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Oct 04, 2023
Oct 04, 2023
It is by no means an exaggeration to say that the ancient religion of Hinduism has been one of the least understood religious traditions in the history of world religion. The sheer number of stereotypes, misconceptions and outright false notions about what Hinduism teaches, as well as about the precise practices and behavior that it asks of its followers, out-number those of any other religion currently known. Leaving the more obviously grotesque crypto-colonialist caricatures of cow-worshipping, caste domination and "sutee" aside, even many of the most fundamental theological and philosophical foundations of Hinduism often remain inexplicable mysteries to the general public and supposed scholars of Hindu Studies. More disturbing, however, is the fact that many wild misconceptions about the beliefs of Hinduism are prevalent even among the bulk of purported followers of Hinduism and, alarmingly, even to many purportedly learned spiritual teachers, gurus and swamis who claim to lead the religion in present times.
Of the many current peculiar concepts mistakenly ascribed to Hindu theology, one of the most widely misunderstood is the idea that Hinduism somehow teaches that all religions are equal…that all religions are the same, with the same purpose, goal, experientially tangible salvific state, and object of ultimate devotion. So often has this notion been thoughtlessly repeated by so many - from the common Hindu parent to the latest swamiji arriving on American shores yearning for a popular following – that it has now become artificially transformed into a supposed foundation stone of modern Hindu teachings. Many Hindus are now completely convinced that this is actually what Hinduism teaches.
Despite its widespread popular repetition, however, does Hinduism actually teach the idea that all religions are really the same? Even a cursory examination of the long history of Hindu philosophical thought, as well as an objective analysis of the ultimate logical implications of such a proposition, quickly makes it quite apparent that traditional Hinduism has never supported such an idea.
The doctrine of what I call "Radical Universalism" makes the claim that "all religions are the same." This dogmatic assertion is of very recent origin, and has become one of the most harmful misconceptions in the Hindu world in the last 150 or so years. It is a doctrine that has directly led to a self-defeating philosophical relativism that has, in turn, weakened the stature and substance of Hinduism to its very core. The doctrine of Radical Universalism has made Hindu philosophy look infantile in the eyes of non-Hindus, has led to a collective state of self-revulsion, confusion and shame in the minds of too many Hindu youth, and has opened the Hindu community to be preyed upon much more easily by the zealous missionaries of other religions. The problem of Radical Universalism is arguably the most important issue facing the global Hindu community today. In the following, we will perform an in-depth examination of the intrinsic fallacies contained in this inherently non-Hindu idea, as well as the untold damage that Radical Universalism has wrought in modern Hinduism.
What's a Kid to Do?
Indian Hindu parents are to be given immense credit. The daily challenges that typical Hindu parents face in encouraging their children to maintain their commitment to Hinduism are enormous and very well-known. Hindu parents try their best to observe fidelity to the religion of their ancestors, often having little understanding of the religion themselves other than what was given to them, in turn, by their own parents. All too many Indian Hindu youth, on the other hand, find themselves un-attracted to a religion that is little comprehended or respected by most of those around them – Hindu and non-Hindu alike.
Today's Hindu youth seek more strenuously convincing reasons for following a religion than merely the argument that it is the family tradition. Today's Hindu youth demand, and deserve, cogent philosophical explanations about what Hinduism actually teaches, and why they should remain Hindu rather than join any of the many other religious alternatives they see around them.
Temple priests are often ill equipped to give these bright Hindu youth the answers they so sincerely seek…mom and dad are usually even less knowledgeable than the temple pujaris. What is a Hindu child to do?
As I travel the nation delivering lectures on Hindu philosophy and spirituality, I frequently encounter a repeated scenario. Hindu parents will often approach me after I've finished my lecture and timidly ask if they can have some advice. The often-repeated story goes somewhat like this:
"We raised our son/daughter to be a good Hindu. We took them to the temple for important holidays. We even sent him/her to a Hindu camp for a weekend when they were 13. Now at the age of 23, our child has left Hinduism and converted to the (fill in the blank) religion. When we ask how could they have left the religion of their family, the answer that they throw back in our face is: 'but mama/dada, you always taught us that all religions are the same, and that it doesn't really matter how a person worships God. So what does it matter if we've followed your advice and switched to another religion?'"
Many of you currently reading this article have probably been similarly approached by parents expressing this same dilemma. The truly sad thing about this scenario is that the child is, of course, quite correct in her assertion that she is only following the logical conclusion of her parents' often-repeated mantra of "all religions are the same."
If all religions are exactly the same, after all, and if we all just end up in the same place in the end anyway, then what does it really matter what religion we follow?
Hindu parents complain when their children adopt other religions, but without understanding that it was precisely this highly flawed dogma of Radical Universalism, and not some inherent flaw of Hinduism itself, that has driven their children away. My contention is that parents themselves are not to be blamed for espousing this non-Hindu idea to their children. Rather, much of the blame is to be placed at the feet of today's ill equipped Hindu teachers and leaders, the supposed guardians of authentic Dharma teachings.
In modern Hinduism, we hear from a variety of sources this claim that all religions are equal. Unfortunately, the most damaging source of this fallacy is none other than the many un-informed spiritual leaders of the Hindu community itself. I have been to innumerable pravachanas, for example, where a benignly grinning guruji will provide his audience with the following tediously parroted metaphor, what I call the Mountain Metaphor.
The Mountain Metaphor:
"Truth (or God or Brahman) lies at the summit of a very high mountain. There are many diverse paths to reach the top of the mountain, and thus attain the one supreme goal. Some paths are shorter, some longer. The path itself, however, is unimportant. The only truly important thing is that seekers all reach the top of the mountain."
While this simplistic metaphor might seem compelling at a cursory glance, it leaves out a very important elemental supposition: it makes the unfounded assumption that everyone wants to get to the top of the same mountain! As we will soon see, not every religion shares the same goal, the same conception of the Absolute (indeed, even the belief that there is an Absolute), or the same means to their respective goals. Rather, there are many different philosophical "mountains", each with their own very unique claim to be the supreme goal of all human spiritual striving. As I will show, Radical Universalism is not only an idea that is riddled with self-contradictory implications, but it is a doctrine that never originated from traditional Hinduism at all.
A Tradition of Tolerance, Not Capitulation
Historically, pre-colonial classical Hinduism never taught that all religions are the same. This is not to say, however, that Hinduism has not believed in tolerance or freedom of religious thought and expression. It has very clearly always been a religion that has taught tolerance of other valid religious traditions. However, the assertion that
(a) we should have tolerance for the beliefs of other religions, is a radically different claim from the overreaching declaration that
(b) all religions are the same.
And this confusion between two thoroughly separate assertions may be one reason why so many modern Hindus believe that Hindu tolerance is synonymous with Radical Universalism. To maintain a healthy tolerance of another person's religion does not mean that we have to then adopt that person's religion!
Traditional Hinduism has always been the most tolerant, patient and welcoming of all religions. Hinduism is not a religion that persecutes others merely for having a difference in theological belief. Hindu India, for example, has been the sole nation on earth where the Jewish community was never persecuted. This is the case despite the presence of Jews in India for over 2000 years. Similarly, Zoroastrian refugees escaping the destruction of the Persian civilization at the hands of Islamic conquerors were greeted with welcome refuge in India over 1000 years ago. The Zoroastrian community (now known as the Parsee community) in India has thrived in all these many centuries, living together with their Hindu neighbors in peace and mutual respect. Hinduism has been a religion that has always sought to live side-by-side peacefully with the followers of other, non-Hindu, religions, whether they were the indigenous Indian religions of Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism or the foreign religions of Christianity and Islam.
In keeping with the Vedic adage that the guest in one's home is to be treated with as much hospitality as one would treat as a visiting divinity, Hinduism has always been gracious to the followers of non-Hindu religions, and respectful of the gods, scriptures and customs of others. The tolerance and openness of Hinduism has been historically unprecedented among the wider community of world religions, universally acclaimed, and very well attested.
The common mistake that is often made, however, is to mistake the long-held Hindu tradition of tolerating other religions with the mistaken notion that Hinduism consequently encourages us to believe that all religions are exactly the same. We have mistaken Hindu tolerance with Radical Universalism.
The leap from tolerance of other faiths to a belief that all religions are equal is not a leap that is grounded in logic. Nor is it grounded in the history, literature or philosophy of the Hindu tradition itself.
Uniquely Hindu: The Crisis of the Hindu Lack of Self-Worth
In general, many of the world's religions have been periodically guilty of fomenting rigid sectarianism and intolerance among their followers. We have witnessed, especially in the record of the more historically recent Western religions, that religion has sometimes been used as a destructive mechanism misused to divide people, to conquer others in the name of one's god, and to make artificial and oppressive distinctions between "believers" and "non-believers". Being an inherently non-fundamentalist world-view, Hinduism has naturally always been keen to distinguish its own tolerant approach to spirituality vis-à-vis more sectarian and conflict oriented notions of religion. Modern Hindus are infamous for bending over backwards to show the world just how non-fanatical and open-minded we are, even to the point of denying ourselves the very right to unapologetically celebrate our own Hindu tradition.
