i ever had any thing to say he would stop me.i would have been just expressing a few harmless sentences but he would not hear of it.that is how mad people are.
i have faith but i dont know in what yet.but i do believe its something inside of me

Jeevan said...

I see god on people how care for others, and help them. what ever u said is true, now a days we can see many violance in the name of Religion. recent we have see the protest & violence on the cartoons published by the Danish newspaper.

My best friend in school is a Christain, i have went to church with him and lit candels. Good post Keshi.

:P fuzzbox said...

It does not matter what a person believes in as long as a person leads a moral life and treats others with respect. Religion is a matter of faith. Man's treatment of others is more tangible.

Ekta said...

well..I dont even remember the last time I asked someone their religion!!!...I mean it feel soo shallow after a point of time....
Am a punju...studied in a convent school....grown up with muslim neighbours who were the cutest people have come across...married to a Gujju and well staying in HK..a foreign land which doesnt care or even know about these religious differences in India!...
Point is..who cares anymore!!...and keshi..way to go babe!...thats the way to respond to people like him!..prouda u!:-)

Princess said...

Hi Keshi,
Your name is very cute to pronounce. What's the meaning of it?
Last time I came to your blog to write about the similarity in our display images, but after reading your post I was very much moved to write about the post.

Just a day before you came to my blog I changed my profile image to a lotus. Coz someone told me you are writing about nature and your display image is an artificial doll.

And regarding this post:
A Religion should teach to respect fellow humans.

If you are a living being, love all living beings in this earth.
If you are a human, care for other humans.
If you belong to a country, learn the traditions of other country people.
If you follow a religion, respect the religion followed by others.

Himavan said...

Nice post. Very well written about what one should possess by being religious... "Tolerance".

This point is well explained and given utmost importance in all religions, sad to see its interpretition being varied among people.

I wish such post reach out to those people who are under wrong impression about religion.(not just blog-o-sphere)...=)

And do you really think you were tolerant to that person?...(juzz kidding)...lol..=)

Pradeep Puranik said...

You know Keshi, it is sad, but your friend is absolutely right! I have been born and have lived in India long enough to know that.

For example, if you simply followed the never-ending feud over the Ayodhya issue, you would know. I am soon going to post an entry about it in my blog.

People here are willing to murder their brothers and sisters for their faith. Actually, what they call faith is just their misinterpretation of the holy books.

They may call it a holy war, but I have absolutely no sympathies for people who wage war over religion. I have no sympathies for religiously intolerant people.

I am not against people who worship statues per se, but I must agree that they do not seem to understand religion at all.

As I said, I shall soon be posting an entry about it in my blog.

the_ego_has_landed said...

"It should make you a better person in thought, word and deed, not a blood-thirsty criminal."

nice line..and liked many others in this post.
A really good post. Religion has been a base for many quarrels and misunderstandings..conspiracies and murders. Its also been a place of common ground for different people who come together for peace of mind and prayer.
But honestly i dunno what i belive in. I only strive to be a better person everyday:)
and i think tht's my religion,or faith or belief or whatever u wanna call it!
LOL..posts and thoughts on religion always make me think. Result= long comment= i'm not clear about religion
*frown*

Tarun said...

Nice write-up keshi, for the person who asked the question in hindi says 'Adhajal gagri chalkat jaaye' ( means the one who know little jumps high). I know most of the people in other part of the world or should I say developed country has very poor GK, so they confused India/Sri lanka with middle eastern countries.

Regarding bloodshed and war who sent their troops to middle east and still there fighting even after 4 years.

And for religion I will say it's what we got taught by our elders. People of every religion believe in one person nobody have ever seen. So with this logic either everyone right or everyone wrong.

Tarun said...

BTW, I still write my stuff ;) (as you asked in guestbook)

R said...

Faith. That says it all. To respect is to respect all religions.

'Religion' has successfully divided people, idols and beliefs.


I could identify with every line of your post. Wonderful.

Vivek Panda said...

a beautiful post. i agree completely with you. religion means a union of all human beings and distributing love equally to all. the motto is to make the eartha better place to live in. else this's not a religion but a hoax that ur following.

Prakash said...

Hi Keshi........
nice topic..
although i read half the post cos i go to go....( will read the rest tomorrow morning)
Totally i agree with u about the religion...
I am a hindu but studied islam for the first few years and and i never missed a poya day to go to temple ( pansala) and have loads of friends of various religion..........the reason i am telling these is that some of my friends ask me why i am going to that temple and this temple...
but i always avoided the argument....
cos it is not worth it...my point is u dont need to prove your faith to others and at the same time u should not judge or treat on thier faith........
got to go
TC keshi
Prakash

sittingnut said...

hey friend
nice post. i am a atheist that may explain what follows :-)

there is a dirty little secret with religions that ppl who are politically correct don't talk about; they are incompatible in a very fundamental level. fundamental principles of religions cannot be proved or disproved by reason or science so when there they are also incompatible with each others ppl have a problem. for instance one cannot believe in both christian god and islamic god at the same time bc the concept differs even though they have the same origin. so if a person believes in a religion completely he would find tolerating others difficult. most ppl can tolerate others bc they don't actually 100% believe or even understand the fundamental principles of their religion.
argument that if we follow our religion correctly we will tolerate others is not exactly correct. of course founders of most religions preached to their followers to be tolerant of others and were against violence, but given the fundamental difference between them followers cannot be expected to follow that. that is the nature of religions.

sorry about that, but that is what i think.

hope you are having a good day i am feeling rather sick. :-(

Jim said...

u dont have to be a christian to be a CHRISTian

the greatest christians in India were not the cardinals and the padres

but mom theresa, gladys steines and the guy who died saying 'He Ram',

MK Gandhi alias 'the mahatma

Keshi said...

~~Uttara

Heyy girl hows u? I think God has punished me for all the free time I have had so far...cos Im loaded with work :*( lol!

Uttsy u n I have a very similar exposure to ppl of diff faiths. I think we r so lucky that we were brought up to respect all faiths and also that we got friends who come from different faiths...


**what matters is the culture n how u respect each other as an individual

that itself can be someone's Religion :)


** after all we have segrigated gods too

yes we Hindus also have alot of Gods...:) and then the Christians have alot of denominations...Buddhism is divided into 2 mani categories...why? Only cos ppl just did that...



**i have no issues going to a temple/church or a mosque

great! Im the same...I can go to any place of faith...even a Jehovah's Kindom Hall..or a Mormons gathering...but the Q is will they take me? :)


** in he name of god we people fight ..

those who fight in the name of God r the faithless...they r the ones Im talking abt in this post...it's sad that they will die one day w.o. realising that their journey was simply faithless and empty.


Thanks Uttsy hugggggggz!







~~Lil_Kath

heyy Kath muahhhhhhh!

