# I wish there were more Hindus on this board to talkw ith, debate with
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-there-were-more-hindus-on-this-board-to-talkw-ith-debate-with/307992
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [June 12, 2005, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-there-were-more-hindus-on-this-board-to-talkw-ith-debate-with/307992 "2005-06-12T19:38:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2005, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-there-were-more-hindus-on-this-board-to-talkw-ith-debate-with/307992/1 "2005-06-12T19:38:36Z")
This is totally Mundane & Pointless, but all the religion debates in GD seem to center about the three major ones: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. How cool would it be if we had a regular contingent of Hindus/Buddhists/ and any other Eastern religions to debate & discuss?
Would it be possible to create such a thing, I wonder? It seems not, since the few times I have started a thread on anything remotely Hindu I get a handful of responses and then it dies on the vine. I’m not complaining about my threads dying, just wish there was more & varied responses on the boards.
Ah well. Wish in one hand & shit in the other and see which one gets filled first!
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### Author:  [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2005, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-there-were-more-hindus-on-this-board-to-talkw-ith-debate-with/307992/2 "2005-06-12T22:34:05Z")
I, for one, would also enjoy seeing more from people who’s beliefs are so unfamiliar to me. Alas, I can’t help you **Anaamika**.
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### Author:  [@sunfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunfish)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2005, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-there-were-more-hindus-on-this-board-to-talkw-ith-debate-with/307992/3 "2005-06-12T22:46:05Z")
You need to head on over to Beliefnet. There are a whole host of religious discussions going on there, including a number on [Hinduism](http://beliefnet.com/boards/boards_main.AllCategories.asp?Category=47). The discussion isn’t necessarily fast-paced, but I’ve found the place to be very educational on the whole.
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2005, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-there-were-more-hindus-on-this-board-to-talkw-ith-debate-with/307992/4 "2005-06-12T22:57:54Z")
> [@Anaamika](#):
>
> This is totally Mundane & Pointless, but all the religion debates in GD seem to center about the three major ones: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. How cool would it be if we had a regular contingent of Hindus/Buddhists/ and any other Eastern religions to debate & discuss?
>
> Would it be possible to create such a thing, I wonder? It seems not, since the few times I have started a thread on anything remotely Hindu I get a handful of responses and then it dies on the vine. I’m not complaining about my threads dying, just wish there was more & varied responses on the boards.
>
> Ah well. Wish in one hand & shit in the other and see which one gets filled first!
Would starting a Thread to help we non-believers help?
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2005, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-there-were-more-hindus-on-this-board-to-talkw-ith-debate-with/307992/5 "2005-06-12T22:59:37Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#):
>
> Would starting a Thread to help we non-believers help?
I mean, help us understand your Faith.
I admit my own knowledge of it is poor.
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### Author:  [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2005, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-there-were-more-hindus-on-this-board-to-talkw-ith-debate-with/307992/6 "2005-06-12T23:40:07Z")
I could try! I never thought of that. Perhaps I’ll do that Monday morning (start a thread).
Thanks for the link, I’ll check it out, but I like the Dope best. 🙂
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### Author:  [@CateAyo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CateAyo)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-there-were-more-hindus-on-this-board-to-talkw-ith-debate-with/307992/7 "2005-06-13T00:12:28Z")
Anaamika,
I ahev a friend who is a Vedic Monk as well as a sociologist. Perhaps I should email her and ask her to join the Boards. Would she be of use to your discussions?
Hawk
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### Author:  [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-there-were-more-hindus-on-this-board-to-talkw-ith-debate-with/307992/8 "2005-06-13T00:54:04Z")
Hawk,
I’d love to have your friend join but for any reason, honestly, aren’t we always looking for new blood?
Anyway, I will try a thread tomorrow as I said…perhaps it’ll flush some people out of the woodwork. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Aankh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aankh)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-there-were-more-hindus-on-this-board-to-talkw-ith-debate-with/307992/9 "2005-06-13T00:58:28Z")
> [@Anaamika](#):
>
> This is totally Mundane & Pointless, but all the religion debates in GD seem to center about the three major ones: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. How cool would it be if we had a regular contingent of Hindus/Buddhists/ and any other Eastern religions to debate & discuss?
