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1A. Group opposed to anti-faith billshttp://www.cybernoon.com/DisplayArticle.asp?section=fromthepress&subsection=inbombay&xfile=March2007_inbombay_standard12359 Monday, March 12, 2007 Maharashtra is about to pass a bill to take over all the temple trusts and to implement the Black Magic Act in the coming session. An organisation which works for the safekeeping of the Hindu religion, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) has been expressing strong opposition to the implementation of these laws. They have held protests several times in different places. Such a protest was staged near Parel railway station. According to the organisation, there is no need to introduce new laws because the existing laws are sufficient to control illegal malpractices. They also say that the Maharashtra government is doing this just to show that it is a progressive government. The Maharashtra Eradication of Black Magic, Evil and Aghori Practices Bill, 2005 (better known as Black Magic Bill), has now been submitted to the Upper House for ratification. If approved, Maharashtra will have a draconian law that targets the faith of the people. A coordinator with the Mumbai region of the Samiti Shivaji Vatkar said, “Police will have many uncontrolled powers. Though the name of bill suggests that it is intended to eradicate black magic, this is not true. Many expert counsellors have clarified that under the name of black magic, this law is actually targeting faith and all the crimes listed under this law are already covered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), so there is no need for a new law.” He also mentioned that the bill is proposed, drafted and being forced by a group of rational thinking, namely Andha Shraddha Nirmulan Samiti, an organisation that works against superstitions. Their leaders are Dr. Narendra Dabholkar and Prof. Shyam Manav. The bill is intended to arrest saints and devotees as declared by this organization. Apart from the Black Magic Act, the State plans to take over all temples within the state, but mosques have been excluded. “The secular state government has excluded all the mosques, durgahs and madarassas registered with the Wakf Board,” said Vatkar. The Congress united front government running Maharashtra state has made it bankrupt and is now planning to take over 4,50,000 temples and all religious institutions in the state. As per the recommendations of the 15th Law Commission formed under the chairmanship of D. N. Chaudhury, the state government is planning to pass a law to this effect. Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh ordered the drafting of a new law after a stampede killed 267 people at Mandradevi Temple in Satara in January 2005. The Maharashtra Temples or Religious Institutions (Management and Regulation) Bill will come soon in the cabinet. The government has put forth the reason that planning and utilization of temple funds is not done properly and therefore, the above law is proposed. According to the Samiti, the government is proposing the temple takeover act because government has become bankrupt and wishes to utilize money offered by devotees to conceal its failure. The government is taking over only wealthy temple trusts and ignoring the trusts which actually need the financial support. Congress and Marxist governments have misused temple funds in various states including Maharashtra.
A law that allows the State to arrest without bail and initiate criminal proceedings against those who believe in the power of the divine to cure sickness or any other problem. The law suggests the sentence of 7 years of rigorous imprisonment with a fine of 50,000 Rupees for violators. All Hindu epics, Bible, and Quran will be questioned for their correctness on the basis of modern science, thus banned.
All miracles are declared fake by this law by which one is liable for arrest if they are not able to prove the teachings of the religion and divine forces on the basis of science. How will the Temple Takeover Act impact the state? The government may take control of trusts. (4,50,000 temples). All the mosques, durgahs and madarassas registered with the Wakf Board are excluded. The state will decide how the trusts’ money will be spent. The trusts now contribute two percent of their gross income to run the Charity Commissioner’s Office. If the new law is passed, this may go up to eight percent. There should be three trustees in each trust, one of whom will be appointed by the government. All income should be in a common fund, there should be no lifetime trustees, each trustee should be liable (not just the trust) and the Charity Commissioner must approve donations being made by the trust. 89.
by Pamela Raghunath, Correspondent March 16, 2007 (UAE) http://www.gulfnews.com/world/India/10111470.html Mumbai: A Hindu group has begun a three-day hunger strike in protest against the Maharashtra government, which plans to pass the Anti-Superstition Act and the Temples Takeover Act during this budget session.
