my religious background is exactly like yours, hindu family and christian school and my thoughts and practises, one to one relationship with the Maker etc. and associated thoughts are ditto as yours, very aptly put in words what was running in my head, thanks :)

 rightly said. 

 Its really true what u have said...

But mine is a different story.....

Even i came from a Hindu family and studied in Christian institute....so all i was thought by my parents was "all god is one" and we have named them differently. I used to pray to Allah also. Believe me, that quoted words never go out of my mind, until i got married to a Christian.(the reason i accepted the Christian guy was coz of those quoted words)..

 

And then life changed....I was restricted from going to temple, praying to hindu god, keeping idols at home etc...No. i have not forgotten the words, but scared to even think of it. Even though my hubby was not against my wishes, my in-laws were. Especially my FIL, he is very orthodox and too old to be convinced (now he's in his 80's). They had baptised me without keeping me informed about the pros and cons. And i was a fool to think that i could still be what i want to be after baptism (as i said the words "all god is one" kept lingering around in my head and i thought "what big deal"....get baptised, marry and then pray to all god like i did before.

But i was brain washed ....with reasons saying my kids will not have their own identity, that it will be difficult to get them married to any particular religion etc.

You won't believe that my FIL kept giving me lectures before sending me to my house as they were hindus and i was a Christian now.

I really do not know the truth.. I'm a doll dancing in God's hand. And i believe there is one ALMIGHTY above all the Gods we have named. And one day he will throw some light on all our beliefs...

AND I"M WAITING FOR THAT DAY..

In between all this, my mom is suffering mentally (to know that i no longer pray to any HIndu gods), my father passed away after having an argument with my FIL.....

What about people who are convert themselves into a religion of their own choice without any compulsion. I have seen a lot of converts... for them all of the above points may not hold..

For them, They are not born into it.. , they can opt out... rather they have opted out.. they can change their religion.

For most of us it is a convenience as we have treaded those lines day in day out.. for me yes it is... though my faith at times is detered, i chose not to opt out... rather never thought of opting out... not out of fear but out of the faith that there is always something better in store for us... but for people who have thought that there is a difference.. i dont think these will hold.. It is not mere convenience or what they are taught right from childhood... but there were some questions which were answered in their favour..

I feel it is more of one's thought process..

• @weirdearth: Hey cheers


• @bhavs: Gal yes your story is different...u did it for love ....and love they say....in every religion...equates to GOD...have faith in the love u have and I guess ...the differences will merge....PS. why don't u tell ur mom u do pray to the hindu gods as well....secretly...atleast she will be happy...tell her not to blurt it out to anybody...what say?


• @Aks:Yes I agree its a thought process....u might find one religion right now...but a few years down the line you might find ur answers elsewhere....the underlying factor is about your faith and what works for you...

Hi Buzzy! Happy to see the BUZZY BRAND blog

Regarding me

Family Hindu

School Christian

College Muslim

So I consider myself lucky to have had such an oppurtunity. God is one.  But a religion should not be forcibly imposed upon a person.  You can take a person out of a religion but cannot take the religion out of him.  It is all in the mind.  What's the harm in praying to different gods?  Maybe just for identity sake one can quote the father's religion on paper.

I enjoy Diwali, love the christmas mood and feasted at the nikkah of my friends.

Hi,

I go with Ashajai's comment....

religion wise i am purely a catholic christian,from a very strong christian background(school,college,workplace,,)...but i do celebrate all the hindu festivals by preparing foods they use to prepare. for each festival.. Yes...i cook aviyal,pradaman for onam,vada,payasam for krishna jayanthi,and now i am getting ready(got list of things yesterday) to prepare kozhukattai, sundal for vinayaka chathurthi...likewise, i too get into festive mood along with my friends, only that i dont worship hindu Gods..

• @asha : wow you had the oppurtunity to experience 3 religions huh....great....I loved your finishing touch asha....."I enjoy Diwali, love the christmas mood and feasted at the nikkah of my friends."...especially the "feast" bit


• @amala :unexplained rituals sometimes seem hard to follow or uninteresting... maybe the rituals won't be annoying if it becomes a part of life.....I am a lazy being and so the rituals my father does seem very very tedious..but for him he has faith in those rituals and that FAITH is all that matters....
  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
  

• @penitia: Hmmm a foodie like me r'nt u ... I actually won't cook but will wait for friends to invite me over

good discussion... i belong to asha category... hindu by birth... school christian missionary and college... muslim management... i hve friends close ones in these religion and i hve taken many good things 4m their religion and live at my ease..... i had probs during my second delivery... i had prathanas for all of them... after my safe delivery i visited srirangam, vellankani and nagoor dargha  in a single visit... though my hubby did not accompany me.. but he didnt stop me going vth my parents.... i hve my freedom in my following.. in that way i am gifted...

