Thank you

Today I sat through the first day of the Marriage Preparation Course which is mandatory to be married in the Roman Catholic Church of India - In it, the things I learned today among others was the anatomy and physiology of male/female, the updated version of the Rhythm Method and esteem issues. Considering the juggler and I are 'Evolved' human beings - the course covered ground we already knew or had passed in the beginning of our relationship - making it truly a trying experience for the 2 of us and that was just the first day!

Since the juggler also made a 'mistake' in his 'youth' , we have also done a circle of marriage tribunal law, submitting documents from birth certicates to affidavits regarding practice of catholicism and children we might have and sending 4 witnesses to talk about the mistake, all so we can get married in the church.

I'm still not sure if this process is going to be worth it, but I promised myself I would do everything from my end to ensure it happens, the rest I leave in the hands of God and apparently, his chosen ones!

Through all this, I would like to say an immense 'Thank you' to the juggler for his stoicism in the face of what must be complete insanity to someone who has not been brought up in a demanding religion! To me, its just something you take for granted, that you need to earn your right to things but not-so for others. I appreciate the complete and utter committment he has made evident in this crazy rigmarole and love him much for it even if the 3 things he loves most about me are actually about him!

politically yours

I had kinda told myself that if a BJP led government came into power, I would start the immigration process for a country [most likely NZ] - since the UPA is back, I no longer have worries on that score. I can take my time till the next time the country is attacked and then think about the process again!

I'm really grateful for a Congress government tho - their politics are not hate based. I'm sure they are pro Hindu - it just makes it better that they are not anti - other religions.

I have always maintained that while there have always been religious skirmishes in the country, we dissolved into this antagonistic nation post the famous Rath Yatra of 1990. I mean was there really a need to go and incite a mob to demolish any religious place? Since then, Indians have lived in constant fear - of riots, of their neighbours, of different religions.

Also, it seems to me that when the politicians realised they were getting their asses whupped by the Muslims [ref bomb blasts], they found a new religious target - they started attacking Christianity on the grounds of conversions. I then want to ask why do all the matrimonial ads of the Hindus read for Convented girls? Obviously one thinks that the education one receives in a convent is better on all aspects including moral values.

This is just a political platform that parties are using to garner votes - knowing the psyche of the Indian population, they are easy to convince on any issue. Which explains how the British ruled for 300 years with a minimum number of wars!! Not that Im knocking other people down - I am Indian and does it show! the line of reast resistance is my favourite path - which also explains tho I know that I need to be the change, I am not doing anything actively - each vote helps but I'm sure I could do more!

Since I very rarely write about things like politics, there is one lady I need to doff my hat at - an au pair from Italy turned out the master political strategist of this decade. From fronting the Congress party to turning down the post of prime minister and her children actively participating in this process, she has turned every expectation on it's head and is now reaping the benefits.

The Gospel Truth....

According to The American Heritage Dictionary, 'Gospel' is from Middle English gospel, from Old English godspell, meaning "good news", translating the Latin evangelium, which itself was borrowed from Greek euangelion.

As defined by the online site freedictionary,

gos·pel
n.
1. often Gospel The proclamation of the redemption preached by Jesus and the Apostles, which is the central content of Christian revelation.
2. a. Gospel Bible One of the first four New Testament books, describing the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and recording his teaching.
b. A similar narrative.
3. often Gospel A lection from any of the first four New Testament books included as part of a religious service.
4. A teaching or doctrine of a religious teacher.
5. Music Gospel music.
6. Something, such as an idea or principle, accepted as unquestionably true.....

which makes it all the more shocking that the very basis for the title phrase may not be as hard and fast as we would like to believe. If half of what I read [Fiction novels, I admit] is true, then what the original words of Christ were and what we practice today are poles apart in some ways - if not all.

Everybody knows that the religion was adapted as a majority religion in the 4th Century - thats practically 400 years after Christ - and at this time, did the Gospel as we know it appeared - where the best texts were selected out of the many that were written at the time of Christ or just after. It's also a well know fact that some elements of the different religion were also amalgamated into Christianity to make the change more palatable to the citizens [I'm practically quoting Dan Brown and the DaVinci code here,I know!!]. But what I sometimes wonder is.... was the essence of the religion changed as well to make it acceptable to power and the people?

I've heard the stories of the Ethiopian bibles being burnt and the Portugese burning the Syrian Christians ones in India because the versions were so different - the Ethiopians were one of the first conversts apparently and the Syrian Christians were converted by St. Thomas - an original apostle so they would really have versions of the time what would be the most correct and so radically different from what the portugese believed in the 16th century that they were deemed heretical and all the copies were burnt.

When you know all these things and then I read what I term Christian Fiction books where the story revolves around find a relic of Jesus Christ, I am convinced I am being targeted by a viral marketing campaign that wants to spread the word that there is truth out there to be found and we should not blindly follow without asking questions. I agree in some ways with catholocism that some things need to function on faith but there is no need for blanket rule!