** i don't believe in idols,images but it doesn't stops me makin' friends to anyone with different religions.

no probs...it's ur belief n I respect that :) And yeah I can make friends with any other person only if they r not discriminating me based on my beliefs....


Thanks dear n hugggggggggz!


Keshi.

Keshi said...

~~Ishita

heyy Ish hows ya?


**my relationship with God is not bound by any form of faith or any set rules / rituals..

Spot on girl!



**Being a hindu married to a christian (he had muslim ancestors)...i have no religious intolerance but i cannot tolerate "fanatics" and "misinformed people"...

wow u have a very interesting background...almost like my family :) great!
Yes ur right...I can tolerate other beliefs but I really cant tolerate 'misinformed' fanatics...seriously they make me angry n sick. I have to admit that. And for that reason I dun get into arguments with them...spare me from anger lol!


**But if there is something to learn and broaden my knowled

u have a great view abt this...I like ur attitude and the way u handle such issues...well-done sweety!






~~Outsiders

WC mate!

** only by accepting this difference and accepting the person as a hindu or a christian can we move ahead without being uncomfortable about the religion factor

yes thats right...accept the differences and move on...


**disregarding religion is no longer possible, and probably not a wise thing to do.

It certainly isnt wise to 'disregard' religion...one must have some path for Salvation...be it through a God or a way of discipline...whatever one is comfortable with :) Thanks mate!


Keshi.

Keshi said...

~~Het_Waghela

Thanks Het :)

yes ppl put up boundaries and then get upset when others dun agree with em...how silly..






~~Vishnu

**Relgion is nothing but a Discipline

Thanks thats true...Religion dont necessarily have to be involved with a God...it's how u live life...and if u believe ina God, then it's how u apply His message into ur life...





~~Casablanca

heyy Casa thanks :)

**because others will say 'its too preachy'

yes n thats the whole problem...cos ppl dun wanna listen...and it's those ppl that I wanna reach..n I guess they r not bloggers :(





~~Die_Murane

Hows u matey :)


**I think the message of every religion is love.

So true...I always said that there's only one religion....the religion of Love...

yes Religion has become a power struggle now...rather an ego struggle...


**"Read-the Muraenenblog-Cult"!

lol I think Im already a follower of this cult hahahaha!


Keshi.

Keshi said...

~~Queen_Bee

heyy Queen!

**A lot of conflicts are spun out from ignorance

VERY TRUE! So yeah, Ignorance isnt always Bliss :)

Thanks!






~~Ben_Heller

Hiyya Ben WB!


** but it's been going on for thousands of years.

yes...but it's never too old a habit to kill :)


**I often wonder what the world would be like if there was no religion.

No Im not saying the worl should be w.o. Religion...Religion is a must for a better world, but I guess alot of ppl have the 'wrong' impression abt what 'Religion' should be...





~~Saby

ur right...Religion n Politics getting on top of each other n then creating a mess!


**and these bastards said GOD TOLD ME TO DO SO

lol I feel sorry for such fanatics...really, they make me laugh...the ones who kill in the name of God. Why r they so keen on achieving some luxuries after death when in fact they can build a heaven here on Earth...only if they think twice...


**the greatest christians in India were not the cardinals and the padres ...but mom theresa, gladys steines and the guy who died saying 'He Ram',


So true! They r the REAL heroes...the real ppl with Faith.....

Thanks Saby!






~~Anand

hey Anand :)


**but your 'friend' may actually be right...

what makes u say that? :) Im not saying he's right or wrong...only misinformed. I mean how can one judge a whole nation/religion based on the conflicts they have within? If India/SL r the most violent countries, should Buddhism/Hinduism be blamed for thar or should we really blame the ppl who fight in the name of God?


**but the reason is not religion itself....it is a bad case of religion and politics brought together.

It's a combination of both...but it all sparks from relgion...cos ppl in the parliament r also from some religion :)


Keshi.

Keshi said...

~~Burf

heyya mate!

**when you can love all the hot females irrespctive of their respective religion, then why can't you be tolerant of all guys and their religion

okk wut was that abt hahahaha! Well I still think u got a great point there :) Unfortnately I think Religion isnt homophobic lol!





~~Dewaker_Basnet

heyyy hows u :)


**More dangerous when you have ignorant folks with half baked ideologies try to put their aggresive, so called "point of view" in front of individuals.


true...it's the 'ignorant' ppl that r the fanatics...but we dun have to be afraid of em...some day their eyes may open...if they dun open then it's their own misfortune...





~~Sridhar

Thanks!






~~Maya_Cassis

heyy Maya :)


**i still do not know what is religion

I guess it's whatever u may wanna define it to be :) I mean no one said that Religion is supposed to be God-oriented...to me, it's a way of life...the way I live my life...to someone else it may be worshipping a God daily, going to the temple often etc etc...

like u said, it's really deep within...a faith that ur comfortable and at peace with...thats what I think Religion is...but it's only my belief :)






~~Jeevan

hi Jeevan hows u?


**I see god on people how care for others, and help them.

well said! I see God in ppl who help others, I see God in kids, I see God in nature, I see God in mutual respect and love...


**Danish Cartoon

I read abt how some Fanatics got so hyped up abt it...I mean it's one thing to make a joke abt someone's faith and it's totally bizzare to burn places down n kill for that reason. Like I said b4, the Afghans demolished the huge Buddha statues...did any of the Buddhists declare war for that??






~~Fuzzbox

heyy Fuzzy hope all is well with ya :)


**It does not matter what a person believes in as long as a person leads a moral life and treats others with respect.

Spot on, thanks!


**Religion is a matter of faith. Man's treatment of others is more tangible.

So true...Man takes God into his own hands..thats the stupidest thing man can do...






~~Gangadhar


**A few of my best friends are Shahul,John,Sastry..


:) I got ya buddy...high five!



Keshi.

Keshi said...

~~Ekta

heyy Ekta seems like u have had a very colorful life so far...:) having experienced so many diff ppl from diff faiths...way to go!


**well..I dont even remember the last time I asked someone their religion!!!...I mean it feel soo shallow after a point of time....

thats so true...I hate that Q 'whats ur Religion'! Its like asking what's ur Race...






~~Aizwaikcha

heyy Aiz!


**Your name is very cute to pronounce. What's the meaning of it?

:) thanks...it's pronounced 'kayshi'..Keshi is short for Keshini...a Sanskrit name with the meaning 'the girl with beautiful hair'...:):) What abt ur name? How d u pronounce it and what does it mean? btw I love the Lotus flower...mainly because of it's indescribable beauty, fragrance and the peaceful solitude in which it grows and lives...amidst the distant muddy waters but shinning like a star...

Some wise adive there...thanks for that lovely verse!

**If you follow a religion, respect the religion followed by others.

Well-said!