But the main opposition to the Bill is that it allows the state to seize material or documents and make arrests without bail and initiate criminal action against those who believe divine or supernatural power can cure illness or other difficulties. Although objections have been raised that alternate [sic] practices like Reiki, Pranic healing and even some of the popular god-men could come under the purview of this law, the Bill, as a precaution states: "For the removal of doubt, it is hereby declared that nothing in this Act shall apply to the acts involving religious rites and rituals which does not adversely affect any person mentally, physically or financially." See also http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/03/16/10111470.html 2. A person named Vividhaditya, writing at http://www.himvani.com/news/date/2006/04/: On HimVani, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/him.vani/ (earlier known as clubinfonet) there have been discussions on missionaries trying to convert Hindus in Himachal. Some of them were concerned that everyone has the right to choose his/her religion. I feel, conversion is a dangerous trend, as mostly it is not the so-called upper castes that are targeted. It’s the so-called lower castes that are being influenced upon… I personally know one gentleman from the so-called lower caste who’s a convert and has been elevated as a Father/priest by the Evangelists (a sect of Protestants). He’d been given a huge mansion in Sundernagar (Near Mandi) and the charge to convert people. He in turn too had been targeting the soft spots. Once, I asked him why he got converted. He had many misconceptions about the Gita and the Sanatan Dharma or Hinduism. He pointed out to me that, one, he was fed up that while they weren’t allowed to touch the palanquins of the deities — gram/kul devtas and were not allowed to enter the temples, at the same time, they were asked to do the donkey’s work for the devta — like contributing wheat/rice grains, pulses, money in cash, wood as fire-fuel, carrying — the tents, the devta’s dhol and nagaaraas, during the Jagra, Jatra, Shaant, Bishu, Sankranti and other social festivals and occasions… Secondly, his wife had been ill for long and the devtas or their mouthpiece — the malis had fleeced many a khadus and bakras as offering and sacrifices from them, without his wife getting cured. The devtas, reasons for his wife’s ailment always were that his wife is possessed by some supernatural element — sometimes, by other devta, sometimes by some daayan, sometimes by Bhutbish, etc. Christianity offered him recluse from all this horror and also offered him respectability by getting off the label of belonging to a particular caste from his forehead. And thirdly, his wife too was cured by the prayers, some Christian priest offered for her. (Although I doubt these prayers; as most of them are energy healers — Reiki — I feel, which irrespective of any religion, anyone can do, who has learnt the art. And the same is being done in guise of Christianity. There are many Tibetans too, who do Reiki, but they don’t mix therapy and religion, which I feel these missionaries are doing. What they do is mostly Reiki, I believe.)
-Reiki is not equivalent to traditional treatments such as massage or physiotherapy and it is totally different from many complementary therapies. -To our knowledge, no objective scientific evidence exists to demonstrate that Reiki treatment has a positive clinical effect.
-Reiki recipients are often not fully informed about the origins and basis of Reiki. They are usually unaware that the practitioners are actually spiritist mediums who channel spiritual powers in the same way as mediums in séances. -The power exercised by Reiki practitioners is undoubtedly real but the source and use of this power has to be questioned. Even Reiki teachers recognise that this power can damage the recipient.
Dr. Janice Allister MB BS, DRCOG, DCh, MRCGP Dr Michelle Byrne MB, ChB Carolyn Morcom MA, RMN, Adv. Dip. Couns Dr Elizabeth Penlington MB, BCh, MFCH, FRIPHH Dr Anke Raabe MRCS Dr Hans-Christian Raabe MD, MRCP, MRCGP, DRCOG Dr Andrew Robertson MB ChB, MRCGP, DRCOG Dr Linda Stalley BM, BS, MRCP, DRCOG Dr. Chris Summerton MA, MD, MRCS (Eng), FRCP, FRCP (Edin.), Cert MHS, FAETC Dr E S Williams MB, BCh, MFGP (SA), FFPHM
Aamir Abdullah/ Saswata Ghoshal http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070025004 Tuesday, September 4, 2007 (New Delhi) Spirituality seems to have made a big comeback in urban India, especially among the youth. In fact, there is a whole new spirituality that has mushroomed along with the traditional. For instance, the Buddhist Vipasana, or spiritual getaways in the hills, has been transformed into detox holidays for the body and the mind. Similarly, Sri Sri Ravishankar's Art of Living classes help people bust stress, Reiki heals, and Feng Shui arranges people's living space in harmony with nature. While remaining true to their core ancient philosophy, these methods they have found ways to reach out and resolve modern dilemmas. ''I think there was always a sense of connection with religion, but it was deep down because for sometimes in between a lot of people felt disconnected from the ownership of religion. Also people were not sure whether this was just superstition or something that was very important to them as people in terms of their identity.'' ''And now I think having seen all the political mess that can be made in the name of religion when wrong people grab it, I think regular Indian are now out there saying that well this actually belongs to me,'' said Renuka