While in general I do agree with your outlined points I would like to interject a note. I was born Catholic and raised as such. When I became of age and explored beyond the four walls of my home I discovered Hinduism. For me it was an instant connection. I started going to temple every week and became a devotee of lord Ganesha. At first the women and men there disregarded me completely. Later as I became a common vision they started to nod and greet me. I enrolled in Hinduism classes with children and was regarded as a bit weird but not entirely ignored. I met my husband (a Brahmin from south India) at school and when he started attending temple with me (something he did rarely on his own) I noticed the stares first and then the outright hostility. With Hinduism I learned that God is in everything and everyone, all men and women created equal and all that but it seemed to me that this really was only the case if you where born in India. I love my husband and look forward to raising our children as devote vegetarian Hindus but I can help noticing that as a converted Hindu I am not very welcomed.
Let me elaborate by saying that I am not a white American I am Mexican American and while I am fair in my color and features when dressed in a Sari look very much like a north Indian.
I do grasp your point of view, especially after all the looks I get from my Christian friends but I do feel that some Hindus are not very welcoming of others. Most religions are happy to receive converts and welcome all who wish to join them but this is not what I encountered when I converted to Hinduism. When I married it got even worst. It was as if I had stolen something. His family went to the extent of threatening disowning him. I tried to reason with them. Explaining that I was a vegetarian and planned on raising their grandchildren as Hindus. As educated people I think they eventually saw the light but it still pains me to think that they rejected me, not because of my education, or an error I had made but because of the place and family I had been born into. Something I have no control over. In my opinion it is much more significant that I have chosen this religion and these Gods as my guides through life then if I had simply been born into it and it was all I knew.
In this journey I have encountered many young men and women who met similar obstacles and parents who where very opposed to interracial marriages. Hindus may make allowances for other races and religions, as long as they stay away from them and have no interaction with their children. Until we Hindus become more accepting of others, how can we then expect to be accepted ourselves?
RE: My view
by Raghavendra Swaroop on Feb 06, 2006 08:21 PM Permalink
I understand the type of hostility you might have recieved from hindus, but it is not the attitude of hindus, it is attitude of any Indian family irrespective of caste. Try to look into economy and structure of an Indian family, and how different it is with western countries. Definitely you'll feel you have stolen something out of a poor brahmin family.But see the gain for that pain! you are married to a brahmin, a feather in a cap(cap of hinduism). I, myself, being a brahmin from south India, pray to infant jesus very often, as insisted by my mother.That's the openness of hinduism. I welcome you to the club of hinduism and wish you good luck.
RE:My view
by dasmin on Feb 10, 2006 10:55 PM Permalink
Like others, I also welcome you into the Hindu Fraternity. Let me tell u my findings :- " Hinduism is a Religion of Third Generation". To elaborate, In India any new change is opposed by the first genaration, the second generation accepts the change with a guilt feeling - a guilt of betrayal done against the first genaration. But by the time the third generation takes charge, the change is accepted in society like all other possible options. That's how Sutti System came into society and again was obliterated, Widow remarriage became normal, Girls education, Valentine's day, all these were integrated into the civilization called Hinduism. Now , u r a part of this great system, and enriching it in your own way. Agreed , because of the third generation concept here changes are slow, but then they are definite, the changes come through evolution, and not by revolution. That's how this culture stood for thousands of years yet assimilated all races of mankind into it. You are adding a value to the process of evolution. Surely your Children will be proud of you but your grandchildren will not understand what was the fuss about !!
RE:My view
by arun on Feb 05, 2006 12:30 PM Permalink
dear ruby i m really sorry for the kind of treatment that was given to you in your initial years of getting into hinduism. i agree that hinduism has to accept everybody that comes to its folds with open arms, as we don't advocate any conversions in the name of god's edict or salvage of the human race. instead, many of the foreing nationals earlier belonging to other faiths and having gained enough knowledge of the other philosophies, when they decide to practise hinduism as their chosen faith, it is our duty to welcome them with all our hospitality. But i believe, at the ground level, where ordinary people are concerned, this kind of apprehension for an alien person and culture does exist in every society. though i don't approve of it, yet it takes conscious efforts by all of us to remove such apprehensions.
RE:My view
by PN MUKUND SRINIVASAN on Feb 06, 2006 07:04 PM Permalink
I see that you are making all efforts to follow hinduism.My only request to you is not to judge the religion by reaction of some individuals who follow them.Any Religion is greater than the individual.As for Hinduism goes, it is a very scientific religion and hence practical.I also believe that the best way to live is to follow the religion of Humanitarianism.
RE:My view
by Anil on Feb 05, 2006 12:32 PM Permalink
Hi Ruby, It requires an open mind and a global outlook to appreciate something like what u have done.......India is just awakening to globalisation.....it will take another couple of decades before things completely change.
RE:My view
by gaurav on Feb 06, 2006 01:18 AM Permalink
hello ruby, i must appreciate your discovery of the essence of hinduism , it is indeed based on equality of all creatures and preach on devine presence of god in all.... to me you are more hindu,than a born hindu who doesn't really know that what actually hinduism is all about... what happened between you and your in laws in really unfortunate... but may i put it in this way ( being an hindu in india ) that a after a long lasting oppression under the dark cloud of british empire and after passing through inhumane treatment at their hands every ordinary person in india had developed a bitter taste for the foreigners and tried to insulate himself...though our generation knows well that entire world is not british; but this may take time for elderly/less literate people of india to understand... and perhaps this what, which caused you agony......this instance is related to orthodaux indian psyche rather then that of a hindu.... you'd have faced similar adversities if you've married person of any other religion in india.... but mentality is changing........ we need more true followers like you
RE:My view
by Achyut on Feb 05, 2006 08:48 AM Permalink
Dear Ruby, I do agree with u partly,but in ur case the parents of ur husband wre angry for they felt like many others that u were"stealing their son" as I put it in my words.The fact is that most Hindus convert due marriage outside their faith irrespective of gender it is this fear that infact bit ur inlaws feared this.Throughout history of Hinduism there has been no reference of conversion to Hinduism by power of force coercion or by any other means.However most conversions from Hinduism occured in history thro maariages,coercion,and out of force.Hinduism does not believe in proselytization as such.Its tough to be a Hindu but I am proud to be one and unlike others I welcome u wholeheartedly-u were never forced on this u learnt the urself.May u be a good Hindu. Namaskar
RE:My view
by Raj on Feb 05, 2006 09:10 AM Permalink
Because Hindus want to live in the Caste world. That's why they don't even teach their Kids Bhagavatgita, the Hindu bible. Because a low caste GOD is teaching how to get to a single pointed mind and meditate. Well if we teach that, ignorant upper catse who has power are scared to lose that power, which ofcourse they gained when the KINGS ruled India!
