I Could Invent a Religion…

Partha da,

(``...If there is one thing I would wish for our country and then the rest of the world it would be freedom from religion...`` If you are looking for another Indian wishing the same, you ve just come across one )

Even more than that, India and the rest of world needs freedom from communism, socialism, leftism and assorted pathologies.

Regards

Manto mian, Zeenaji,

Re: Chhoti Eid

We also celebrate a festival called Chhoti Diwali a day before Diwali, afaik it has no significance but it gives us another day of revelry. Glad to know that we hanuds are not the only ones to create festivals for the sake of general merriment.

Regards

Dear Zeena...

Could you please quote the divine revelation and/or Hadith which makes choti Eid an Islamic holiday?

This was an Arab holiday... which predates Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)... Ramadan was the religious portion in the whole thing... now even that is cultural if you think about it.

``...If there is one thing I would wish for our country and then the rest of the world it would be freedom from religion...``


We as a nation have tried `praying` for most of our history.
Progress was made only once we started using our brains, which isn`t that long ago.

Religion is the start of the JOURNEY back into ignorance.
The Americans have the head start here, with `Creationism` shoved into the school syllabus already.

If you are looking for another Indian wishing the same, you ve just come across one.

Re: # 31

rock on brother...you da man!

On the whole I agree with #2 (harimau) & #3,4 (Zeena) post w.r.t. this article.
On discussion of X`mas as christian holiday, those who argue that its not have not really seen the heartland of America. Please go few hundred miles from the coast and you will see the fervor of christmas in any home. You will church filled for mid night mass. Even if some hindus or other non-christian celebrating it they do it a many reason to fit in or even because of their childrens insistence but most of america believes that it as a religious occasion.

#49
jang jii
This is NOT the point here. The whole point is , Is Christmas religious or NOT?

To celebrate or not to celebrate is your own choice. Even I can celebrate diwaallii . Even though dewalli is Hindu festival.

Does my celebrating diwalli make it NON Hindu?
No, it will be Hindu festival.

Same is with christmass.
It is a Christian holiday. My or your celebration does not change the fact or does not make it Hindu or Muslim.

Thank you.

It was/is/will always be a religious holiday. No more discussion on this.

zeena, most hindus in the us/west follow xmas. they set up a tree, a nice blue fir is selected, a fresh cut is made and installed on a good muhurat. (cheapos get the plastic one from basement). every evening untill xmas day, the children perform a puja and burn incense in front of the tree and light a little lamp. some also make rounds around it. if done with proper devotion, good children are rewarded well.

#46
hamdim2
Please, I do not wish to continue this discussion any further. If you will I will NOT respond any further. Thanks

There is no way I will be convinced. Stop trying hard. You are palying too, hard on yourself. Give yourself a break. and your confusion will be less tensed

Good luck and good bye.

Ref echoboom #37

[....Herr Herzog converted to Islam as far back as 1979, when he realized that “the Qur’an gathered together everything I had ever believed in.”...............]

You mean, more than even ``Mein Kampf``?

Re: # 43

zeena,

..... how can i assure you that christmas is not a religious hoilday regardless of what jerry falwell and pat robertson say .......

you say :``Each and ever Christian house in America gets religious decorations near Holiday season, that is x-mass, except for Jews, Muslims and from other religions`` ....... that is not entirely true because i tooput up a few lights on my house, as does the hindoo down the street - we don`t want our houses to be the only ones that are dark on christmas eve .....

..... you also say: ``Majority of Christians go to Churches masses on the day of x-mass early in the morning`` ......... no they do not, because most of them have a hangover from all the eggnog and then they have to gather around the christmas tree in their pajamas to see what santa brought them for being good all year ........

...... believe it or not, christmas is sponsored by hallmark, unicef, the chamber of commerce, and the jaycees .........

...... actually the only religious holiday in america is halloween

this article has some under-currents of not liking mother as much as father which may have some contribution towards seeking a new religion. may i suggest that a rebellion has something to do with the authors relationships with parents?

#42
Mantolives
I stated what I wanted to stae already in my post # 43.

I am not here to convince you or anyone else.

You people are ranting with out any direction. Repeating samething again and again.

If you wish to make Christmas cultural , go ahead make it cultural. Nobody is forcing you NOT to.

But, fact remians the fact.

Go ask anyone in America , x-mass is religious holiday or not(You do not believe me).

Go ask President of America?

It comes under cultural holiday or religious holiday?

Yes, it does come under religious holiday.
I am sure even if POPE tells you it comes under religious holiday, you will say NO you are wrong. It is a cultural thing.

As long as celebrating x-mass is, Muslims can also celebrate it. B/c we believe in Jesus Christ as well. And I too , celebrate x-mass. I also go to Church to attend their morning mass.

Even in Pakistan, I used to go to Church mass on x-mass b/c in my opinion christmas is not only for Christians ,but it is also for Muslims as well.

Now, this is another extreme, you are saying EID is also cultural thing. Wonderful!!!

What can I say to your confusion as well.

If EID is NOT religious and it is cultural then It is useless to discuss with you anything.

Yes, Badsant is a purely cultural festival.

YLH
It is OK to disagree on some issues, but to say there is NO SUN, when we see Sunlight. This is absurd.

You are saying EID is not religious festival. WoW!!!

No more discussions from on this issue,b/c this sentence has just made me speechless.

Re:- # 41

hamdim2
You see here you`re again coming up with confusion.

Do not make these things complicated and confused.

X-mass is a religious holiday. No doubt it. If it is not then why it comes under religious holiday?

Why debating on something that is already clear. Please, do not disrespect x-mass and it`s celebrations , this is the way people show respect to the birth of Jesus Christ. It is your confusion to mock Christians as well.

If you do not believe in religions fine with me. Don`t. But who are you to make fun of those who do believe in religions.

Each and ever Christian house in America gets religious decorations near Holiday season, that is x-mass, except for Jews, Muslims and from other religions.

And you are telling me, only few get decorations infront of churches. This shows your naiveness.

Majority of Christians go to Churches masses on the day of x-mass early in the morning.

And you are telling me they don`t . Wonderful. You are wonderful...........I must admit. You are a knowledgable person. hahahaha


You are a kind of person, who will also say there is NO sun , when there is sunshine out side.

So, keep your confusion to your self. No more discussions from my side.Thank you

Zeena...

I think Hamidm has already stated what I wanted to say...

Christmas is a cultural holiday.. except here culture slowly evolved out of what was once a religious tradition.

Today... Xmass is celebrated by believer and non-believer alike... I celebrated Xmass when I was in the US... just like I celebrate Choti Eid... which is also not a religiously sanctioned holiday mind you... but a cultural one... and Basant ... also a cultural event.

Re: # 39

zeena,

...... i think what manto is saying is that most people do not think of christmas as a religious hoilday ...... very few people go to midnight mass on christmas eve, even fewer go to church on christmas day, and there is really nothing ``christian`` about the christmas tree and that fat guy in a red suit coming down the chimney ...... no, he is not the archangel gabriel ! ...... sure there are some folks who put out nativity scenes in front of churches with camels and palm trees and the three kings and a little naked baby shivering in sub-zero temperature, but nobody pays too much attention as they drive by .....

..... it is all about shopping, drinking eggnog, opening presents and then going back to the stores to return ichy sweaters, gaudy ties and ugly bath robes ..........