Only the Gods Should be Armed

A Kshatriya is the one who bears arms to protect weak, innocents, women, children from abuse, violence. He can only use his arms to maintain peace, harmony, justice and to hold the Lord's Universal Laws.

Please note one cannot be born Kshatriya, but can be one by taking the oath to uphold Dharma (natural Laws of the Universe).

One cannot bear arms for personal benefit, or as a means to push his point of view.

One can bear arms, only if one is fully aware of one's duties, and is sure that he cannot be provoked to use it when not needed. Just anybody cannot bear arms.

A good example is sufficiently trained and honest soldier/ cop.

Power should come with responsibility. Without being properly trained to know ones responsibility to keep calm, order, peace in the society and among all living beings, one is not capable to bear arms.

Just because humans invented gun and not the animals, they have no right to use it to hunt the innocent and gentle animals.

Just more evidence that the real problems in the world are the religous belief that people everywhere cling to irrationally.

What Would Arjuna Do?

If you want to carry a gun, be my guest. Let priests bring them to church, Senators to sessions of Congress and teachers to their classrooms. They all have a right to defend themselves as everyone is a potential threat (since we are all encouraged to own guns).

As sarcastic as my comment sounds, I partially believe in it. However, what I do NOT believe is allowing priests, Senators, teachers or ANYONE to own guns without the proper training.

Can you honestly say that you would feel compeltely safe if every single person you knew owned a gun? Is there not a single person you know that would make you stop and think, "Actually, I think I'm gonna keep my distance from this person,"?

Another puff piece!

From the Spanish Inquisition to Babri Masjid, to name a few, religious fanatics have always played a role in violence. So, there is nothing surprising about some of them coming to worship armed to the teeth with AK47, Uzi or whatever their favorite weapon is. Itchy fingers ready to unleash death at little or no reason. Makes one wonder about their god.

The roman catholic church owns Beretta gun company in Italy. It could provide guns to all other religions as well. Maybe, just maybe the superstitious can kill each other off and give the planet back to the informed and rational...

The intolerance and fear based society of today is *the abomination.
Posters write in my country, in my church, my God, does this attempt at ownership give them some lacking sense of self?
Weapons in church, seems a contradiction to Christianity.
Armed clergy, are those concealed weapons, or visible, maybe it's time to worship at home.

An armed man who wanted to mass murder at a mega church last year didn't get far as an armed guard killed him.

Being armed and being violent is not the same thing. Cops go a whole life time without hurting anyone doing their armed job.

Defense is our right; would you go back and tell the Jews in Russia during WWII to lay down their arms and submit to the Germans instead of taking to the woods and arming themselves?

I respect your religion and your wish not to carry firearms. Unfortunately, you are depending on others to protect your freedoms and safety.I heard the following quote in Europe from relatives of millions that died in WW11. They were peace loving, solid citizens,and unarmed just like you. "If you will be sheep, there will be wolves." In America, look elsewhere because we don't intend to be your flock.

So that's why India is a nuclear power?

THEREV1 Wrote: When did doctors begin to study theology anyway? And - how can a Hindu in Minnesota reasonably define the world for New York rabbis?__________________________________________
A quick consultation with Spinoza (or any competent Rabbi) would identify your argument as Ad Hominem, Mr. There, and not worthy of the electrons used to make it.

"This article is inane." When did doctors begin to study theology anyway? And - how can a Hindu in Minnesota reasonably define the world for New York rabbis? Pardon the pun, but the very idea is pissy.

Further proof that one technically birthed onto American soil can be completely oblivious of the American Creed, pay taxes; and so consider his sectarian view worthy of consideration.

There's good reason Radical Protestants, Freemasons, and Jews founded America's New Secular Order, and Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims didn't.

Study the Arc of History and The Founders' prophetic wisdom.

Utopian Whigs received Our Nation in covenant from the Creator, "that Infinite Power which rules the destinies of the universe."

For those wishing to profit from the Age of Reason, there is but One G-d: "Annuit Coeptis" is Our Creed's first Motto.

Try to assimilate. As Americans fully recognize there is only one G-d, keep your sectarianism to yourself or renounce the citizenship your parents cadged.

When the gods begin to "smite the wicked" and "protect the innocent" rather than just standing back and letting all heck break loose then I will trust them to protect me and society. Until then I will protect myself and my own.