Unfortunately, in our headlong rush to devolve Hinduism of anything that might seem to even remotely resemble the closed-minded sectarianism sometimes found in other religions, we often forget the obvious truth that Hinduism is itself a systematic and self-contained religious tradition in its own right. In the same manner that Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, or Jainism have their own unique and specific beliefs, doctrines and claims to spiritual authority, all of which fall within the firmly demarcated theological bounds of their own unique traditions, Hinduism too has just such Hindu-centric theological and institutional bounds. Like every other religion, Hinduism is a distinct and unique tradition, with its own inbuilt beliefs, world-view, traditions, rituals, concept of the Absolute, metaphysics, ethics, aesthetics, cosmology, cosmogony, and theology. The grand, systematic philosophical construct that we call Hinduism today is the result of the extraordinary efforts and spiritual insights of the great rishis, yogis, acharyas and gurus of our religion, guided by the transcendent light of the Vedic revelation, that has stood the test of time. It is a tradition that is worthy of healthy celebration by Hindus and respectful admiration by non-Hindus.
Hindus have no more reason to be uncomfortable with the singular uniqueness of our own spiritual tradition, or less of a reason to boldly assert our own exceptional contributions to the development of global religious thought, than do the followers of any other venerable faith. This is an obvious, yet all too often forgotten, fact the importance of which cannot be overstated: Hinduism is its own uniquely independent religious tradition, different and distinct from any other religion on earth. There is a Hindu philosophy, a Hindu world-view, a Hindu set of ethics, a Hindu theology, a Hindu spiritual culture, a Hindu view on the nature of God (Ishvara), personhood (jiva) and material reality (jagat). In short, there is a distinctly Hindu tradition.
Such a recognition of Hinduism's unique features is not to deny that there will always be several important similarities between many of the religions of the world. Indeed, the human impetus to know Truth being a universally experienced phenomenon, it would be quite surprising indeed if there were not some common features discernable in all the diverse religions of our common earth. While interesting commonalities and similarities can always be seen and appreciated, however, it would be misleading to consequently deny that Hinduism, like every other separate religious tradition, is also to be plainly contrasted in myriad ways from any other religion. Such a realization and acceptance of Hinduism's unique place in the world does not, by any stretch of the imagination, have to lead automatically to sectarianism, strife, conflict or religious chauvinism. Indeed, such a recognition of Hinduism's distinctiveness is crucial if Hindus are to possess even a modicum of healthy self-understanding, self-respect and pride in their own tradition. Self-respect and the ability to celebrate one's unique spiritual tradition are basic psychological needs, and a cherished civil right of any human being, Hindu and non-Hindu alike.
Letting the Tradition Speak for Itself
When we look at the philosophical, literary and historical sources of the pre-colonial Hindu tradition, we find that the notion of Radical Universalism is overwhelmingly absent. The idea that "all religions are the same" is not found in the sacred literature of Hinduism, among the utterances of the great philosopher-acharyas of Hinduism, or in any of Hinduism's six main schools of philosophical thought (the Shad-darshanas). Throughout the history of the tradition, such great Hindu philosophers as Vyasa, Shankara, Ramanuja, Madhva, Vallabha, Vijnana Bhikshu, Swami Narayana (Sahajananda Swami), and others made very unambiguous and unapologetic distinctions between the religion of Hinduism and non-Hindu religions. The sages of pre-modern Hinduism had no difficulty in boldly asserting what was, and what was not, to be considered Hindu. And they did so often! This lucid sense of religious community and philosophical clarity is seen first and foremost in the very question of what, precisely, constitutes a "Hindu". Without knowing the answer to this most foundational of questions, it is impossible to fully assess the damaging inadequacies of Radical Universalist dogma.
Who is a Hindu?
Remarkably, when the question of who is a Hindu is discussed today, we get a multitude of confused and contradictory answers from both Hindu laypersons and from Hindu leaders. That we have such a difficult time understanding the answer to even so fundamental a question as "who is a Hindu?" is a starkly sad indicator of the lack of knowledge in the Hindu community today.
Some of the more simplistic answers to this question include:
The real answer to this question has already been conclusively answered by the ancient sages of Hinduism, and is actually much simpler to ascertain than we would guess.
The two primary factors that distinguish the individual uniqueness of the great world religious traditions are
(a) the scriptural authority upon which the tradition is based, and
(b) the fundamental religious tenet(s) that it espouses.
If we ask the question what is a Jew?, for example, the answer is: someone who accepts the Torah as their scriptural guide and believes in the monotheistic concept of God espoused in these scriptures.
What is a Christian?: a person who accepts the Gospels as their scriptural guide and believes that Jesus is the incarnate God who died for their sins.
What is a Muslim?: someone who accepts the Qur'an as their scriptural guide, and believes that there is no God but Allah, and that Mohammed is his prophet.
In general, what determines whether a person is a follower of any particular religion is whether or not they accept, and attempt to live by, the scriptural authority of that religion. This is no less true of Hinduism than it is of any other religion on earth. Thus, the question of what is a Hindu is similarly very easily answered.
By definition, a Hindu is an individual who accepts as authoritative the religious guidance of the Vedic scriptures, and who strives to live in accordance with Dharma, God's divine laws as revealed in the Vedic scriptures.
In keeping with this standard definition, all of the Hindu thinkers of the six traditional schools of Hindu philosophy (Shad-darshanas) insisted on the acceptance of the scriptural authority (shabda-pramana) of the Vedas as the primary criterion for distinguishing a Hindu from a non-Hindu, as well as distinguishing overtly Hindu philosophical positions from non-Hindu ones. It has been the historically accepted standard that, if you accept the Vedas (meaning the complete shruti and smrti canon of the Vedic scriptures, such as the four Vedas, Upanishads, Mahabharata, Ramayana, Bhagavad Gita, Puranas, etc.) as your scriptural authority, and lived your life in accordance with the Dharmic principles of the Vedas, you are then a Hindu. Thus, any Indian who rejects the authority of the Veda is obviously not a Hindu – regardless of their birth. While an American, Canadian, Russian, Brazilian, Indonesian or Indian who does accept the authority of the Veda obviously is a Hindu. One is Hindu, not by race, but by practice.
Clearly Defining Hinduism
Traditional Hindu philosophers continually emphasized the crucial importance of clearly understanding what was Hinduism proper and what were non-Hindu religious paths. You cannot claim to be a Hindu, after all, if you do not understand what it is that you claim to believe, and what it is that others believe. One set of antonymous Sanskrit terms repeatedly employed by many traditional Hindu philosophers were the words vaidika and avaidika. The word vaidika (or "Vedic" in English) means one who accepts the teachings of the Veda. It refers specifically to the unique epistemological stance taken by the traditional schools of Hindu philosophy, known as shabda-pramana, or employing the divine sound current of Veda as a means of acquiring valid knowledge. In this sense the word "vaidika" is employed to differentiate those schools of Indian philosophy that accept the epistemological validity of the Veda as apaurusheya, or a perfect authoritative spiritual source, eternal and untouched by the speculations of humanity, juxtaposed with the avaidika schools that do not ascribe such validity to the Veda. In pre-Christian times, avaidika schools were clearly identified by Hindu authors as being specifically Buddhism, Jainism and the atheistic Charvaka school, all of whom did not accept the Veda. These three schools were unanimously considered non-Vedic, and thus non-Hindu (they certainly are geographically Indian religions, but they are not theologically/philosophically Hindu religions). Manu, one of the great ancient law-givers of the Hindu tradition, states the following in his Manava-dharma-shastra:
All those traditions and all those disreputable systems of philosophy that are not based on the Veda produce no positive result after death; for they are declared to be founded on darkness. All those doctrines differing from the Veda that spring up and soon perish are ineffectual and misleading, because they are of modern date. (XII, 95)
Stated in simpler terms, "vaidika" specifically refers to those persons who accept the Veda as their sacred scripture, and thus as their source of valid knowledge about spiritual matters.
In his famous compendium of all the known Indian schools of philosophy, the Sarva-darshana-samgraha, Madhava Acharya (a 14th century Advaita philosopher) unambiguously states that Charvakins (atheist empiricists), "Bauddhas" (Buddhists) and "Arhatas" (Jains) are among the non-Vedic, and thus non-Hindu, schools. Conversely, he lists Paniniya, Vaishnava, Shaiva and others among the Vedic, or Hindu, traditions. Likewise, in his Prasthanabheda, the well-known Madhusudana Sarasvati (fl. 17th century C.E.) contrasts all the mleccha (or "barbaric") viewpoints with Hindu views and says that the former are not even worthy of consideration, whereas the Buddhist views must at least be considered and debated. The differentiation between "orthodox" and "heterodox", from a classical Hindu perspective, rests upon acceptance of the Vedic revelation, with the latter rejecting the sanctity of the Veda. As a further attempt to clearly distinguish between Hindu and non-Hindu, Hindu philosophers regularly used the Sanskrit terms astika and nastika. The two terms are synonymous with vaidika and avaidika, respectively. Astika refers to those who believe in the Vedas, nastika to those who reject the Vedas. Under theastika category Hinduism would include any Hindu path that accepts the Veda, such as Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism, Advaita, Yoga, Nyaya, Mimamsa, among others. The nastika religions would include any religious tradition that does not accept the Veda: Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Christianity, Islam, Baha'i, etc. Thus when it came to the importance of unambiguously differentiating between the teachings of Hinduism and the teachings of non-Hindu religions, the most historically important sages of Hindu philosophical and theological thought were clearly advocates of Vaidika Dharma – Hinduism - as a systematic, unitive tradition of spiritual expression.
Dharma Rakshaka: The Defenders of Dharma
