Gee Dad, God can be worshiped in so many ways!.

GEE DAD, GOD CAN BE WORSHIPED IN SO MANY WAYS. LESSONS IN PLURALISM

I am pleased to share the wisdom of a seven year old girl, my daughter. Who wants to raise their child as a bigot? Some of us recklessly do.

When we hear hate spout out of the mouths of men and women in politics or religion against Jews, Muslims, Christians, Atheists, Hindus, Blacks, Mormons, Gays and Lesbians, Hispanics or Immigrants, we just shake our heads with disbelief, that is of course, if we are not bigots ourselves.

I must give credit to face book, a great equalizer for humanity. Even though the hate mongers and bigots don't survive on the face book, they still continue to rant with a few or no friends liking their hate material. They still don't get the message - hate is not natural. .

When she was visiting the Baptist Church, as a father, I just advised her, if the Pastor by any chance denigrates other faiths, he is not being truthful and you don't need to listen to him. She was around 9 then, and argued with me, a part of our routine to argue as equals, "Dad, if he does not say bad things about other religions, why would people to go his Church when they can go somewhere else? I know it, don't worry Dad, I won't hate anyone".

I took my kids to every place of worship, so they were raised with familiarity of fellow humans with no bigotry towards others. At each place of worship, I would summarize to her what they were saying…over the years, I learned that, all she wanted to hear, a six year old, was a simplified version of the talk. I had gotten it down well - a standard reply - "Sweetie, they are telling that we must thank God, that God gives us life, ability to breath and live…" Mind you, I was an atheist then, but not anti-religious.

One day, we were in DFW Hindu Temple joining the group singing Bhajans (Chanting) in the sanctuary. In the middle of a Bhajan, she leans over me, and asks the standard question, "Dad, what are they singing"… out came my standard reply. To that, oblivious to the crowd, she gets up, and throws her hands up in the air, and cheerfully announces "Gee Dad, God can be worshiped in so many ways" to the amazement of the devotees!

That, my friends is pluralism. "Respecting the otherness of others." Thank God she ain't a bigot today. She is a rationalist and would question any one's ill-will or hate towards the other. If nothing else in my life, I have feel good about raising my kids with no bigotry. Like me, she would defend any faith, we won't let any one put down a faith, any faith - individuals yes, but not their faith.

I am writing a fuller article with Religion News with a few more anecdotes with my daughter. Meanwhile, enjoy this.
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Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in Standing up for others and a book with the same title is coming up. Mike has a strong presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work through many links.
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Google Search for Mike Ghouse

My curiosity led me go from one search to the other, 
and here are the results as of 1:30 PM on May 20, 2013.

mike ghouse Christianity - 362,000

mike ghouse judaism  - 281,000

mike ghouse buddhism - 181,000

mike ghouse sikhism - 126,000

mike ghouse jainism - 85,800

mike ghouse bahai - 73,600

mike ghouse islam - 64,300

mike ghouse Native americans - 55,400

mike ghouse zoroastrianism - 35,400

mike ghouse hinduism - 35,200

mike ghouse wicca - 34,400

mike ghouse pluralism - 21,300

mike ghouse interfaith - 20,000

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mike ghouse sunni - 189,000

mike ghouse shia - 163,000

mike ghouse ahmadiyya - 115,000
mike ghouse ismailia - 107,000

mike ghouse wahhabi- 64,000

mike ghouse bohra - 12,100

mike ghouse wd muhammad - 5,560

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mike ghouse muslim speaker - 30,100

mike ghouse islamic speaker - 30,100

mike ghouse plualism speaker - 13,200

mike ghouse interfaith speaker - 12,600

mike ghouse indian speaker - 27, 400

 

Mike Ghouse

India Proud

For years, we have seen India presented in incomplete, broken and fragmented pieces. It is time to present India as one nation, we need to talk, act and shape India as one nation, we must include every Indian when we talk about India in general, and exclusion of any one must be considered unpatriotic and looked with disdain. As Indians,  we must commit ourselves and on our part to look, talk one India, respecting its pluralistic sabhyata.

I have seen several versions of power points about India in the last decade... where Jain contribution was completely ignored when it came to temples of India,  Zoroastrians were not even mentioned when industrial progress of India was talked about, a few failed to mention Shahid Bhagat Singh in the array of freedom fighters... or when it came to founders of our nation the pictures of Abul Kalam Azad and Ambedkar were missing in our buildings. We ignore Atheists, they are a significant part of India... whatever category we highlight, at least list the major contributors.    

When we say we are Indians, we must take pride in knowing a little bit about India and fellow Indians, and we must challenge ourselves to know at least 3 best things about fellow Indians in any category, be it religious, linguistic, cultural or ethnicity. 

Granted, we cannot list everything about India in a snap shot,  but at least most of India and Indians must be represented in the category we are presenting.  I was sick of seeing a broken India in every damned presentation. 

We are one nation, collectively known as Indians; born in many shapes, races, ethnicities, and religious traditions. We speak several languages, eat a variety of foods, and are represented by multiple cultures and infinite religious traditions.

Let everyone live his life as he or she wishes, let us eat, drink, breathe, wear or believe whatever we want.  Let India remain a free nation of the people who live and let others live their lives.

Collectively, we see God as one, none and many; we see God as male, female  and genderless; we see God as he, she or it; existent and non-existent; being  and non-being, nameless and with innumerable names. 

Together as Indians,  we must commit ourselves to preserve the pluralistic heritage of India.  

Mike Ghouse is committed to do his share of contribution in building a cohesive India, his motherland, where no Indian has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of the other.

http://MikeGhouseforIndia.blogspot.com
www.MikeGhouse.net

A tribute to Jesus

A tribute to Jesus on this Christmas;

What does it mean to be religious?

Mike Ghouse

This column is dedicated to Rev. Petra Weldes of the Center for Spiritual Living in Dallas. Some of my conversation with her inspired me to write this tribute to Jesus and what it means to be religious.

Continued: http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2009/12/tribute-to-jesus.html

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