With the recent instances of people entering churches and committing violence against pastors and parishoners, it is a reasonable response to have selected people in the congregation act as armed security. This is not about Christians toting around guns randoming shooting those who disagree with them. This is about Christians who choose to act as shepherds to protect the flock so that peaceful worship of the Lord can happen. Both the people who hate Christianity and those who have an unreasonable fear of armed private citizens are wrong in their arguments against what this church is doing to protect its "flock".

I don't quite understand this Abrahamic compulsion to shoot anyone who doesn't agree with their view of "God", but it sure is annoying.

Perhaps when the Christians, the Muslims, and the Jews stop shooting at each other I'll develop more respect for them. Based on their behavior though, the "Rapture" would be nothing but good for the rest of the worlds people.

Admittedly, I do not know enough about other faiths. I do know about my own. I know that there is nothing in what Jesus said that would permit me to kill another human being. I know that there is nothing in the New Testament that would allow that either. The only pasage that could be interpreted as anything of the sort would be in Romans, where Paul talks about the state's "power of the sword," and that has been much debated, with most commentators saying that it refers to the state's power to rule (soldiers were also policemen). Those gun-totin' "Christians" whoa re ready to blast the crap out of others, are not Christian at all - they represent a heretical form of American religion that worships guns and American force - not the Jesus who taught us to turn the other cheeck, who said that "those who pick up the sword will perish by the sword," and who died for the sake of those who put him to death. The church originally was pacifist. Now we're back to Holy War theology.

"Some New York-area rabbis are planning to bring weapons to High Holy Day services this month to guard against terrorist threats. In June, a Kentucky pastor invited his congregation members to bring their firearms to church to celebrate the Second Amendment. Do weapons belong in worship? Should clergy be armed? Do the Ten Commandments trump the Second Amendment?"

Whoa. Wait. Are you equating gun loving southern christians, who love guns for its own sake, with some NY Jews who have had the unnerving experience of being targeted by terrorists in the past few months? How dare you possibly compare, even equate them. As if playing with guns and having a legitimate interest in community defense are the same thing. This article is inane.

my GOD gave us the ability to defend ourselves...
no man has the right to take that right away from us...

"Wait, aren't kshatriyas OBLIGATED under God's laws to be armed warriors?"

But then, Kshatriyas are not priests - Brahmans are.

I could agree with the idea that priests shouldn't be armed : especially in Hinduism, priests are gentle old men, soothing and pleasant, and non-violent. But it's too much to say that only Gods should have weapons; that is not even consistent with Hinduism as it is understood and practiced.

What was true in the days of Kurukshetra is true today also : there are bad guys in the world, and it is job of good guys, as well as the occasional god, to kill them. Sad but true.

About the weapons of the gods being metaphors for killing our sloth or whatever, etc., seems like labored reasoning. They are weapons, plain and simple, for killing rakshasas, who can perhaps be taken as proxies for the real demons among men.

"Some New York-area rabbis are planning to bring weapons to High Holy Day services this month to guard against terrorist threats."

Better they should bring guns to protect against the depredations of YHWH, one of the most threatening and dangerous personalities in all of human history.

I think it is extremely important to unite Hindus and Muslims in a common allegiance to morality and to Indian patriotism. This has been tried in the past, by Akbar, by Kabir, by crown prince Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of Shah Jehan who built the Taj Kahal. Dara even wrote a book in which he tried to prove that Hinduism and Islam were really the same religion, dedicated to monotheistic God worship. He translated 52 Hindu Upanishads into his mother tongue Farsi, and re-translated into Latin, they deeply influenced Western philosophy. We should take him - and not his fanatic brother Aurangzeb - as our exemplar of a real Muslim, just as we put Jelaluddin Rumi at the same level as Kabir and Jnaneshvar.

It is true that Hinduism does not advocate lying down and being kicked. But Hinduism has always been generous, willing to examine and re-examine itself. That is what the Rishis DID! Instead of killing the Buddha who challenged Hinduism, many Hindu kings became his disciples and he lived to the ripe old age of 80. The Buddha is now part of the Hindu pantheon as the ninth incarnation of Vishnu. And that, my friends, is real Hinduism!

Krishna did advocate to Arjuna that his duty as a kshatriya was to fight for justice. But Krishna did it AFTER he had himself gone on a mission of peace to the Kauravas and they had tried to imprison him. He did not try war before he tried peace - and at personal risk.

I recently helped a poor Muslim risksha driver in my home town of Palanpur and explained to my Hindu friends that helping a Muslim was double punya. They saw my logic and I hope other Hindus also see it.

As a postscript about Christians, one of my experts on Hindu temples was a Christian statistian in South India. If it had not been the Englishman James Princep deciphering the Brahmi script, we Indians would not have known about king Ashoka and his greatness. And think of the enormous contributions to the understanding of Hindu scriptures which was made by the German Max Mueller.

I am not shoving under the rug the Hindu temples destroyed by Mohammad of Gazni, or more recently the Buddha statues destroyed by the Taliban. But these belong in a context, and the real context is that of brotherhood (and sisterhood).

Good article. But those Hindu pilgrims do not need armed guards to protect themselves from "Pak" trained terrorists but from Muslim terrorists from India as well. There have been numerous gun and bomb attacks inside and just outside Hindu temples by Indian Muslim terrorists.

Same goes for Jews. They need to protect themselves from Muslim terrorists as well.

O' O.U.R. Dear fellow AMERICAN's, & Friendly's: DO NOT believe in White-Hous's BIG LiE!

According to todays NEWS; DO-NOT, NO/NOT BELiEVE [Todays] THE U.S. Controlled News-Networks nor such FEDeraly paid SiNdicates via PENTAGON & CO. i [WE] know, via facts & 'TRUTH' (opposite MYTH) THAT: Osam Bin Laden is Really/Acually Dead; since June 2007 by a Botched Kidney-Transplant Failure.

Do not Listen to the News-Networks nor believe their "FAKE-TAPES" [Voice makeovers] P-R-o-p-a-g-a-n-d-a's campaign. Osam Bin Laden is Really Dead; since June 2007! Shame on BUSH! Shame on OBAMA, POLOSi, BADEN et al!

Osam Bin Laden is Really Dead; Osam Bin Laden is Really Dead; since June 2007!

.....O.......……………………,/////////////……………..........,/..
..0.........………,……..__,---///////////////////,…..............,/././..
0............…………,-'.. ). ). ). ). ). ).''///////_\…........../././././ ..
....O.......……_,-' ))`.. ) .) .). ) .) .) .). ). ).)..`-......././././././
............…/..()_).).).).).\. ) .). ) .). ). ). ) .). )__././././././././ .
............…\____ ).).).).).). ). ). ). ). ) .). ). ).__.\.\.\.\.\.\.\.\...
{-OSAMa ALQAiDA;> |.))))). )./.). ). ) .). )_/,-’__.\.\.\.\.\.\..
............…..___,').),'). ). ). ). )_),,--'……………...\.\.\.\.\.\ …
............….(_______............\.\)_),--'"……………...`\.\.\.\ ...
............……………….-.........\.\.\……………………...`\.\.\ ..
............……,…………...........\.\.\……………….............`\.
.....................................................................................

DEAR "C.ONcered C.hristian N.ow L.iberated" & CO;

According to Ye Jealous Diciples @ LUKE12:51.. that

Your (not OUR) "NT" , as if ye (not OUR) god be in 'Flesh' & 'Blood' is in fact "ANTi-HUMANITY" & thuseth, but FREUDiANTLY slipeth'd & begged yo singing, "Suppose? I came not to make/bring YE (not Us) PEACE [Blessing]; but NO-NO-NO rather & in TRUTH (opposite MYTH) I, ye Rabbi & PELEGian-Yashua/Jesus-gods player, INSTEAD brings ye WAR [Blessing]s, D-V-i-S-i-o-n.." la la la. AND

@ LUKE:14:26 .... "HATE-HATE-HATE la la Ye-selves, Ye Kids, Ye Mother & Father, Syblings & ALL LIFE FORMS, if Ye want to Follow ME/US & get to the Kingdom..." [Similar sang]! Sooooo

C.C.N.L. & CO., a self-ordained/serving Expert on YE (not OUR) "N.ew T.estament" a Jealous Copy-Cat JUDEO-abe-JU Bible (Bas{orah) rehashed from YE (not OUR) "O.ld T.estament" and suddenly became the JUDEO-abe-CHRiSTO [un{ holy (Masorah) Book; similar to the Jealousy's of the WHABI JUDEO-abe-ISLAMIcO's!?

