As stated in my last blog entry, I just spent 10 days in India for work. I had a great time, but am quite horrified by some of the reactions I received when I returned. These were obviously not reactions by people from Magdalene Circle or Ecclesia Pistis Sophia, but other people I have known for years.
The first reaction I received was "I'm glad the Muslims didn't get you". I can't even imagine why someone would write this, but it does show the level of confusion that some Americans (and Christians) have about the rest of the world. First, not all Muslims are fundamentalist extremists that terrorize Americans. This is actually a very small portion of the Muslim community - much like Christians that bomb abortion clinics are a very small portion of the Christian community. Second, I went to India which is 80% Hindu and the other 20% is made up of Muslims, Christians, and Buddhists. Unfortunately, I don't believe the person who made the comment above understands the difference between Islam and Hinduism.... So, that point is mute.
The second reaction I received was people saying they would never want to go to India. There are various reasons I've been given from feeling like an outsider, to not understanding Hinduism, to not wanting to deal with the "poverty", to just having no interest. These are all ideas that are very foreign to me. India has such a rich history and culture that I was thrilled with the prospect of being able to go there. I never felt like an outsider - in fact I was made to feel very welcome and felt more comfortable in India then I did in some European countries. I believe that Americans (in general) need to take more time to learn about the rest of the world and understand the diversity and beauty there is to offer. I'm not saying everyone should go to India or that we all shouldn't have different interests, but I have experienced a fear and dread by some of the Indian culture and Hindu religion. It seems to me that more interaction and understanding would change many minds and open up potential experiences for those who take the time to learn.