With the stark exception of very recent times, Hinduism has historically always been recognized as a separate and distinct religious phenomenon, as a tradition unto itself. It was recognized as such by both outside observers of Hinduism, as well as from within, by Hinduism's greatest spiritual teachers. The saints and sages of Hinduism continuously strived to uphold the sanctity and gift of the Hindu world-view, often under the barrages of direct polemic opposition by non-Hindu traditions. Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Charvakins (atheists), the four main philosophical schools found in Indian history, would frequently engage each other in painstakingly precise debates, arguing compellingly over even the smallest conceptual minutia of philosophical subject matter. The sages of Hinduism met such philosophical challenges with cogent argument, rigid logic and sustained pride in their tradition, usually soundly defeating their philosophical opponents in open debate.
Shankara Acharya, as only one of many examples of Hindu acharyas defending their religion, earned the title "Digvijaya", or "Conqueror of all Directions". This indomitable title was awarded Shankara due solely to his formidable ability to defend the Hindu tradition from the philosophical incursions of opposing (purva-paksha), non-Hindu schools of thought. Indeed, Shankara is universally attributed by both scholars, as well as later, post-Shankaran Hindu leaders, with being partially responsible for the historical decline of Buddhism in India due to his intensely polemic missionary activities. No Radical Universalist was he!
The great teacher Madhva is similarly seen as being responsible for the sharp decline of Jainism in South India due to his immense debating skills in defense of VaidikaDharma. All pre-modern Hindu sages and philosophers recognized and celebrated the singularly unique vision that Hinduism had to offer the world, clearly distinguished between Hindu and non-Hindu religions, and defended Hinduism to the utmost of their formidable intellectual and spiritual abilities. They did so unapologetically, professionally and courageously. The Hindu world-view only makes sense, has value, and will survive if we all similarly celebrate Hinduism's uniqueness today.
Traditional Hinduism Versus Neo-Hinduism
A tragic occurrence in the very long history of Hinduism was witnessed throughout the 19th century, the destructive magnitude of which Hindu leaders and scholars today are only beginning to adequately assess and address. This development both altered and weakened Hinduism to such a tremendous degree that Hinduism has not yet even begun to recover. The classical, traditional Hinduism that had been responsible for the continuous development of thousands of years of sophisticated culture, architecture, music, philosophy, ritual and theology came under devastating assault during the 19th century British colonial rule like at no other time in India's history. For a thousand years previous to the British Raj, foreign marauders had repeatedly attempted to destroy Hinduism through overt physical genocide and the systematic destruction of Hindu temples and sacred places. Traditional Hinduism's wise sages and noble warriors had fought bravely to stem this anti-Hindu holocaust to the best of their ability, more often than not paying for their bravery with their lives. What the Hindu community experienced under British Christian domination, however, was an ominously innovative form of cultural genocide. What they experienced was not an attempt at the physical annihilation of their culture, but a deceivingly more subtle program of intellectual and spiritual annihilation. It is easy for a people to understand the urgent threat posed by an enemy that seeks to literary kill them. It is much harder, though, to understand the threat of an enemy who, while remaining just as deadly, claims to seek only to serve a subjugated people's best interests.
During this short span of time in the 19th century, the ancient grandeur and beauty of a classical Hinduism that had stood the test of thousands of years, came under direct ideological attack. What makes this period in Hindu history most especially tragic is that the main apparatus that the British used in their attempts to destroy traditional Hinduism were the British educated, spiritually co-opted sons and daughters of Hinduism itself. Seeing traditional Hinduism through the eyes of their British masters, a pandemic wave of 19th century Anglicized Hindu intellectuals saw it as their solemn duty to "Westernize" and "modernize" traditional Hinduism to make it more palatable to their new European overlords. One of the phenomena that occurred during this historic period was the fabrication of a new movement known as "neo-Hinduism". Neo-Hinduism was an artificial religious construct used as a paradigmatic juxtaposition to the legitimate traditional Hinduism that had been the religion and culture of the people for thousands of years. Neo-Hinduism was used as an effective weapon to replace authentic Hinduism with a British invented version designed to make a subjugated people easier to manage and control.
The Christian and British inspired neo-Hinduism movement attempted to execute several overlapping goals, and did so with great success:
The dignity, strength and beauty of traditional Hinduism was recognized as the foremost threat to Christian European rule in India. The invention of neo-Hinduism was the response. Had this colonialist program been carried out with a British face, it would not have met with as much success as it did. Therefore, an Indian face was used to impose neo-Hinduism upon the Hindu people. The resultant effects of the activities of Indian neo-Hindus were ruinous for traditional Hinduism.
The primary dilemma with Hinduism as we find it today, in a nutshell, is precisely this problem of
(a) not recognizing that there are really two distinct and conflicting Hinduisms today, Neo-Hindu and Traditionalist Hindu; and
(b) with Traditionalists being the guardians of authentic Dharma philosophically and attitudinally, but not yet coming to full grips with the modern world...i.e., not yet having found a way of negotiating authentic Hindu Dharma with an ability to interface with modernity and communicate this unadulterated Hindu Dharma in a way that the modern mind can most appreciate it.
Hinduism will continue to be a religion mired in confusion about its own true meaning and value until traditionalist Hindus can assertively, professionally and intelligently communicate the reality of genuine Hinduism to the world. Until it learns how to do this, neo-Hinduism will continue its destructive campaign.
The non-Hindu Origins of Radical Universalism
Radical Universalism is neither traditional nor classical in its origin. The origins of the distinctly non-Hindu idea of Radical Universalism, and the direct paralyzing impact it has had on modern Hindu philosophy, can only be traced back to the early 19th century. It is an idea not older than two centuries, yet the results of which have been devastating for both the progress of serious Hindu philosophical development since the 19th century, as well as in its practical effect of severely undermining Hindu self-esteem. Its intellectual roots are not even to be found in Hinduism itself, but rather are clearly traced back to Christian missionary attempts to alter the genuine teachings of authentic Hinduism. Radical Universalism was the vogue among 19th century British educated Indians, most of who had little authentic information about their own Hindu intellectual and spiritual heritage. These westernized Indians were often overly eager to gain acceptance and respectability for Indian culture from a Christian European audience who saw in Hinduism nothing more than the childish prattle of a brutish colonized people. Many exaggerated stereotypes about Hinduism had been unsettling impressionable European minds for a century previous to their era. Rather than attempting to refute these many stereotypes about Hinduism by presenting Hinduism in its authentic and pristine form, however, many of these 19th century Christianized Indians felt it was necessary to instead gut Hinduism of anything that might seem offensively exotic to the European mind. Radical Universalism seemed to be the perfect base-notion upon which to artificially construct a "new" Hinduism that would give the Anglicized 19th century Indian intelligentsia the acceptability they so yearned to be granted by their British masters.
We encounter one of the first instances of the Radical Universalist infiltration of Hinduism in the syncretistic teachings of Ram Mohan Roy (1772-1833), the founder of the infamous Brahmo Samaj. A highly controversial figure during his life, Roy was a Bengali pseudo-intellectual who was heavily influenced by the teachings of the Unitarian Church, a heterodox denomination of Christianity. In addition to studying Christianity, Islam and Sanskrit, he studied Hebrew and Greek with the dream of translating the Bible into Bengali. A self-described Hindu "reformer", he viewed Hinduism through a warped colonial Christian lens. The Christian missionaries had told Roy that traditional Hinduism was a barbaric religion that had led to oppression, superstition and ignorance of the Indian people. He believed them. More, Roy saw Biblical teachings, specifically, as holding the cherished key to altering traditional Hindu teachings to make it more acceptable to India's colonial masters. In his missionary zeal to Christianize Hinduism, this Hindu "reformer" even wrote an anti-Hindu tract known as The Precepts of Jesus: The Guide to Peace and Happiness. It was directly from these Christian missionaries that Roy derived the bulk of his ideas, including the anti-Hindu idea of the radical equality of all religions.
In addition to acquiring Radical Universalism from the Christian missionaries, Roy also felt it necessary to Christianize Hinduism by adopting many Biblical theological beliefs into his new neo-Hindu "reform" movement. Some of these other non-intrinsic adaptations included a rejection of Hindu panentheism, to be substituted with a more Biblical notion of anthropomorphic monotheism; a rejection of all iconic worship ("graven images" as the crypto-Christians of the Brahmo Samaj phrased it); and a repudiation of the doctrine of avataras, or the divine descent of God.
Roy's immediate successors, Debendranath Tagore and Keshub Chandra Sen, attempted to incorporate even more Christian ideals into this new invention of neo-Hinduism. Sen even went so far as concocting a Brahmo Samaj text that contained passages from a variety of differing religious traditions, including Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist. In his later years, Sen portrayed himself as a divinized prophet of the "New Dispensation", which he felt replaced the Old and New Testaments, in addition to traditional Hinduism. With Sen's continued descent into anti-Hindu apostasy and megalomania, the movement rapidly declined in importance and influence. The Brahmo Samaj is today extinct as an organization, but the global Hindu community is still feeling the damaging effects of its pernicious influence even at present.
The next two neo-Hindu Radical Universalists that we witness in the history of 19th century Hinduism are Ramakrishna (1836-1886) and Vivekananda (1863-1902). Though Vivekananda was a disciple (shishya) of Ramakrishna, the two led very different lives. Ramakrishna was born into a Hindu family in Dakshineshwar. In his adult life, he was a Hindu temple priest and a fervently demonstrative devotee of the Divine Mother. His primary object of worship was the goddess Kali, whom he worshipped with intense devotion all of his life. Despite his Hindu roots, however, many of Ramakrishna's ideas and practices were derived, not from the ancient wisdom of classical Hinduism, but from the non-Vedic religious outlooks of Islam and liberal Christianity. Though he saw himself as being primarily Hindu, Ramakrishna also resorted to worshipping in mosques and churches, and believed that all religions aimed at the same supreme destination. He experimented with Muslim, Christian and a wide variety of Hindu practices, blending, mixing and matching practices and beliefs as they appealed to him at any given moment. In 1875, Ramakrishna met Keshub Chandra Sen, the then leader of the neo-Hindu Brahmo Samaj, and formed a close working relationship with him. Sen introduced Ramakrishna to the close-knit community of neo-Hindu activists who lived in Calcutta, and would in turn often bring these activists to Ramakrishna's satsanghas.
