OrthodoxChristianity.net
Moderated Forums => Free-For-All => Religious Topics => Topic started by: Jetavan on December 13, 2011, 01:48:18 AM
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Chaplain Dharm grew up in the cosmopolitan cities of modern India (http://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=5234), in landscapes dotted with temples, churches, gurudwaras and mosques.
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"Of course, we were raised as Hindus, but never did I hear a conversation at home, even when I was a young child, that was against any religion. My parents would always encourage me to ask questions about God, and find God for myself through family discussions."
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To become a chaplain in the army, one must have formal training, usually in a seminary, and endorsement by an authorized religious institution. When Dharm decided to prepare for the chaplaincy, there was no authorized Hindu body--and there are still no seminaries which offer a degree in Hinduism. Dharm received her initial training, therefore, in a Protestant seminary, and she was first endorsed by the Pentecostal Church of God. She underwent baptism and wore the service badge of a Christian chaplain, even though she is a Hindu. There were no other options available; hence this unusual route.
"All the Hindu studies that I did were on my own. I gained experience by working in the temples and, of course, growing up in India," she says. "There was no other opportunity. Even now, I don't think there is any seminary in the Western world that offers Hindu studies or offers Sanskrit as a language. They offer Hebrew, German, Latin and Greek, but they do not offer any of the Indian languages."
While working at Walter Reed Medical Hospital, Dharm finally found a Hindu institution authorized by the military to endorse someone for the chaplaincy: Chinmaya Mission West, the first Hindu organization to receive recognition as an endorsing agency by the Pentagon.
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Dharm does not say much about her move to Hinduism from the Pentecostal Church, or what the Pentecosals thought about it. But the Army allowed the change, and she leaves no doubt that she is, and always has been, a Hindu.
I'm sure the Pentecostals didn't take too kindly to that. ::)
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I think that the military should discharge her for gross fraudulence in claiming to be a Pentecostal, given that she is a chaplain.
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I think that the military should discharge her for gross fraudulence in claiming to be a Pentecostal, given that she is a chaplain.
That would depend upon whether she ever claimed to be Pentecostal or Christian, and whether her baptism was contingent upon her claiming such.
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I think that the military should discharge her for gross fraudulence in claiming to be a Pentecostal, given that she is a chaplain.
That would depend upon whether she ever claimed to be Pentecostal or Christian, and whether her baptism was contingent upon her claiming such.
I think it's fairly safe to assume she claimed to be Pentecostal, and by extension claimed Christianity, when she sought endorsement by the Pentecostals.
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I'm not sure why they can't come up with some Hindu organization in the U.S. that would give her some kind of certificate. It's not like there aren't any of their temples here.
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Greetings in that Divine and Most Precious Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
I'm not sure why they can't come up with some Hindu organization in the U.S. that would give her some kind of certificate. It's not like there aren't any of their temples here.
(http://mimg.ugo.com/201103/6/1/8/177816/cuts/father-mulcahy_480x360.jpg)
"Here's how it was explained to me. The army doesn't do things the way real human beings do them." Father Mulcahy
M*A*S*H episode "The Life You Save"
stay blessed,
habte selassie
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I guess that's true. Thanks. :)
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I think that the military should discharge her for gross fraudulence in claiming to be a Pentecostal, given that she is a chaplain.
That would depend upon whether she ever claimed to be Pentecostal or Christian, and whether her baptism was contingent upon her claiming such.
I think it's fairly safe to assume she claimed to be Pentecostal, and by extension claimed Christianity, when she sought endorsement by the Pentecostals.
If she completed her duties as a Pentecostal preacher and did not try to convert anyone to Hinduism during that time, what's the problem?
Do you honestly believe that everyone that sits in the pew on Sunday believes in God? Do you believe everyone behind a pulpit believes what they are preaching?
Don't kid yourself.
This woman just came clean about what she believes, while others will lead a lifetime of deceit.
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First a chaplain, now a member of congress. They're taking over! :angel:
The Bible and Torah have long been used at swearing-in ceremonies for members of Congress (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/04/tulsi-gabbard-hindu-bhagavad-gita-swearing-in_n_2410078.html?utm_hp_ref=religion) and have been joined by the Quran in more recent years, but this week marked the first time the Bhagavad Gita was used.
Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu to join either chamber of Congress, used the sacred text from her faith in a ceremonial swearing-in conducted by Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio).
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First a chaplain, now a member of congress. They're taking over! :angel:
You still have a long way to becoming Bradford. :P
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Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is child of Catholic father and Hindu convert mother. Tulsi embraced Hinduism as a teenager.