• @anudev: Absolutely...the whole purpose of religion is to be a good human ...so an amalgamation is always fruitful...and u sure are gifted with a family that gives u the freedom

Hi buzzgks - nice topic....This will always be a topic which will have varied thoughts/ stories...isn't.

My story,

I like the bell and oothuvaar (you can hear oothuvaar sing thevaaram in most of sivan temples down south TN- it echoes and gives a shivering from top to bottom to me) sounds in the temples,  like the calmness and cleanliness in the churches, have had the dharga prayers as my alarms in the morning for some years and visited the dhargas too..My MIL/mother both used to work as  a teacher in christian schools and they themselves go to churches but still both are very strong followers of hindu religion and rituals. So, emmadamum sammadam !!! Infact, my childhood lullabies were christian songs by Jikki!!  

I generally believe in 'Nenjagame koil; ninaive sugantham' (laziness redefined..he he). But, i am in great awe about our temples, the contructions and the vibration. So, most of my post marriage trips have always been temples and my husband's native being Kumbakonam - fortunate to have visited a lot too...

My belief,

I feel, it's basically the FAITH that matters - belief or no-belief. We should have clarity on either of that. 

But, am more an agnostic kind ... I used to be an atheist (My motto used to be: Believe in urself, You are believing in GOd)..but, time tests our beliefs and confidence ... then found myself going to temples (be in any religion) to bring solace to mind.....confusing illa what to do...that's agnostic ones...And, I married a person who has strong belief in GOd and rituals too.. so, i follow all rituals now  being with in-laws and love the food part associated with all rituals...but, don't have much qualms about it...

i admire our elders' blind and strong faith in the religions and rituals too...I believe this

kind of staunch follow of anything will develop one's will power and confidence. Wish i

get that too..

My daughter enjoys all festivals and i have started following all rituals and food part

more heartily now than earlier. THat way am happy. I think this defines our generation - we try to enjoy everything - happy go lucky types

And, Penitia - great...my visit to IIT is locked pucca... aviyal, pradaman - can't resist these !!!

@samyu:

• kumbakkonam has been on our list for sometime now...but now since my father is not well we have taken a break...all of us love to go to temples...for different reasons though


• I was like you di....not a total atheist but with the 'believe in your self' motto but then after my son there are so many incidents where I needed a supreme power to help me out and yes the unexplained questions were answered and faith born yet again !


• yes blind faith is something so difficult to have na....amazing...its total surrender to God and faith


• The food part is always interesting

Nice blog buzzy.but as usual ennaku eduvum periya matterave teriyalai!!!! emotional level avlo dan!! manufacturing defect, onnum panna muidyadu

nalla vishayangal eppovume involuntarya,insticntivea  erukkaradilla buzzy..urupadatha matter dan thanaga varum

Living in a country with such cultural diversity for political reasons we need to tell what religion we belong to. That does not resolve any conflict of reservations but atleast helps to keep it uncomplicated to the level of making it totally unresolvable.

Be happy religion is forced,taught and compeled to beleive. That way we r given a set of rules to live decent,earn honest and show humaneness or remind ourselves of what humaness is.

matha padi...i feel inspite of differences in worship,all faiths underline one basic fact-love,forgiveness.There are similarities too..Om and amen,aadi amavasia and all souls day,baptism and punniyachanam,friday is as important for muslims jus like for hindus...sollite polam...

One unique feature I found in Hindusim is -it tries to solve the root cause for all problems-poverty. we have so many slokas,mantras,temples ,gods and godesses to give us wealth. vayithu pasi pochunna arivu olunga seyal padumnu nambinagalo????but kadavukukke soopera snacks kuduthu correct pannidalamnu ovvaiyar padina  pattu romba interesting.

paalum theli thenum,pagum

paruppum kalandunnaku nan tharuven

kolam sei thunga karimugathu thoo maniye

ne ennaku sangathamizh moondrum thaa..

eppadi comedy? 50 ruba bdugetla sangathamizh mothama vanga try panranga patti!!!!

