Pagans! America’s First Ever Hindu Congresswoman Will Take the Oath of Office Over the Bhagavad Gita

[flamingdem]

http://jezebel.com/5958635/americas-first-ever-hindu-congresswoman-will-take-the-oath-of-office-over-the-bhagavad-gita


Last night, Hawaii not only elected Japan-born Mazie Hirono to be the first ever Asian-American woman elected to the Senate, they also elected Democrat Tulsi Gabbard as the first ever practicing Hindu to the US House of Representatives. Hawaii has been declared a Fox News Disaster Zone.

Thirty-one-year-old Gabbard is the daughter of two conservative Hawaii politicians and first ran for office at age 21. After her first term, she voluntarily served on a 12-month tour of duty with Hawaii's National Guard, and then became the first woman in the history of the Accelerated Officer Candidate School at the Alabama Military Academy to be designated a "distinguished honor graduate."

When she's sworn in this January, she'll take her oath of office over a Bhagavad Gita, a sacred text for followers of the Vaishnava branch of Hindu. According to HuffPo, Gabbard's favorite verses include,

[codjh9]

1. I love it.

[Firebrand Gary]

2. So awesome!

[Marrah_G]

3. Wonderful!

[ceile]

4. She sounds like an accomplished, amazing woman.

She'll do Hawaii proud.

[Bonhomme Richard]

5. I'll have to repost at FB just to watch some heads explode.

I'm not a nice guy.
No quarter asked, no quarter given.

[RoccoR5955]

6. Great.

Now it will be an even greater day when the first Pastafarian is sworn in on the sacred text of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.


Keep ALL religion out of my government.

[barnabas63]

7. Are Hindus pagans?

[OldDem2012]

10. Are Mormons? nt.

[obamanut2012]

12. I was wondering that, too

I didn't think they were.

[New Earth]

20. not really

I think the only reason they get grouped in with Pagans is because they (kind of) are polytheistic. But really they are not. All the 'gods' found in the religion are understood to really be just different aspects of the one and only god, which in hinduism is not viewed as old guy in sky crap.....but as in all pervading spirit.

[Marrah_G]

21. Not really, they are just in the "other: column with us and are Polytheistic

[New Earth]

27. they're actually not really polytheistic

not to debate over it or anything. But there is really only one 'Godhead' in Hinduism. Each sect worships god under a different 'name', and there are infinite names for God. The 'name' they venerate or worship is one or more certain traits/aspects of God. Like there are Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva - which are phases of God's actions or parts of his personality, Brahma=creation, Vishnu=sustaining the universe, Shiva=destruction of the universe, and then it goes back to creation again. They are pictured in different forms and hold different personalities of one supreme God. Followers are spiritually attracted to whichever image resonates with them, or whatever their family brought them up in. There are then their female energy counterparts, the Shakti, their 'offspring' like Ganesha is Shiva's son, which then represents other aspects of God, the list goes on and on. Some only worship the one supreme God in it's 'supreme' form. But technically, it is not really polytheistic since all of these 'gods' are of one god.

I got heavily into Hinduism the last few years. While it's my favorite world religion and I share many of the same beliefs, my actual 'religion' is New Thought/Religious Science (which actually isn't much different belief wise).

[Marrah_G]

32. Yeah- but people think of them as such so we all get lumped in together

I do know pagans who include aspects of the Hindu God/dess into their pantheons.

[obamanut2012]

8. On a shallow note, she is really toothsome

Also, Hawaii just elected the first Buddhist Senator -- Mazie Hirono!

[justiceischeap]

9. I find myself wondering how an Atheist would be sworn in. nt

[flamingdem]

13. ha ha ha

on a copy of the New York Times? Encyclopedia..

[haele]

16. Ask Pete Stark, former U.S. Congressman from CA's 13th district -

16 terms (since 1973), but he just lost to another Democrat due to redistricting, the new CA primary rules and, honestly, a growing issue with "irascible inconsistency in public" that might be due to age issues (Stark is 80).
Since he was a WWII veteran, it is possible that he asked to be sworn in as he would have been while in the military - which is his right. (That is, if he's required to do the individual swearing in and is not required to be sworn in other than as part of the House at the beginning of every session - in that case, at the end of that swearing in, you can just mumble and let the zealots make it hard to hear anyone else...)
There is no "so help me Gawd" in the military affirmation - at least the one I enlisted under back in the 1970's.
He finally came out officially as an Atheist in the early-2000's; previously, if "it's my business, not yours" didn't work, he'd usually fall back on the catch-all Unitarian label when stalked by people who put religion above action.

Haele

[ieoeja]

17. You don't need anything except the oath. And a copy of the Constitution would be most fitting. nt

[Warren DeMontague]

22. Exactly.

Seems to me that's the MOST appropriate document to be "sworn in" on, period.

[argiel1234]

33. +1

.

[BlueMan Votes]

26. either the kama sutra, or mad magazine would be my choice.

[white_wolf]

11. While this is extremely interesting, I have to ask..

Are Hindus pagans? Hinduism is more of a general term for a wide variety of religious views than a single monolithic religion. Hindu views of God range from monotheism, pantheism, polytheism, and even atheism. Most of the books I've read on the subject of paganism are a bit wary of including Hinduism as a pagan religion. Sorry, religion fascinates me. Either way this is really interesting and I'm glad to see our society becoming more accepting of non-Christian views.

[flamingdem]

14. I wrote Pagans! because I imagine that's how Freepers will perceive this

So far I haven't seen them attacking her but they'll get to it!

[white_wolf]

15. They'll attack her for being a women. They won't get to her religion for a while. n/t

[Posteritatis]

30. I actually expect them to conflate it with Islam. (nt)

[haele]

18. What's even more interesting is if Hindus consider Christians Pagan....

Technically, the Aramaic religions cannot consider each other Pagan, because they worship the same basic diety with the same original laws, no matter what name they give it, so if you are a Christian, your God doesn't recongize a Muslim or Jew as being pagan. Perhaps heretical, but not Pagan.

Haele

[New Earth]

23. not really

I think it is just the polytheism found in it that make people think it is. And the polytheism is actually not even polytheism.

[Marrah_G]

24. No, Hindus and pagans get lumped together in the "other" catagory

and they are both Polytheistic

[Marrah_G]

25. Pagan religions are earth based/centered religions

Most are polytheistic although here and there you find traditions geared towards one (usually) Goddess.

[white_wolf]

28. Yeah that's what I thought which is why I asked.

And yeah I normally think of Pagans as polytheists, but now that I think about the doesn't the Dianic branch of Wicca only worship a single Goddess?

[Marrah_G]

31. I believe so

[New Earth]

19. I LOVE the Bhagavad Gita

and Hinduism. anyone who has not read it, should. Even atheists. It may be the most LOVING message you've heard from God in any religious text. This is so awesome!

[GopherGal]

29. First Muslim Congressman Used the Koran

... Thomas Jefferson's Koran.

So perfect. Here's hoping they can find something as fitting for Ms. Gabbard.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/ellison.asp