Throughout his remarkable life, Ramakrishna remained illiterate, and wholly unfamiliar with both classical Hindu literature and philosophy, and the authentic teachings of the great acharyas who served as the guardians of those sacred teachings. Despite the severely obvious challenges that he experienced in understanding Hindu theology, playing upon the en vogue sentiment of religious universalism of his day, Ramakrishna ended up being one of the most widely popular of neo-Hindu Radical Universalists. The fame of Ramakrishna was to be soon eclipsed, however, by that of his most famous disciple.
Swami Vivekananda was arguably Ramakrishna's most capable disciple. An eloquent and charismatic speaker, Vivekananda will be forever honored by the Hindu community for his brilliant defense of Hinduism at the Parliament of World Religions in 1893. Likewise, Vivekananda contributed greatly to the revival of interest in the study of Hindu scriptures and philosophy in turn-of-the-century India. The positive contributions of Vivekananda toward Hinduism are numerous and great indeed. Notwithstanding his remarkable undertakings, however, Vivekananda found himself in a similarly difficult position as other neo-Hindu leaders of his day were. How to make sense of the ancient ways of Hinduism, and hopefully preserve Hinduism, in the face of the overwhelming onslaught of modernity? Despite some positive contributions by Vivekananda and other neo-Hindus in attempting to formulate a Hindu response to the challenge of modernity, that response was often made at the expense of authentic Hindu teachings. Vivekananda, along with the other leaders of the neo-Hindu movement, felt it was necessary to both water down the authentic Hinduism of their ancestors, and to adopt such foreign ideas as Radical Universalism, with the hope of gaining the approval of the European masters they found ruling over them.
Vivekananda differed quite significantly from his famous guru in many ways, including in his philosophical outlook, personal style and organizational ambitions. While Ramakrishna led a contemplative life of relative isolation from the larger world, Vivekananda was to become a celebrated figure on the world religion stage. Vivekananda frequently took a somewhat dismissive attitude to traditional Hinduism as it was practiced in his day, arguing (quite incorrectly) that Hinduism was too often irrational, overly mythologically oriented, and too divorced from the more practical need for social welfare work. He was not very interested in Ramakrishna's earlier emphasis on mystical devotion and ecstatic worship. Rather, Vivekananda laid stress on the centrality of his own idiosyncratic and universalistic approach to Vedanta, what later came to be known as "neo-Vedanta". Vivekananda differed slightly with Ramakrishna's version of Radical Universalism by attempting to superimpose a distinctly neo-Vedantic outlook to the idea of the unity of all religions. Vivekananda advocated a sort of hierarchical Radical Universalism that espoused the equality of all religions, while simultaneously claiming that all religions are really evolving from inferior notions of religiosity to a pinnacle mode. That pinnacle of all religious thought and practice was, for Vivekananda, of course Hinduism. Though Vivekananda contributed a great deal toward helping European and American non-Hindus to understand the greatness of Hinduism, the Radical Universalist and neo-Hindu inaccuracies that he fostered have also done a great deal of harm as well.
In order to fully experience Hinduism in its most spiritually evocative and philosophically compelling form, we must learn to recognize, and reject, the concocted influences of neo-Hinduism that have permeated the whole of Hindu thought today. It is time to rid ourselves of the liberal Christian inspired "reformism" that so deeply prejudiced such individuals as Ram Mohan Roy over a century ago. We must free ourselves from the anti-Hindu dogma of Radical Universalism that has so weakened Hinduism, and re-embrace an authentically classical form of Hinduism that is rooted in the actual scriptures of Hinduism, that has been preserved for thousands of years by the various disciplic successions of legitimate acharyas, and that has stood the test of time. We must celebrate traditional Hinduism. The neo-Hindu importation of Radical Universalism may resonate with many on a purely emotional level, but it remains patently anti-Hindu in its origins, an indefensible proposition philosophically, and a highly destructive doctrine to the further development of Hinduism.
Logical Fallacies of Radical Universalism
Radical Universalism is not a doctrine that we find anywhere in traditional Hindu texts, or taught by any of the classical Hindu acharyas. In addition to demonstrating the non-Hindu nature of Radical Universalism from a historical and literary perspective, however, it is also important to examine the validity of the claims of Radical Universalism from an overtly philosophical perspective. We need to see if the idea that "all religions are the same" even makes any objective rational sense at all. As we will now see, the dogma of Radical Universalism is riddled throughout with logical inconsistencies, contradictory assertions, ad absurdum implications, and self-defeating conclusions. In the following section of this work, I will examine some of the more absurd philosophical problems that naturally arise from attempting to uphold a Radical Universalist perspective. This will be done via applied philosophical assessment employing both propositional and veridical analysis, as well as original methodological procedures that I have personally developed for philosophical textual analysis.
We're Not Superior…Therefore We're Superior
Looking first at the very statement "All religions are the same" itself, we quickly discover our first problematic instance of circular logic. Let us assume for the sake of argument that Radical Universalism is the consensus opinion among modern Hindus. Modern Hinduism would then be, of course, the only major world religion that upholds this notion of radical equality. As we know, present day (as well as historically instantiated) leaders of Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam would all vehemently disagree with this statement that "All religions are the same". These religions all reject any notion of Radical Universalism. Each of these individual major religious traditions is quite vocal in their assertion that their own unique paths, concepts of the Absolute, and soteriological perspectives (theories on the means to achieve spiritual freedom) exclusively reflects their own idiosyncratic traditions. More, they would all assert with equally vociferous force that their own exclusive path holds a clearer insight into Truth, and a surer means for salvation, than does any other faith on earth. Why, after all, would someone even be a member of x religion and not y religion if they did not feel that x religion had something to offer that y religion did not? No other major religion outside of modern neo-Hinduism teaches that "all religions are the same". If Hinduism did actually teach the doctrine of Radical Universalism, modern Hinduism, then, would be the singular instance of a major world religion teaching that "all religions are the same".
The problem that is created is that since only Hinduism is supposedly teaching the "truth" that "all religions are the same", and since no other religion seems to be aware of this "truth" other than modern day Hinduism, then Hinduism is naturally superior to all other religions in its exclusive possession of the knowledge that "all religions are the same". In its attempt to insist that all religions are the same, Radical Universalism has employed a circular pattern of logic that sets itself up as being, astoundingly, superior to all other religions. Thus, attempting to uphold the very claim of Radical Universalism leads to a situation in which Radical Universalism's very claim is contradicted. A good way to see the inherent circular logic of this claim is to conduct a formal propositional analysis of the argument.
Radical Universalist Fallacy I
It is clear and apparent that the groundless affirmation of Radical Universalism by lesser-informed contemporary neo-Hindu teachers leads to an inescapable spiral of self-defeating logic. In its very attempt to supposedly level the theological playing field by claiming that "all religions are the same", Radical Universalism is automatically compelled to assert its own inherent superiority, and to assign to itself the status of the sole possessor of the "truth" that all religions are the same, thus negating its original claim in its entirety. In essence, what neo-Hindu apologists of Radical Universalism are saying is: "Since only we possess the knowledge that all religion are equal, then we must be the best." That being the case, of course, all religions are then not equal.
Radical Universalism and Ethical Relativism
A further problem caused by Radical Universalism is that it necessarily leads to ethical relativism. If "all religions are the same", after all, then by inferential extension all the various ethical systems taught by these different religions must also be the same. To state that they are not is to undermine the very basis of Radical Universalism's claim. Ethical Relativism is a modern, Western philosophical view that claims there are no objective, discernable ethical standards that apply to humanity. There is no transcendent spiritual basis, or even any categorically sufficient rational maxims, for any ethical rules or behavior. Thus, on Ethical Relativism's account, God is not the author of humanity's inborn, inherent sense of right and wrong; and neither can moral standards be discerned through the power of reason. Indeed, Ethical Relativism believes that the existence of any objective moral norms is merely an illusion. There are really no right or wrong actions. There are merely fleetingly subjective rules that apply to a particular individual, at a given time, in a given situation (another name for this modern dogma is thus Situational Ethics). Being an atheistic and materialist doctrine, Ethical Relativism would relegate such religious moral principles as compassion, justice, truthfulness, loving others, and non-violence to the realm of meaninglessness, thus rendering any sense of ethical behavior without ultimate merit or purpose outside of the purely functional value such principles might possess in an immediate and individual given situational instance in time.
More by : Prof. Dr. Frank Gaetano Morales
|Hinduism recognises that there are many ways of achieving salvation.Nirvana etc. So naturally there is built in toerance to other religion. Shivaji when given a book of Koran said " god is visibkle to different people in different forms" So insulting other's god is same as insulting our own god. You cannot quote scriptures and get confused on such matters. You have to see it in Ptactice in the society. Scriptures say many things including Upanishads say" god is not one whom you are praying to" This it says without even questioning whom we pray to