The average Indian internet user you’re going to bump into on these boards is a young yuppie-type. I don’t mean to be insulting, but we yuppie types probably know as much about Hindu philosophy as did Brer Rabbit. The only sections of Hindu belief that most of us are familiar with are the _Ramayana_ and the _Mahabharata_, and those only to the extent that the _Doordarshan_ Sunday serials handled them. We know nothing about the _Vedas_ or the _Upanishads_, nothing about _Yoga dharma_, and the absolute barest minimum about the _Gita_. Deplorable, yes, but true.
In sum, it’s unlikely you’re going to find significant debate about Hinduism here. Better to go to a forum that specialises in the topic.
That said, there are some posters whose input I never fail to read when the topics do come up. **Gyan** is one of them - the rare young Indian who seems to know what he’s talking about (when it comes to the deeper Hindu philosophies, anyway). **Kimstu** , **Johanna** and **Tamerlane** are also posters who have contributed notably in past threads. I am not sure how well-read any of these people are about Hinduim, but any time they’ve said something in a thread about the topic, their posts have been pertinent, credible, factually correct, and insightful. They’ve fought my ignorance on more occasion than one, for which I am truly grateful.
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### Author:  [@hawkeyejo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawkeyejo)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-there-were-more-hindus-on-this-board-to-talkw-ith-debate-with/307992/10 "2005-06-13T00:58:40Z")
I’m hindu…I think.
–Hawk
…and stop stealing my name :dubious:
sniff, sniff
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### Author:  [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-there-were-more-hindus-on-this-board-to-talkw-ith-debate-with/307992/11 "2005-06-13T01:03:34Z")
> [@aankh](#):
>
> The average Indian internet user you’re going to bump into on these boards is a young yuppie-type. I don’t mean to be insulting, but we yuppie types probably know as much about Hindu philosophy as did Brer Rabbit.
I have a good friend who is Indian and is the opposite of the above description, and is _Jain_. I’ll invite her to join and to contribute her personal, and Jain, perspective to whatever topics interest her.
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### Author:  [@CateAyo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CateAyo)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-there-were-more-hindus-on-this-board-to-talkw-ith-debate-with/307992/12 "2005-06-13T02:19:08Z")
> [@hawkeyejo](#):
>
> I’m hindu…I think.
> –Hawk
>
> …and stop stealing my name :dubious:
> sniff, sniff
It was mine before it was yours. But we can share.
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### Author:  [@Sarah\_Woodruff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarah_Woodruff)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-there-were-more-hindus-on-this-board-to-talkw-ith-debate-with/307992/13 "2005-06-13T04:07:49Z")
> [@Anaamika](#):
>
> This is totally Mundane & Pointless, but all the religion debates in GD seem to center about the three major ones: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. How cool would it be if we had a regular contingent of Hindus/Buddhists/ and any other Eastern religions to debate & discuss?
I never thought about it before, but I see what you mean. I would be interested too. I’m not a Hindu, but I’ve been exposed to a bit of the religious culture of Hinduism. I find it a fascinating topic.
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### Author:  [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-there-were-more-hindus-on-this-board-to-talkw-ith-debate-with/307992/14 "2005-06-13T06:58:27Z")
> [@aankh](#):
>
> The average Indian internet user you’re going to bump into on these boards is a young yuppie-type. I don’t mean to be insulting, but we yuppie types probably know as much about Hindu philosophy as did Brer Rabbit.
And in my case, even less.
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### Author:  [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-there-were-more-hindus-on-this-board-to-talkw-ith-debate-with/307992/15 "2005-06-13T12:47:35Z")
> [@aankh](#):
>
> The average Indian internet user you’re going to bump into on these boards is a young yuppie-type. . We know nothing about the _Vedas_ or the _Upanishads_, nothing about _Yoga dharma_, and the absolute barest minimum about the _Gita_. Deplorable, yes, but true.
>
> In sum, it’s unlikely you’re going to find significant debate about Hinduism here. Better to go to a forum that specialises in the topic.
>
> . They’ve fought my ignorance on more occasion than one, for which I am truly grateful.
These three lines don’t compute.
On one line you imply most yuppies know nothing about Hinduism.
Then you say it’s pointless to even try!
Then you say you enjoyed having your ignorance fought.