C.C.N.L & CO; YE art DRUNK & gots Blinded by Swallowing To much "PUKARIST" aka Symbolic Cannabilism & Vampirism [Communion/Eucharisk] via eating rabbi JESUS's FLESH & BLOOD in effigy!

Luckilly for YE & Co; there are "EKLAHT"ion run REHAB CENTERS that can reverse the CURSE/SiNs of Ye Parents (not Ours) To Reverse the "WAR BLESSINGS & translate & Expose, to OUR S.S. Earthlings the "RiDDLES OF YE DEVIL/JINN/SATAN/KALi.."!

Putting the Kentucky pastor and the rabbis in the same category is akin to uniting the Janjaweed with the National Guard. After all both are armed.

Rather than deal directly with the problem of Jews having been threatened for FOUR DECADES by lunatic, racist Islamist terrorists, OnFaith prefers to distract attention with this week's ridiculous question.

The problem of Muslim terrorist threats against synagogues, Jews in predominantly Jewish neighborhoods has been going on for FOUR DECADES. Frankly, people are sick, tired, and disgusted with being targeted.

A few years ago, some people, including rabbis began stating that they intended to defend themselves, and not only during the High Holy Days. They do not want their congregations to be burdened all year with the cost of paying for private security and they don't want to be under siege by police.

The synagogue I occasionally attend declined police protection this year. This resulted in a meeting with the chief, followed by two more, in which the rabbi and her committee were finally persuaded to give in.

The congregation, a gentle enough bunch, was not happy from what I hear. Enough is enough as this brilliant young rabbi declared in her email. Jews, like everyone else, have enough problems living day to day without being threatened by Muslim terrorists. However, the rabbis arming themselves is not the right way, as they very well know since the announcement was rhetoric.

We Jews, cultural and observant, need to organize, as taxpayers. We need to stage demonstrations demanding that those who threaten us be caught, tried, and jailed, if convicted. (Can you imagine what would have happened if, decades ago, Catholic and Protestant churches, neighborhoods, were threatened by Islamist extremists?)

As this discussion continues within the community, I am hopeful that much stronger efforts will be made to apprehend those threatening our lives and the lives of our children right here in the US.

In the interim, I am rather astonished at how the real issue, Americans held hostage to terrorist threats in New York City, is being buried in cant.

Arjuna, Yudhistra, Rama, etc were not unarmed. They had all the weapons at their disposal. Because they were good people, they chose not to use those until they were forced to. But when forced to, they fought back.

Hindu religion is mistaken as pacifist. It is active, karmic. We are to do things. Sometimes it is to debate and learn, sometimes to heal, sometimes to police, sometimes to war, sometimes to love our children, etc.

We may make karmic errors, adharma, and we have ownership of that karma that results, but throwing down our weapons is not prescribed. The Gita, as I read it, says pick up you bow Arjuna. The bow is not the problem. The problem is ego attachment and lack of renunciation. The metaphorical sword of discrimination, is also the kings (fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, etc.) sword of the duty to protect. Use both with wisdom.

Wait, aren't kshatriyas OBLIGATED under God's laws to be armed warriors?

Mr. Shukla,

Thanks for providing a Hindu perspective.
I agree that priests of a religion must maintain a higher standard because they represent the ideals of that belief system. But we must be pragmatic and provide protection for the priests and temples as necessary. The maintainence of high ideals such as nonviolence (ahimsa) and proper actions in self-defense are not mutually exclusive.

Many Hindus in India today seem to confuse the idea of Nonviolence (Ahimsa) with cowardice. As is made unequivocally clear in the Gita or in the icons you describe in the temples, standing up and fighting for right and justice is intrinsic to Hinduism and necessary in every age.

When your fellow men, women, and children are being murdered, hiding behing the skirt of "nonviolence" is cowardice, not a respectable ideal. This is all too common in Hindus today. It is sad to see that people with apathy and cowardice have been ceeded the higher moral ground, based on a lack of understanding of Hinduism.

One of the greatest genocides in history has been the treatment of Hindus in their own land by Muslims and Christians over the last one thousand years. The French journalist Francois Gautier has documented this for the West recently. The era of unabated abuse of Hindus and Hinduism is ending, but right action needs to be taken by all to preserve this opportunity. The greatest enemy for Hindus may be the enemy within, which is ignorance of Hindu philosophy and ideals.