# Hindu to Congress! **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 7, 2012, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199 "2012-11-07T12:09:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/81 "2012-11-13T14:48:55Z")
Bizarre? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/82 "2012-11-13T14:54:32Z")
Yeah. I mean, we don’t have a tradition of taking oaths over the Gita. It’s like putting up a Diwali tree. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/83 "2012-11-13T14:56:03Z")
There’s nothing traditional about Hare Krishnas anyway. They treat the Gita as the Hindu equivalent of the Bible, and in traditional Hinduism there’s no single text that has the exalted status of the Bible in Christianity. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/84 "2012-11-13T15:02:09Z")
That’s my whole point. It does make a bit more sense if Hare Krishnas treat the Gita as a Hindu bible for _everything_, though. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/85 "2012-11-13T16:10:08Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > I imagine what he likes is that in this country people can be elected to political office regardless of their religious beliefs–that “the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mahometan, the Hindoo, and Infidel of every denomination” are all equally American and equally free. (The quote is from [Thomas Jefferson in 1821](http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/amendI_religions45.html), referring to his [Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Statute_for_Religious_Freedom).) > [@Colibri](#): > > How many members of Congress are Infidels? All of them, depending on who’s doing the describing. “Infidel” just means “not faithful to _my_ religious viewpoint.” So from the point of view of Keith Ellison, all non-Muslims are infidels. And from the point of view of, say, Rick Santorum, Ellison is. Which pretty much covers them all. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/86 "2012-11-13T16:30:51Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Actually, I believe Anton Szandor LaVey called Satanism “Objectivism with mysticism added.” So, nearer to Libertarians than Dems. I take your point (and find it rather snarkily tasty), but I’m uncomfortable about endorsing anything that troll says about his own motivations. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/87 "2012-11-13T16:38:11Z")
LaVey was a troll? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/88 "2012-11-13T17:22:56Z")
Hm. If elected to office, maybe I should swear on a book by Ambrose Bierce or something. But I prefer to affirm. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/89 "2012-11-13T18:52:30Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Wikipedia says she’s a Vishnaivist. Similar maybe, but not quite the same group?When we get a Shaivist in Congress, maybe? I think crazy Shaivists are a subcontinental thing. It would be nice if a Kali worshipper went into government, but don’t hold your breath. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/90 "2012-11-13T20:03:24Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Wikipedia says she’s a Vishnaivist. Similar maybe, but not quite the same group? “Vaishnavist” merely means “worshipper of Vishnu.” All Krishna-worshippers are Vaishnavists, because Krishna is considered an avatar of Vishnu. So, the Hare Krishnas are Vaishnavists by definition. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/91 "2012-11-17T01:36:52Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > LaVey was a troll? Can you think of another reason for someone who rejects the existence of the Abrahamic monotheistic “God” naming his religion after the traditionally accepted arch-nemesis of said deity? He’s trying to get a rise out of the dominant religionists in the culture. Pretty much the definition of a troll. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/92 "2012-12-04T05:15:26Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > I was going to suggest a Satanist, but I don’t think we’d be able to tell the difference between that and an extreme dyed in the wool liberal Democrat kook Huh? From what I know of Satanism, it’s rather close to Objectivism, except with a much stronger anti-religious bent. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/93 "2012-12-07T16:27:19Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Yeah. I mean, we don’t have a tradition of taking oaths over the Gita. It’s like putting up a Diwali tree. If this [article](http://in.news.yahoo.com/myth-gita-court-213710916.html)is correct it \*\*is \*\*a tradition going back to Mughal times and earlier but not current practice in Indian courts. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/94 "2012-12-07T18:01:39Z")
Huh. Interesting. Thanks for that. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/95 "2012-12-24T15:44:02Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Her name is Tulsi Gabbard, not Gabbard Tulsi. .order backwards in goes that name Hungarian a not is It Edit: But once I did meet a Hare Krsna couple who had just immigrated from Hungary. I wonder if they had their Sanskrit names on backwards too? ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/96 "2012-12-24T15:50:54Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > So, you elected someone without considering (or at least irrespective of) her religious affiliation. How novel. [Cookies](http://assets.kaboose.com/media/00/00/17/e0/b532a027944b14f63233615b46fc91574980721d/476x357/Food-Channel-Recipes-photo-475-pr-Kimmie-Cookies_476x357.jpg) for everybody! (in her district) ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/97 "2012-12-24T22:40:10Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Gabbard’s family isn’t actually from Asia, though; she is of Samoan descent. She’s a Hindu by dint of her mother, who converted as an adult. Oh God, not a child of hippies! First we elected that guy with the beatnik mom then the floodgates opened. :eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199.md?page=4)