Ghandi.. vegetarianism

[distracted]

I’ve heard all my life that Ghandi was a great man. Well, I’m sure he was in some ways but all humans are great in some ways… In fact, we are all born 'great"… but yikes… look waht happens after about age 20 or so …

I know i have a lot of nerve to criticize Ghandi but i believe in people knowing the whole truth

I recently read some things that show he had some serious flaws… in my opinion (which for some reason no one seemed to know about… or me anyway… )

for one thing, he was a total fanatic about vegetarianism: He wasn’t a vegan because he drank milk and he even seemed to feel guilty about THAT… weird…

worst of all: He believed that animals were of equal value to humans… !!! That is very weird to me… but maybe it shouldn’t seem so odd in light of the fact that he wasn’t Catholic (?)… He visited the big cathedrals of Europe & commented favorably on the atmosphere inside them… (the Real Presence) but didn’t seem to have much to say beyhond that about Catholicism…

he rejected Christ. The excuse he gave that Christains turned him off of Christianity seems like just that: an excuse…

God knows…

To me his life story shows what all life stories show: How much we need Jesus to show us about God and his perfect wil… how lost we are without him…

IMHO

 

[jjdrury81]

It seems like your understanding of Gandhi is skewed.

I highly recommend reading his autobiography for an accurate portrayal of his thoughts on vegetarianism, Christ, god and animals.

 

[distracted]

well that’s interesting… considering that his autobiography is where i got the info…

stright from the horse’s mouth…

 

[distracted]

Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life…

Ghandi claimed to love truth and i am sure he did… We all do… when it suits us…

Ok, couldn’t help it…

but in any case… If he was invincibly ignorant that Jesus was for real … that’s one thing…

but we Christians cannot say he was “great” since he did reject Jesus…

he knew Catholic people (or course)… so i don’t understand why the lack of interest in Cathlicism… at least as far as what i have read…

i will definitely read on… but so far…

 

[distracted]

i heard this story about a guy who was traveling with his young son (about age 5). His son fell asleep in the back seat but after awhile, suddenly woke up and startled his father by saying something rather profound (as children often do):

He said: “Dad… i know why people don’t believe in God. Its because they think they ARE God.”

How does any of us know that this was the case (more/less) with Ghandi… or anyone, for that matter? Human beings have egos… and want to be special and the unconscious mind is a powerful thing that controls us much of the time…

Maybe (and remember i am saying MAYBE) Ghandi didn’t accept Christ because he wanted to think he was some kind of messiah himself?

it’s possible…

just speculating …

When searching for truth we should questions things…

 

[Sarabande]

I don’t know a lot about Ghandi, but what I do know of him, he seemed to be a better man than most - whether or not they were Christians. When I look at “great” people - christians, bhuddists, hindus, jews, etc. I always view them with the eye that they are still humans. All humans have flaws, no matter how perfect they may seem. To totally disregard them because of certain flaws doesn’t seem right to me. People do that with religious people, especially, all the time. They find a few things bad about them and then totally disregard them because of it.

I don’t think I’d want to speculate that Ghandi thought of himself as a god/messiah. It wouldn’t be fair, unless there was actual evidence of him really believing that. I also don’t think there is anything wrong with calling a non-Christian “great”. There have been “great” people in history who did wonderful things and weren’t Christian. Their ‘greatness’ can be admired and maybe even copied, especially if the acts were good. It doesn’t mean we have to accept everything that person believed in. I’m sure there are many non-Christians who admire Mother Teresa and her great acts of kindness and mercy to her fellow brothers and sisters.

Yes, perhaps Ghandi was wrong to be turned off to Christianity because of other Christians, but we have to see where he was coming from and how many of the “Christians” treated the people in India. It doesn’t make him right for believing what he did, but I can also understand why he would have felt that way.

In his regards to seeing animals equal to humans, although I don’t believe in that, I also don’t particularly see anything inherently evil or wrong about it. He respected all life (unless he believed that abortion was right) albeit, equally, but why is that so incredibly wrong? I’ve known people who though abortion was ok, but God forbid you put an animal down or go hunting. I find that skewed. Although, if a person was both equally against abortion and hunting or whatever, I’d actually respect that.

Anyway, these are just thoughts.

 

[RebeccaJ]

Gandhi was Hindu. What you are describing is a part of the faith into which he was born. So no, he was not Catholic or Christian, or perfect, he followed his religious/spiritual beliefs. More so than many, I’d say.

 

[distracted]

I . To totally disregard them because of certain flaws doesn’t seem right to me. People do that with religious people, especially, all the time. They find a few things bad about them and then totally disregard them because of it.

i totally agree… I am not disregarding him entirely… i just don’t like the fact that he not only rejected Christ but may not have investigated his claims/His Church very much before rejecting him… I’m still reading… but so far…

Yes, perhaps Ghandi was wrong to be turned off to Christianity because of other Christians, but we have to see where he was coming from and how many of the “Christians” treated the people in India. It doesn’t make him right for believing what he did, but I can also understand why he would have felt that way.

well, he was supposed to have been interested instudying all religiohns… so far, i don’t see that he studied Christianity… it seems (from what i’ve read so far) that he didn’t ever read the bible, or certainly not much of it… How can you recject something you don’t know?? Of course, i reject mormonism based on waht i know of it and have not read all their writings… and don’t plan to because i have found the the Truth… Ghandi could have had the same though… that he had already found truth… and yet so far, it seems he does not say that… that he is happy w/ “his” religion… which no one ever knew wht it was… he (so far ) doesn’ seem to have a set belief about much of anything… he seems to have only his own thoughts… & we all know how untrustworthy THOSE can be…

In his regards to seeing animals equal to humans, although I don’t believe in that, I also don’t particularly see anything inherently evil or wrong about it. He respected all life (unless he believed that abortion was right) albeit, equally, but why is that so incredibly wrong? I’ve known people who though abortion was ok, but God forbid you put an animal down or go hunting. I find that skewed. Although, if a person was both equally against abortion and hunting or whatever, I’d actually respect that.

.

human life and animal life are not equal and frankly, I do NOT respect that idea that they are… i respect a person’s right to have that belief, but not the belief itself, really… because one can see (i would think() that there is a big difference… and all societies have had stronger punishments for killing a human than killing an animall… it is a universal law (held by all societies) that killing humans is far more wrong than killing animals… and animals have been killed for food for centuries by virtually every society that ever was…

 

[distracted]

Gandhi was Hindu. What you are describing is a part of the faith into which he was born. So no, he was not Catholic or Christian, or perfect, he followed his religious/spiritual beliefs. More so than many, I’d say.

no one knows this… although we can surmise all day…

i hope he did follow his conscience… Obviously, he did on certain things…but maybe this indicates about as clearly as antyhing our need for the Church… our need for Christ… because w/o him we are… we just can’t find absolute truth… every day/ every way…

or maybe it would take several lifetimes of trial and error to figure out what God has revealedto us and franklky, even if a person was given that much time to figure things out, i say he never would… and that’s why God sent us Christ and his Church…

i can only understand rejecting the idea of Chrsitianity if one doesn’t know anything about it. But Ghandi knew something abaout it…

anyway… God in Heaven knows where he was “at” concerning Christianity… all i know is that… we all have to face Objective Truth when we die so it behooves us to try to find that here and now…

 

[distracted]

i think it is in Genesis 6 where God says that He gives us all the living creatures for food…

so i dont get this vegetarian thing… very unhealthy.

there is a psg in the Bible (Proverbs?) that says it is a shame for a man not to live to be 100…

and there’s no way you can live that long being a vegan… Most vegans don’t live to be 70…