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subset: commoncrawl


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Seattle, WA – Nick Franklin went 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI and the Seattle Mariners split a four-game series against the Minnesota Twins with a 6-4 victory on Sunday.
Michael Saunders and Kyle Seager drove in a run apiece for the Mariners, who saw starter Erasmo Ramirez (2-0) allow four runs on seven hits and a pair of walks through six innings.
Chris Colabello had a two-run home run while Clete Thomas and Aaron Hicks each added an RBI for the Twins, who were looking to win their fourth straight series for the first time this season.
Kyle Gibson (2-3) surrendered five runs on seven hits and a walk in five frames to absorb the loss.
Colabello's two-run shot in the second got the Twins on the board.
In the third, Brad Miller and Franklin hit back-to-back one-out singles. With runners on the corners, Seager scored Miller with a sacrifice fly to center.
Seattle had a chance to score more after a fielding error by right fielder Ryan Doumit put runners on first and third once more, but Raul Ibanez lined out to shortstop, ending the inning.
The Mariners took the lead an inning later. Leadoff man Saunders hammered a 3-1 fastball to right to tie the game. Henry Blanco grounded into a fielder's choice and Miller was walked with two outs before Franklin clubbed a 1-1 pitch to right, giving them a 5-2 lead.
"Gibson didn't command then zone great, but if we turn a double-play it is a totally different ball game," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire.
Minnesota attempted a rally in the sixth. Doumit walked to begin the frame. Colabello and Thomas hit consecutive singles, the latter scoring Doumit. Following a fly out by Trevor Plouffe, Hicks hit a sac fly to center, plating Colabello and bringing the Twins within one.
However, Franklin hammered his second homer of the night with one out in the seventh to account for the final margin.
"He's small, but he's a strong kid. The way he hits through the balls puts a lot of backspin on the balls and that is how he gets it to carry," Mariners acting manager Robby Thompson said.
Tom Wilhelmsen closed in the ninth for the Mariners. He gave up a bunt single to Hicks but a double play by Pedro Florimon and a Jamey Carroll grounder toward first gave him his 24th save.
Game Notes
Franklin has four home runs and 13 RBI since the All-Star break ... Miller went 2-for-3 and scored twice. Seattle is 13-6 in his 19 starts batting leadoff and 15-5 in 20 starts at shortstop ... The Mariners have hit 41 home runs in the seventh inning or later, most in the American League ... Dozier went 1-for-3, extending his hitting streak to seven games, but was taken out before the bottom of the sixth inning with back stiffness.


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One Year Later
Thursday, May 24, 2007
You stumbled onto a little something called The Julie/Julia Project, and it was amazing. Life changing. You read the entire thing in 3 days, shirking responsibilities at work and home to voraciously digest this woman's misadventures. Then you looked for more. You found The Restaurant Whore and she made you laugh, Becks and Posh who made you think, Cooking with Amy who grabbed your attention, and Eggbeater who pulled you in with her prose.
You wanted to start your own blog. Something permanent. So that no matter how much change kept happening or how bad it got, you had one constant in your life. But all the blogs were based in San Francisco. You would be the food blog of Sacramento and Yolo. You would call it Vanilla Garlic (as 14 Eggs was already taken at the time). You would have an excuse to get out of the house and live life. You would give a personal look at restaurants and events in the areas. And no recipes. You didn't want to be a recipe blog.
On your first day, 4 people read your blog. You were floored. Now, you hit over 120,000 page views.
You then started to meet people and e-mail people. You made new friends. Truly wonderful, crazy about love, life, and food people. You started to get together and go out. Raising money for those in need. Volunteering. Having pot lucks and parties. People you didn't know even wrote for restaurant suggestions. You had readers in Europe, Australia, and Asia and your readership kept growing.
People actually cared about what you wrote.
Then one day, you discovered another blog, and you decided to give baking another go. It worked, so you tried again. And then again. And then you decided to try baking your own recipe and it was a success. Then people actually started to make your recipe.
It soon became an addiction. Cupcake recipes sprang forth from you. You were a non-stop flour force, armed with a cup of sugar and a stick of butter. Not to mention a whole lot of gusto. Sure the oven would earn your temerity once in a while, but you loved it. You couldn't bake before, but you started to take classes, read books, educate yourself. You could give baking advice with confidence and teach friends. The blog partially became a recipe blog. A cupcake blog.
The blog became a site of notice, you were mentioned in print. Then one day you achieved a dream. You were asked to write. About food. By a magazine. You achieved a goal you had been after for years.
The blog became a cupcake blog. A restaurant review blog. A blog to write your essays in. A blog to share with friends and family about your life. It was a space for you where you could put your soul into print.
What started as a safe haven, a constant that still persists, is now a home.
To anyone who has ever read Vanilla Garlic, to all the friends I've made, and people I've met, THANK YOU.
One year later. Happy Birthday, Vanilla Garlic.
I'll be posting every single day for a week to celebrate this. Hope you drop by and see what's in the oven.
34 comments:
May your other dreams come true as well.
And may you continue to create cupcakes to copy.
Happy Blog Anniversary Garrett, I always love reading your posts!!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 24, 2007 at 5:31 AM
Happy Bloggy Birthday! Reading about your journey as a blogger, food lover, writer and individual sent shivers down my spine. What a tremendous success you've created on this site! Congrats Garrett!ReplyDelete
Ari (Baking and Books)
A very happy blogiversary to you. It's amazing how something so seemingly ephemeral as an internet based community can in all actuality provide such an anchor.ReplyDelete
Looking forward to more of your recipes, reviews and posts!
Happy blog-birthday, Garrett!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 24, 2007 at 8:09 AM
Happy Birthday!ReplyDelete
Because of your blog, I have my blog and my own jewelry business. So no, thank YOU!
Yay! Happy Birthday!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 24, 2007 at 9:09 AM
Garrett - thank YOU for a great year! May I add my congratulations to the rest. I look forward to more witty posts and cupcake recipes, all written in your unique voice. xoxReplyDelete
Congrats! That is absolutely fantastic!ReplyDelete
Happy blog day! Can't wait to see what you'll cook up next.ReplyDelete
Congratulations Garrett! We'll continue to tune in and look forward to the new advances in the next year of writing, eating, baking and growing. Thanks for sharing yourself with us.ReplyDelete
Happy Birthday Vanilla Garlic!!!! <333ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 24, 2007 at 12:14 PM
I'm crazy for your blog! First- its funny! and your recipes always are interesting, unique and OH MY YUM! thank you for being my mid day work vacation.ReplyDelete
and please, More Eat Beast stories, I love that cat.
stacey in miami beach.
I've only recently come across your blog, and wish that I'd found it sooner. Heck, I'm not even really partial to cupcakes, but you've got me hooked!ReplyDelete
One year that's great. Even though I have been reading only a few weeks, it seems like your food career is snowballing or more appropriately, blossoming :)ReplyDelete
See you around!
One year congrats! In the past few weeks your food career seems to be blossoming or more appropriately souffleing. Keep it it up!ReplyDelete
See you around!
Happy Birthday to you and your blog! Hope you celebrate it with some wonderful cupcakes and champagne! Here's to the next year and beyond!ReplyDelete
Congratulations Garrett, that is quite an achievement. Your blog is one of a handful that I check out every evening.ReplyDelete
It is definitely worth the read and updates are always eagerly anticipated so knowing you will be posting daily for the next week is great news!
Happy Birthday/Anniversary!The essay was beautiful, like the cupcakes you create. Here's to many more years of beautiful posts and cupcakes, cheers!ReplyDelete
I've enjoyed reading your blog from the time I found it...and thanks to people like you, Cakegrrl, Sher (What Did You Eat?), and others, I was brought back into a world I long forgotten- writing.ReplyDelete
Happy Blog Anniversary and keep up the wonderful work!
Great story, Garrett. May there be many more years to come :)ReplyDelete
Happy Vanilla Garlic Birthday :-)ReplyDelete
Really enjoyed the foodytainment that you garnish my life with week in week out.
Congratulations! I love you blog site..and your cupcake recipies.ReplyDelete
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR SWEET LOVIN' AND SUPPORT!ReplyDelete
congrats! i always enjoy it around here.ReplyDelete
Happy Birthday, Vanilla Garlic! And congratulations for making this site such a huge success. I hope things stay good for you through the next year too.ReplyDelete
(Actually this reminds me that my site's birthday is coming up in a few days. I hadn't noticed. :s)
Aw we love you too Garrett! You inspire us with your crazy cupcakes and your joyful enthusiasm.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 26, 2007 at 9:40 PM
What a fabulous year you have had! Keep up the good work. :)ReplyDelete
I love Vanilla Garlic. I haven't attempted any of the recipes yet, but I'm determined to one day. I've got a few bookmarked for future reference. But right now, as a poor college student who's in school during the day and rehearsal at night...baking's not a priority. But I love this blog, I really do. It's one of my favorites to just sit and peruse. Congratulations on the anniversary! I'm glad things are going well for you. :o)ReplyDelete
Kendall - thanks, and no worries on the baking, I've been there, feel ya', and am going back to school soon myself. LOLReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 31, 2007 at 1:29 PM
I just found your blog through What Did You Eat and have made a date to giddily peruse every page. Happy Blog-iversary!ReplyDelete
Hello Garrett! Congratulations on your achievement. This is my first time visit to your blog and I am truly inspired. Thanks.ReplyDelete
Perseverance, hard work always pays. Continue the good job
I bookmarked this to read 'later'... not realizing at the time how very late 'later' would turn out to be.ReplyDelete
So add my belated congratulations to the pile, and thank YOU... the food blog world as I know it wouldn't be the same without you and your voice.
Hey, you're leaving a comment! That's pretty darn cool, so thanks. If you have any questions or have found an error on the site or with a recipe, please e-mail me and I will reply as soon as possible.
Vanilla Garlic All rights reserved © Blog Milk Powered by Blogger


