The Hateful Redefining Hate
From the Hindu American Foundation...
Internet websites promoting religious hatred and intolerance towards Hindus and Hinduism are proliferating, and this trend has adverse long-term consequences for the Hindu American community, according to the latest report released by the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) today. Entitled Hyperlink to Hinduphobia: Online Hatred, Extremism and Bigotry Against Hindus, the publication argues that exposing online hate-speech is a crucial first step in combating a major factor behind prevalent negative stereotypes of Hinduism.
In its fifty-two page report, the Foundation traces the origins of online religious hate and bigotry, and presents evidence of the text and pictures from actual websites that illustrate their concerns. According to statistics provided in the report, “demonic” and “satanic” are the terms most commonly used today to describe Hinduism by numerous anti-Hindu websites easily accessible on the Internet.
Among the web sites they accuse of being "hate sites" are CBN.com, Chick.com (Chick Publications), BlessedQuietness.com, ChristianAnswers.net, Jesus-is-Lord.com, STR.org (Stand to Reason), IMB.org (The Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board), SBCLife.net, GospelForAsia.org, Go2SouthAsia.org (SBC), SSPX.ca (Society of Saint Pius the X), Mission1.org, FamilyBible.org, and the list goes on and on and on. In other words, any web site that dares disagree with Hinduism, is classified by them as a "hate site".
Isn't that convenient.
On the other hand a web site they didn't call a "hate site" would be the Hindu web site which accuses Christianity of... [my comments are in red]
1. Freedom of speech is the backbone of the present civilization. One is allowed to express himself/herself. We all know the persecution of Galleleo [sic] and host of other heretics in the hands of Christianity. [India, predominantly Hindu, censors the internet. The US, predominantly Christian, does not.]
2. In Christianity, the slaves are asked to obey their masters making slavery a normal practice. The modern civilization is totally against slavery. [Slavery was abolished by the fervent work of Christians, fighting against secularists.]
3. Christianity says women should obey their husbands and does not allow them to take prominent post in the church. They are regarded as sinful and less intelligent and therefore unable to do certain things.... [False. Women are not seen as more sinful and less intelligent.]
5. Modern civilization believes in tolerance towards other religions/opinions. It teaches us to respect other religions. Christianity, by its essential belief cannot do that. It on the other creates antagonism with other religions/cultures by calling their follower’s heathen.... [The country with the most religious freedom: America. Christians, Jews and Moslems in India suffer from intolerance and even violence.]
6. Christianity believes that man is the master, and the rest of the creation is there to serve him for his food and pleasure. This has lead to destruction of forest and killing animals for pleasure.... [Hindus believe animals are reincarnated people, therefore do not hunt at all. But they also believe each individual suffers because of Karma: the repayment of evils done in past lives. Therefore they allow animals and people to suffer, without aid. That would be why Mother Theresa and her helpers were so busy in Calcutta caring for the poor that the Hindus left uncared for.]
8. Modern civilization believes in the power of people- democracy. It believes in a powerless king. Christianity on the other hand believes in an all-powerful king [False. Christianity prescribes no preferred form of government. The Bible commands that we obey "the King" which almost all Christians understand to mean whatever government is in power, and as long as that obedience doesn't violate any other part of scripture.]
There are plenty more out there like that, that lie about Christianity in an effort to "show" how Hinduism is supposedly superior.
Then there's the truth. Take this report from ASSIST News Service...
“Extremists burned down a thatched church in Boriguma area, Koraput district of Orissa state on Saturday night (December 23), preventing church members from celebrating Christmas there. The congregation had already decorated the building for Christmas festivities, but everything was destroyed in the fire.
“Members of the Hindu extremist Bajrang Dal attacked about 20 Christians who had gathered in a church in Jalampur; they stormed into the church, beat some of the Christians and destroyed hymnbooks and Bibles.
“Five Christians were injured in the attack; one suffered a loss of hearing due to a blow to his head, while a Bible school student's hand was fractured.”
“Hindu extremists also prevented tribal Christians in Tilonda village, Thane district of Maharashtra state, from celebrating a joint Christmas prayer service on Christmas Eve. Over 400 Christians had gathered for the event.
“Before the service could begin, however, a large mob from the local Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad barged into the assembly, shouting slogans against Christianity and driving the Christians away from the prayer hall.”
For those counting, that's three incidences of violent anti-Christian persecution by Hindus all with a few months of each other. Meanwhile the worst Hindus can complain about in Christian dominated US? That they aren't portrayed as positively as they want—and that, they call hate.
Posted by Danny Carlton at April 10, 2007 6:19 AM