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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00040 Nov 2003

 
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How about the word Deity worship!

--- purohit@xxxx wrote: > 
> Dear Bhagavatars - many of you might not be knowing
> that "IDOL" is an
> extremely perjorative term coined by Christian
> missionaries in order to
> denigrate and bring to the lowest level what they
> saw as the objects of
> worship in India.
> 
> Please see you Webster's dictionary ? IDOL = (1) the
> image of a heathen god,
> (2) that on which the passions are set; (3) a source
> of error; (4) a
> fallacy, (5) an unsubstantial apparition; (6) a
> phantom; (7) an imposter, a
> counterfiet.
> 
> The terms "idol" and "idolatry" in the west
> immediately brings to mind
> negative connotations as seen in the dictionary
> entry, and is never used is
> a positive context.
> 
> It is high time that we stopped using this term to
> describe the "archa
> avataras" and indeed should strongly object to it -
> in the eyes of the
> native english speakers we are denigrating our own
> murtis!
> 
> The proper term of use is ICON. This is what the
> catholics and the eastern
> orthodox Christians call their images of God. In
> modern computer speak which
> has adopted this term, it has an entirely neutral
> connotation
> 
> Words are very important and we too should adjust
> our vocabulary to more
> positive or at least neutral communication.
> 
> Please make this your personal project - allways
> correct others in this
> usage, for Vaishnavas to knowingly or unknowlingly
> insult the sacred
> "tiru-meni" is a serious aparadham.
> 
> adiyen
> 
> Sri Ram
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 

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