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August Burns Red Begin Work on 'Most Ambitious Album Yet'
August Burns Red have enjoyed their break from the road, but now have enough material to begin recording their next studio album. The group confirmed their return to the studio via a series of Facebook posts this past week, with drummer Matt Greiner getting his tracking out of the way first. One of the first studio photos can be seen above. Even before a note was recorded, Greiner had been pounding away. In a photo posting, it was revealed that the drummer physically wore down his drumsticks during the writing process.
Guitarist JB Brubacker told Alternative Press, "2012 turned out to be quite intense for us from a touring standpoint. We did more traveling than we had ever previously done in our career and after three straight months on the road to end the year, I think we were all ready to come home and shift into writing/recording mode. Now that the writing is complete, we are all itching to get started with the actual tracking."
Speaking about the sound, the guitarist added, "This new record will push the boundaries of our genre more than we ever have before. We set out to write a record where every song stands out from the last. There is a lot of ground covered here and a ton of meat to this album. It's full of odd metered rhythms and breakdowns, unexpected twists and turns and some of our most technical riffing to date. Each of us have parts that make our heads spin and we have had to practice like crazy to get some of this stuff together."
Brubaker says that the album, which he calls their "most ambitious album yet," is expected later this year via Solid State Records.


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LONDON – Alarming new research confirms what millions have believed for years – Friday the 13th really is unlucky!
A group of English scientists, reporting in the highly respected British Medical Journal, cited statistics and records stretching over a three-year period – 2005 through 2007 – that indisputably prove Friday the 13th is a dangerous date.
The researchers go as far as to say that you shouldn't leave your house on that day. "Staying at home is recommended," says a spokesman for the group.
They concluded that your life and health can be in twice as much danger on Friday the 13th as on other days.
Perhaps the most frightening finding of the exhaustive study was that your chances of being admitted to the hospital due to an accident on the highway are two times greater on Friday the 13th.
The professors studied traffic-flow figures on a busy London motorway. They compared accident figures for Fridays the 13th with those of other Fridays.
They found that hospital admissions skyrocketed on the 13th.
No one can explain the rise in bad luck but one theory has to do with the power of suggestion.
The researchers believe that knowing it's Friday the 13th may increase anxiety and interfere with people's ability to concentrate on their driving, leaving them at greater risk of crashing.
But another scientist, familiar with the experiment, calls that theory inconclusive.
"Some of the people involved in accidents on Friday the 13th aren't even aware of what day it is," said the scientist. "It's highly unlikely that the power of suggestion is working on them.
"Why are my colleagues unwilling to admit that 'folk wisdom' may be accurate – that, for reasons we don't understand, it may just be an unlucky day.
"When people have believed something for hundreds of years, there's a strong possibility that it's true."
LONDON – Alarming new research confirms what millions have believed for years – Friday the 13th really is unlucky!


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Dimensions: 28" Wide x 30" Deep x 31" Tall and 17" Seat Height
Swiveling Rocker by Broyhill. We found this chair in a formal living room. It looks like it wasn't used much if at all. It's an older chair but the upholstery is in great shape. It sits comfortably and swivels and rocks. Be sure to watch our walk around video.
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Delivery is available within the triangle area for an additional $40. Our triangle delivery area is generally within 50 miles of Holly Springs, NC 27540. You can enter your address at checkout to see if you qualify for the $40 local delivery option. We deliver on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. If you need weekend delivery please contact us in advance. If you need to delay local delivery because you are moving, having construction done, etc. then please jot us a note at check out. We are happy to hold items for a few weeks. Please contact us if it will be longer. Regional and National white glove in home delivery is available. Real time quotes for shipping outside of the Raleigh Durham area are available at checkout. Select the "ship" option and fill in your address and click "continue to shipping". You will see the quote before payment. Shipping outside of the Raleigh Durham area can take from 10 days up to 6 weeks. Please contact us with your zip code for a shipping quote for smaller items.
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Pickup address is 5333 New Hill Holleman Rd, Holly Springs, NC - It's inside Harris Lake Self Storage.
Our company has 6,000 square feet at this facility so it's more warehouse than a typical storage unit. We are closed on Tuesdays and are away for lunch between noon and 1:00 pm. Our hours of operation are from 10 am - 5 pm -weekdays and 10 - 4 on Saturday and Sunday - appointments are highly suggested. If you would like to come take a look please either text/call Craig - 919-760-9683 or fill out the contact us form listed above.


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Weight-loss funnies
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Recent Status Updates
Does anyone know, how long it takes for Medicare to approve surgery?· 1 reply
I think it depends entirely on what guidelines you're being referred under. I had that kind of insurance through the state as a low-income person for 10 years and even though I was over 400 lb for 10 years they denied me. All based on the fact that I did not have diabetes. I switched insurances once I was offered a different kind of coverage from work and was approved within two months
I got a little bag of samples when I saw the nutritionist last week. Turns out I much prefer the Celebrate 45 Tropical Twist vitamins to the Bariatric Fusion orange flavor, so I've placed an order for those and the sweet treat assortment of calcium soft chews, which were almost dangerously tasty. The Unjury chicken soup was better than the other brand I tried, but not enough to buy it. And their vanilla shake was vile. I just can't do artificial sweeteners, and probably not vanilla unless I add something to it to mask the flavor. The aftertaste was so strong and I had a vague impression of drinking baby formula. So far the only ones I've really liked have been the orange and peach flavored Syntrax Nectar Naturals, so I'm going to get two vegan fruit flavored options in case I have trouble with whey after.· 0 replies
- This update has no replies.
PS: Also, the 'My Surgery' section of my profile - how do you edit/update that section?? I want to put my height, weight, etc. there but can't find edit button.· 0 replies
Can someone help me with that?
Thanks in advance.
- This update has no replies.
I'm new here and unsure how to reply/respond to people. Guess I'll figure it out, or maybe you can help me a lil. lol. A lil direction would be nice.· 4 replies
I'm still wrapping my head around having this surgery to lose weight. I have completed all requirements, in 2022, and now it's a waiting game. I missed a call in Aug. to have the surgery. 1st call I have missed in years and it had to be THAT one! I was so upset at myself and then fell back back that weekend to my ol' comfort food; ice cream. I fall from time to time but then get backup on my Johnny Wayne Saddle and do better.
I have been waiting so long I forgot what the specific surgery is called. 🤔. It's the one where my stomach will look like a banana. I just want this done so I can be on my way to a healthier and more active person, and hopefully feel physically and mentally better and better sleep too. We'll see.
Wishing everyone a safe and successful surgery.
Shawna 😁
Has anyone messaged you and helped?
If you go to the top of the page and click on your user name there will be a drop down that will allow you to do things from there. The interface on this site is a little wonky and could use some improvement, basically, you'll kinda have to click around until you find what you want to edit/update.
I tried adding stuff to my albums and it uploaded the same things twice and I can not delete the duplicated picture. If you add a ticker and later you want to update it, like you lost more weight or you're closer to a certain goal, you have to go through the whole ticker choosing process again. The site can be a little frustrating.
you dont have to go through the whole ticker thing again. Just click on your name then surgery then click on progress. There you can change your height and weight. The weight will carry over to the ticker
Thank You @NCL04321
yay! i see you added the info! Easy right?
Today was my 1 month followup, 5 weeks post surgery. My dietician gave me a gold star review for my post op diet, and I graduated to Stage 4 of my program. Stage 5 should be approved in November, and that is the forever way of eating.· 1 reply
I had to go to a post op nutrition class as part of my appointment today. There was a young lady in there that had been eating WAY off diet, and she was not doing well... She had been eating fast food, but peeling the buns off, eating vegetables that were not well-cooked, and eating all kinds of foods that were not part of the detailed instruction that everyone in this program receives. We had SO many caveats from Day One to not try to jump ahead on the schedule for the foods that we eat. I was baffled that someone would decide to eat off program, especially so soon after surgery. She became tired of the liquids & soft foods, so she chose to eat ahead.
The result of her skipping ahead was that she had experienced a lot of vomiting & foamies, a lot of pain, and was unable to drink any fluids. She started feeling flushed and faint in class and had to be sent to the hospital to get some IV fluids.
The discipline that one needs for bariatric surgery cannot be overstated. We have to dig deep mentally and physically to get through surgery itself, learn new things, manage medications, and really lean into that crucial change of mindset and behavior. I hope that this young lady is able to get herself together to make the most of her surgery.
Great post. Thank you for the insight/update. So happy to hear you are doing so well. Keep up the good work.
I am still waiting for my surgery...though classes were completed 9/2022. I don't like the waiting game. But I will say that my 'surgery buddy' mentioned this site and am happy I'm hear and hope to gain support and insight for my surgery.