~~Contented

heyy mate!

**I wish such post reach out to those people who are under wrong impression about religion.(not just blog-o-sphere)...=)

Most prolly it wont...unfortunately not all serious religious fanatics r bloggers :( they might consider blogging a sin lol!


**And do you really think you were tolerant to that person?...(juzz kidding).

lol yes ofcourse! Cos if I were not tolerant he would be in Uranus by now..hahahaha!






~~Pradeep.K

heyy Pradeep hows it going?


**You know Keshi, it is sad, but your friend is absolutely right!

I cant really agree with him even though Im not saying he's entirely wrong. Cos how shallow is a generalised judgement like that! I mean how can he call India/SL 2 of the 'MOST' violent countries and how can he blame Buddhism/Hinduism for that?


**I am not against people who worship statues per se, but I must agree that they do not seem to understand religion at all.

prolly ur right here...cos I see some ppl who worship statues dun know the true meaning of faith...they just want to worship God in return of a favor...actually I have examples of such ppl in my own family :)


**As I said, I shall soon be posting an entry about it in my blog.

cant wait to read it :) Thanks!







~~The_Ego_Has_Landed

heyy girl!

**But honestly i dunno what i belive in. I only strive to be a better person everyday:)
and i think tht's my religion,or faith or belief or whatever u wanna call it!

so true! I think ur certainly on the right track :) cos being a better person is what's really expected from being human...






~~Tarun

hey Tarun hows u?

**means the one who know little jumps high

true :) I have no problems with ppl who dunno much but to blow their trumpets so loud to flaunt their stupidity is quite sad...


**Regarding bloodshed and war who sent their troops to middle east and still there fighting even after 4 years.

I know...some of the ppl in Western countries have absolutely no knowledge of the developing countries' matters. So they choose to 'judge' based on few newspaper articles :) we must forgive them.


**People of every religion believe in one person nobody have ever seen. So with this logic either everyone right or everyone wrong.

SO TRUE, what a GREAT new perspective to look at it from, thanks Tarun!


**BTW, I still write my stuff ;) (as you asked in guestbook

oh is that so :) let me come there soon...thanks!






~~Cibbi

hey Cibbi hows ya? :)


**I think I'm gonna teach the more I can to my children, about every religion I know, and leave them free to choose their way

thats the most wise way to go abt it...teach 'tolerance' to the kids...beautiful! I think u had a great teacher who taught u the right attitude towards different beliefs...


**Self-Esteem course

lol no need for a course...just start accepting and loving who u really r, cos we love u so much :)






~~Rohit_Talwar

heyyy mate hows u?

**'Religion' has successfully divided people, idols and beliefs.

SO damn true! It's Religion thats even divided certain relgions within themselves...






~~Vivek_Panda

heyy Vivek!


**religion means a union of all human beings and distributing love equally to all. the motto is to make the earth a better place to live in.

So well-said, thanks Vivek!

When u look at what Religion has done to the Earth today, it makes me cry...





~~Prakash

thats great u have had such a variety of friends n respect all faith...well done for being such a great human being...cos not everyone can bring their egoes to calm down to accept other faiths :)


**cos it is not worth it...my point is u dont need to prove your faith to others and at the same time u should not judge or treat on thier faith........

so true..no point argueing cos they wonr just get it...it's like how I didnt even wanted to waste my breath on that guy..I knew he was brain-washed and I didnt stand a chance at explaining my point of view to him :)






~~Sittingnut

hellooo mate hows u?


**i am a atheist

r u? mmmmmm I have no probs cos I know ur a good human being...thats all that matters.


**most ppl can tolerate others bc they don't actually 100% believe or even understand the fundamental principles of their religion.

I dun agree :) Cos do we really need to fully understand the fundamental principles of a religion to tolerate someone else's religion? I mean Buddhism doesnt have to tell me to tolerate a Muslim...but the concepts embedded in Buddhism guides my conscience...so I know what's right/wrong. U know what I mean?


**argument that if we follow our religion correctly we will tolerate others is not exactly correct.

why not? :)


Keshi.

Jewel Rays said...

hey Keshi,

A bold post and reasonable post.

Jehovah-Witness..

No offense. But in singapore they are term as a "cult". They are still functioning illegally i believe. Cuz i recently bumped into one while in a clinic. And she was basically challenging my beilef. I had an ex bf who gave up jehovah witness to become christian before he met me. and i just told her oh yeah i had a bf who gave up jehovah witness. and she got pretty taken aback. Her face showed the expression of a person being insulted. well it was quite a fight to get her off and that statement just allowed her to back off in her own way. :)

Well i believe in one God but i dun believe in condemning other people's beliefs. :)And as for the statement such as statues and everything.I personally think he made a very offensive statement over a very sensitive issue.I have come across people who take this kinda approach. And i find it honestly rude.

Keshi said...

~~Jewel_Rays

Goodday Amy :)

**JW

One of my closest friends is a JW...she converted into a JW from being a Catholic b4. Now she goes from door to door preaching the bible and she has changed quite a bit - I mean the way she dresses, the way she interacts with ppl etc. And now she doesnt celebrate bdays..Once I had a fight with her cos she didnt come to my bday party lol! However now I have come to terms with her new faith and what she wants to do with her life...I havent quite lost my old friend yet, but sometimes I really feel she's changed way too much...sometimes it makes me wonder if anyone could eally change their entire selves just by switching to a new faith?

The JW who got offended by u looks to me quite like the guy who questioned me...this is what makes me not wanna believe anything they say - their intolerance towards other faiths just puts me off...


**Well i believe in one God but i dun believe in condemning other people's beliefs

yes...thats how we ought to be...n trust me JWs take a whole lot of offense if challenged..why?


Keshi.

Jewel Rays said...

hey keshi.:)

sometimes it makes me wonder if anyone could eally change their entire selves just by switching to a new faith?

I believe people do change. Have come across some. Who change for the better and become great people. :) Its a great sight.

she goes from door to door preaching the bible and she has changed quite a bit -

yeah thats exactly what they do. And i also heard that their bible is different or that their practices does not align with the bible. i don;t know how true is that but i think with the way they are expressin themselves it could probably be true. *shurg shoulders* i dun know really. And i also came to know how they are really good in the bible. And if u are a christian they will tend to question and challenge ya knowledge of the bible with theirs.

And also i heard that they are really persistent when talking/preaching to someone.

They don't drink coke and take medication i heard. I don't know really how true is all these. only heard it by word of mouth. so u know how tongues wag and sometimes very carelessly and all.

In Singapore, if u are a JW and practicing it with a crowd of people. its a offense. Cause they go against the authority on some matters when it does not align with their beliefs and stuff.

yeah.

haha..i cna't believe i am actually talking abt them.:)

Good day Keshi!