Hinduism allows the humanbeing to undergo all stages of life-4 ahsramas and evlove slowly within himself,mature to attain enlightment. eduthadum it doesn not force upon higher order thinking of philosohies of life...meduva it goes...brahmacharya,grihasta,vanaprasta....it allows the mind to satisfy itself in each stage,mould the soul step by step,perform duties abiding by all rules and then give oneself totally into reaching god.

Finally,I like to conclude as how I see religion.

• I'm hapy we all are forced into it...ellana makkal maaakkal agi povom!!!


• I'm happy we have so many choices and educational institutions force their faith into the students,living in a secular country we learn that other faiths are no less than ours,develop torlerence for other's beliefs and edayavadu onnyavavadu pudichu urupadalam!!!

hey Thamil - ethuvum matter-a theriyamale ivlo matter ezhudi kalakureengala....

was a nice read....and Ovvai paati budget bargain with Pillaiyaar sooper... very true....

and Today being Ganesh Chathurthi !! Epdi thamil ipdi yellam ......ennavo ponga !!!!

Thanks samyu......ovvaiyar mela romba craze,thiruvilayadal padathil muruganai mirrati koopidara scene appove pidikkum-I shd have been in some 5th or 6th..mandaila kotti koopitu pogada kuraiya mirrati padara madri secene varum"

eru mayil eru,isanidam nadu ,ennudan odi va nee...ettrukolvar,kooti chelven..."

anda "kooti chelven" dan sema interestinga erukkum....muruga kadavulaiaye lkg paiyyan ranguku miratti kootitu pora madri "kooti chelvenu"  amanjadu sema cutea erukkum....appo pidichadu ovvaiayr mela craze.

In Obama's Presidential inauguration, he said, "We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers." So maybe after some decades, there may be an option of "non-believer" in the drop-down box.

I am from a regular temple visiting family (daily basis) but I turned out to be a little different. A lot of questions and then slowly tending towards being an atheist (x -> infinity). But always believing that I should be a good person so there's one less trouble in the world. But when it comes to thinking about my son everything is forgotten. And its like, God take care of him while he's going to school. Please make him come home safely. Otherwise I would be an insane person if I cannot put the responsility on His shoulder.

I had decided not to impose any religion on my son but slowly started celebrating each and every festival as he enjoys it (and the food). When he started knowing about death, the questions were endless. Why, What will happen afterwards and so on. Tried telling him that human being is also like a machine, wlll be unrepairable after some time. But that did not give him any relief. Every night the questions will start. Then one day, I told him that we all go to heaven (based on our deeds). That's it. He was totally satisfied. Ok, so we'll all meet in heaven then. The questions stopped for the time being.

What I feel is religions help us discovering "What is our purpose on Earth" and not worry about "What after death". And lots of answers have been given so that we can concentrate on our daily lives and do our work better. So I would definitely like to read about as many religions and apply the thought.

I hope I've not hurt anyone.

sshanthi...eduku mela saduva oru answer tharave mudiyadu...eppadi oru comment potutu,hope i have not hurt anyonenu vera potrukiye maaaaaaaaaaaaaa.....eppadi ma unnala edu mudiyudu?ne romba nallava maaaaaaaaaa romba nallava....

Thamil, its a very sensitive topic. Iduve nan oru filmstara iranda it will be interpreted in thousand ways and put as Breaking News..... Maybe when I become famous later on, such information can be used, athuku than inda last line.....

Thamil..dont

Btw, ur replies are fascinating...! Ovvaiyar pathi yenakku therinja orey vishayam.."mudhumai varam vaangiyadhu"..I hv many times wished i could simply grow old suddenly like avvaiyar..!

And, indha religion topic - "oru matterey illa"...then buzzyoda hubby topic- athuvum "oru matterey illa"....? Ungalukku yedhu thaan "matter"..??.

seriousa solreengala comedy panreengalane teriyala.....seriousa sonna....best wishes...eppove autogrpah vanginakren....comedyna...edu ungalukke konjam overa teriyala?

edu serious matternu ennake confusion dan...ellarukum chappa mattera teriyaradu ennaku seriousa teriyum,bayapaduven,polambuven..olari kottuven.

ellarukum serious mattera egova seendra vishayam ennaku oraikave oraikadu....konjam kashtam dan ella?