So why is it anathema to even try? I don’t understand this attitude, I really don’t. “We don’t know anything, so don’t even bother trying. Go somewhere else.”
I don’t get it.
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### Author:  [@hawkeyejo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawkeyejo)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-there-were-more-hindus-on-this-board-to-talkw-ith-debate-with/307992/16 "2005-06-13T16:03:54Z")
> [@Anaamika](#):
>
> These three lines don’t compute.
>
> On one line you imply most yuppies know nothing about Hinduism.
> Then you say it’s pointless to even try!
> Then you say you enjoyed having your ignorance fought.
>
> So why is it anathema to even try? I don’t understand this attitude, I really don’t. “We don’t know anything, so don’t even bother trying. Go somewhere else.”
>
> I don’t get it.
I am not a yuppie at all. Hence, I must know a lot about Hinduism. (QED and all)
I will generously impart my wisdom in all matters philosophical in any thread pertaining to Hinduism, should you choose to start one.
As far as the religious aspects of Hinduism, I’m afraid I am quite yuppyish in that regard.
And naturally I will contribute my good looks and charm to the thread as well. (Goes without saying, huh).
See you on the other side.
–H
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### Author:  [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-there-were-more-hindus-on-this-board-to-talkw-ith-debate-with/307992/17 "2005-06-13T16:11:29Z")
Well, perhaps I’ll start a thread on the MahaBharat, since that is really what I wished to discuss.
Honestly, I’d love to have an episode-by-episode discussion on it. But there’s no other place that discusses things quite like here, with the same clarity of vision. [Belief.Net](http://Belief.Net) is comprised of people who believe in God. It’s really hard to debate/discuss with someone who thinks the answer to a fascinating, in-depth question like:
Why, when Krishna was born on this Earth, was it necesary for him to have an older brother?
is:
Because he’s God and he felt like he needed one.
Sigh. The answer should be, IMO,
1. To show the proper way to show respect & reverence to your elder brother
2. That elders are not always right
3. And the respectful way to disagree with them when they’re not.
Just an example.
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### Author:  [@hawkeyejo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawkeyejo)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-there-were-more-hindus-on-this-board-to-talkw-ith-debate-with/307992/18 "2005-06-13T17:59:23Z")
> [@Anaamika](#):
>
> Well, perhaps I’ll start a thread on the MahaBharat, since that is really what I wished to discuss.
>
> Honestly, I’d love to have an episode-by-episode discussion on it. But there’s no other place that discusses things quite like here, with the same clarity of vision. [Belief.Net](http://Belief.Net) is comprised of people who believe in God. It’s really hard to debate/discuss with someone who thinks the answer to a fascinating, in-depth question like:
>
> Why, when Krishna was born on this Earth, was it necesary for him to have an older brother?
>
> is:
>
> Because he’s God and he felt like he needed one.
>
> Sigh. The answer should be, IMO,
>
> 1. To show the proper way to show respect & reverence to your elder brother
> 2. That elders are not always right
> 3. And the respectful way to disagree with them when they’re not.
>
> Just an example.
IMHO it would be better to discuss the _actual_ Mahabharat, rather than B.R. Chopra’s version of it. The text can be found at [http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/maha/](http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/maha/).
I cannot vouch for the exactness of the translation, neither can I verify it because I opted for German as my elective language in school instead of Sanskrit.
Happy reading.
Case in point, the story of Krishna itself is not part of the Mahabharat (I think). It was probably put in there because of its popularity. Artistic license - I have exercised it many times myself.
[http://bhagavata-purana.puranas.org/](http://bhagavata-purana.puranas.org/)
The bhagvat puran describes Krishna’s story.
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### Author:  [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-there-were-more-hindus-on-this-board-to-talkw-ith-debate-with/307992/19 "2005-06-13T18:08:31Z")
I’ll be back. This could take a while. I \*have \* read the Mahabharat in a book, but I have no clue if this is the version I read or not. Let me finish downloading, and will take a look.
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### Author:  [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-there-were-more-hindus-on-this-board-to-talkw-ith-debate-with/307992/20 "2005-06-13T19:41:25Z")
Oh, I am **so** subscribing to this thread. The chance of reading some comparative-religion dialogues that may not actually spiral down into one-upmanship and name calling? Outstanding!
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