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Deliver Better Games Faster, On Budget–And Make Game Development Fun Again!
Game development is in crisis–facing bloated budgets, impossible schedules, unmanageable complexity, and death march overtime. It's no wonder so many development studios are struggling to survive. Fortunately, there is a solution. Scrum and Agile methods are already revolutionizing development outside the game industry. Now, long-time game developer Clinton Keith shows exactly how to successfully apply these methods to the unique challenges of game development.
Keith has spent more than fifteen years developing games, seven of them with Scrum and agile methods. Drawing on this unparalleled expertise, he shows how teams can use Scrum to deliver games more efficiently, rapidly, and cost-effectively; craft games that offer more entertainment value; and make life more fulfilling for development teams at the same time.
You'll learn to form successful agile teams that incorporate programmers, producers, artists, testers, and designers–and promote effective collaboration within and beyond those teams, throughout the entire process. From long-range planning to progress tracking and continuous integration, Keith offers dozens of tips, tricks, and solutions–all based firmly in reality and hard-won experience.
Coverage includes
Foreword xvii
Preface xix
Acknowledgments xxiii
About the Author xxv
Part I: The Problem and the Solution 1
Chapter 1: The Crisis Facing Game Development 3
A Brief History of Game Development 4
The Crisis 10
A Silver Lining 11
Additional Reading 12
Chapter 2: Agile Development 13
Why Projects Are Hard 14
Why Use Agile for Game Development? 20
What an Agile Project Looks Like 28
The Challenge of Agile 32
Additional Reading 32
Part II: Scrum and Agile Planning 33
Chapter 3: Scrum 35
The History of Scrum 36
Scrum Parts 41
Scrum Roles 44
Customers and Stakeholders 54
Chickens and Pigs 55
Scaling Scrum 56
Summary 56
Additional Reading 57
Chapter 4: Sprints 59
The Big Picture 59
Planning 59
Tracking Progress 68
The Daily Scrum Meeting 74
Sprint Reviews 75
Retrospectives 78
Summary 84
Additional Reading 84
Chapter 5: User Stories 85
A Fateful Meeting 85
What Are User Stories? 87
Levels of Detail 88
Conditions of Satisfaction 90
Using Index Cards for User Stories 92
INVEST in User Stories 92
User Roles 97
Defining Done 99
Collecting Stories 100
Advantages of User Stories 103
Summary 105
Additional Reading 105
Chapter 6: Agile Planning 107
Why Agile Planning? 107
The Product Backlog 108
Estimating Story Size 112
Release Planning 117
Summary 124
Additional Reading 124
Part III: Agile Game Development 125
Chapter 7: Video Game Project Planning 127
Midnight Club Story 127
Minimum Required Feature Sets 128
The Need for Stages 130
The Development Stages 130
Mixing the Stages 132
Managing Stages with Releases 132
Production on an Agile Project 134
Summary 155
Additional Reading 155
Chapter 8: Teams 157
Great Teams 158
A Scrum Approach to Teams 159
Game Teams and Collaboration 168
Scaling and Distributing Scrum 173
Summary 188
Additional Reading 188
Chapter 9: Faster Iterations 189
Where Does Iteration Overhead Come From? 190
Measuring and Displaying Iteration Time 191
Personal and Build Iteration 193
Summary 201
Additional Reading 201
Part IV: Agile Disciplines 203
Chapter 10: Agile Technology 205
The Problems 205
An Agile Approach 210
Summary 220
Additional Reading 221
Chapter 11: Agile Art and Audio 223
The Problems We Are Solving with Agile 223
Concerns About Agile 225
Art Leadership 226
Art on a Cross-Discipline Team 227
Summary 232
Additional Reading 233
Chapter 12: Agile Design 235
The Problems 236
Designing with Scrum 237
Summary 247
Additional Reading 247
Chapter 13: Agile QA and Production 249
Agile QA 249
The Role of QA on an Agile Game Team 252
Agile Production 259
Summary 262
Additional Reading 263
Part V: Getting Started . 265
Chapter 14: The Myths and Challenges of Scrum 267
Silver Bullet Myths . 267
Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt 269
Scrum Challenges 273
Summary 281
Additional Reading 282
Chapter 15: Working with a Publisher 283
The Challenges 284
Building Trust, Allaying Fear 288
Agile Contracts 293
Summary 300
Additional Reading 300
Chapter 16: Launching Scrum 301
The Three Stages of Adoption 301
Adoption Strategies 317
Summary 324
Additional Reading 324
Conclusion 325
Bibliography 327
Index 329


text:
Watch HOSPITAL as part of the Wednesdays With Wiseman virtual film series, opening November 4! Click here for details and participating theaters.
New York Magazine names HOSPITAL to its list celebrating 40 years of memorable New York movies.
HOSPITAL shows the daily activities of a large urban hospital with the emphasis on the emergency ward and outpatient clinics. The cases depicted illustrate how medical expertise, availability of resources, organizational considerations, and the nature of communication among the staff and patients affect the delivery of appropriate health care.
The chief characteristic of all Wiseman's films and the source of their tremendous emotional impact is his instinctive sympathy for people who must confront the specific, human effects of vast, impersonal human social forces…
–Richard Schickel, Life
It is as open and revealing as filmed experience has ever been. You look misery in the eye and you realize there's nothing to be afraid of… By the end we are so thoroughly involved… that tears well up, because we simply have no other means of responding to the intensity of this plain view of the ordinary activities in Metropolitan Hospital.
–Pauline Kael, The New Yorker
Purchase Prices
Educationalincludes public performance rights
High Schools & Volunteer Organizationsincludes public performance rights
IndividualsDVD - 29.95
16MM Rentals
released 1969, 84 minutes
Winner of two Emmy Awards in 1970 for Best News Documentary and Best Director.
Related FilmsTiticut Follies
Adjustment & Work
Central Park
Near Death
High School II
Public Housing
In Jackson Heights
EX LIBRIS - The New York Public Library


