[Advaita-l] true colour of Chameleon

[Abhyudaya Mandal]

I conveyed that homosexuality is lesser of an adharma (if it is adharma at
all to begin with) than dvijas not maintaining daily fires etc., or
so-called traditional sannyasis not living the yati-lifestyle. So if we
feel the urge to criticize personal conduct, then we need not look as far
as Pattanaik.

The sexual orientation of an author has little to do with his ability to
interpret any texts. Yes, it may inform and shape his interpretation, but
it neither defines it nor invalidates it. If we disagree with an author's
interpretation, then we should respond to it without trying to demonize the
author by mocking his sexual orientation (or gender or caste, for that
matter). Venkata-ji's post -- a news-article about the author's
homosexuality plus the title "true color of a chameleon" -- is an ad
hominem.


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09/26/18,
2:52:12 PM

On Wed, Sep 26, 2018 at 11:56 AM Jaldhar H. Vyas via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> On Fri, 21 Sep 2018, Abhyudaya Mandal via Advaita-l wrote:
>
> > Even if we accept that homosexuality is adharmika (which is a debatable
> > issue, by the way), and argue that such a person cannot interpret the
> > scriptures properly, then we (and most, if not all, of our sannyasi
> > teachers) will also be ineligible to comment on the scriptures. How many
> > of us maintain the daily fires? Or have not crossed the seas? How many
> > of our sannyasi teachers actually live the yati-lifestyle prescribed in
> > the Manu Smriti (whose validity in 21st century Kali yuga is, again,
> > debatable)?
>
> "We cannot criticize rapists and murderers because after all who amongst
> us does not have a parking fine or overdue library book?"
>
> Is that what you were trying to convey?
>
>
>
> --
> Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>
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