Keshi said...

~~Jewel_Rays

hey its ok to talk abt anyone...as long as we dun talk bad of em behind their backs...:)

She has changed entirely...even she way she talks...but sometimes I cant stop thinking that it's not possible for someone to change so quickly, I mean their entire identity etc.


**And also i heard that they are really persistent when talking/preaching to someone.

oh yess they r :) between my friend and I, we hardly talk abt our faiths and argue abt em...we just know that we r both so different when it comes to our beliefs so we dun bring that subject up. But sometimes we do and when it happens, she gets very defensive..wont let me say anthing lol! So we stop :)

not only dun drink coke, they dun celebrate bdays, christmas, exchange gifts, blood tansfers etc...alot of stuff like that.

In Aus it's not an offense to be a JW...why is it an offense there?

Keshi.

Anonymous said...

Enlightening post keshi....Even He up there must be pulling His hair looking at us fighting like cats and dogs.

PuNeEt said...

strange na keshi
religion came in for good of humanity but is now the main concern war all the bloodshed...

the problem is not wth ne religion bt with the preachers...

people are not educated in real sense to understand the real meaning behind the religion...

i once heard in a hindi poem...
had god not been there, world wud have been a better place to live in...
in a way thats so true...

every religion should be respected... bt people r busy proving therez as best...

Nice post :-)
Cheers

Dalicia said...

dear keshi, as always, a great post! :) my grandparents are buddhist. very typical of chinese people back then. but, i studied in a catholic school. i didn't really have a choice because my mum wanted me to be catholic.

but i always had buddhism influenced from my grandparents. my dad is a taoist.

i always try to learn about ppl's customs and religion. but i don't like it when ppl tell me
"i'm a religious" i never get why they want to tell me that.
am i supposed to respect them more? and i personally think the so call "religious" ppl. are the worst ppl that i have ever met.

what they don't understand is. just because you're well-versed in bible or your scriptures. doesn't do you any good if you don't apply it to your everyday life. i don't see the point of praying if you're a selfish person that don't care about others.

all forms of religions teaches you good things. it's how other ppl exploit it. remember no one can help you, unless you help yourself.

okay, i could go on..:)

tulipspeaks said...

once i had my Muslim roomate came over my cubile middle of nite n asked me a weird ques.. "do u think Islam is terrorism?"

i was like..oh dear..come on! religion will nvr mislead people..its the people who mis-used religion..

i guess it answered all..

@ uttara

me hindu... schooling from catholic school .. n one of my best frnd is a muslim ...:)

hi-5 buddy! i'm an hindu, grew up in temple vicinity, went schooling in a church n my majority of buddies in campus are muslims!

hugss

=am000nie=

kannan udayarajan said...

hi Keshi...

I just got really busy with work ....12-15 hrs in office....I have been reading your posts all along..but just couldn't get enough time to share a few thoughts...

But i decided to take some time off to express my solidarity with you...I agree 100%...Faith is something very very personal...whether you have it or not....If a wo/man has character..then thats all what is needed....

cheers...

Suji said...

Great post! My views exactly. The only religion that matters is humanity.

Princess said...

Hi Keshi,
You should pronounce aizwaikcha as izwa (i as in ice, z as ss in glass) and ikcha (i as in India,Imagine, k is hanging, cha as in charlie)
The meaning is wealth(aishwaryam) and wish(ikcha sakthi).

Die Muräne said...

welcome to the club, sister

let us worship the muraene!! lool

Devilish Angel said...

Me back keshi...

Jay Noel said...

When I tell people I'm more spiritual than religious, it perplexes some people. They want to put you in some sort of category - and being simply spiritual makes no sense to them.

Oh well.

Aashi said...

cranium deficiency--> right terminology for such a person!!
with me its like...i'm a muslim,school n college,catholic...and most of my friends are Hindus( my first love too.!..though we couldnt make it up to marriage*sigh*)..
So do justice to your faith...give others the freedom of peace and the peace of freedom.
--> very well said Keshi.!

Tanvi said...

ello keshi..juz dropped by to say ello how u doin? lol

as far as relegions go..i have very little hindu friends..most of em r muslim..and most of the times im around people who r from DIFFERENT relegions..so doesnt really make a difference to me but my mom lol u should see her sometimes..shez so racist:p

Ajay said...

Religion is only a path.....
all lead to the same destination

Chris Kalani said...

you wrote all of this at a friend's house!?

Scoot said...

And I regard your belief because it is the TRUTH:)

sittingnut said...

hey mate!
hugggz!
i am much better

i am a atheist
r u? mmmmmm I have no probs cos I know ur a good human being...thats all that matters.

haha are you sure ? i may not be all that good. what is certain is that you a good influence on everyone including me. :-)

Cos do we really need to fully understand the fundamental principles of a religion to tolerate someone else's religion?
i don't think i made my point clearly
point is it is because we not understand the fundamental principles that most ppl are in fact tolerant. more they become religious more they become intolerant.

argument that if we follow our religion correctly we will tolerate others is not exactly correct.
why not? :)

i think i will have to go into this at length i will write a post as soon as i get better. :-)

hope you are having a great weekend.

Dawn said...

Awesome post...and believe me I have more respect for u in my heart...:)!!!

I am a believer too and I have been to all the religious places..and I think no religion teaches bad to anyone.
Its the evil in the person...!
So its better we create a religion which is mainly teaching us about humanity :)
awesome post and awesome reply to that guy...but I doubt he understood..probably he thought you got offended and hence got away with sorry...but sure he will learn one day...
good luck to him

cheers baby...awesome post I must say

hugggz n hugggz :)

luvwannabefree25 said...

Hey Kesh.. thank you for your beautiful post... I am so happy to hear someone elses words echo what I struggle with almost daily... If we could all just restrain from judging one another... the wolrd would be wonderful!!!! thank you, thank you, thank you...
Happy St. Pats Day!
JD ;)

Pri said...

"But if you cant tolerate another person's faith or you harm people just 'cos they are different, then I reckon you haven't realised what faith is all about."
very true...wish more ppl realised the same...:)
Im with u on this one :)
wonderful post!! *hugz*

ArChaNaR said...

Kudos gurl!!!
there's someone who thinks alike.

many people often forget that first we are human beings and that religion comes secondary...its man-made.

Love the people around you - Now I doubt whether is that what we were taught, be it in any religion?

desperado said...

religion never teaches hatred
its just some who misinterpret it and strangely r very gud at misleading oders too...how come so many people join dese fanatics n resort to gruseome killings is beyond my understanding

Jo said...

Rightly said Keshi. People define the holy scriptures as they want to gain power, money and a position in politics. This happens everywhere including USA and INDIA.

And to be frank, I hate these preachers who come to home and (mostly the protestant church belivers and these Jehova's witnesses kinda guys) and start preaching gospel to me. They say I haven't known Christ for real so I can't go to the promised land. What the hell!!

As long as do good to the others and love the people and want peace, no matter what religion I believe in, I am with God.

[Losing My Religion is a fav song of mine from REM. Those guys rock!]

Jim said...

Not only is there no God, but try getting a plumber on weekends.


Woody Allen

Jim said...

How can I believe in God when just last week I got my tongue caught in the roller of an electric typewriter?




Woody Allen

Jim said...

If only God would give me some clear sign! Like making a large deposit in my name in a Swiss bank.



Woody Allen

xtremely_insane said...

religion is an exuse for alienation.sheesh.spirituality is one thing tho :)
i dont identify with religion and fanatics.

the_ego_has_landed said...

hm...i dunno if i;m striving enough tho:P but thanks for the encouragement!:)

starbender said...

Great post!
We all come from different backrounds, and different faiths! No matter what religion U claim, U should love everyone. Way 2 many hypocrites in this world!
:o

teacup said...

oh, you won't believe it, but I was about to write a post about my childhood days wen I was more Christian and less Hindu:)and about religion!!...just visited a church yesterday...it brought back so many lovely memories from childhood when I would go a church everyday...nice post...I have been praying to Jesus for some 12/13 yrs,as a kid, then as I grew up I was steered more towards Hindu gods...I have friends from all religions, one of my good friend is a Muslim...I never believed in any religion as such, even today, infact I like making frnds with ppl of diff religion, there's always sumthing to learn from them...

and hey I liked ur reply to the guy, lol@"'you know what, it doesn’t bother me what you believe in so why should it bother you what I believe in?'"...Hahaha...good one!!

anup.777 said...

standing applause!!! :)
... another gem of a post, buddy!
way 2 go!

Kroopa Shah (Kr00pz) said...

Very true Keshi, I am going to have to agree on that one. Unfortunately even today, there are people who misinterpret religion and act negatively in the name of religion which isn't quite right.

SaffronSaris said...

I put it down to insecurity and fear. There is a tendancy for people to want to stay close and comforted to what they are familiar with. They are afraid of what they cannot control, hence reglion becomes a twisted weapon in their hands minds. This brings to mind the Taliban. Islam is in fact, a religon that has the utmost respect for women, yet some misguided souls have deemed women to be lesser chattels to be confined behind the doors of their homes and veils. It is this urge to control others, to justify one's superiority over others, that religions and beliefs become twisted beyond their original intention. And because language changes, norms changes, and society evolves, original intentions could be lost behind the maze of political ideologies and interpretations of people.
The world can only be a better place if people see it from within the deepest recess of their souls untainted by any personal verdatta.

coolvir said...

I am completely with you in this regard....

Manish Kumar said...

Well said Keshi ! The point u raised is qt close to my heart.
I feel exactly the same as u do on this subject.

Jim said...

http://imnutsincapstruly.blogspot.com/2005/10/church-goers.html




...

Keshi said...

~~Southpaw

lol yes...He must be wondering why Man is so confused as well :)




~~Puneet

Pu bear hows ya? :)

**religion came in for good of humanity but is now the main concern war all the bloodshed...

sadly very true...


**the problem is not wth ne religion bt with the preachers...

yes n their cranium-deprived followers..


**people are not educated in real sense to understand the real meaning behind the religion...

if u and I can u'stand it, why cant MOST of them?


**i once heard in a hindi poem...
had god not been there, world wud have been a better place to live in...

In a way it's so true...cos it's all becos of a God they believe in that ppl fight...but w.o. God u n all these peace-loving blog friends wud not be here, n thats sad :*(


**every religion should be respected... bt people r busy proving therez as best...

yep cos these ppl cant think outside thie circle...so sad!

Thanks Pu!





~~Elaine

heyy Elaine!


**my grandparents are buddhist.

really? WOW! Nice to know that...


** i studied in a catholic school. i didn't really have a choice because my mum wanted me to be catholic.

I studied in a Methodist school...used to go to Church daily for assembly...I loved the Church,the choir, the nuns, the becnhes, the Piano, the carols and Jesus...I loved every bit of being with God...


**but i always had buddhism influenced from my grandparents. my dad is a taoist.

Interesting...


**but i don't like it when ppl tell me
"i'm a religious" i never get why they want to tell me that.
am i supposed to respect them more? and i personally think the so call "religious" ppl. are the worst ppl that i have ever met.

lol ur right! Religious or not, what makes a person noble is their heart...their thoughts, words n deeds...


**doesn't do you any good if you don't apply it to your everyday life. i don't see the point of praying if you're a selfish person that don't care about others.

Exactly my thoughts! There is a saying I so belive in...
'The hands that do service r holier than the lips that pray'...

:)



**all forms of religions teaches you good things. it's how other ppl exploit it. remember no one can help you, unless you help yourself.

So true!


Thanks so much Elaine, that was truly enlightening!

Keshi.

Keshi said...

~~Amutha

Amu muahhhh!

**i was like..oh dear..come on! religion will nvr mislead people..its the people who mis-used religion..

So true Amu!


**hi-5 buddy! i'm an hindu, grew up in temple vicinity, went schooling in a church n my majority of buddies in campus are muslims!

goshh u, me and Uttsy all seem like we have had the time of our life lol! :):) Great going!

Huggggz Amu!






~~Kannan_Udayarajan

Hi Kannan hows u?


**I just got really busy with work ....

aww me too...but I somehow blog in between :):)


**I agree 100%...Faith is something very very personal...whether you have it or not....If a wo/man has character..then thats all what is needed....

Very well-said Kannan, thanks! Cos one can be so knowledgable with the Bible, Quran etc etc but no point if he/she dunno how to apply it to their life...






~~Suji

WC Suji!


**The only religion that matters is humanity.

Well-said mate! Humanity indeed, thanks!






~~Aizwaikcha

Heyyy Aizwaikcha!

wow very pretty name....thanks!

**The meaning is wealth(aishwaryam) and wish(ikcha sakthi).

I sort of knew that...cos in Tamil too Aishwaryam means Wealth :) Thanks!


Keshi.

Keshi said...

~~Die_Murane

heyyy matey lol yep lets worship the Lord Muraene :):)





~~Kkalpz

heyy Kalpz :)


**Religion is the root cause of terrorism...

yes it has now become that...look at all the fanatics killing each other...is this what their God wanted???






~~Vanathi

heyy Vanathi WB! :) Good to have u back dear...






~~Niki_Bakshi

heyy Bakshi babez :)

**my coworkers make fool of me sometimes for worshiping statues. ^^so i want them read ur post seriously!!

goshhh who r these bullies? They need a life...seriously. Cos to make fun of ppl that way is kinda loser-style fun...


