Hi friends!
OK, in a spirit of fairness to all of our great religions represented here in America, I'm doing a series for the next few days where we will examine various religious texts and from them devise laws that I would like to see introduced as legislation. This is ONLY FAIR, right, considering a religious law from a Christian text has been entered into legislation in several states?
Alright, here we go! First up...Hinduism! Enjoying a fairly recent surge in popularity by Americans due to the practice of yoga and the recent book & film, "Eat, Pray, Love", Hinduism is a peaceful religion whose followers practice meditation, vegetarianism, and physical acts of thoughtful worship [yoga].
These verses are quoted directly from the Bhagavad-gītā, a text just as important to Hindus as the Holy Bible is to Christians (which has been used as the basis for recent legislation so legally holds the same weight).
"Spiritual persons partaking of vegetarian remnants offered in sacrifice unto the Supreme Lord get relief of all variety of sins; but those who prepare food for their own consumption , those sinners eat only sin." Ch 3 v. 13
I recommend legislation banning the farming of, slaughter of, and sale of meat products to be prepared in the home. This scripture is very clear that only a vegetarian diet is pleasing to Lord Krshna and therefore allowing one to receive salvation. We want to make sure all citizens achieve salvation and don't sin, so a vegetarian diet should be put in place and enforced by law for all citizens.
"Those seers of truth, whose doubts have been dispelled, devoid of all sins, engaged in self-realization, and who are always concerned for the spiritual welfare of all living beings, achieve liberation in the Ultimate Truth." Ch. 5 v. 25
I recommend legislation creating harsh penalties and punishment for anyone not concerned with the "spiritual welfare of all living beings". Therefore, should you see a fellow citizen not pursuing a spiritual life and struggling to achieve spiritual balance and peace, you may report that citizen to the local authorities for arrest and penalty.
"Anyone uttering the indestructible mono syllable Om, the transcendental sound vibration of Ultimate Truth, remembering me continuously; thus relinquishing their body in this way achieves the supreme goal." Ch. 8 v. 13
I recommend legislation enforcing a mandatory meditation time for the entire population. While you don't have to practice your meditation at the same time every day (the whole country would screech to a halt...I'm not impractical! Duh!), you must publicly, visibly practice your meditation for a minimum of one hour every day. Failure to do this will result in penalties because we really care about you achieving spiritual awareness, thus achieving salvation.
"Lord Krsna said: of those who are endowed with a firm faith of a special kind beyond material conceptions; fixing the mind on me, always engaged exclusively worshiping me, They are considered by me the most superior of all." Ch. 12 v. 2
I recommend legislation providing financial assistance to those who commit to the ultimate in spiritual awareness: dedicating their lives to exclusive worship of the Supreme Lord. It is clear in this scripture that pursuing material possessions by way of a layman's "job" is not pleasing and therefore we must follow in exclusive worship; however, to be able to provide for one's bodily needs, a financial stipend is necessary.
"That devotee of Mine who is non-envious possessing benevolence towards all living entities, compassionate with no sense of proprietorship; free from false ego, equal in distress and happiness, forgiving, always the content one perfecting the science of uniting the individual consciousness with the Ultimate Consciousness, self-controlled with unflinching determination, dedicating mind and spiritual intelligence upon Me is very dear to me." Ch. 12 v. 13-14
I recommend legislation enforcing this guideline of character traits for our elected officials; thus, the first time a politician exhibits envy, non-benevolence towards all living entities, non-compassion, a sense of proprietorship, a false ego, a faltering temperment, non-forgiving, then that politician be immediately removed from office, as their spiritual intelligence is not pleasing to the Supreme Lord and he is therefore unfit to be a public leader.
"The three kinds of doorways to hell are lust, anger, and greed; therefore these three are so destructive to the embodied self they must be abandoned." Ch. 16 v. 21
I recommend legislation enacting stiff penalties on those who exhibit lust, anger, and greed. It is my belief, therefore, that the pornography industry, any industry using professional fighting or sparring, the military, and all corporations employing excess greed be immediately abolished.
"With the destruction of the family the spiritual traditions of the family perish forever; when spiritual values are destroyed, then unrighteousness predominates the entire society." Ch. 1 v. 39
Guess what this quote is in reference to? No, not gay marriage, silly, it's about war. Read the entire chapter to gain context. Now, having said that, I recommend legislation immediately disbanding any form of military and barring our involvement in all future wars due to the damage it inflicts upon the family unit. If we are going to hold "family values" so near and dear, this should be a no-brainer, right?
"Alas, how strange it is that we have resolved to commit great sin. Just because of greed for royal luxuries we are prepared to slay our own kinsman." Ch.1 v. 44
I recommend legislation enforcing that all of those displaying excess greed will be immediately penalized and their excess wealth removed from them and dispersed to those who have nothing. For those whose quest for wealth and luxuries results in the death or near-death (by, for example, starvation or near-starvation of a manual laborer or his family due to unemployment due to outsourcing), there will be a penalty of imprisonment for their crimes against humanity.
I would think that all faithful Christians who value their personal religious beliefs being accepted into our state and nation's legislation would appreciate and understand these laws and thus obediently follow and practice them. We all know that the ultimate goal is spiritual salvation through the religion of our choice, and so by practicing the moral codes set forth by our spiritual leaders, we can all achieve this nirvana (or Heaven, if you will).
We'll delve into Buddhism tomorrow! I do hope that by this careful and thorough examination of ALL the religions represented in our great nation, we can construct a set of laws that will allow representation from ALL walks of life and all believers! After all, it's all about religious freedoms, right?!
See ya tomorrow!
~m
Now, I'm a staunch atheist with nihilist tendencies but Hinduism seems pretty fair to me. Vegetarianism for all? Yes please. Electing politicians based on their treatment to people and not corporations? Damn right! But unfortunately, these will never fly because don't you know that America is a country founded on Christianity! and the Bible! and Jesus! Thats why we use laws to take away people rights, just like Jesus intended. You said "We all know that the ultimate goal is spiritual salvation through the religion of our choice...." That would only be a true statement if it read "We all know that the ultimate goal is spiritual salvation through the religion selected by the majority".
ReplyDeleteThanks Leah! Check back over the next few days as we explore Buddhism, Paganism, Judaism, and more! (Who else thinks the Jewish day is going to be the most fun? Ooh, ooh *raises hand*!) Thanks for reading!
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