Saturday, December 25, 2010

The Great Hijackings.




The first recorded aircraft hijack took place on February 21, 1931, in Peru. People do not speak about hijacking at sea as it is perhaps less glamorous.
Usurpation has had happened in various forms in societies ,as early as from the dawn of social living. And the most cunning are the hijacking of great masters who threw light into our mangled messy living.

It is Xmas time and my mobile phone and Gmail have been often notified with good wishes for a merry Xmas and the wishes of good tidings for the ensuing New Year.
Good to know people care!
The fascination with Blogging sends me every morning, first routine, after bed to the computer and the Blog. There were a few blogs from blogging associates reminding of Xmas and conveying their wishes. But unfortunately and disturbingly there was a post which sort of hijacked Xmas and Jesus Christ. And as a consolation, threw a Buddha at us, Indians .In any case Siddhartha was from Nepal and less Indian, in terms of political and social definitions.

Hijacking has always happened in matters of great thinkers and masters, whether they be, mythical or historical characters. Christ, Rama, Buddha, Mahaveera, Shankara, Socrates, and even recently the venerable Narayana Guru have been hijacked and sequestered by vested institutionalized interests.

Can anyone tell without bating an eyelid that Jesus Christ as we know him is an exclusive private merchandise of the institutionalized Church? When someone claims so, it is gross irreverence to the person called Jesus Christ and his philosophy. The great thinkers were and are never any ones private possession. They cannot be possessed by a sect, religion, region or country. The teachings of Buddha and the thoughts of Socrates transcend eons and generations. The dharma and purpose of the life of a King that Sree Rama extolled even at the dire expense of his dear wife cannot be glorified to be the culture of one sect or religion. His life, mythical though conveyed a message to the whole world at large. To claim the gift of such thoughts and  messages meant for the whole of  humanity as exclusively patented or of copyright to a section is ridiculous, outrageous and outlandish. Such thoughts tell one’s pettiness and myopia.

"Father they know not what they say”!

The birth of Christ and its commemoration is a universal celebration, because his exhortation and teachings were meant for the whole of humanity, and not for the stretch of land in Palestine , or self proclaimed Christians. The philosophy of “ahimsa” or non violence, the moral creed of Satyagraha conveyed by Mahatma Gandhi are not to be confined to a few Indians, it has universal relevance.

If a patron of another faith, let him be a Hindu a Muslim, a Jew a Buddhist a commie or an anarchist feels and states that the teachings and philosophy of Jesus is alien and hence wrong and harmful, or is an exclusive merchandise to be pedaled by a particular group, he or she is widely proclaiming his/her impetuosity and retarded development of their brain.It is unfortunately our shortcoming and limitation that we cannot see teachings of great masters as all encompassing and universal, touching each and every facets of life, transcending continents.

There are also claims on this Xmas day that the lands in Africa, America and Asia were resurrected and civilized from barbarism by the advent of Christianity. A grossly mediocre statement lacking in knowledge of history! To claim that the native Indians were more barbaric than the church going Europeans is the unkindest cut of all. The inquisition, the purge into the Americas , the expeditions of Christian missionaries into the unchartered lands of Africa by the connivance of the official Roman and Spanish Church only decimated and eliminated the ethnic cultures , traditions , pagan life styles and systems of the natives. The most brutal of conversions took place in the Americas by the Spanish and that was in total variance with what Christ stood for.Remember, those  few  fisher folks became his apostles, his disciples out of their volition and not enticement, lure or brutal force.

And it is a shame to dedicate in the memory of Christ ,the mayhem unleashed on the native populace to purportedly civilize them, and to remind us of those horrendous acts on this Xmas day, is injustice and unchristian.

Xmas is not for the Church alone!



15 comments:

Balachandran V said...

Whew! It must be the Climate Change, I've never felt December 25th to be so hot! ;)

anilkurup59 said...

@ Balan,

Such observations can melt the ice of the poles too.

SM said...

intelligent observations
people are even afraid to talk this and discuss
in such way

Insignia said...

Very interesting. Its all for convenience; the truth manipulated and distorted.

I just want to add few extended views here; if you may permit.

If idol worship is pagan; what about the use of evergreen as Christmas tree? The star? Why do some section prefer to call it "holidays" than Christmas season. Its all for convenience again.

These very people dont want to isolate believers of other faiths and end up losing businesses they otherwise gain by selling goods and merchandise.

How many know that Coca Cola introduced "Sinterklaas" as Santa Claus during early 30s to boost their sales during winter? They were the ones who gave him his Red costume and a belly as well.

If Pepsi had its way, maybe we would be seeing Sinterklaas with blue dress!!

anilkurup59 said...

@sm

Yes you are right not many people appreciate or want to talk about truths that will prove them wrong. The responses to many such postings on the Blog that carries similar subject as this , in itself is telling.

anilkurup59 said...

@ insignia,
Yes your points are very relevant.
The business of Xmas, onnam and many such festivities with religious and cultural connotations are purely out of commercial thinking.
And as for deriding pagan worships the Church themselves are icon oriented.
But the outrageous comment is that if not for Christianity the lands in Africa, America and Asia would still be barbaric.The comment and thinking is of minds that are senile, closed and stupid.It is denying history.

deeps said...

That’s a hijacking thought for Christmas….
I have never come across anyone who claims that jesus is a catholic church property… if there are such people it only shows their narrow mindedness…
I m glad that in our locality, all the festival are celebrated by people of all faith… no barriers whatsoever…

I believe such celebrations should unite us not be a cause for tension and violence…

Jesus’ call to follow him is simple and straightforward: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
There is no touch of Proselytism involved…

kaalpanique said...

right said. symbolism is there in every religion. most people find it easier to adhere to symbols/idols in order to walk on the siritual path. sri sri ravi shanker famously said that spirituality is the banana and the peel is the religion. we have to go beyond religion.

bchowla said...

This is my first visit here.Very impressive posts you have.

anilkurup59 said...

@ deeps,

You got it wrong. Bigotry and claiming the legacy of great thinkers and masters are now a fad of many.
Petty people with mediocre brain development but claims to be the walking encyclopaedia and assert ridiculous statements .

anilkurup59 said...

@ kaalpanique,
What is your perception on 'spirituality'?
Icons or no icons great men are as like what Balan said are free soft wares with universal appeal. To claim them as private is like eating the peel and leaving the banana.

anilkurup59 said...

@ bchowla,
Thank you Sir for the visit and comments., I will certainly appreciate your comments and constructive criticism.

deeps said...

i thought i didnt say anything about anyone's claiming the legacy of some great thinkers...
anyways..


happy new year

dr.antony said...

Paul said in Col.2:8 "Beware lest MEN spoil you through their philosophies, vain deceit and traditions after the rudiments of this world, which are not after Christ".
A bad tree can not bear good fruit...HIS WORDS, not mine.

No where EVER recorded in the Holy Writ of God will you ever find this observation called Christmas.It is good to remember Christ,celebrations on His name is debatable.

And then who is a Christian? Come on,most of us are simply born in to families bearing some religious names,and then call ourselves Christians and Hindus !If you follow His teachings,no one in the present church would fit in.All will be outcasts.Others have excuses,because they are lucky,having not known him and not been given the Book !

anilkurup59 said...

@ dr antony, Paul had foresight . And my post was triggered by a post that Paul might have feared would appear in the Blogdom