**im attracted to hindu and sikh boys tho. haha~

btw me too..lolllllll!


**most ppl who save me a lot in real life are muslims and christians...

awww...wut abt me? :*( lol!


Keshi.

Jim said...

"When I read the history of Mahatma Ghandi alongside the history of the Christian church,

I cannot help wondering what went wrong.

Why did it take a Hindu to embrace the principles of reconciliation, humility and vicarious sacrifice so clearly modelled by Jesus himself?

Ghandi credited Jesus as his source for these life principles,

and he worked like a disciplined soldier to put them into practice.

What has kept Christians from following Jesus with the same abandon?"

----- Philip Yancey, Christianity Today

Keshi said...

~~Phoenix

heyy mate!

**When I tell people I'm more spiritual than religious, it perplexes some people.

Im more spiritual - I dun like just going by a religion for the reason I was born into it..those who r confused by it hasnt reached ur stage yet mate...they have a long way to go...


**They want to put you in some sort of category - and being simply spiritual makes no sense to them.

yes I know so many ppl like this...even in my own family...they go to temples, have prayesr at home etc but they have no idea how to apply it to real life...
Well atleat u n i know what we r doing :)






~~AF

heyy AF hows u?

**cranium deficiency--> right terminology for such a person!!

lol :):)


**my first love too.!..though we couldnt make it up to marriage*sigh*)..

aww dun tell me ur/his parents didnt allow this cos of ur 'reliogious' differences??


**So do justice to your faith...give others the freedom of peace and the peace of freedom.
--> very well said Keshi.!

ty AF :)






~~Tanvi

oiii Tanvi I've been missing u babez....I thought u dumped me lol...huggggggggz!


**and most of the times im around people who r from DIFFERENT relegions..

Im the same...I have so many friends from so many diff faiths...my best friend (i mean the best out of my 3 bestfriends :) is a Muslim...a Turkish girl.


**so doesnt really make a difference to me but my mom lol u should see her sometimes..shez so racist:p

well most of our parents didnt grow up in mixed communities like we do now...thats the reason for most of their 'sometimes' racist comments :) but Im sure they r not fanatics like some ppl r...hehe...






~~Ajay

Ajay hows u?


**Religion is only a path.....
all lead to the same destination

sooooo true! It's a path for Salvation...and everyone tries to take different routes - some peaceful n some violent...





~~ChrisKalaniDOTcom

heyy Chris!


**you wrote all of this at a friend's house!?

hell na..lol! I was only describing the scenario that happened a while back :)






~~Maya_Cassis

heyyy Maya!


**And I regard your belief because it is the TRUTH:)

aww thats such a nice thing to say...thank u Maya!



Keshi.

Keshi said...

~~Sittingnut

hellooo Sittingnut great to hear ur much better now :)


**haha are you sure ? i may not be all that good. what is certain is that you a good influence on everyone including me. :-)

hehe n u too to me :) trust me when I say that...


**point is it is because we not understand the fundamental principles that most ppl are in fact tolerant. more they become religious more they become intolerant.

so u mean if we DO u'stand it fully we'd be less tolerant? well what is there to u'stand so much abt a religion? to me there's only one thign we need to know...there's only one religion..the religion of Love...there's no more fundamental principles beyond just that :)


**i think i will have to go into this at length i will write a post as soon as i get better. :-)

lol ok thanks mate :)






~~OoBrOwNEyEz

hey BrownEyez WC!


**We are a by product of our surroundings.

Entirely agreed!


**As society on a global level becomes more technologically advanced and co dependent you will see Christians who follow lets say Buddhist or Jewish customs.

Thats already happening na...:)


**Hey, we are all changing and soon we might all have one religion.

what a beautiful thought...


**Im not sure if it will ever happen, but I rather not try to define myself by my differences...

u seem to be a very liberal person...


**Id rather distinguishes me by my personality. ONE LOVE ONE LIFE WE GOT TO DO WHAT WE SHOULD -U2

BEAUTIFUL! Thanks so much mate!






~~Dawn

heyy Dawny!


**and believe me I have more respect for u in my heart...:)!!!

I have the same respect for u my dear...


**I think no religion teaches bad to anyone. Its the evil in the person...!

very true...


**So its better we create a religion which is mainly teaching us about humanity :)

I guess all religions teach Love n humanity...tell me one religion that doesnt?


**but I doubt he understood..probably he thought you got offended and hence got away with sorry...but sure he will learn one day...

lol ur right...he may have thought I got offended which I didnt...but then whats the a point in trying to explain to someone who's not gonna respect someone else's beliefs? so I just left him at that :)


**good luck to him

He sure needs that :)


hugggggggggz Dawny!






~~Luvwannabefree25

heyy mate!


**I am so happy to hear someone elses words echo what I struggle with almost daily... If we could all just restrain from judging one another... the wolrd would be wonderful!!!!

aww shows how beautiful a soul u r...thanks to u too for being u! hugggggggz n yeyyyy Happy St Pats day! Most Aussies in green on Friday :):)







~~Pri

Pri hows ya?

Thanks dear...I guess it takes more time for some ppl to realise what u n I have already realised...unfortunatley the amount of ppl who need to realise this is HUGE...



Keshi.

Keshi said...

~~Twisted_Truth

helloo TT :)


**"But if you can't tolerate another person's faith..."
The poor fellow just mentioned what he believed in, and u could not tolerate it :). *is fanaticism too*

not at all...u got me wrong. I was not very happy with how he chose to flaunt his stupidity, thats all :) Not that I couldnt stand his beliefs...infact I never questioned him abt his faith...it was he who started abt Religion, and why is that? Something must bother him, not me :) Besides I didnt show my rage to him...I just said what I said and left it at that..

Is that fanaticism? lol!







~~ArChiE

heyy girl!


**many people often forget that first we are human beings and that religion comes secondary...its man-made.

so true...and how come sooooo many ppl forget this??


**Love the people around you - Now I doubt whether is that what we were taught, be it in any religion?

Love all...serve all..help ever...hurt never...






~~Desperado

heyy mate hows u :) Still sleeping?


**religion never teaches hatred
its just some who misinterpret it and strangely r very gud at misleading oders too...

yep...


**how come so many people join dese fanatics n resort to gruseome killings is beyond my understanding

Exactly my question! How come so many ppl r fanatics now??? So many!






~~Jo

heyyy Jo!


**People define the holy scriptures as they want to gain power, money and a position in politics. This happens everywhere including USA and INDIA.

And the poor followers r folled by their leaders so they go to war...how silly is that...


**And to be frank, I hate these preachers who come to home and (mostly the protestant church belivers and these Jehova's witnesses kinda guys) and start preaching gospel to me. They say I haven't known Christ for real so I can't go to the promised land. What the hell!!

lolllll! Sorry to say folks, but I dun like them too..I mean I dun want ppl preaching at my door and forcing me to believe their faiths...it's one thing to listen to them but it's altogether a different thing when they force beliefs upon u n tell u that u r so wrong etc etc...


