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Indian people have a notoriously and decent sense of saying what you want to hear though. If they knew at all that you're a Christian, they'd say something so as not to insult you. The drivers, waiters, etc. will change their religion 6 times a day to get a better tip. Given their average wage...

As far as you know, you never ran across one. Religion isn't really on the forefront of everyone's chatter. Cricket, movies, and politics are all right up there. To be fair, there are those within Hinduism who don't figure atheists belong either. Fact is there are some atheist schools. It's not...

Aussie, from now on, if I indeed remember, I'll use the terms Abrahamic and Dharmic in reference to the paradigms, rather than eastern and western. That will hopefully cease the confusion. My father was an agnostic leaning to atheist. In Hinduism, as I've indicated earlier in this thread...

Aussie you're still getting western/eastern geography mixed with western/eastern paradigm. Geographically, I am from the west, but paradigm wise at worst neutral as I was born into a Godless home.

As to the OP, my basic point is just that Hinduism is vast. Yes, there is monotheism. But we're not exclusively monotheism. One challenge for Hindus is that because of economics and/or geography many Hindus don't actually get around much. It's a natural assumption to think everyone else is like...

Within Hinduism, the ratio of Right to Left is about 99 to 1. Still there are probably a few points in common.

Etu, I'd love it if you started some new categories and posts. It would be interesting, and I think we'd find substantial common ground, although I'm not completely sure.

In a nutshell, it's called reprogramming of the subconscious mind, which is quite possible with discipline, especially once the eastern paradigm regains it's catch on the soul. I have no expectations of anyone understanding this unless you've done it.

Very difficult if not impossible to explain eastern mind to western minds. Maybe this will help ....

I'm referring to religious belief and paradigms, not geographic locations.

Kashmiri would be one of the traditional branches, yes. Here is a link to an explanation of the six schools. http://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=3244 I am personally a follow of Saiva Siddhanta, monistic school, Nandinatha sampradaya. There is no LHP stuff...

I know very little about it actually. According to wiki the term is for 'using magic' whatever that means. I just know there is an often negative stigma attached to it that has nothing to do with orthodox Saivism. which I am.

It's a duty to rid the west of misconceptions about the east. You have a tough job today especially. Several forum moderators all over do. I wish solutions for violence against humanity were in sight, but they're not.

I'm sorry, but Saivism is NOT LHP. Saivism is one of the major sects of Hinduism, and a tiny portion of it is LHP, and the rest of us distance ourselves from that. Kashmiri Saivism, Saiva Siddhanta, Puranic Saivism, Virasaivism, are all not LHP.

This is simply not true. It's the view of one school, namely Advaita Vedanta, which isn't even nearly the most common school in Hinduism. Hinduism has pure polytheism, atheism, henotheism, and more under the umbrella term.

Don't you guys have email?

I grew up in a godless environment. My father was respected in the community. We went fishing every Sunday morning all summer long, and swam in the river. I played baseball, had fun in school, played hockey on the rink Dad made for us all winter, watched a ton of great TV with Mom, and learned...

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This situation could have gone in any direction. It's not just atheists than can get insulted by a different world view presented to them at an awkward moment. Back in the day before I learned to shut my mouth, I insulted my share of Christians.

Upon further reflection ... funerals are almost a different world entirely. You see the best of people and the worst of people. When grieving, things just aren't 'normal'. On a personal level, I'm rarely affected, (I've been accused of being cold) but obviously many people are really affected...