Anna Hazare- India' s New Messiah

 Protests, rallies,marches,  demonstrations, strikes etc.  are  quite  common  in India,  the  world 's  largest  democracy. People  express  their  angst and  emotions through them. They  demand justice,  social action  and  government intervention. Most  of  this  public  activity  is  politically  motivated. Every  now  and then we  come  face  to  face   with   them.

But   the  month  of  August  saw  the  mother of  all  campaigns which  united  the   whole   of  India and  made  the   ruling  coalition government sweat profusely.

Anna  Hazare,  the  74  year  old  crusader against  corruption  lit  a  fire which   spread   all  across  India

Middle  class  Indian  society  joined  in to  oppose  corruption  and  scams which  have  caught several  politicians  and  VIPs  in their  net.
Mr  Hazare  went   on  a  fast  which  lasted   for  12  days  and  kept  everyone  on  tenterhooks and  glued  to  the  TV.
I  am quite   skeptical  of  the  Lokpal  Anti  corruption  bill which  is   the  bone   of  contention  between   the  government  and   social  and  civil  activists.
It  will  take  more  than  a  law  to  eradicate  or   at  least  lessen the  corruption an d moral  decay  which   has  seeped  into  our   society.  A change  of  heart  is  required.

I  took  some  photos   at  the  local  demonstration,  marches and   speeches  in  the  city  center.

(A  BBC  report)

Mr Hazare's campaign to strengthen an anti-corruption bill has received widespread support, with tens of thousands of people attending protests across the country.

The Indian government has been rocked by recent corruption scandals including an alleged telecoms bribery scam that may have cost the country $39bn (£23bn), suspected financial malpractice linked to the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games and accusation that homes for war widows were diverted to civil servants.

Critics of the government say the scandals point to a pervasive culture of corruption in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's administration.

A recent survey said corruption in Asia's third largest economy had cost billions of dollars and threatened to derail growth.

A  model  of  Anna  Hazare

The  horrific   face   of   corruption

Social  activists taking  a  stand

The  young  and   the  old  join  in  patriotic  fever.

Campaign  merchandise. I  bought  a  cloth  cap.

A  local  politician giving   an  interview.

I   am  calling  Anna  Hazare  , India' s  new  Messiah  because  he  was  able  to  rally  toegther  his   countrymen  of   all  ages, backgrounds  and  walks  of  life  together  for   a  common  cause. They   found   a  role  model  in  him,  an  idealist,  a Gandhi like   hero.

Sunday Blessings -What Do the Religions Teach About God

What Do the Religions Teach About God?


Jonathan Dodson

In the previous post, we observed the tendency to answer this theological question through social experience. Many Christians conclude that there must be many ways to God (or act like this) because their social experiences introduce them to kind, respectable people who do not believe Jesus is the only way to God. In fact, many of our friends believe the opposite, namely there are many ways to God, a view called religious pluralism. In the next few posts, we will examine the claims of the religious pluralist.

3 Reasons

Over the past four years in Austin, Texas (a case study city for Harvard’s Pluralism Project), I have had the opportunity to meet, know, and talk with both Christian and non-Christian pluralists. As I have reflected on these conversations, it seems that there are at least three reasons people drift to religious pluralism. They believe there are many ways to God, not just one, because it seems more enlightened, humble, and tolerant. In the next three posts, let’s take each of these–enlightened, humble, tolerant–and examine these reasons more closely.

What Do the Religions Teach About God?

Is the belief that all religious paths lead to the same God more enlightened or educated? Well, all religions teach very different things about whom God is and how to reach him. In fact, there is a lot of disagreement between the religions regarding the nature of God. Buddhism, for example, doesn’t believe in God. Islam teaches an impersonal monotheism, Allah. The Koran states that God reveals his will, but not his person. Christianity teaches a personal trinitarianism, where God is three persons in relationship, Father-Son-Spirit that can be known and enjoyed. Hinduism is all over the map on this question, ranging from polytheism to atheism. The reason for this is because there is an absence of definitive revelation to clarify their “theology.” Instead Hinduism has multiple sources of revelation (Upanishads, Vedas, etc.). Contrary to Islam, Hinduism has no presuppositions about the nature of God. In short, religious views of God differ. If so, it would seen far from “enlightened” or educated to claim that all religions lead to the same God, when their views of God are, in fact, radically different. The claim of the religious pluralist contradicts the tenants of the religions themselves.

“Religions are distinct and make very different claims about God and how to reach him."

What Do They Teach About How We Reach God?

Religions not only teach different things about who God is but also how we “reach him.” Buddhism suggests the 8-fold Noble Path, Islam the 5 Pillars (Shahadah, Prayer, Fasting, Charity, Pilgrimage) and Christianity the gospel of Jesus. Therefore, to say that all religions lead to God is not only unenlightened it is inaccurate. This is the thesis of Stephen Prothero, Boston University professor, in his new book God Is Not One. He writes:
It is comforting to pretend that the great religions make up one big, happy family. But this sentiment, however well-intentioned, is neither accurate nor ethically responsible. God is not one.

Prothero goes on to point out that just as God is not one, so also all religions are not one. They are distinct and make very different claims about God and how to reach him. In light of what we have observed regarding what religions teach about the nature of God and how to reach him, religious pluralism must be reconsidered. Subscribing to religious pluralism because it is more enlightened or a more educated view of world religions is not only unenlightened but also inaccurate.