**As long as do good to the others and love the people and want peace, no matter what religion I believe in, I am with God.

SO VERY TRUE Jo! I like ya :) n ur way of life...


**[Losing My Religion is a fav song of mine from REM. Those guys rock!]

I saw them LIVE in concert in Sydney a couple of years ago...I can rem dancing to this song :):)


Keshi.

Keshi said...

~~Saby

lol @Woody jokes!





~~xTremely_Insane

heyyy :)


**religion is an exuse for alienation.sheesh.spirituality is one thing tho :)

so true! It's just a reason to form groups n to discriminate others who r 'different'...


**i dont identify with religion and fanatics.

ty! :)







~~The_ego_has_landed

heyy girl hows u?


**hm...i dunno if i;m striving enough tho:P but thanks for the encouragement!:)

heyy to have faith in God, there's not much effort needed...just learn to Love...






~~Starbender

heyy Star!


**We all come from different backrounds, and different faiths! No matter what religion U claim, U should love everyone. Way 2 many hypocrites in this world!

heyyy thats exactly my point...there's only one religion...the religion of Love...






~~Yashita

Yash hows ya?


**oh, you won't believe it, but I was about to write a post about my childhood days wen I was more Christian and less Hindu:)

really wow :)


**just visited a church yesterday...it brought back so many lovely memories from childhood when I would go a church everyday...

I have a strong connection with churches...not just becos I went to a Christian school, but also becos I feel so good inside a church...I feel an amazing peace of mind and tranquility abt me when Im in the home of God...


**I have been praying to Jesus for some 12/13 yrs,as a kid, then as I grew up I was steered more towards Hindu gods...I have friends from all religions, one of my good friend is a Muslim...I never believed in any religion as such, even today, infact I like making frnds with ppl of diff religion, there's always sumthing to learn from them...

So true...variety is the spice of life ha :)


**and hey I liked ur reply to the guy, lol@"'you know what, it doesn’t bother me what you believe in so why should it bother you what I believe in?'"...Hahaha...good one!!

loll and I said it quite smilingly and peacefully, Surprise surprise :):)







~~Anup.777

heyyy Anup where u been? huggggggz!







~~Kroopa Shah (Kr00pz)

Kr00pzz heyyy long time!


**Unfortunately even today, there are people who misinterpret religion and act negatively in the name of religion which isn't quite right.

yes...sad na...







~~SaffronSaris

Safyyy heyyy!


**I put it down to insecurity and fear. There is a tendancy for people to want to stay close and comforted to what they are familiar with.

I so agree with ya!


**They are afraid of what they cannot control, hence reglion becomes a twisted weapon in their hands minds. This brings to mind the Taliban. Islam is in fact, a religon that has the utmost respect for women, yet some misguided souls have deemed women to be lesser chattels to be confined behind the doors of their homes and veils. It is this urge to control others, to justify one's superiority over others, that religions and beliefs become twisted beyond their original intention. And because language changes, norms changes, and society evolves, original intentions could be lost behind the maze of political ideologies and interpretations of people.
The world can only be a better place if people see it from within the deepest recess of their souls untainted by any personal verdatta.

VERY WELL-EXPLAINED! Ty Saffy - u said it all...wow! I hope everyone will read ur comment...the truth behind all these unwanted wars in right there in ur answer...








~~Jigal

Jigggzy hows ya?


**i really Hate the ppal who r spreading terrorism on the name of Religion...

I dun hate em...I pity em...







~~Coolvir

heyy Coolvir thanks :)








~~Manish

ellooo Manish :)


**The point u raised is qt close to my heart.
I feel exactly the same as u do on this subject.

Im glad :)


Keshi.

Keshi said...

~~Saby

**Why did it take a Hindu to embrace the principles of reconciliation, humility and vicarious sacrifice so clearly modelled by Jesus himself?

It took a Hindu to do what Jesus told us all to do, only becuase Mahatma Gandhi didnt think of himself as just a 'Hindu'....


Keshi.

anup.777 said...

I've been around yaar ... work and studies sucking every minute outta me ... Huggzzz right back at ya, buddy! :)

~*. D E E P A .* ~ said...

hey ....

:)

i respect all religions ... but what makes me furious is conversion ...

hindus dont try to convert anybody .. so , then why should people of other religions do so ?
i have had numerous instances of neighbors trying to teach me abt their religion ... why ??? i dont try to convert people to my faith ... then why should they ?

infact, we have so called missionaries here who force the tribals etc to convert .. they give them the basic necessities like food / money / clothing and force them to convert ... i find this so much against the true principle of religion ...

i believe religion is a very personal thing which should never be brought up when there is a crowd of mixed ppl ...

my best friends are christians .. and they have never tried to convert me ... but their relatives try to ... y ?? y??? y ???

Keshi said...

~~Anup.777

heyy huggggggggggz studying hard? ;-)





~~Deepa

heyy Deepz hows ya? :)

Why they try to convert others is cos of their own lack of understanding what religion really is...so we must forgive them and just dun listen to em...lol!


**i believe religion is a very personal thing which should never be brought up when there is a crowd of mixed ppl

it sure is a very personal thing...but it can be brought up to discuss abt w.o. forcing ppl to believe what u believe...if someone cant handle simple convo on religion, then there's a problem with that person. dun u think so?


Keshi.

Jewel Rays said...

Cause some of their beliefs collide with the laws and authorities in singapore. :)

Sugababee said...

Religion is such a personal thing. By that I don't mean private, but rather very individualistic and it's for the individual to decide how they want to interpret their religion and to what extent. People shouldnt be defined by their religion... not by any means as there is no scale to do so with.

Keshi said...

~~Jewel_Rays

oh ok Amy, thanks!





~~Suga_babee

u r absolutely right! I wish most ppl thought like u...sighhhh :(


Keshi.

