Openly Gay Hindu Man becomes minister (priest) in Firstly, about Unitarian Universalism
It is a liberal religion -- They believe that personal experience, conscience and reason should be the final authorities in religion. They are a "non-creedal" religion: They do not ask anyone to subscribe to a creed.
Now the Hindu Gay Man is Manish Kumar Mishra, aged 35, from
The reason to choose the new religion is - Hinduism renounces homosexuality.
Mishra, who identifies his religion as Hindu, which renounces homosexuality, said the church gave him a religious home.
It is high time Hindu communities discussed about sexual minorities. I feel Hinduism should accommodate sexual minorities. Such people should be given the freedom in sexual matters and the freedom to follow the religion of their choice.
5 comments:
Hmm? Where in Hinduism is homosexuality denounced?
(full disclosure, I'm technically not a hindu, but know enough of hinduism to know that it doesn't condemn homosexuality in general, but only homosexual pedastry).
Hello to all and Namaskarams!!!
I am an openly gay man and a practicing Hindu. I indulge in my religious heritage daily and with gusto. In so doing, I feel no contradiction with my sexual nature.
I have great respect for the Unitarian Church, but have never felt the need to leave Hinduism for it, or for any other faith.
However, I dont blame Mr. Mishra for his choice at all. And anyone who has been confronted with the murderously homophobic harangues of anti-gay activists in India would not blame Mr. Mishra either.
Despite vocal animosity in India against gays, as a Hindu I prefer to "stay with the ship" of my own religious background,... mainly because I do Love so much about Hinduism. But also, in part to remind other Hindus that we gay Hindus DO exist, and that we have existed for centuries.
More importantly, I do feel that there are many venues within the Hindu universe which happily accomodate gay people.
For example, the legendary births of deities like Ayyappan, or heros like Bali and Sugriva, all speak of homoerotic encounters among the gods. There's really no 2 ways around it, that's just how the stories come down to us. And those stories see the homoerotic at least as natural enough for the gods to participate in it.
Additionally, gay people have always played important ceremonial roles in the traditions of deities like AngalaParameshwari, Bahuchariamma, Mariyamma, Vadaku Vasal Celliyamma and BhadraKaaliAmman. In fact, many of the small, wayside temples for these Goddesses have Pujaris that are either Transgender or Gay.
The seasonal festival of Lord Kuthandavar-Aravan in the town of Kuvagam (S. Arcot, Tamil Nadu) has served as something like a rural Gay Pride parade in India. Gay men from all over India come to wed themselves to this deity, who was originally the bride-groom of Lord Vishnu as Mohini.
In sharp contrast even to the more worldly people in India's cities, at least the villagers in Kuvagam have a refreshingly open appreciation of diversity.
Temples like Kuvagam, Kotankulangara and Valliyoorkavu (whose deity is said to have married her sister goddess at Cherukathoorkavu) all speak to the persistence of same-sex love in India's religious heritage. How much that heritage is censored and edited by reactionary elements in India today is another matter.
But the facts remain the same. Like so many other existential realizations, the gay experience is embedded in our stories, our art and in our theological frameworks. Hinduism encompasses many viewpoints: vegetarian, meat-eating, pastoral, urban, forest-dwelling, polytheistic, monotheistic, pan-theistic, -even athiestic-, domestic, itinerant, sexually-indulgent, celibate, contemplative, dionysian, asexual, heterosuxual, and yes, EVEN homosexual.
How can it be otherwise? India has been home to countless multi-cultural, multi-lingual and cosmopolitan societies for millenia. To assume that there had been no openly gay people in all that history is absurd. In fact, gay people have been and continue to be very active contributors to the religious community as a whole, -- a random visit to Mel Malaiyanur might make that clear.
OOPS! I had made a mistake in assuming that Mr. Mishra had left Hinduism for Unitarianism... apparently one does not have to convert to Unitarianism. It seems more like a gathering of various religious perspectives than a dogmatic religion.
Also, I wanted to add one more thing.
I really want to thank Abilash, the original person who posted this blog, for his open and affirmative stance on gays. On behalf of all gay Hindus, both in- and out- of the closet, I want you to know that its greatly appreciated and speaks to a compassionate character. Our struggle is not an easy one.
Thanks!
--peace!
i Agree with Fuzzylogic that it doesn't condemn homosexuality in general, but only homosexual pedastry.....
Thanks Abilash for the post that you provided regarding Hinduism and Homosexuality
Hi, do the christianity does not leave any stone unturned to get people converted. This is dirty. There are millions of HIndus openly declaring homosexuality and no one have stoppen any one. It seems like Church is like one virus destroying the cultural vibrancy of each state and then moving on to other. Africa, India, China and other nations have been victim to this attitude of Church, which I feel is not secualar at all.
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