text:
by Chanel Cleeton
Also in this series: Into The Blue, On Broken Wings
Also by this author: Flirting with Scandal, Playing With Trouble, Falling for Danger, Between Shadows, Fly Withe Me, Into The Blue, On Broken Wings
Published by Berkley Penguin USA Genres: Contemporary Romance
Into the Blue
by Chanel Cleeton
July 5, 2016
Wild Aces #2
Adult Contemporary Romance
From the author of Fly with Me and the Capital Confessions Novels comes the newest in the sexy Wild Aces Romance series.
Eric Jansen—call sign Thor—loves nothing more than pushing his F-16 to the limit. Returning home to South Carolina after a tragic loss, he hopes to fix the mistake he made long ago, when he chose the Air Force over his fiancée.
Becca Madison isn't quick to welcome Thor back. She can't forget how he shattered her heart. But Thor won't give up once he's set his sights on what he wants—and he wants Becca.
Thor shows Becca that he's no longer the impulsive boy he used to be, and Becca finds herself irresistibly drawn to him. But will Thor be able to walk away from his dream of flying the F-16 for their love or does his heart belong to the sky?
Eric's hand felt warm against mine—warm and big. He squeezed, and even though he touched my fingers, I swore I felt an answering tightness around my heart, as though the power to crush it lay in the palm of his hand.
I wanted to pull back, had never intended to let him get this close, but here we were, and I didn't move. The temptation was just too strong to ignore and it felt too good to have him hold my hand.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered again, his voice and eyes full of an emotion that spelled trouble.
This time I did pull back, too close to losing my heart. Too much time had passed, too much between us. I didn't want to fall into the trap of thinking that this could be something again, of letting old feelings confuse me.
"I need to go."
"Can we get dinner sometime, or coffee, or something?"
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"I know I don't deserve for you to let me in again, not after what I did, but what if we just gave it a chance. If we took things slowly? What if we started as friends?"
I didn't know how I was supposed to answer that one, what slow was with people who had the kind of baggage we did. We'd been engaged; I didn't know how to pretend we were just two people getting to know each other. At the same time, I didn't really know him. Not anymore. But what was the point of getting to know him if he was just going to leave again?
"What's changed?"
"What do you mean?"
"What's changed?" I repeated. "You're back here, but what's different? What's the point? You're going back to Oklahoma in a few weeks, aren't you?"
He nodded.
"Then what?"
He shifted in his seat, his expression guarded. "Well, we have the deployment coming up, and then I'll probably go on to my next assignment. I don't know where yet."
Yeah, I'd been here before.
"So nothing has changed. Not really."
"I've missed you."
I'd missed him, too. It wasn't enough. It had been ten years. We'd been apart longer than we'd been together. It wasn't like we could just hit "Play" and pick up where we'd left off.
"We still want different things."
He didn't answer me for a beat. "What if we didn't want different things?"
I froze. He knew me too well, knew just how to worm his way back in.
"Don't try to make this about me. Don't come back here with your 'maybes' and your 'what-ifs' and expect me to hang my future on it. I've been here before. I know how this goes. You've been back, what, a day? Do you honestly think that after everything we've been through, I'm going to trust that you want a future together? That you'll actually choose me?
"I'm not going down this road with you again. I've been there and all it did was give me years of heartbreak. I don't trust you anymore. There is no us. Not anymore."
I grabbed my wallet, putting some cash on the table for my breakfast. I got up on shaky legs, not giving him a chance to respond, not sparing him another glance.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/28YHTqe
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1OFUJnZ
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1lvnY4M
iBooks: http://apple.co/1PpG0gx
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1V8uLxr
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24820432-into-the-blue
Check out Book 1 in the Wild Aces series, Fly with Me:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/28YIbgT
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/20ewq86
Google Play: http://bit.ly/23eFOei
iBooks: http://apple.co/1ny66aS
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1UbE3Ze
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26822886-fly-with-me
First Chapter: https://chanel-cleeton.squarespace.com/fly-with-me-chapter-one
On Broken Wings, Wild Aces Book 3 Pre-order (out January 3, 2017):
Amazon: http://amzn.to/28YIdpe
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1XaprN9
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1rM6yVg
iBooks: http://apple.co/1TbGBdN
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1ZR6qyD
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24820451-on-broken-wings
Originally a Florida girl, CHANEL CLEETON moved to London where she received a bachelor's degree from Richmond, The American International University in London and a master's degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Chanel fell in love with London and planned to stay there forever, until fate intervened on a Caribbean cruise and a fighter pilot with smooth dance moves swept her off her feet. Now, a happily ever after later, Chanel is living her next adventure.
Law school made Chanel realize she'd rather spend her days writing sexy stories than in a courtroom, and she hasn't looked back since. An avid reader and hopeless romantic, she's happiest curled up with a book. She has a weakness for handbags, her three pups, and her husband.
Chanel writes contemporary romances, women's fiction, and thrillers. She is published by Harlequin HQN, Penguin/InterMix, and Penguin/Berkley and is the author of the International School, Capital Confessions, Assassins, and Wild Aces series.
Website: www.chanelcleeton.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorchanelcleeton
Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1545366192398558/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/chanelcleeton
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/chanelcleeton
Newsletter: www.chanelcleeton.com/mailing-list/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/chanelcleeton/


text: Chapter 1Elimelech and his family go to Moab because of famine—His sons marry—The father and sons die—Ruth, the Moabitess, her husband having died, remains constant to Naomi—They come to Bethlehem. Chapter 2Ruth gleans in the fields of Boaz, a near relative of Naomi—He treats Ruth kindly. Chapter 3By Naomi's instruction, Ruth lies at the feet of Boaz—He promises as a relative to take her as his wife. Chapter 4The nearest relative declines, and Boaz takes Ruth to wife—Ruth bears Obed, through whom came David the king.


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Pierre Charpin
Born in 1962. A trained plastic artist, Pierre Charpin has dedicated most of his time to the design of furniture and objects since the beginning of the 1990's.
Since then his work as been just as likely to veer towards experimental projects on which he works with, amongst others, C I R V A (1998/2001) and C R A F T (2003/2005); he also designs products for prominent international manufacturers such as Alessi, Venini, Post Design, Montina, Zanotta, Ligne Roset, la Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres...
His continuous research work is made possible by his collaboration with the Galerie Kréo, Paris, with which he has been working under a worldwide exclusivity agreement since 2005, producing limited edition items.
In 2004 he won an award for his 'Eau de Paris' carafe in moulded glass, of which 60,000 were produced.
He was elected 'créateur de l'année 2005' by the salon du meuble de Paris.
Several of his pieces form part of the collections of the Fond National d'Art Contemporain, the Centre Georges Pompidou and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs de Paris.


text:
Maps can be beautiful things, that bring back memories, remind you of journeys, or just make you glad you live where you do. A company called Woodcut Maps now lets you preserve a Google Maps image in solid wood—and the results look gorgeous.
Vizio's Latest TVs Go All Quantum
All you have to do is find the location you want on Google maps, and then choose the shape and style in which you'd like the map to be made. The company seems to have a beautiful range of exotic woods that you can choose from, and they come in a range of sizes from 8-inches square to a whopping 16x20 inches. If you're interested, the maps are created using laser cutting to get those crisp, clean lines. Oh, and there's currently a 30 per cent discount because the company just launched. [Woodcut Maps]


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This weekend we have another public holiday on Monday for Labour Day, a day that acknowledges the fight by workers for an 8 hour working day.
This long weekend we have lots of things planned....long walks, pottering around in the garden, visiting an Antique market and going out for lunch somewhere as a family.
This morning, my daughter Maddy, decided that she wanted to make smoothies for us all for Breakfast...they were so delicious....and very pink!
Thank you also to sweet Beverly from How Sweet The Sound for having me today!
Best wishes, dear friends, for a beautiful and pink May Day weekend and please come back on Sunday to listen to my #SundaySong!


text:
If you wish to contribute or participate in the discussions about articles you are invited to contact the Editor
About navipedia
What is NAVIPEDIA?
NAVIPEDIA is an initiative of the European Space Agency aiming at becoming the reference for Global Navigation Satellite Systems general knowledge on the Internet. It is conceived as a collaborative GNSS encyclopaedia with the objective to foster the transfer of knowledge in the field of GNSS
NAVIPEDIA is an electronic repository of knowledge related to GNSS. It is a common entry point, that enables users to access updated information of the existing GNSS Systems, applications, receivers and fundamentals.
NAVIPEDIA adopts the concept of Media-wiki products. However, there is an important difference that distinguishes NAVIPEDIA from other wikies. A robust content management and control process ensures the needed quality, reliability and consistency of stored GNSS information.
NAVIPEDIA is hosted by the GNSS Science Support Centre.
More detailed information on content development and quality assurance procedures can be obtained from the dedicated article on Content Management.
NAVIPEDIA content development priorities remain, being focused on:
- Who: GNSS
- Where: Globally
- What: GNSS Systems, GNSS Fundamentals, GNSS Applications, GNSS Receivers
- GNSS Community: General users, University, GNSS expert users, GNSS Industry, and GNSS Application developers
Our Content Development objectives were to achieve core GNSS subject coverage in the following categories:
- GNSS Systems: Galileo, GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou
- Augmented GNSS Systems: EGNOS, WAAS, MSAS, GAGAN and SDCM
- GNSS Fundamentals
- GNSS Applications
- GNSS Receivers
NAVIPEDIA Partners
NAVIPEDIA has been initiated by ESA in partnership with the following organisations:
- UNOOSA – United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs
The initiative aims at developing a comprehensive source of GNSS information and making it available to users worldwide.
NAVIPEDIA's Strategic Objective
NAVIPEDIA's objective is to become a single point of reference for GNSS knowledge. The NAVIPEDIA knowledgebase is a dynamic enterprise and has taken several years to develop. To develop further, and maintain the accuracy and relevance of the knowledgebase, will require the support and active participation of all those interested in promoting best practice and knowledge in GNSS.
The NAVIPEDIA team
The NAVIPEDIA content development team has a wealth of experience in GNSS. To learn more about the individuals who have contributed knowledge to, and guided the development of, NAVIPEDIA see the separate page "Who is who".
The NAVIPEDIA wiki platform
NAVIPEDIA is set up as a wiki, using the same platform as wikipedia, with some additions and some restrictions. If you want to learn more, do check Help. If you would like to contribute an article to NAVIPEDIA, click here