Princess said...

~~~I sort of knew that...cos in Tamil too Aishwaryam means Wealth :) Thanks!

Thats because my mother tongue is Tamil.
Do you know tamil?
Is your native place India?

white devil said...

i personally am of no religion, i had the luck of being brought up with two parents with conflictiing views, and could never come to an agreement. pure luck if you ask me, i have never thought of some floaty entity that created it all. and i am not interested in the possibility of how the world was made. i am here and i am going to work with. as for the rest i really don't care. i do find it unfortunate that people are compelled to kill over these ideas or ideals. i never thought that the manual to good living was really worth reading cause i don't need someone else to tell me the best way to live i will do what has been done before....improvize.

rebel_on_loose said...

Hey Keshi!
Wsup Mate??
Totally Xplosive Post! Bravooo... :)
I've always been amused with exactly the same question...trying to understand wht makes people kill each other for sumthing which was actually meant to give them eternal peace...in fact even the book i ws reading lately...'clash of civilisations' deals with the same issue.
I've already written quite a lot about this and i so totally agree with u....v shud all be tolerant towards the beliefs/practices of other people around us, and condemn any1 who tries to preach extremist views...especially if he's from our own religious background.
TC n Keep Rocking!

rebel_on_loose said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
rebel_on_loose said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Jo said...

A live concert of REM!!! You're in in the hitlist of Jo, the jealousy guy!! :D

Vivhyd said...

i believe in respecting all religions too and I dont have any problems with any other as long as they dont try and convert.. that irks me.. otherwise I am fine..

Vivhyd said...

i believe in respecting all religions too and I dont have any problems with any other as long as they dont try and convert.. that irks me.. otherwise I am fine..

where have u been?? hope the cyclone didnt carry u off.. :)

exasparater said...

xactly keshi!!!

if was in that pos, ***i will give blows to him***

Keshi said...

~~Ice_Princess

woohoo ICYYYYYYYYYYYYY is bakkk, MUAHHHHHHHHHHHH! Girl I missed u...I thought u have already given up blogging...let me come see u soon ok :) HUGGGGGGGZ!





~~Aizwaikcha

heyy u Tamil? WOW! My mum is Tamil (originally from Kerala)...dad is Sinhalese (Sri Lanka) :) Wut abt u?





~~White_Devil

heyy mate good to see ur greta point of view..I so agree with u.

**i never thought that the manual to good living was really worth reading cause i don't need someone else to tell me the best way to live...

Well-said! No need of books when there's a brain given to us...thanks mate, those were great words!






~~Rebel_on_loose

heyy Rebbbz WB :) How was Holi?

I agree with every word u say. Besides just cos someone else killed ur ppl, is it right to go kill them? Alot of ppl do that and call is justice.


**and condemn any1 who tries to preach extremist views...especially if he's from our own religious background.

so true! Thanks Rebbbz :)






~~Jo

lol Jo Im on ur hitlist? awww that wud beinteresting...lolllz!

REM was faaaaaaaaaantatstic on stage - they simply rocked! That was the concert toi which I wore heels and fell flat on my way...lol! So u dun need to kill me anymore :):)





~~DatingMaster

no I dun wanna be in a s#x addict's blog who disrespects his family in public...so I wont come to ur blog ever again. Sorry mate.





~~Vivhyd

heyy Viv Im here :) na I aint in Brissy lol..so Im safe, thanks anyways...how u been?


** as long as they dont try and convert..

thats so true..I hate it when ppl force their religions on me...that itself puts me off!





~~Exasparater

**if was in that pos, ***i will give blows to him***

lol na na u should not do that...:):)



Keshi.

Princess said...

My mom and dad both are tamilians.
Our hometown is in Tamilnadu. But we live in mumbai. If you wish, can we chat one day? I did'nt see your messenger id on your profile.

Unknown said...

wow!!!...u said it all there....
muahhhzzz

'you know what, it doesnt bother me what you believe in so why should it bother you what I believe in?'
several plaudit for this.....how gracefully you handle his question.....u always inspire me.....
me too have face such question n sometimes I used to get furious n sometime lip sealed

i’m religious as long as I believe in each good things....

if you can’t tolerate someone else's 'beliefs', do you honestly think your 'Religion' has helped you or that you have helped your 'Religion'?
Why this sorts of things never goes in the mind of plp who like to play the blood game in the name of religion.....
In the case of praying God..i’m hindu, christain, buddist doesn't matter...i believe in each n in the same way....n I love to be in each religious place as long as I believe that god is every where so if u r in temple or chruch or...doesn't matter....

sajini said...

Hi, i was just skimming through your fabulous blog. I love the pictures you sue for your posts. Great job girl!!!

Keshi said...

**Aizwaikcha

heyy Aishh :)

oh so ur Tamil, wow! I dun chat on YM now..I used to...anyways if I create a new Id, I'll let u know ok :) thanks!





~~Nitika

hey thanks girl :) So u got to read this post..hehe...goood...


** I love to be in each religious place as long as I believe that god is every where so if u r in temple or chruch or

thats so true...I believe in the same. Just that ppl who declare war in the name of God dunno God at all..isnt that sad...





~~Sajini

Hey Sajini WC :) n thanks!

I'll visit u soon...hehe...


Keshi.

sittingnut said...

wrote a post related to this in my blog :-)

Praveen R. said...

**I really did feel like zipping him up in a freezer bag and shipping him to Uranus, not because I was insulted by what he said (I don't get insulted by un-informed beings) but because I felt miserable about his rather severe cranium deficiency**

hahahahahahah.....keshi, ur soo funny

u know sumthing hunny...this post fits me soo well...i dont exactly have a "religion"..my mom is sikh and dad is catholic..but now he has sorta converted into hinduism..so...all i could do is tkae the comment ground of beleif and make the best out of it

Keshi said...

~~Sittingnut

I checked and commented on it, thanks!




~~Praveen

LOL Im glad u liked this post girl...and ur so right...just take the comment ground of belief and make the best out of it...so true!


Keshi.

Perplexio said...

I was listening to one of my favorite morning shows on the radio on the way to work yesterday. The DJ was raised Catholic but he doesn't really practice Catholocism any more. He went on a tirade about religion and I've never heard anyone so perfectly state beliefs which I tend to share.

He essentially said that the Bible isn't the Word of God, it's the Word of God bastardized and twisted by man. If you strip away all of the corruptions that man has added to the Bible, the Bible isn't near as complicated as organized religion makes it out to be-- the message of the Bible can be summed up in a single word: "Love."

I do still consider myself a Christian, but I refuse to practice organized religion because of how badly organized religion has twisted the message over the past 2 millennia. Jesus was a loving, caring, and tolerant man who preached those virtues in a time when they needed to be preached. Essentially he preached that following the 10 Commandments was more important than following the dogma of organized religion and that the sanhedrin had strayed far from the Word of our Father. And the church of the time was so threatened by his message that they'd chose to have a murderer released from custody than to have Jesus released from custody.

Keshi said...

~~Perplexio

**Bible isn't the Word of God, it's the Word of God bastardized and twisted by man.

U would be so right...I think most relgious texts are twisted by man...


**the message of the Bible can be summed up in a single word: "Love."

Spot on!


**, but I refuse to practice organized religion...

same here...


**And the church of the time was so threatened by his message that they'd chose to have a murderer released from custody than to have Jesus released from custody.

aww I saw the movie JESUS last week and I cried...how they harassed a loving man like Jesus is beyond my understanding. Shows how powerful organised relgions can be and how cruel their vengeance can be too...


Keshi.