Narayanan, Editor, Religion & Culture, Hindustan Times. Moreover, 21st century spirituality has no religious bars - neither does it have too many customs and rules. Interestingly, renunciation is also not a part of them; so one doesn't t have to quit his/her job and material belongings or to go to Rishikesh. No wonder the old and young, especially the young, are flocking to new-age spirituality. ''Faith is rocking in the 21st century in India. It's like the return swing of the pendulum. The 20th century was about putting away faith and running away from it. Now inevitably it's come right back.'' ''And a lovely thing I find about the younger people is that they are more chilled out and that they don't have the hang-ups of the people in their 40s and 50s about identifying their faith and are fine with: It didn't work for you, it has worked for me and I am not afraid to take it,'' added Renuka Narayanan. For example, 21-year-old Komal Seth - a new recruit in Buddhist satsangs - says that the new age spirituality has transformed her life. ''I always knew I could dance. But I never knew if I was dancing for myself, or the people watching me. What was I dancing for? I could never get that out. Now I know that I am dancing for God. I am dancing for union with him which is nothing but union with myself,'' said Komal Seth, Dancer. Not just Komal, it's an entire SMS generation is seeking out soul doctors. ''Everybody wants to enact somebody. Be it Shah Rukh or whoever. You should be yourself. That's the coolest thing. Spirituality makes you realise what are you,'' said one youngster. ''One thing that changed was my relationships. Initially the kind of relationship that my mom and me had was pathetic. It used to lead into these late-night fights. Our neighbours had big time entertainment.'' ''I was just suffocating. That's one kind of a relationship I didn't want. After undergoing the workshop I realized how special she is to me and I am to her,'' said another. Stress, competition and too many choices along with an everyday tango with wants and desires have added to the complexities of modern life. While this throws up many problems, it offers few solutions and even little direction, and that is where this growing quest for the spiritual comes in. 91. ‘THE EXAMINER’, THE ARCHDIOCESAN WEEKLY OF BOMBAYCHRISTIAN YOGA? Letter to THE EXAMINER by this writer dated November 16, 2003, published in the issue of November 22, 2003. Sir,
In your Local News [The Examiner, October 25, 2003] there is mention of Yoga Courses being organised regularly by the Jeevan Darshan Kendra/Diocesan Pastoral Centre in Mumbai. These free courses, conducted by the disciples of Nikam Guruji from the Shri Ambika Ashram, Thane have attracted 'more than 200 persons' to the second course, currently in session, compared to 90 participants in the first course of 13 evenings. Fr. Francis D'Britto is quoted as saying that "Yoga is a time-tested science of purifying one's body and soul..." One wonders how many Catholics are learning the practice of yoga here with the aim of purifying their bodies and souls, and imbibing yogic philosophies with the "aim (of) creating harmony between mind and body as well as the self and God." As a scientist I am unable to figure out the manner in which the "science" of yoga is capable of or can achieve "purifying" one's soul, and "creating harmony between (one's) self and God." Yoga is not physical exercises. It is a meditation (concerning the mind) system in which the various asanas or postures only help one to progressively reach a state of 'enlightenment'. The realisation that the self and God (the Self) are one. And the same. It subscribes to a monistic (all is one, one is all) understanding of the nature of god, which is incompatible with the Christian dualistic concept of God and creation. I possess over four dozen books by Christian authors that agree on this. But more importantly, so do all works on yoga authored by non-Christian proponents of this meditation. Fr. D'Britto's words themselves are an admission that with yoga there is more than just the physical (the body) aspect, as it involves the 'mind'; and that there is a spiritual component: it aims at union (not harmony, but a monistic union, YOGA derives from the Sanskrit yug meaning 'union') with God. The recent (3rd February) Vatican Document on the New Age warns Catholics about the dangers of holistic health therapies that attempt to treat a person holistically i.e. body, mind (soul) and spirit. The Document discusses yoga as a New Age practice. Another Document, the "Letter to the Bishops....on Christian Meditation"(October 15, 1989) also warns of the spiritual dangers of Eastern meditation techniques like yoga. For these very reasons, the Bishops of Croatia 'fiercely reacted' and 'strongly protested' to their government which resulted in a 'scrapping' of yoga from their schools (Times of India, July 18, 2003) In the light of all this, I am perplexed as to why the Church in India makes no official statement, while yoga is increasingly propagated in diocesan centres, church summer camps, and schools, and is now an elective subject in Catholic colleges. MICHAEL PRABHU, michaelprabhu@vsnl.net 12 DAWN APARTMENTS, 22 LEITH CASTLE SOUTH STREET, CHENNAI 600028. From: Errol Fernandes To: Editor, The Examiner Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2003 10:58 AM Dear Fr Charanghat, Following is a letter for publication in The Examiner. Thank you. Errol C Fernandes 304, Asit Apartments, Kane Road, Mount Mary, Bandra, Bombay 400 050 E-mail: riterrol@vsnl.com
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