Hinduism

From the info posted:

The following video shows the reactions of ghosts and demons to Holy water made from SSRF incense sticks. The Holy water imparts positive energy and destroys negative black energy of ghosts (demons, negative energies) possessing a person. The healers sprinkling Holy water as a spiritual healing remedy are above the 60% spiritual level and this further contributes to the potency of the Holy water.

And now, the exciting video!

Now, seriously, I'd be more impressed if they spontaneously burst into flame from the holy water. I think I saw that in a movie once.

Jim Downey

As in, it'll take a genius to market this stuff:

India to launch cow urine as soft drink

Does your Pepsi lack pep? Is your Coke not the real thing? India's Hindu nationalist movement apparently has the answer: a new soft drink made from cow urine.

The bovine brew is in the final stages of development by the Cow Protection Department of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), India's biggest and oldest Hindu nationalist group, according to the man who makes it.

Om Prakash, the head of the department, said the drink – called "gau jal", or "cow water" – in Sanskrit was undergoing laboratory tests and would be launched "very soon, maybe by the end of this year".

Is that a promise, or a threat?

As a friend said: "Gives a whole new meaning when people call bad beer 'p*ss water'."

One of the more common complaints I see here and at some of the atheist-inclined sites I read is that those of us in the West only complain about the absurd religious antics of the various and sundry Christian cultists. Well, yeah, that's because the dominant religious tradition in the West is some version of Christianity. But that doesn't mean that I don't find other religious practices equally absurd.

And in that spirit, let's take a quick look at three recent manifestations around the world. In comments, feel free to add others.

First, this gem from South America:

EL ALTO, Bolivia (Reuters) - Muttering incantations at a witches' market above La Paz, Faustino Tinta sets fire to a dried llama fetus and wax trinkets, an offering his client hopes will help Bolivian President Evo Morales survive a recall vote.

* * *

"Evo is going to have the support of more people. He is going to win the referendum," said soothsayer Maria Samo, tossing coca leaves onto a crucifix placed on a piece of woven material in her own stall nearby.

So, here's a little thought experiment, in two parts. I would appreciate your comments on each part, as you see fit. And whatever you say in response, also consider your initial reaction (which you don't have to disclose).

Here's the scenario: You need to have a brain tumor removed. It's a tricky operation, but there's generally a 90% success rate across the medical field with it. There is also the usual 3 - 4% chance of developing a post-operative infection, and something like 1% chance of complications due to anesthesia. Your insurance will cover the entire cost of the procedure and hospitalization regardless of which choices you make to the questions below, so expense is not a factor (hey, I didn't say this was realistic).

A regular UTI reader sends this outrageous example of spending public funds on extravagant religious structures. The temple being constructed, named the "Mahalakshmi Temple" is near Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. Every surface is layered with gold, except for the pathways, and even the chandelier in the main hall is made from gold. The temple's cost is "Rs. 300 Crore". (Click the image for a larger version.)

I'll let Radi explain exactly how stinkin' much this monstrosity is costing the citizens of India.

[Radi] From a regular, devoted reader of your blog (albeit usually only lurking, not commenting)...

FYI: 1 crore is 10 million, so Rs. 300 Crore makes Rs. 3 BILLION (at INR 40 to 1 USD, that makes $75 million). WHAT A COMPLETE AND UTTER WASTE OF TIME, MONEY AND RESOURCES!

I have attached a screen capture of the relevant info (from the Hindustan Times, Mumbai Edition, Page 7, August 24th 2007).

Wow. 75 million bucks for a gold-plated temple. What do you bet that if the U.S. Government offered to fund such a thing here in the U.S., the evangelicals would jump all over it? Heh.

Living in the United States of America as I do, I have a tendency to gloss over incidents of unreasonable religious behavior from religions other than the various and sundry flavors of Christianity. The society that I live in is soaked in Christianity and I have to deal with that fact on a daily basis, so this is understandable. However, there are times when a situation outside of my direct experience demands a response from me.

In the United Kingdom, in southwest Wales in the historic colony of Carmarthenshire, there is a community by the name of Llanpumsaint [map]. Within this tiny rural community is a multi-faith community of monks named Skanda Vale, or "The Community of the Many Names of God". It is mainly Hindu. These monks keep various "sacred animals" in their monastery including Shambo, a six-year-old black Friesian bull who is worshiped in the Hindu tradition as a representation of the various deities within the Hindu pantheon.

Shambo has tested positive for bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis). Bovine TB has the rare ability to jump the species barrier and infect humans with TB. A human can contract TB by eating the meat of an infected cow or bull, by drinking the milk of an infected cow, or through aerosol droplets.

In other words, just being around old Shambo is very, very dangerous. It has been estimated that in the first half of the twentieth century, bovine TB killed more farm animals that all other infectious diseases combined - and nearly a million human beings.

More below the fold...

Eh. I've got a cold. No, not from the Heinlein Centennial, but from meeting with a client on Tuesday, who informed me after I spent time in a small enclosed room with him going over some 100 year old maps that had it not been for our scheduled meeting, he'd not have come in to work. Charming. Thanks, guy.

Anyway, the other posts I'd been working on about the Centennial are on hold for a bit, until I recover. So, in the interests of keeping things moving without having to do a lot of work, I offer this from dKos / TPM: